April 20, 2025, 12:12 pm | Read time: 3 minutes
Do you feel the same way? Whenever you have your period, do you sweat more than usual? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Carmen Dörfler has summarized where the increased sweating—especially during the night—comes from and what you can do about it.
As if menstruation itself wasn’t enough of a physical and psychological burden for many women, it often comes with a range of additional symptoms. In addition to cramps, diarrhea or mood swings, increased sweating during your period is also a common PMS symptom.
Overview
Sweating During Your Period Can Be a Symptom of PMS
PMS affects around 30 to 50 percent of women of childbearing age. This is known as premenstrual syndrome. This refers to a range of physical and emotional symptoms that often occur in the period before your period. The main reason for all these “side effects,” as well as sweating during the period, are the hormonal changes during the cycle, in particular the fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone.
Hormone Fluctuations Can Be to Blame for Sweating
Estrogen
However, while PMS usually disappears with the onset of menstruation or shortly afterwards, sweating during your period can persist. If hormone fluctuations are the reason for this, it is because estrogen levels drop sharply before and during your period. As the hormone estrogen affects the area of the brain responsible for regulating body temperature, the body may react more strongly to the slightest temperature fluctuations and overheat more quickly. To counteract this overheating, we start to sweat.
Progesterone
However, it is not only the fluctuations in estrogen levels, but also the hormone progesterone that can play a role. This is because before the onset of menstruation, during the luteal phase, i.e., the second half of the cycle, the progesterone level rises, which also causes the core body temperature to rise by up to 0.5 degrees. This makes us warmer from the outset, and we sweat more quickly.
Cortisol
Stress can also play a role. Especially in people who tend to be emotional and react physically to stressful situations. In other words, if you blush quickly when something is unpleasant, there is a good chance that sweating during your period could also have something to do with it. So next time, pay attention to whether your sweating increases when you are stressed or react emotionally. This is again due to a hormone, the stress hormone cortisol. This hormone is released in greater quantities during stressful and hectic situations, potentially leading to increased sweating.
Sweating and an Increased Urge to Urinate Could Be Linked
The altered fluid balance during your period can also lead to sweating, as the body may try to get rid of the excess fluid. This can be a sign of oedema, especially if you visit the toilet more often during your period.
Night Sweats Are Not Just a Sign of Menopause
Some women sweat mainly at night, sometimes independently of their period. Most people are familiar with this as a symptom of menopause. However, it can also occur at the time of ovulation and during the PMS phase.
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This Can Help with Sweating During Your Period
Although these effects are unpleasant, they are generally harmless. Cooling measures such as breathable clothing or sleeping at a lower room temperature can often help. If hormonal fluctuations are to blame for your sweating during your period, a lifestyle change aimed at minimizing these fluctuations can help. This always involves the same things: a healthy diet, sufficient sleep, regular exercise and effective stress management. Herbal supplements or medicinal herbs can also help.