Night sweats driving me crazy!

[papalazaru]

I'd love some advice on how to cope with nightly sweats. So far these are the only real symptom I have but I presume they are due to the perimenopause. My periods are regular, short and light so that is a bonus but in the second half of my cycle the night sweats really ramp up and I wake up in a sodden mess. I'm not aware of being hot at all - I just wake up sweaty. What can I do? Herbal remedies, special bedding any and all advice welcomed!

My sympathies. Night sweats come and go. I'm on my 3rd or 4th round and it has taken a while to work out what might help.

In the beginning, I found Menopace, a natural vitamin supplement, helped calm it all down. Now that I'm further along, I've discovered I have to take much more drastic action. So no curries, or spicy food, one coffee per day only, and really limit the alcohol intake.

I also lie awake at night a lot, and drinking no alcohol at all is the only way to stop this. You might think that cutting out all of these foods and the alcohol would result in some weight loss, but alas no.

I also need an open window at night. DH grumbles a bit, but a short sharp menopausal response from me usually sorts that out.

I've found that the Menopace Plus, with the herbal tablets too, really makes a massive difference. I think it's the sage in them, so you could always try sage tablets, I know some people really swear by them.

The other thing that I've found helpful is a magnesium supplement, more because it helps the sleep, but that might be worth a go too.

I am suffering from night sweats at the moment and I'm not sure whether it is peri MP or a side effect of my current medication.

For comfort and practicality I find wearing light jersey fleece to bed is helpful, as it absorbs the sweat without making me cold and then waking up.

I am sleeping alone at the moment which helps - I have no heating in the bedroom and a single duvet on me so that I don't overheat.

I have long hair, and was waking up with it soaked and knotted around my neck, so I always tie it up off the nape securely, which makes me feel more comfortable.

And of course it makes sense to use mattress and pillow protectors.

It is a horrible feeling to wake up covered in freezing sweat. Hope you get through it soon.

I get hot flushes during the night (not drenching sweating though) and sometimes, like tonight, they are bad enough to interrupt sleep. I've been awake for two hours now. Ugh.

Thanks for your suggestions and sorry to hear we're all suffering from crap nights sleep waking up drenched and cold.....
I'll try some Menopace and see if that helps. Has anyone tried the special bedding you can buy?

All the usual advice for meno is worth trying cut out caffeine, alcohol and spicy foods especially late at night.
Up the exercise to 1hr a day if you can. Eat healthily and cut out the carbs and crap. This is one time of your life when what you eat and how you live really affects how you cope with meno.
I did all the above and it didn't help my sleep so I'm on HRT and it did the trick almost overnight- I can't function on loss of sleep week after week.

I've ordered sage tablets from Holland and Barrett. I read yesterday they're supposed to stop sweating. 25 day supply for £15 though.
I know some people love the Chillow so you could try that.
I can't take HRT as I get horrendous migraines, so I'm spending a fortune trying out various things!

I switched to a wool duvet last year - from Baavet (sorry can't copy & paste a link for some reason tonight from my phone). We used to have a good quality goose down duvet and I was drenched in sweat, especially a week before my period.

The wool duvet is soo much better, I don't feel sweaty at all now. The other perimenopause symptoms are getting worse so I'm definitely "of an age"!

They have a bargain section and also have a 20% discount code that ends tomorrow. I love my Baavet duvet (and no I'm not linked to them)

I have woken several times in the night and can feel hot flushes still sweeping over me. It only happens sometimes (and usually pre-menstrually, which I'm not even by shortest cycle in last 2 years). I'm not at home, so there are limits on what I can do, other than hope I goes away as mysteriously as it arrived and try supplements (again) when I get back.

Just wanted to vent here. Wrecked sleep leaves me tetchy, so today might be a little difficult in places.

It's 3c outside and I'm lying here sans anything. The windows wide open too....poor Dh, just commented how cold it is outside as well.
My sympathy op, I've not slept all night through for months now.

No caffeinated drinks, no spicy foods, cut the carbs, loads of exercise. I've tried herbal menopause but so far a variable improvement, going to try red cover and black cohosh next. Interesting re the duvet material, have been toying with buying a silk duvet for the summer.

Poor you WishIwas and I hope you get comfy.

My confidence that I couldn't be pre-menstrual was utterly misplaced. Sigh. I never did get the hang of this period lark.

Hi everyone, I thought I'd add my own experience here since it sounds like I'm not alone with these annoying night sweats. I am 48 (today!) and have been having night sweats for over ten years, but they were never much of a bother until they became more frequent over the last few years. I used to wake up drenched several times a night, but now they seem to have changed…now, I just wake up in searing heat - I have to get up because the mattress and pillow are so hot I can't stand it. It used to be just the week of my period, then it was the week before and week of my period; now it's every night. Yay.

One thing that has been helpful is a Chillow. It's like a flat pillow-shaped cooling pad that you add water to and it somehow (through Nasa technology, they claim), stays cool to the touch. I just slip it under my pillow and when I wake up with the sweat, I slide it out and put it on top or inside my pillow case right under my neck and/or face. It feels great! Sometimes, I've even laid right on top of it, as I will often be burning up in my torso area. You can order a chillow online and they last a long time. I've had my current one for 2 years. I just add a cup of water to it now and then to "refresh" it. I think they're around $30 or $40. I believe they have their own website, chillow.com, or just google it and it will pop up. Good luck to everyone here!!