Hot flushes at night...how does your body know it’s night time?!

[MrsGrindah]

So going through menopause. Not surprised that I’m getting hot flushes, but I can’t get my head around why it only happens from 10pm onwards! I know night sweats are a common symptom , but I’m not sweating that much just feel burning hot! And I know hot flushes are a thing but I only get this from 10pm! How? Why? How does my body know to do this? Did anybody else have this..and how long did it last?

I took evening primrose oil for mine and it seems to have cleared them up

My memory on the detail is a little rusty to say the least but the human body has a circadian rhythm controlled by hormones, eg melatonin. It's amazing really, for example there's a hormone which reduces the amount of urine produced by the kidneys at night. Presumably those proto humans who didn't have this hormone, had to get up in the night to pee and either fell out of the tree or were attacked by sabre toothed tigers, so didn't have as many children as those who did have this hormone.

Sorry I don't mean to sound flippant - but the human body is amazing. I can't offer you any idea on how long hot flushes last - it seems to be so individual.

Hopefully someone with more usual information will be along soon

@DPotter That makes sense I suppose. DH has commented he can set his watch by me!

apparently most people get an adrenaline rush at about 4am daily, and hot blushes are basically an adrenaline rush. The adrenaline rush is spurred by drop in oestrogen which especially happens at night.