Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsNight Sweat CausesHow to Manage Night SweatsWhen to See a Doctor

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Night Sweat Causes

How to Manage Night Sweats

When to See a Doctor

Night sweats during your period can affect some people who menstruate. The heavy sweating may cause you to sweat through your pajamas and soak your sheets to the point you may need to change them.

Night sweatsare usually harmless and are, in fact, treatable. It’s possible that night sweats can be a symptom of an underlying illness, though, and may signal a serious health issue like cancer.

This article will cover night sweats duringmenstruation, including why they happen and how to manage them, as well as other potential causes and when to see a healthcare provider.

What Causes Night Sweats During Your Period?

Night sweats during your period are typically normal and harmless. Night sweats occur due to regular hormonal changes that happen during your monthlymenstrual cycle.

These hormones includeestrogenandprogesterone. As progesterone levels increase, estrogen decreases. This hormonal fluctuation can affect thehypothalamus, which is responsible for regulating internal body temperature.

Night Sweats and EndometriosisEndometriosis, a typically painful disorder in which tissue lining the uterus grows outside the uterus, can cause night sweats. This is due to hormonal imbalances. Other symptoms can include heart palpitations and hot flashes.

Night Sweats and Endometriosis

Endometriosis, a typically painful disorder in which tissue lining the uterus grows outside the uterus, can cause night sweats. This is due to hormonal imbalances. Other symptoms can include heart palpitations and hot flashes.

Hot Flashes Before Period: What You Need to Know

Can Night Sweats Be a Sign of Early Menopause?

While night sweats during your period are usually a direct result of hormonal shifts, there are times when night sweats could be the sign of other conditions, such as primary ovarian insufficiency (POI). POI is a condition in which your ovaries stop functioning normally prior to age 40.

Symptoms of POI include:

About 80% of women who are going through perimenopause (time leading up to menopause) or menopause (time marking 12 consecutive months without a menstrual period) experience hot flashes or night sweats.

Night Sweats in Perimenopause

Night sweats can also occur during the period of time leading up to menopause (perimenopause) when you are still having menstrual cycles, particularly when your menstrual cycles start to become less frequent.

There are a number of home remedies that can help manage night sweats during your period, including:

Alternative Treatments

Alternative treatments for night sweats may include supplements you can find in the drugstore. However, remember that supplements do not go through Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations. Talk to your healthcare provider before adding any supplements to your regimen.

Is Sweating at Night Normal? Here’s What to Do About It

When to See a Healthcare Provider

Night sweats during your period can happen at any age, but they are most common in your late 30s to early 40s.Night sweats are normally not a cause for concern, especially if they only occur right before or during your period.

They can be frustrating to deal with, affecting your quality of life and interrupting your sleep. However, if you experience night sweats more frequently and have other unusual or concerning symptoms, such as a rash, it may be a good idea to schedule an appointment with your healthcare provider to rule out other possible causes, such as POI.

Symptoms likeunexplained weight losscan be associated with other health conditions.These conditions include many cancers, especially blood-related cancers likelymphoma.

Contact your provider if you experience symptoms including:

Causes of night sweats also include the use of certain medications. People withsleep apneaalso may experience night sweats.

Insomnia and Common Sleep Disorders

Summary

Night sweats during your period can be normal and occur because of hormonal changes in estrogen and progesterone levels. Night sweats before or during menstruation are usually not a cause for concern unless other symptoms are present, such as unexplained weight loss or a fever. This could signal another health issue.

Choosing cooler pajamas and bedding, and lowering the temperature in your bedroom, are some ways to help manage night sweats during your period.

9 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Baumeister J, Chatain N, Sofias AM, Lammers T, Koschmieder S.Progression of Myeloproliferative Neoplasms (MPN): Diagnostic and Therapeutic Perspectives.Cells. 2021 Dec 16;10(12):3551. doi:10.3390/cells10123551.Zhang Z, DiVittorio JR, Joseph AM, Correa SM.The Effects of Estrogens on Neural Circuits That Control Temperature.Endocrinology. 2021 Aug 1;162(8):bqab087. doi:10.1210/endocr/bqab087.Medline Plus.Primary ovarian insufficiency.Sleep Foundation.What causes night sweats in women?.American Academy of Sleep Medicine.How to sleep better.Thomas A, Daley AJ.Women’s views about physical activity as a treatment for vasomotor menopausal symptoms: a qualitative study.BMC Womens Health. 2020 Sep 14;20(1):203. doi:10.1186/s12905-020-01063-w.National Institutes of Health.Too young for menopause?.Gaddey HL, Holder KK.Unintentional Weight Loss in Older Adults.Am Fam Physician. 2021 Jul 1;104(1):34-40. PMID: 34264616.West H, Jin J.Lymph nodes and lymphadenopathy in cancer.JAMA Oncol. 2016;2(7):971. doi:10.1001/jamaoncol.2015.3509

9 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Baumeister J, Chatain N, Sofias AM, Lammers T, Koschmieder S.Progression of Myeloproliferative Neoplasms (MPN): Diagnostic and Therapeutic Perspectives.Cells. 2021 Dec 16;10(12):3551. doi:10.3390/cells10123551.Zhang Z, DiVittorio JR, Joseph AM, Correa SM.The Effects of Estrogens on Neural Circuits That Control Temperature.Endocrinology. 2021 Aug 1;162(8):bqab087. doi:10.1210/endocr/bqab087.Medline Plus.Primary ovarian insufficiency.Sleep Foundation.What causes night sweats in women?.American Academy of Sleep Medicine.How to sleep better.Thomas A, Daley AJ.Women’s views about physical activity as a treatment for vasomotor menopausal symptoms: a qualitative study.BMC Womens Health. 2020 Sep 14;20(1):203. doi:10.1186/s12905-020-01063-w.National Institutes of Health.Too young for menopause?.Gaddey HL, Holder KK.Unintentional Weight Loss in Older Adults.Am Fam Physician. 2021 Jul 1;104(1):34-40. PMID: 34264616.West H, Jin J.Lymph nodes and lymphadenopathy in cancer.JAMA Oncol. 2016;2(7):971. doi:10.1001/jamaoncol.2015.3509

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Baumeister J, Chatain N, Sofias AM, Lammers T, Koschmieder S.Progression of Myeloproliferative Neoplasms (MPN): Diagnostic and Therapeutic Perspectives.Cells. 2021 Dec 16;10(12):3551. doi:10.3390/cells10123551.Zhang Z, DiVittorio JR, Joseph AM, Correa SM.The Effects of Estrogens on Neural Circuits That Control Temperature.Endocrinology. 2021 Aug 1;162(8):bqab087. doi:10.1210/endocr/bqab087.Medline Plus.Primary ovarian insufficiency.Sleep Foundation.What causes night sweats in women?.American Academy of Sleep Medicine.How to sleep better.Thomas A, Daley AJ.Women’s views about physical activity as a treatment for vasomotor menopausal symptoms: a qualitative study.BMC Womens Health. 2020 Sep 14;20(1):203. doi:10.1186/s12905-020-01063-w.National Institutes of Health.Too young for menopause?.Gaddey HL, Holder KK.Unintentional Weight Loss in Older Adults.Am Fam Physician. 2021 Jul 1;104(1):34-40. PMID: 34264616.West H, Jin J.Lymph nodes and lymphadenopathy in cancer.JAMA Oncol. 2016;2(7):971. doi:10.1001/jamaoncol.2015.3509

Baumeister J, Chatain N, Sofias AM, Lammers T, Koschmieder S.Progression of Myeloproliferative Neoplasms (MPN): Diagnostic and Therapeutic Perspectives.Cells. 2021 Dec 16;10(12):3551. doi:10.3390/cells10123551.

Zhang Z, DiVittorio JR, Joseph AM, Correa SM.The Effects of Estrogens on Neural Circuits That Control Temperature.Endocrinology. 2021 Aug 1;162(8):bqab087. doi:10.1210/endocr/bqab087.

Medline Plus.Primary ovarian insufficiency.

Sleep Foundation.What causes night sweats in women?.

American Academy of Sleep Medicine.How to sleep better.

Thomas A, Daley AJ.Women’s views about physical activity as a treatment for vasomotor menopausal symptoms: a qualitative study.BMC Womens Health. 2020 Sep 14;20(1):203. doi:10.1186/s12905-020-01063-w.

National Institutes of Health.Too young for menopause?.

Gaddey HL, Holder KK.Unintentional Weight Loss in Older Adults.Am Fam Physician. 2021 Jul 1;104(1):34-40. PMID: 34264616.

West H, Jin J.Lymph nodes and lymphadenopathy in cancer.JAMA Oncol. 2016;2(7):971. doi:10.1001/jamaoncol.2015.3509

Meet Our Medical Expert Board

Share Feedback

Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit

Was this page helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit

What is your feedback?