Menopausal sweats: What triggers them and what helps

Reading time: 4:40

Table of contents

1. Causes
2. Sweating at night
3. Tips against sweating
4. Clothing to regulate the temperature
5. The right diet
6. Sport for excessive sweating
7. Herbal remedies as a hormone-free alternative
8. Additional tips for the menopause

We women can't avoid it: sweating during the menopause can happen. No need to mope. Even if you are affected, you can get through this time stronger, because there are ways and means of dealing with it more easily.

But first, let's clarify:

1. Where does this sudden sweating come from in the first place?
2. What is the biological explanation for it?
3. As a woman going through the menopause, why do you sweat most at night?

Fortunately, there are many ways to do something about this sudden onset of sweating. And we will introduce you to some of them in more detail in the following text.

What causes sweating during the menopause?

The most common symptoms that you may experience in connection with the menopause are

1. Hot flushes and
2. outbreaks of sweating.

Sweating, especially at night, is an issue for many women before the menopause and can be attributed to the hormonal changes during this phase of life.

Many women experience sweating mainly at night

The hormonalThe hormonal changes associated with the menopause has a direct influence on the autonomic nervous system. This in turn controls bodily functions that we cannot influence by our will - including the regulation of our body's temperature, but also our heartbeat and metabolism.

If hormonally induced minor disturbances occur in the autonomic nervous system, this manifests itself through

1. increased heart rate,
2. hot flushes and
3. outbreaks of sweating .

These sudden hot flushes occur during the menopause not only when you are active - i.e. during the day - but also when you are resting. This includes at night when you are asleep. Night sweats during sleep can therefore become part of your everyday life during the menopause.

What you can do about menopausal sweating

The good news is that you are not helpless in the face of these night sweats. There are ways and means of getting through the menopause with ease and counteracting menopausal sweating:

1. For example, wear several layers of clothing that you can quickly take off if you are hit by a heatwave.
2. Eat a balanced diet to support your healthy metabolism.
3. Avoid being overweight and exercise regularly.

You can also use natural remedies for night sweats, e.g. our Pure Ella menopause vital substance complex from the Feelgood Shop with its valuable ingredients such as

1. Monk's pepper, which has been used successfully for centuries to treat menopausal sweating and is becoming increasingly important in this context, ^{1 2} or
2. Evening primrose oil, which is also said to have positive properties for hot flushes and sweating before the menopause. ^{3 4}

But there are also other ways you can easily find relief from menopausal sweating in your everyday life.

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The right clothing can be the first step towards improvement

A very simple and easy method to implement is the layered look. Simply wear several layers on top of each other, which can be taken off very quickly. In addition, certain materials can also provide great relief - above all natural fibers such as

1. hemp and linen fibers, which are known for their cooling properties.
2. Silk, which feels very smooth on the skin and also has a cooling effect.
3. Organic cotton, whose most important property in connection with sudden hot flushes is undoubtedly its breathability.
4. Viscose, which is not strictly speaking a natural fiber, as it is produced in a chemical process, but natural fibers (cellulose) are used as the basic material. Viscose is not only very light on the skin, the fine material is also extremely absorbent.

Last but not least, breathable synthetic fibers, under which the heat does not accumulate during sport, for example, can provide you with relief, especially when sweating during the menopause, even away from the jogging track.

A healthy & balanced diet also makes sense during the menopause

As our diet affects our health and well-being in all phases of life, the influence of a healthy and balanced diet should not be underestimated, even during the menopause.

That's why you can support your body during the menopause with foods containing isoflavones or lignans, among other things.

1. Isoflavones are secondary plant substances, so-called phytohormones, which have a similar function to oestrogens in the body and can help to stabilize the hormone balance, thereby minimizing the occurrence of hot flushes. They are contained in high quantities in soy products, among other things. ^{5 6}
2. Lignans are also plant substances that are very similar to isoflavones. They also have a similar effect on a woman's hormone balance during the menopause.⁷ You can find them in native plants, fruit and vegetables, cereals, linseed or pulses as well as in berries, pome fruit and salads. ^{8 9}

Traditionally, essential oils, such as those contained in sage tea, have been used for centuries to treat menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes or sweating. They are said to have an inhibitory effect on the human sweat glands ,¹⁰ so that they produce less sweat. However, this positive property has not yet been scientifically confirmed.

Conversely, you should avoid foods that could literally fuel sweat production and hot flushes. These include, among others:

1. spicy foods such as hot peppers, chili or too much pepper
2. Salty foods
3. excessive alcohol consumption
4. too much caffeine

In addition to a healthy and balanced diet during the menopause, keeping an eye on the scales and regular exercise can also benefit your well-being - and last but not least, have a positive effect on night sweats during the menopause.

Endurance sports & weight reduction can also counteract sweating

Regular exercise and, even better, endurance sports and a reduced weight can keep your hot flushes in check. Regular exercise even ensures that your body's temperature regulation functions better and better, while a normal weight can have a positive effect on sweat production.

If you weigh less, you sweat less. A good example of this is the water crate comparison. A crate of water weighs about 6 kilograms. Let us now imagine that we are walking up several flights of stairs, once with a crate of water and once without. Not only is it easier to walk without the crate, you also sweat less.

Herbal capsules as a hormone-free alternative to combat symptoms

Hormone therapy is generally regarded as the treatment of choice for menopausal symptoms. In certain cases, e.g. when the quality of life is severely restricted, this form of therapy may well be indicated. However, as it is also associated with some risks, it should be carefully considered - if necessary in consultation with a doctor - whether gentler, herbal remedies could be an alternative.

Herbal remedies such as the menopause vital substance complex, whose special composition is specifically aimed at menopausal symptoms, can be the remedy of choice here.

The advantages of herbal remedies are obvious:

1. Compared to hormone therapy, they intervene more gently in the woman's organism, as they are completely hormone-free and
2. support you gently and naturally during this phase of your life,
3. Thanks to the ingredients vitamin B1, B6 and biotin, they also have positive effects on the health of your joints, skin, hair and connective tissue as well as
4. your psyche and nerves.

Further tips to combat sweating during the menopause

Finally, we would like to give you a few more tips that you can easily implement and integrate into your everyday life:

1. In addition to natural fibers in your clothing, bed linen made from natural fibers can be particularly beneficial for night sweats.
2. Also make sure that the room temperature in your bedroom is not too high. The ideal sleeping temperature is between 16-18 °C.
3. And last but not least: don't turn the temperature control on the heating too high during the day either, wear a light cardigan that you can put on or take off if necessary and air your rooms regularly.

Scientific sources