Sleep library · Night sweats & hot flashes
How to stop night sweats: what works in midlife
Short answer. In midlife, night sweats are most often a menopause symptom. Tonight, cool the bedroom, use breathable layers you can kick off, keep cold water by the bed and cut alcohol, spicy food and caffeine late in the day. Check your medicines with a pharmacist. If they keep waking you, hormone therapy and non-hormonal prescriptions can help, so talk to a clinician.
What causes night sweats
The NHS lists the most common causes as menopause symptoms (hot flushes), anxiety, some medicines such as certain antidepressants, steroids and painkillers, low blood sugar, alcohol or drug use, and a harmless tendency to sweat a lot called hyperhidrosis.
In women in their 40s and 50s, hot flashes are the usual reason. They can last for years: frequent hot flashes lasted a median of 7.4 years in the SWAN study.
Nine things to try tonight
- Cool the room to roughly 60 to 67°F (16 to 19°C) and open a window or run a fan.
- Layer the bed. Two thin covers beat one heavy duvet, because you can kick one off.
- Choose breathable fabrics: cotton percale, linen or lyocell sheets and loose cotton nightwear. See our guide to sheets for night sweats.
- Keep cold water within reach, and a spare top by the bed so a change takes ten seconds.
- Finish alcohol at least three hours before bed. It is a common trigger and fragments sleep.
- Skip spicy food and hot drinks in the evening if you notice they set you off.
- Set a caffeine cutoff about eight hours before bed.
- Cool down before bed: a lukewarm shower, not a hot bath, right before sleep.
- Track your nights for two weeks to find your triggers. A free tracker helps.
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Treatments to ask about
If night sweats keep waking you, treatment can make a real difference. The North American Menopause Society describes hormone therapy as the most effective treatment for hot flashes for many women under 60 or within ten years of menopause who have no reasons to avoid it. Non-hormonal prescription options exist for women who can't or don't want to take hormones.
Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia doesn't stop hot flashes, but in one trial it reduced how much they interfered with life and greatly improved sleep.
When to see a doctor quickly
See a doctor if night sweats come with a high temperature or shivering, a cough or diarrhoea, or unexplained weight loss, or if they worry you. These signs point to causes other than menopause.
Frequently asked questions
How can I stop night sweats naturally?
Keep the bedroom cool, use layered breathable bedding, keep cold water by the bed, and cut alcohol, spicy food and caffeine in the evening. Track nights to find your own triggers.
Why do I get night sweats in my 40s?
In women in their 40s and 50s, night sweats are most often a symptom of perimenopause or menopause. Medicines, anxiety, alcohol and other conditions can also cause them.
When should I worry about night sweats?
See a doctor if they come with fever, a cough, diarrhoea or unexplained weight loss, or if they disrupt your sleep regularly.
Which sleep pattern is yours?
The free Sleep Code quiz takes two minutes and gives you one thing to try tonight.
Keep reading
Sources
- NHS: Night sweats
- Cleveland Clinic: Night sweats
- Avis et al., 2015, JAMA Internal Medicine: how long hot flashes and night sweats last
- The North American Menopause Society, 2022, Menopause: hormone therapy position statement
- McCurry et al., 2016, JAMA Internal Medicine: telephone CBT-I for women in perimenopause and after menopause
This article is educational and is not medical advice. It was checked against the sources above on 2026-10-16.