What can I drink to reduce hot flashes?
Short answer
Cool water is the best-supported drink for hot flashes: it helps you cool down and stay hydrated.
No drink has been proven to reduce how often they happen, and caffeine and alcohol are triggers for some.
The drinks that help in the moment
Ice-cold water is the easy first choice. Sipping it during a hot flash can bring your body temperature down and makes the wave feel shorter. Keep a bottle by your bed for night sweats.
A small insulated bottle you carry through the day makes the habit easy, and a chilled one on the nightstand means you do not have to get up and fully wake yourself.
Cold herbal tea or water with lemon works the same way. The cooling comes from the temperature, not from a special ingredient.
Drinks that may set them off
Triggers differ from woman to woman, and studies on them are mixed. Even so, these show up often in women's own reports:
- Alcohol, especially wine in the evening.
- Caffeine, such as coffee or energy drinks.
- Hot drinks, which raise your core temperature slightly.
Try changing one thing at a time for two weeks and write down what you notice. Your own log is more useful than a general rule. More ideas are on our hot flash relief page.
How much should I drink?
There is no special amount for hot flashes. Drinking enough to stay hydrated is a good baseline, and a cool glass at the first sign of heat is a habit that costs nothing. Women who sweat at night may also want a glass of water within reach.
What about sage tea or soy milk?
Sage leaf extract has been studied for hot flashes in small trials, but those used standardized extracts, not tea, so a cup of sage tea is not the same thing. Soy foods contain isoflavones, and results for hot flashes are mixed. Soy milk can be a fine part of your diet, but it should not be expected to stop hot flashes.
If hot flashes come with chest pain, a racing heart or dizziness, talk to a doctor.
Sources
- The Menopause Society, 2023 nonhormone therapy position statement, Menopause journal: lifestyle approaches and trigger avoidance have limited evidence.
- National Institute on Aging (NIH), menopause pages: common hot flash triggers such as caffeine, alcohol and heat.
- Lethaby A et al., Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2013: phytoestrogens, including soy, and vasomotor symptoms.
Related questions
Common triggers for hot flashes are alcohol, caffeine, spicy food, hot drinks, warm rooms and stress. Triggers differ by woman, so tracking your own pattern in a short diary is the best way to find yours.
Natural options for hot flashes include dressing in layers, cooling your room and avoiding triggers. Cognitive behavioral therapy is another option, while botanicals like black cohosh have mixed results.
What helps hot flashes at night is mostly keeping both your body and your bed cool. Try a cooler bedroom, light layers and fewer evening triggers like alcohol and spicy food.