Waking up drenched in sweat at night
You wake up wet. The sheets are damp, your top is damp, and so is your hair. Your heart may pound for a minute, and then you feel cold and clammy.
Night sweats like this are common in the years before periods stop. That stretch of time is called perimenopause. Your estrogen (a hormone) rises and drops in an uneven way, and the part of your brain that sets your body heat gets thrown off.
Other things can bring on night sweats too. A warm room, thick bedding, a late glass of wine, or spicy food can all play a part. Some medicines, an infection, or a thyroid problem can do it as well.
When to see someone
See a doctor if the sweats come with a fever, a cough, or weight loss you did not plan. Book a visit too for swollen glands in your neck or armpits, a new lump, chest pain, or sweats that soak you most nights for weeks. Speak up as well if you are under 40, if you bleed between periods, or if the sweats started soon after a new medicine.
Below is a list of traditional and home remedies that people have used during perimenopause. Each one carries a grade that shows how much research stands behind it, not a promise of what it will do for you. Many grades are low, so check with your doctor or pharmacist before you try anything, above all if you take other medicines.
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