Tips to relieve menopause night sweats and hot flushes
Excessive sweating in menopause is miserable, turn heating controls down and layer up your clothes so you can strip down when a sudden hot flush hits. Synthetic fabrics can increase your menopausal sweating and may add it make any body odour issues worse, so try to wear cotton instead, it wicks sweat away from your body. Have good ventilation and open windows where possible.
What else may help uou to stay cool in a glush or sweat?
Does drinking water help hot flushes?
The magic elixir for your menopause hot flushes is drinking water, in fact staying hydrated is beneficial for most of your menopause symptoms. Drinking at least eight glasses of water per day is recommended to help reduce the onset of hot flushes - helping to regulate your temperature and cool you from the inside out. If experiencing excessive night sweats, it’s a good idea to keep a big jug or bottle of water by your bedside - it may mean more trips to the loo! Putting wrists under cold running water, or plunged into a full sink, splashing your face with water, or a putting a wet flannel on your head or chest may just help.
Essential oils for cooling menopausal sweating
Try clary sage, thyme, peppermint or roman chamomile: rub a couple of drops onto the palms of hands, back of neck or feet. If you’re on the move, put 1-2 drops on a tissue, inhale, focus and cool down!
Carry a cooling peppermint spritzer spray. Buy or make your own: 3-5 drops of peppermint oil to 50ml water. Mix, shake, and as an added cooling bonus, store it in the fridge
Exercise helps with hot flushes
The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists recommend exercise as a safe, effective treatment for hot flushes in place of HRT (exercise may help train the body to control its temperature). Try:
When time is a factor take a none-joint-jarring, fast walk during your lunch break or try and build in a walk when previously you might have driven or taken a bus. Walking moves from low to medium intensity exercise when you start sweating and breathing harder.
Low-intensity exercise: stretching, yoga, walking, hula-hooping.
Regular aerobic exercise: what our series of three videos for easy menopause exercises that you can do at home.
Keep calm to keep cool
As stress levels rise, so too can the number of hot-flushes as adrenaline surges - causing your heart to beat faster and raising your temperature. So, stress makes hot flushes worse, yet, hot flushes accompanied by feeling out of control can raise your stress levels. What a double whammy!
Women suffering from anxiety before menopause may suffer more intense hot flushes. Look into stress management techniques: yoga, mindfulness, exercise, dance or a relaxing hobby.
Controlled breathing calms down the over-stimulated sympathetic nervous system which controls your hot flushes. Make time twice a day to practice. Watch our vide with Basic yoga relaxation exercises.
An App to cool your hot flushes
Clarity is a Mindfulness App designed specifically with menopausal women in mind. Download it on the Appstore to be eased through your hot flushes.
Cooling cloth for hot women
Advances in textiles have led to the development of moisture-wicking products that can help relieve hot flushes. Clothing brands to look out for, include Fifty One Apparel, Become and Cucumber Clothing*, plus natural bedding from DermaTherapy that may help to keep you cool.
*we have no affilitation with these brands.
5 top self-care tips to keep cool in menopause
As well as balancing see-sawing hormones, there are lots of self-care changes you can add to your daily routine to help keep cool, here are some fundamental top tips.
Try swapping cotton bed sheets for satin/silk bed sheets, this can help keep your body cool during the night.
Always have a cooling device to hand for when the hot flushes strike, a handheld fan may help, and sprays such as Promensil Cooling Spray provide relief, without the noise of a fan (ideal for night-time). The spray works using rapid evaporation which draws heat away from the skin and can be used alongside any menopause treatment including HRT.
Relax! Too much stress can have a negative effect on health and wellbeing generally and more specifically can exacerbate menopause symptoms such as hot flushes. Spending as little as 15-20 minutes practising yoga, body balance or simply lying flat, relaxing your muscles and deep breathing can help.
Your diet affects menopause sweating. Eat healthily and avoid foods and drinks which are commonly associated with triggering hot flushes. Cut down or reduce coffee and tea, alcohol and spicy foods.
Dress in loose layers of light cotton or silk, this will help your skin to breathe and easily allow you to remove clothing when you do become overheated.