I have four kids ranging in age from 14 to 4 and just when I got them all to sleep through the night, barring any unforeseen sicknesses or nightmares, I started waking to profuse sweating and discomfort in the middle of the night. Now, I am only 40 and I’m sure I’m not starting early menopause as the night sweats are really the only symptom of menopause I have. So I did a bit of research and found out that the first 2-8 years or so before Menopause are considered "perimenopause" and night sweating is a very common symptom.

Hot flashes and night sweats (hot flashes at night) are a symptom of perimenopause which signify a change in hormone levels. They occur when the blood vessels near the skin’s surface dilate to cool it and perspiration takes place to cool the body. This would be me. Drenched in the middle of the night. These symptoms occur in more than two-thirds of the women in the North America that are experiencing perimenopause and all women experiencing menopause or pre-mature menopause. Oh, OK, good, at least I’m not alone.

According to WebMD there are some ways to reduce those hot flashes that occur at night:

"While it may be impossible to completely avoid hot flashes
during menopause, there are certain triggers that may bring them on more
frequently or cause them to be more severe. To prevent hot flashes, avoid these
triggers:

• Stress
• Caffeine
• Alcohol
• Spicy foods
• Tight clothing
• Heat
• Cigarette smoke

Other things you can do to keep hot flashes at bay include:

• Stay cool. Keep your bedroom cool at night. Use fans during the day. Wear
  light layers of clothes with natural fibers such as cotton.
• Try deep, slow abdominal breathing (6 to 8 breaths per minute). Practice
  deep breathing for 15 minutes in the morning, 15 minutes in the evening and at
  the onset of hot flashes.
• Exercise daily. Walking, swimming, dancing and bicycling are all good
  choices.
• Chill pillows; cooler pillows to lay head on at night might be
  helpful."

Sue, from the My Menopause Blog, talks about how she copes with night sweats in her native, Canada….

"Yes, last night as the curtain billowed softly with chilly night air
and my home headed toward the 50˚, my wonderfully menopausal body kept
me simmering at a near perfect temperature - provided at least one foot
was free of the blankets."

Now, I don’t smoke or drink coffee nor do I live in a cooler area like Canada, but I do stress (what mother doesn’t?). Could this really be the sole cause of feeling like I’ve just had a workout in my sleep?  I think I might try the chilling pillows idea, only I don’t know if my pillows would fit into the fridge.