Have you ever been mid-sentence in a meeting, or standing at the front of a room full of people, when a wave of heat rolls up your chest and neck, your face flushes, you start to sweat — and you have to carry on as if nothing's happening? Or woken at 3am drenched, heart pounding, wide awake, wondering what on earth is going on with your body? Hot flushes and night sweats are the symptom everyone jokes about — and the one almost nobody actually explains. I've had one hit me mid-class, microphone on, teaching Reformer in front of a full studio. I know that exact kind of alone.
This week I'm pulling hot flushes and night sweats apart properly — because once you understand what's actually happening, it stops being something to feel embarrassed about and starts being something you can do something about. This isn't "avoid caffeine and buy a fan." It's what's really going on in your brain when a flush hits, why it's not in your head, and the full range of what genuinely helps — from the small things you can change tonight through to the medical options most women are never told about. It's the episode I wish someone had given me before I spent years thinking I just had to put up with it.
In this episode:
→ What a hot flush actually is — why it's a brain-signalling event, not a heat problem (it's not in your head, it's in your hypothalamus)
→ Why they don't only happen at night — the daytime flushes that hit mid-meeting and mid-presentation, and why your brain goes offline when one lands
→ The professional and emotional toll nobody talks about — and why it makes so many women quietly question whether they can still do their job
→ Why night sweats aren't the only thing stealing your sleep — low progesterone, the 3am cortisol surge, and why sleep hygiene alone can't fix a hormone problem
→ How long this really lasts (the number will surprise you)
→ What actually helps: cooling and breathing, the natural remedies with real evidence, HRT, and the newer non-hormonal medication
→ The one thing to start this week to take back some control
COMMON HOT FLUSH TRIGGERS — start tracking these this week:
Alcohol (especially red wine) · Caffeine · Spicy food · Sugar spikes · Heat (hot showers, hot drinks, warm rooms) · Stress and cortisol surges · Tight, synthetic fabrics
Your triggers are yours — keep a simple diary for two to three weeks and your own patterns will show up.
If you've ever felt embarrassed, dismissed, or like you were being dramatic — you weren't. This is real, it's physiological, and you deserve real help for it.
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Ready to work with me? The Peri Protocol is my personalised coaching program for women in perimenopause and menopause.
Apply here → www.kirstencookecoaching.com/apply
Grab your free guide — download your free What the Peri? guide → www.kirstencookecoaching.com/free-guide
Come say hi 🌸 Follow along on Instagram and Facebook @kirstencookecoaching — I'd love to hear what resonated with you.
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Research referenced:
Thurston RC (2018). Vasomotor symptoms: natural history, physiology & links with cardiovascular health — Climacteric
Avis NE et al. (2015). Duration of Menopausal Vasomotor Symptoms Over the Menopause Transition (SWAN Study) — JAMA Internal Medicine
Maki PM et al. (2008). Objective Hot Flashes Are Negatively Related to Verbal Memory Performance in Midlife Women — Menopause
Bommer S et al. (2011). Sage (Salvia officinalis) for menopausal hot flushes — Advances in Therapy
Veoza (fezolinetant) — TGA-approved in Australia 2024; liver-monitoring guidance added 2025
This podcast is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare practitioner for personal medical decisions. If you're experiencing a mental health crisis, please contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 (Australia).
