Coping with Hot Flashes

4. I always have an electric fan on my nightstand pointed right at me. I may turn it on several times a night. I shopped around for the right one-it is about 8-inches in diameter, makes very little noise and the switch to turn it on and off is in the front, for easy access in the dark. Don't be afraid to try a fan in the store to assess noise level. I have several small fans gathering dust in the basement because they made so much noise at night. When I found one I liked, I bought two-one for my office. I should have bought three, one for the kitchen, too.

5. Every night before bed, I fill a Thermos full of cool water and put it on the nightstand. When I awake with a hot flash or even worse, a real soaking night sweat, I take a few sips (more like gulps) of the water to cool me off. When you're blazingly hot on the outside, cool water on the inside speeds the cooling-down process, or so I believe. 

6. Experts say to limit your intake of alcohol, and I agree that too much liquor before bed can make your night worse (in many ways) but a glass of wine or the occasional margarita probably won't hurt.  They also say to avoid spicy hot food, and, of course, if you smoke, that'll make the hot flashes worse.  

More on coping with other menopause symptoms next time! Good luck!