Saturday Night (Sweat) Fever

It's 2:07 a.m. You wake up hot, glistening like a glazed donut. It's like you had the best sex of your life--but you didn't. What you had was a night sweat, a symptom of  perimenopause that typically affects women in their 40s and signals that your reproductive hormones are on the decline. Think of it as, "menopause light." (FYI: other concerns like infection and certain medications can cause night sweats too.) 

Harvard Medical School reports that night sweats can go on for three to seven years--WHAT?--and that Black women typically endure them for twice as many years than Japanese and Chinese women. I'll get to medication in a minute, but here are a few ways to minimize night sweats without an Rx: 

• Reduce stress by meditating. Om.

• Avoid alcohol, nicotine, caffeine and spicy food right before bed. Ouch.

• Try moisture-wicking pajamas like Dagsmejan's eucalyptus-based "Stay Cool" line, which is more breathable than cotton and quick drying.

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) will relieve night sweats. (That's what I'm doing right now.) Some types of anti-depressants are effective too. If you're not sleeping well, please talk to your doc.

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