6 Ways to Find Rest When Menopause Hot Flashes Disrupt Your Sleep

Waking up soaked in sweat in the middle of the night, wondering whether you’ll be able to drift off again, and then facing the next day exhausted is a familiar experience for many women going through menopause.

Hot flashes and night sweats, known together as vasomotor symptoms, are among the most common signs of menopause and affect as many as 80 percent of women during this transition.

The impact reaches far beyond a tired morning. Research has linked night sweats with lower productivity at work, more anxiety and depression symptoms, and a worse overall quality of life.

Still, you do not have to simply put up with these symptoms. Treating vasomotor symptoms, improving sleep habits, and making time for rest during the day can all help when hot flashes are interrupting both nighttime sleep and daytime energy.

1. Adjust Your Sleep Environment and Bedtime Routine

When patients going through menopause struggle to sleep, their bedtime habits are often part of the discussion, says Sameena Rahman, MD, an ob-gyn and founder of GSM Collective, a medical concierge service in Chicago.

Sleep hygiene — the bedroom setup and routines that make it easier to relax and fall asleep — comes up all the time, Dr. Rahman says.

According to Madeline Cohn, DO, a women’s health specialist at Cleveland Clinic in Ohio who focuses on perimenopause, menopause, and hormone therapy, sleep hygiene forms the basis of restorative sleep.

She suggests the following:

• Keep the bedroom cool. Use a fan, breathable bedding, and layers you can remove easily.
• Follow a regular sleep schedule. Try to keep bedtime and wake time consistent, including on weekends.
• Build a wind-down routine. Read a book, take a warm shower, or drink caffeine-free tea.
• Set aside screens. Limit screen use before bed and keep the television out of the bedroom.

These habits can help support sleep, but they should be paired with treatment when severe night sweats are keeping you awake, Rahman says. “If someone is waking five times a night drenched in sweat, telling her to put away her phone isn’t enough. We need to treat the vasomotor symptoms, too.”

2. Soothe Your Mind

Hot flashes and night sweats can also make the future feel unpredictable and trigger anxiety. If you find yourself mentally running through tomorrow’s tasks, spend 10 minutes writing in a “worry journal,” Dr. Cohn says, so your thoughts are on paper instead of circling in your head.

Other calming options include meditation, gentle yoga, a warm bath, and soothing music.

If you wake up in the middle of the night, avoid checking email or starting household chores, which can make you more alert, says Monica Christmas, MD, associate medical director of the Menopause Society and chief of comprehensive gynecology at the University of Chicago Medicine.

She also advises against forcing sleep. Instead, get out of bed and read a printed book in a chair with soft lighting until you feel sleepy again.