About Menopausal Night Sweats

Night sweats are known as the nighttime relative to hot flashes. They are usually not serious, yet may be disruptive and uncomfortable. Night sweats are quite common and often accompany menopause. Menopause usually starts when a women in her late 40s or early 50s. Science suggests that almost 75% of women going through menopause suffers from night sweats.

When a woman is about to enter this stage in life, she may have questions and concerns regarding night sweats or other possible symptoms. Comprehending what is to come in the future, why symptoms occur, and how to manage them may better prepare a woman to get through this trying part of life.

What are Night Sweats?

Sleep hyperhidrosis is the medical term for night sweats. They are periods of night sweating that can be mild or severe. Night sweats and hot flashes are similar and can affect women during waking hours. Both menopausal symptoms are brought about because of imbalanced hormones. Night sweats and hot flashes related to menopause normally have a pattern that goes along with each woman. They can occur many times during the night or perhaps only one time a week. Often, night sweats can be so bad that they disrupt sleep, even if they do not wake the woman up. These issues may affect life and heighten the risk for irritability and stress.

Night Sweat Symptoms

Signs of night sweats are similar to those of daytime hot flashes, but are mainly noted for extra sweating. The pattern and severity of night sweat symptoms usually vary according to different women. For instance, most menopausal women get night sweats, but only 25% of them will have them severely.

Normal Symptoms of Night Sweats

Women who question the symptoms of menopausal night sweats should consult a doctor.

Affected Women

Most women in their late 40s and early 50s get night sweats. They may start before the end of a woman’s normal menstrual cycle. One study has uncovered that 19% of women aged 40-55, whom still get a normal period, get night sweats. Many women start symptoms three to ten years prior to real menopause. This time frame is known as perimenopause.

Women are affected in different ways:

Age

Age can affect night sweats. A large study confirms that younger women were much more likely to get night sweats as compared to older women. Another study found 10% of women over the age of 64 had night sweats.

Race

Research has found that night sweats vary according to racial groupings. One large study discovered 75% of white women got night sweats. Other research found that Hispanic women were less likely than African American women to get them. Out of all of the races, Asian women were least likely to report night sweats.

There are other factors like diet, exercise, and stress that affect night sweats as well. Continue reading about menopause night sweats treatments.