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Sleep and night sweats

Waking at 3 a.m. drenched, kicking off the covers, then lying there wide awake? You’re not imagining it, and you’re not alone.

Updated Oct 2026Evidence-checked · sources listed

Information for better conversations, not a diagnosis. This is research with sources, not medical advice. Talk to your clinician about your situation.

Why it happens

Night sweats are hot flashes that happen during sleep, and sleep problems are a common part of the menopause transition.12

Everyday things to try

The NIA suggests lowering the temperature in your bedroom, dressing in layers, sipping cold water before bed, and avoiding alcohol, spicy foods and caffeine, which it says can make menopausal symptoms worse.1 The Menopause Society’s 2023 statement, though, says there is no strong evidence that cooling techniques or avoiding triggers improve hot flashes, and it doesn’t recommend them as treatments.3

What has stronger evidence

  • CBT for insomnia (CBT-I): in a randomized trial of 106 women aged 40 to 65 with hot flashes, six phone sessions of CBT-I improved insomnia more than a menopause-education program.4
  • Non-hormone treatment: The Menopause Society’s 2023 statement recommends cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and weight loss for hot flashes. It does not recommend many popular supplements, based on the evidence.3
  • Hormone therapy: The Menopause Society’s 2022 statement says hormone therapy “remains the most effective treatment” for hot flashes and night sweats, for women who are candidates.5 See our hormone therapy guide.

Bring this to your appointment

Track how often you wake, sweats per night, and how you feel the next day for two weeks using our printable tracker. Concrete notes make for a better conversation.

Sources

  1. National Institute on Aging. Hot Flashes: What Can I Do? www.nia.nih.gov
  2. National Institute on Aging. What Is Menopause? www.nia.nih.gov
  3. The Menopause Society. The 2023 nonhormone therapy position statement. Menopause, 2023. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  4. McCurry SM, et al. Telephone-based cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women with vasomotor symptoms: a MsFLASH randomized clinical trial. JAMA Intern Med, 2016. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  5. The Menopause Society. The 2022 hormone therapy position statement. Menopause, 2022. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Information for better conversations, not a diagnosis. We’re not clinicians; we read the research and show our sources. See our disclaimer.