Hot flashes at night

A hot flash is a sudden rush of heat to the face, neck and chest. ACOG describes one lasting from a few seconds to several minutes, and some women have them a few times a month while others have several a day. When one comes after dark, the same event is usually called a night sweat, and it can leave you tired and slow the next day.

The NHS adds what many women notice first: the heat can bring sweating, a racing heart, anxiety or dizziness, and it can feel very hot or suddenly cold. Its symptom page puts the usual span of menopause symptoms at 7 to 9 years, sometimes longer, with the flushes often easing while other symptoms take their place.

The order of events is less obvious than it looks. The National Institute on Aging notes research suggesting that waking from sleep may itself trigger the heat, rather than the heat always waking you. That matters when you try to work out what is breaking your night.

For the bedroom, NIA's page on the subject starts with the room: a lower temperature, a few sips of cold water before bed, bedding in layers you can push off, and a fan. It also lists alcohol, spicy food and caffeine as things that can make symptoms worse. Treatment is a conversation for your doctor, and the same page sets out the options to ask about.

The articles below take one question each: why the heat feels worse in bed, what a perimenopause episode is like, and what to try before sleep.