The terms get used interchangeably, but they're not the same thing — and knowing the difference is genuinely useful, both for fixing your nights and for having a better conversation with your GP.
A hot flush is the event
A flush is a sudden wave of heat — typically rising through the chest, neck and face — often with a racing heart, skin flushing and a prickle of sweat. It lasts seconds to a few minutes, can happen day or night, and is driven by hormonal changes making the brain's thermostat hair-trigger sensitive. During perimenopause and menopause it's the classic symptom, though it has other causes too.
Night sweats are the aftermath (and sometimes their own thing)
Night sweats are drenching sweating during sleep — soaked pyjamas, damp sheets — that happens even in a cool room. Often they're simply what a hot flush looks like when you're asleep: the flush fires, you sweat hard in response, and you wake in the puddle rather than experiencing the wave. But night sweats can also occur without classic flushes, and they have a longer list of causes — including in men, and including medications, stress, infections, thyroid issues and the postpartum period.
Why the distinction is useful
For your GP: "I get hot flushes day and night" and "I never feel a flush but wake up drenched" point in different diagnostic directions. Noting which you have — plus frequency and any other symptoms — makes that ten-minute appointment far more productive. Drenching sweats with weight loss, fever or fatigue deserve a prompt visit regardless.
For your nights: the flush itself is hormonal and no fabric can prevent it — we're always straight about that. What you can engineer is the aftermath: how much heat gets trapped during the event, and how long you lie in damp fabric afterwards. That's a fabric-and-bedding problem with a fabric-and-bedding solution — breathable, fast-drying sleepwear (the full mechanics are here), a layered bed, a cool room, and a spare Short Sleeve or Long Sleeve set within reach at 3am.
The one-line version
Flush = the heat event. Night sweats = drenching sweat during sleep, flush-driven or otherwise. Treat the cause with your doctor; manage the aftermath with your bedroom.
General information, not medical advice.
