Why do hot flashes happen at night?

Night sweats are hot flashes that occur during sleep — driven by hypothalamic changes from declining estrogen. Here is what helps.

1 min readReviewed May 2026

By Sarah Editor, MA Journalism, Certified Menopause Coach · Medically reviewed by Jane Smith, MD, MD, NAMS-certified · menopause nams

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Last medically reviewed: 5/15/2026 · Last updated: 5/15/2026 · Next review due: May 2027

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Night sweats are hot flashes that occur during sleep — driven by hypothalamic changes from declining estrogen. Here is what helps.