Understanding and Managing Hot Flashes: Expert Advice and Product Recommendations

Are you experiencing a sudden hot sensation, intense sweating, or feeling flushed? You’re not alone. According to the Cleveland Clinic, up to one in three people report having more than 10 hot flashes per day. Hot flashes are a common, natural symptom for women as they age and usually start in the chest or face and can spread throughout the entire body.

According to Dr. Brendan Camp, a double board-certified dermatologist at MDCS Dermatology, “hot flashes are related to hormone changes, namely a decrease in estrogen, that occurs in perimenopause and menopause.” Whether you’ve recently started experiencing hot flashes for the first time or have been suffering for several years, there are options to facilitate cool you down.

What Causes Hot Flashes?

Hot flashes “are the downstream effect of changing estrogen signaling on the hypothalamus, the part of the brain that runs temperature control, sleep-wake rhythms, autonomic tone and a lot of hormonal orchestration,” states menopause expert Vanessa Coppola. They are extremely common among women in their late 40s and early 50s and are caused by a variety of factors, including sleep disruption and stress.

Coppola also adds that hot flashes can occur at any time of day and are often triggered by alcohol, stress, caffeine, a warm environment, tight clothing, or emotional stress. “They very often cluster at night, particularly early in perimenopause and early menopause and this is where women suffer most,” she adds. Coppola refers to the relationship between hot flashes and sleep disruption as “bidirectional.” In other words, “night sweats fragment sleep, but sleep disruption itself increases cortisol fluctuations and autonomic instability, which can make hot flashes more intense and more frequent,” she suggests. “The hypothalamus regulates both thermoregulation and stress hormone signaling, so when sleep becomes unstable, the entire system becomes more reactive.”

Coppola emphasizes that hot flashes are centrally mediated brain events. “They are not a sign of weakness, anxiety or overreacting. They are physiologic,” she insists.

How to Treat Hot Flashes

When it comes to treating hot flashes, there are a variety of at-home options recommended by experts. “sleep protection is paramount,” advises Coppola. “When sleep becomes fragmented, cortisol and autonomic signaling become more reactive and hot flashes often worsen,” she shares. “Breathable bedding, moisture-wicking pajamas, layered blankets and a fan within reach reduce the downstream damage of chronic sleep fragmentation.”

While red light therapy is not an “evidence-based treatment for hot flashes,” Coppola says it “may support skin quality in some patients as part of an overall collagen and inflammation strategy, depending on the device and consistency.” red light therapy “should be positioned as an adjunct for skin, not as a primary menopause therapy,” she explains.

Dr. Camp explains that while not directly treating hot flashes, skin care products that cool skin and help preserve its youthfulness may also help address menopause-related skin changes. “Your hydration needs are now huge, so ingredients that hydrate your dry skin, such as hyaluronic acid and squalane, are essential to seize on dryness,” Sally Mueller, a co-founder of the modern menopause brand Womaness, previously stated.

Product Recommendations

• Satin Pillowcases: These silky pillowcases come in a variety of colors and sizes. Many Amazon reviewers note that this inexpensive pillowcase keeps you “cool” during sleep and doesn’t retain heat like cotton.
• Cooling Towel: This towel won best overall in testing for its high breathability and sluggish drying time.
• Thermal Water Spray: Recommended by Dr. Camp, this budget-friendly water spray offers instant soothing relief to the skin and reduces burning.
• Cooling Gel Cream: This hydrating gel cream soothes and cools the skin to help reduce puffiness.
• Neck Fan: This affordable neck fan boasts a long battery life, powerful cooling, and is relatively quiet.
• Cooling Sheet Set: This Mellanni sheet set won a Shop TODAY Sleep Award for best value cooling sheets. Made from microfiber, this bedding is pill-and wrinkle-resistant, temperature-regulating, and easy to care for.
• Cooling Pajama Set: These pajamas feature a cool fabric that holds up well in the washing machine and dryer.
• Bladeless Tower Fan: This durable cooling fan was rated “best overall cooling fan.”
• LED Therapy Mask: Dr. Camp recommends this multi-light therapy mask from Therashield.
• Cooling Comforter: This editor-loved cooling comforter absorbs and releases heat for quality rest.
• Cooling Mattress Protector: This mattress protector can be used year-round to help get a great night of sleep.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I be in menopause if I’m not having hot flashes?

The short answer is yes. “Hot flashes are common, but they are not required,” notes Coppola. “You can be clearly in perimenopause or menopause and have a whole constellation of other symptoms such as sleep disruption, anxiety, mood changes, brain fog, joint pain, libido changes, vaginal dryness, urinary symptoms, skin thinning, skin sensitivity or metabolic shifts, without ever experiencing a single hot flash.” “menopause is defined by the transition of ovarian hormone function and, by the final menstrual period, not by whether you have one specific symptom,” she explains.

Why do my hot flashes hit at night, and why do they wake me up in the middle of the night?

Coppola explains that night sweats are extremely common during menopause, especially early in the transition. Hot flashes can absolutely fragment sleep, but sleep disruption can also make hot flashes worse,” she suggests. “When sleep becomes unstable, cortisol rhythms and autonomic nervous system tone become more reactive, and the hypothalamus, which regulates both thermoregulation and stress hormone signaling, becomes even more sensitive.” In other words, “this is why women often get stuck in a loop of waking, overheating, sweating and then never getting back into deep sleep,” she says. “It is also why protecting sleep is not optional. Sleep is one of the most powerful levers we have for symptom stabilization.”