Menopause And Night Sweats
Night sweats are related to the hot flushes you get during the day. They can be described as excessive night sweating and are usually accompanied by a hot flush. Like the daytime hot flush night sweats are unpredictable. Waking up boiling hot, soaking wet in a soggy bed is unpleasant to say the least. They also disturb your sleep (and possibly your partner’s), not to mention all the extra laundry you’ll need to do!
What causes a night sweat?
As with the daytime hot flush it’s not absolutely clear what causes night sweats during perimenopause and menopause. The general thinking seems to be that the change in hormone levels confuses your body’s temperature control (Hypothalamus). The drop in Oestrogen levels makes your Hypothalamus think that your body is getting too hot and it reacts accordingly. More blood is sent to the skin, hence the red face, and the sweat glands start working overtime making you sweaty. A night sweat can often feel worse than a hot flush does during the daytime.
Because you’re asleep when a night sweat starts you’re not in a position to tackle one head on. It’s well underway before you’re even aware it’s happening. You can prepare for it though, and you can even reduce your chances of it happening too often.
Take a look at the Tips below and give them a try. You should find they help you to reduce the frequency of your night sweats allowing you to get a good night’s sleep on a more regular basis. You will also be prepared for when a night sweat happens, allowing you to deal with it quickly. Which means it won’t be too long before you can get back to sleep.
Because hot flushes and night sweats are linked by their cause and triggers, it’s worth taking a look at the Hot Flush Tips on my article ‘Menopause And Hot Flushes’. I’ve personally found both sets of Tips helpful for daytime and night time overheating.
Night Sweats Tips
No hot showers or hot baths
Keep showers and bath water temperature down. Lukewarm water is best and you’ll still get clean and fresh. This is important if you tend to shower or bath before bedtime. And even more important if you suffer from night sweats
Skimpy nightwear
Wear the minimum amount of nightwear if you’re prone to night sweats. If you feel chilly it’s easier to snuggle up in the duvet than try to strip off in the middle of the night if you start overheating.
Layer your bedding
Okay your duvet is nice and snuggly but a high tog duvet is one thick layer. If you don’t like the idea of sheets and blankets then opt for a low tog (summer) duvet and add a couple of nice fleecy throws on top. This way you can peel off or add more layers easily when you need to.
Avoid dehydration
Make sure your well hydrated during the day, it helps. I always take a bottle of water up to bed with me as well. It helps to cool me down when I wake up feeling like a furnace.
Cool bedroom
People usually sleep better in a cool bedroom anyway. Think of the difference between a winter’s night sleep and a hot summer’s night sleep. An overwarm bedroom is uncomfortable and can disturb your rest. A cool bedroom is important in helping to avoid triggering a night sweat and/or a hot flush. Take that electric fan into the bedroom with you too, cool air available at the touch of a button. Or have your handheld fan on the bedside table at the ready.
What Causes Excessive Sweating?
Excessive sweating can happen as part of hot flushes and night sweats. It’s a big part of the reason why both are extremely uncomfortable to experience.
There are other things that can trigger excessive sweating during perimenopause and menopause that are not hormone related. During perimenopause, and once you’re in menopause itself, you may find that certain things will bring you out in a sweat regardless of the way your hormones are behaving.
Various things can trigger an unexpected sweat even before your hormone levels become less stable than they used to be. Once your hormones begin to fluctuate you may find that you are more sensitive to these common triggers than you were before.
A few of the common triggers that can bring you out in a sweat include:
- Caffeine
- Spicy foods
- Too much alcohol
- Sugar
- Stress/anxiety/anger
- High temperatures and high humidity
- Illness or infection particularly if you have a high temperature
- Exercise – a good workout will make you sweat
Breaking out in a sweat during exercise is not a bad thing. It shows that you’re having a really good workout in your effort to stay fit and healthy. And while nobody likes getting ill, it’s difficult to avoid, there’s always one virus or another going round.
You can control the things you eat and drink though if you find that they trigger a sweat. If you cut out or cut back on the food and drinks that bring you out in an uncomfortable sweat you can reduce or even stop the sweats.
You can also tackle stress related sweats by taking regular exercise to induce the feel good endorphins that help to make you feel calmer. Try a few relaxation techniques too and make sure you get some regular ‘me’ time that allows you to wind down and relax. There are a few relaxation techniques you might like to try on my ‘De-Stressing & Relaxation’ article.
Medical Things Worth Checking
There are medical conditions and medical treatments that can trigger excessive sweating. So it’s important to rule these out before you put the sweats down to your hormones or a common sweating trigger. The medical term for excessive sweating is Hyperhidrosis and it can be caused by different things. Heart disease, cancer and thyroid conditions can all cause Hyperhidrosis, as can certain medications prescribed by your doctor to treat other conditions and illnesses. If you’re in any doubt about the cause of your sweats, or they are making your life difficult, then see your doctor for some professional help and advice.
Take a look at Maggie’s Favourite Products For Easing Hot Flushes & Night Sweats to see some ideas of things that can help ease the symptoms. Flaxseed can also be a great help. So check out my flaxseed blog for more information and tips.
