Sweating During Sleep
Is sweating during sleep something that blights your nighttime rest? if so, this insightful article may hold some solutions that will help alleviate the problem.
Research shows that sleep is as important to a person’s well-being and overall health as eating and drinking. Sleep deprivation can have a serious negative impact on our ability to cope with stress, concentrate and retain information and even the ability to perform regular day to day tasks due to the lack of physical energy. This is because sleep is when the body naturally restores all energy levels needed for the next day that have diminished during the previous day. Sweating during sleep to the point where sleep is interrupted can not only be annoying, but become extremely disruptive to all aspects of life if the condition is on-going.
How body temperature effects sleep
Humans possess the ability to regulate their body temperature even during sleep. Whilst most people wouldn’t assume it, this thermoregulation can play an important role in ensuring a good amount of quality sleep is gained.
Studies have shown that a drop of around half to one degree in body temperature produces good quality sleep, with the person feeling refreshed and revitalized on awakening. Knowing this, it will come as no surprise that anything which disrupts the body’s ability to regulate its temperature, in particular those which cause the body temperature to rise, mean interrupted or poor quality sleep.
Sweating during sleep
Those who sweat during sleep will know only too well the detrimental effects of being too hot during the night and how it can interrupt sleep. There are several different severities of the condition which is also known as sleep hyperhidrosis:
- Mild – A person may have a fitful night’s sleep, waking with sweat anywhere on the body. Sweating will not be so profuse as to warrant any particular action.
- Moderate – A person may awake sweating, and need to turn the pillow over or remove the covers in order to be comfortable enough to try and return to sleep.
- Severe – A person will awaken due to profuse sweating, with drenched nightwear and bedding. There will be no other option than to change the bedding and go for a shower or bath.
Although the basic cause of such night sweats is of course an increase in body temperature or rather an inability to regulate body temperature, there are various reasons that are responsible for this happening.
Hormonal changes
Hormone levels have a pronounced effect on the core body temperature. If hormone levels become unbalanced, the core temperature can rise sufficiently for the body to need to sweat in order to cool itself during the night.
Menopause for women and andropause for men are two of the most common causes of night sweats for each gender. Thankfully, because the causes are common, doctors are able to offer a variety of solutions to help the situation.
Obesity
People who are overweight tend to sweat more in order to be rid of the excess toxins contained within the body. A healthy diet and regular exercise will not only act to maintain a healthier weight, but exercise can relieve stress, which is thought to be another cause of excessive sweating during sleep.
Food and drink
Certain foods, in particular spicy foods such as curries and hot chili dishes, raise the core temperature of the body. If a person consumes food such as this close to bedtime, they may well experience night sweats. Hot drinks have a similar effect.
Alcohol can produce night sweats as the body sweats out the toxins contained within the drink. If night sweats occur some nights and not others and a person suspects’ food and drink to be the cause, keeping a note of what was consumed in the day leading up to the night sweats may help. If the same or similar foods are found to keep appearing on the list, then it may be wise to cut these out and see if the problem eases.
Medical conditions
Certain medical conditions are known to cause night sweats including, but not limited to, thyroid problems, heart troubles and cancer. Viral infections resulting in a fever may also be to blame. In such cases, there are likely to be other symptoms in addition to the sweating during sleep. If so, a doctor should be consulted in order to find the correct prognosis.
Environmental
There are numerous environmental factors that may disrupt the body’s ability to regulate its temperature:
- Hot days/nights
- Hot room
- Thick covers
- Too many blankets
- Bed covers and nightwear made from materials that trap heat
Fortunately, simple steps can be taken to compensate for all of these causes. The use of a fan on a hot night or in a warm room can be enough to lower the temperature enough to ensure a good night’s sleep. Likewise, bed linen and nightwear can be changed to accommodate the needs of the individual and eliminate sweating during sleep.
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Sweating during sleep? Are your night sweats getting you down? If so, and you want to do something about it, CLICK HERE NOW and finally find some relief!
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