Hot Flushes & Nightsweats

Last Updated On: 21 September 2025

Let’s start with a few statistics, because only 40-60% of women ever experience perimenopausal symptoms, which means a similar number do not. And if you haven’t been experiencing these through these hormonal changes then you may never, but similarly if you are experiencing them then you’re in good company, because it’s not unusual.

There are a range of possible symptoms that appear during this phase leading up to menopause, i.e. which is officially one year after your periods have stopped and by rights these symptoms ought to cease.

Typical perimenopausal symptoms

Getting free of hot flushes and nighsweats will make an enormous difference to how you experience gliding-through-menopause, and I can assure you that it’s possible to get free of them, without having to wait it out. But the methods I use with clients won’t include HRT, because it’s not going to work long-term, although it does provide the quick-fix. And as tempting as a quick-fix is, in the long term you’re

These two culprits are among the most well-known and acknowledged symptoms associated with the menopause, and many of us have or are experiencing them. I had both.

And it transpires that they are one and the same thing, where a nightsweat is a hot flush during the night, and they’re due to a change in your oestrogen levels.

What are hot flushes

As the oestrogen levels drop the brain signals that something’s amiss and sends out a surge of epinephrine (adrenaline) the hormone associated with fight or flight. And you get ready to bite someone’s head off, or run for the hills.

This bumps up the blood pressure and the heart starts beating faster, which causes the blood vessels in the head, neck and chest to dilate.

And in turn you feel as though you’re caught in a heatwave

Interestingly it wasn’t until 1970 that doctors understood this and previously they dismissed women for imagining these sensations. They might even have been referred to in some circles as The Vapors.

Thankfully we live in more enlightened times, and we understand far more about the mind/body relationship too.

What are nightsweats

As well as being a night-time version of hot flushes (or flashes as they’re known in the US) nightsweats can also be indicative of other symptoms that need looking into, i.e. infection, thyroid problems, or something else. And if this is your only perimenopausal experience then it’s worth getting it checked on with your GP.

These quick changes in your oestrogen levels can impose a domino effect that build into a perimenopausal cocktail. When your serotonin levels drop it can impact mood and sleep, i.e. when physically waking up in the night disrupts your sleep patterns, which can trigger further symptoms of anxiety, irritability, and dare we say it mood swings.

Oestrogen makes serotonin more available by prolonging the action of serotonin. A drop in your oestrogen level affects your serotonin levels, which contributes to disturbed sleep patterns
Menopause For Dummies

If you’d like to know more about what you can do instead, then book in a time to have a chat and explore what you can do instead:

In summary

If we want to get free of these symptoms, the broken sleep, and replenish your energy there are gentler, non-invasive processes you can start applying with me.

If you feel you need some help with that, especially if you have a lot of stress based plates spinning in your life right now, it’s only natural to draft in some help and that’s where I come in. I can help you create something different, and it starts with a chat that you can arrange here…

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