Hot Flashes at Night

How to manage hot flashes at night

hot flashes hot Hot flashes at night are better known as night sweats and are caused by the same mechanisms that cause hot flushes during the day. As estrogen levels decrease rapidly, the hypothalamus region of the brain responds by sending a woman’s body temperature sky high.

Hot flashes and night sweats are usually characterized by a burst of warmth that radiates through a woman’s body, a rapid heart rate, flushed skin, and excessive sweating. However, some women will also be nauseous, feel anxious, or become lightheaded. While hot flashes may be exceedingly uncomfortable or distressing, when armed with just a little knowledge, women can fully combat this nuisance and reclaim their nights. How can I manage hot flashes at night?

Women can usually manage their night sweats by making alterations to their daily and evening routines. With a few lifestyle changes women can find themselves going from perpetual restless nights, to uninterrupted blissful sleep. Read on to find our more.

Room temperature regulation
Keeping a window open, turning on a fan, or lowering the temperature on the thermostat are all simple ways to help reduce the frequency and intensity of night sweats.

Avoiding certain foods
Women who consume spicy foods or excessive caffeine or alcohol shortly before bed are putting themselves at a higher risk of experiencing night sweats.

Sensible bedding
Women can easily avoid excessive heat at night by sleeping in a bed outfitted with lighter, breathable fabrics, like cotton or linen. If it is too cold to sleep under a thin sheet, lightweight blankets might do the trick. Finding the right balance between warm and cold can be difficult, so have several layers of bedding so that you can easily remove layers when you are too hot and put them back on when you get chilly.

Cool Beverages
Keeping iced water or some other refreshing drink handy at night time is another good way to help keep body temperatures in check. Women can try drinking a cool drink before bed and then keep another on the nightstand in case they feel a night sweat coming on.

More information about hot flashes at night

Fortunately, hot flashes at night can be easily prevented, or their effects minimized, by making lifestyle changes or using alternative medicines. Lifestyle changes should always be the first option you choose because it is the least invasive, but if you want to explore other possible treatments then you should speak to your doctor and get trusted advice. To read more about hot flashes at night, follow this link.