Solutions for Menopause Night Sweats

Night sweats cause you to wake in the night feeling cold and clammy, your nightclothes and sheets covered in sweat. They are not the only menopause symptom, but like other symptoms of menopause, there are ways to deal with them.

Cause of Night Sweats

• Caused by hormonal imbalances, night sweats cause your body's thermostat to think you are overheated and that you need to get rid of that heat. Your blood vessels dilate, your heart rate increases, and your sweat glands open up, releasing perspiration.

Change Your Environment

• As a solution for night sweats, keep the temperature in your bedroom cooler, use a fan, and wear pajamas made of "wicking" material to draw perspiration away from your body.

Herbal Helps

• Herbal remedies like motherwort, chaste berry, and dong quai may lessen the effects of night sweats.

Make Dietary Changes

• Soy may help minimize the intensity of menopausal night sweats. It's best to get two servings a day of soy milk, tofu, soy nuts, soy flour, tempeh, miso, or "meats" and "cheeses" made from soy.

See Your Doctor

• If you are having difficulty coping with night sweats, see your doctor. He or she may recommend hormone replacement therapy.