This type of sweating while sleeping can vary from mild to severe and it is the most common cause of night sweats in women under 40. But even mild night sweats can be disruptive for a woman’s sleep, and getting enough sleep is very important for overall health, especially during pregnancy. She either wakes up from the high body temperature or from being drenched in sweat, and drifting back to sleep is often difficult because of the discomfort. Why do night sweats and pregnancy often go hand in hand? And what are the healthy solutions to bring more comfort and better sleep?

What Causes Night Sweats During Pregnancy?

The hormonal imbalance that takes place during pregnancy is the primary cause of pregnancy night sweats, much like hot flashes during menopause. During pregnancy estrogen levels change, and this change can trigger some of the low estrogen symptoms commonly associated with menopause.

These changing estrogen levels cause the hypothalamus to react somewhat erratically. The hypothalamus is what regulates the body’s temperature, releasing heat through sweat and dilated blood vessels when the body is hot, and retaining heat when the body is cold. When the change in hormones impacts the functioning of the hypothalamus it often leads to hot flashes and night sweating.

Sleep And Pregnancy

Sleep is very important during pregnancy, but there are a number of reasons why it is more difficult to sleep well during this time, besides sweating at night. The constant need to get up and go to the bathroom, the discomfort of an expanding belly and the added stress of this life change can all interfere with sleep. It is important to take steps to improve sleep during this time as there is evidence to suggest that women who experience more sleep disturbances during pregnancy are more prone to postpartum depression. Not to mention pregnancy is already tiring and energy levels may already be lower during this time.

Are There Any Solutions?

Unfortunately there is no magic cure for night sweats during pregnancy, but there are some things that may help reduce the severity or frequency of these sweats. Certain natural remedies for night sweats in women and hormone replacement therapy aren’t an option for treating night sweats caused by pregnancy, but there are other options.

Keeping the thermostat a few degrees cooler is the first place to start as pregnant women tend to feel overheated already. Wearing cool, cotton pajamas, using a fan in the bedroom, limiting bed coverings to light weight cotton sheets, and avoiding a heavy blanket may also provide help for night sweats. Many doctors and midwives believe that proper diet and exercise during the course of pregnancy can help lessen the severity of symptoms, and there is some evidence to indicate this is true, however no major research has been done to prove this.

Eating more antioxidant rich foods and avoiding processed foods and unhealthy fatty foods may help, plus it will provide better nutrition for mom and baby. Avoiding spicy foods at night is important as spicy foods can cause a rise in body temperature. It is also important to avoid caffeine in the evening; in general caffeine should be limited during pregnancy.

Exercising early in the day is best. Exercising too close to bed time can raise body temperature and lead to sweating, and it can also increase energy levels making it difficult to fall asleep. But getting regular exercise can foster better sleep.

Drinking something soothing, like chamomile tea, or practicing relaxation techniques can set the stage for a better night’s sleep.

If you struggle with night sweats during pregnancy, be sure to discuss your symptoms and night sweats treatment options with your pregnancy health care provider. He or she may have some helpful advice. Keep in mind it’s not uncommon to experience night sweats after pregnancy, but if they are severe or if they last for several months after pregnancy talk with your doctor.

Thankfully, even in the worst case scenario, if the symptoms persist throughout the entire course of the pregnancy, there will be an end to them at some point after the baby is born, and he or she will have certainly been worth it.

Night Sweats During Pregnancy is a post from: Night Sweats

What Are Hot Flashes?

Typically a hot flash involves a sudden and intense feeling of heat in the face and upper body, lasting from a few seconds to a few minutes. These hot flashes, also known as hot flushes, often come with sudden redness (flushing) in the face, neck or chest, and intense sweating. They are often followed by a cold, clammy feeling, making them feel somewhat like cold sweats. They can occur occasionally or several times a day.

What Causes Hot Flashes?

The exact cause of hot flashes isn’t fully understood, but they are most commonly linked to changing hormone levels, particularly estrogen. Hot flashes are one of the common causes of low estrogen symptoms that accompany menopause, and lead to menopause night sweats when they occur at night. During menopause, when most women suffer from hot flashes and menopause night sweats, specific estrogen levels are decreasing, setting the stage for these uncomfortable episodes. However, some women suffer from hot flashes before and after menopause.

Women aren’t the only ones who may experience this sudden, uncomfortable sensation; men can also experience hot flashes, which can lead to night sweats in men when they occur at night. The main cause for hot flashes in men is also a drop in hormones, but for men it is related to a drop in testosterone. This mainly occurs in men who are going through treatment for prostate cancer.

Some other possible triggers or causes of hot flashes include:

• Stress
• Reactions to food, especially spicy or acidic foods
• Thyroid conditions
• Certain types of cancer, including lymphomas
• Medicinal side effects

Because hot flashes can, in rare instances, be a symptom of a more serious condition, they should always be discussed with a doctor.

Night Sweats And Hot Flashes

When hot flashes occur during sleep, they cause night sweats, which soak the sheets and are sometimes accompanied by strong feelings of anxiety. Those who suffer with night sweats, especially if they are not accompanied by hot flashes in the waking hours, should check into other possible causes of night sweats. These include stress and anxiety as well as environmental factors such as excessive humidity, overheated rooms, or warm bedding or pajamas.

In some cases, night sweats in women or in men may be an indication of a more serious medical condition, so a health care professional should be consulted in the case of ongoing or unexplained sweating while sleeping.

Coping With These Uncomfortable Flushes

While there isn’t a specific hot flashes treatment that will magically make these uncomfortable flushes go away or stop them from occurring, there are steps you can take to help reduce the occurrence and severity of them. Different things work for different people so you may need to experiment with a few ideas or treatments for hot flashes.

Certain strategies can reduce the frequency and severity of hot flashes and night sweats. Anyone suffering hot flashes can benefit from:

• Reducing or eliminating spicy and acidic foods from the diet
• Reducing or eliminating caffeine, tobacco, and alcohol
• Exercising regularly (early in the day is best)
• Addressing causes of stress or anger
• Avoiding hot tubs and hot baths

Anyone suffering from hot flashes and night sweats can also take the following steps to be prepared when an episode occurs:

• Carry a small, portable fan
• Keep ice water handy
• Dress in layers that can easily be removed
• Wear cotton clothing instead of wool or synthetic fabrics
• Wear open-necked tops
• Wear cotton pajamas or nightgowns that can be easily changed if soaked
• Sleep in a large bed if the bed is shared

While there isn’t scientific data to confirm this, some women have found relief from menopause hot flashes through the use of natural remedies for hot flashes. These include things like black cohosh, red clover and phytoestrogens.

Medical Treatments For Hot Flashes

Certain antidepressants may be able to reduce hot flashes in men as well as hot flashes in women. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) is another possible treatment for hot flashes. Men going through treatment for prostate cancer shouldn’t take testosterone, but some have experienced relief by taking a form of estrogen called estradiol. Of course any of these treatments need to be carefully discussed with your doctor and the side effects need to be weighed against the possible benefits.

By gaining a proper diagnosis for the cause of hot flashes, a sufferer can understand the best ways to deal with them. Hot flashes and night sweats may be impossible to eliminate entirely for many people, but by learning how to cope and prepare for them, these episodes need not control a person’s life and the enjoyment of it.

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Hot Flashes Causes And Treatment is a post from: Night Sweats

Andropause and Low Testosterone

While some debate remains about the existence of such a thing as andropause, more and more research appears to be supporting the phenomenon. This is the most important condition to consider if you are specifically researching night sweats in men over 50.

Andropause, often referred to casually as male menopause, involves the reduced production of testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone by the male body. Unlike menopause, however, andropause doesn’t necessarily involve the cessation of reproductive function. In menopause, cessation of the reproductive function of the ovaries occurs. Men are often reproductively capable well past their experience of the phenomenon described as andropause. This is why there is still debate regarding the use of the term andropause as it is not completely analogous with menopause.

Yet because men often experience a significant decrease in testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone, they may experience several consequences during this period of aging:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Impotence
• Loss of Libido
• Night Sweats

One of the distinct characteristics of andropause and low testosterone in general is the counter-intuitive combination of fatigue and insomnia. Even though you feel tired and weary all day, you still struggle to fall asleep when you finally get to go to bed at the end of the day.

As you might guess from the title Night Sweats In Men Over 50, the most common symptoms of andropause are excessive perspiration and night sweating. Hormonal fluctuations — especially hormone drops — tend to confuse your hypothalamus, which is the part of your brain that acts as your body’s thermostat. So a drop in hormones can cause your hypothalamus to misread normal body signals, creating sudden and sharp rising and falling body temperatures.

The broadest age range during which the andropause state may occur is from 35 to 65, though most men will experience andropause between the ages of 45 to 55. Additionally, men with diabetes have a much greater chance of suffering from low testosterone.

Men who experience low testosterone at ages younger than this will often be diagnosed with an andropause disorder rather than an andropause state (see night sweats in men under 30 for more on that matter).

Just as it has become common for women to treat menopausal symptoms with hormone replacement therapy, some doctors are beginning to treat low testosterone and andropause with bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (HRT).

Intermittent Night Sweats In Men

Often night sweats only occur occasionally. These tend to be due to less concerning triggers. Less serious but common night sweat triggers include the following relatively benign causes of night sweats in men:

Sleep Environment and Bedsheets

Humans prefer a cool sleeping environment with a little bit of movement in the air. Most people don’t realize this and thus it isn’t difficult to find yourself in a room that is uncomfortably warm with still air. Often this can be addressed by simply creating a light cross-draft, cracking a window or reducing the temperature on the thermostat.

Along the same lines, using sheets and blankets made with heavy synthetic fabric may cause you to over-heat while you sleep. Try using light cotton or linen sheets, or sheets specifically designed to help with night sweats (see night sweats bedding). The same could be said about your sleepwear or pajamas. Read more at night sweats sleepwear.

OTC Medications With Antipyretic Properties

Antipyretics are drugs or herbs that reduce your core temperature (a fever reducer, for example). These common over-the-counter medications include acetaminophen (Tylenol), ibuprofen (Advil), and aspirin (Bayer). This is a normal function of these medications and night sweating occurs as a result of hypothalamus doing what it can to help your body cool.

Diet

High fat foods and spicy foods may increase perspiration, so eating too many of these types of foods, especially eating these foods within a few hours of bedtime, may trigger night sweats. Also, eating high glycemic foods may cause your blood sugar to spike, triggering hypoglycemia, which in turn often causes sweating while sleeping.

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When Medications Cause Night Sweats

A common side-effect of both OTC and prescription medications is night sweats or excessive sweating. The most common types of prescription drugs to cause night sweats in men over 50 include:

• Antipyretics (Celebrex, for example)
• Anxiety (Anxiolytic medications: Xanax, for example)
• Diabetes
• Depression
• Erectile dysfunction (Cialis or Viagra)
• Nitrates (most commonly for chest pain)

If your antidepressant is causing you to experience night sweats, first stick with your doctor’s prescribed regiment for more than a week, as many of the side-effects will subside over time. If they don’t subside, discuss the matter with your doctor as you may need to adjust your dosage.

When medications for diabetes cause night sweats in men, it is often not the drug itself but rather the hypoglycemia triggered by a combination of medication and diet. You may need to discuss an adjustment to the dose or the timing of your dosage, or you may need to make adjustments to what you eat and when you eat around your medication dosage and when you go to bed. Learn more with my article on night sweats and diabetes.

Other Common Causes of Night Sweats In Men Over 50

Beyond andropause and simple environmental variables, these are the most common causes of night sweats as they occur in middle-aged and older gentlemen:

• Alcoholism (read about the night sweats alcohol causes)
• Excess or erratic cortisol production
• Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)
• Hypoglycemia
• Idiopathic Hyperhidrosis (see Sleep Hyperhidrosis)
• Neurological Disorders (sometimes as a result of head or spine injuries)
• Stress (read more about night sweats and stress)

While these are the most common causes of night sweats in men over the age of 50, you might still review both my night sweats in men guide and the home page of Night Sweats for more possibilities.

Serious Causes of Night Sweats In Men Over 50

In most cases, the causes of sweating at night are not serious. However, if your night sweats persist or are sudden and severe, you may need to consider the possibility of a more serious underlying condition. Here are the serious causes of night sweats. Please discuss these matters with your doctor and don’t rely on the Internet to diagnose or treat yourself.

• Cancer – especially Lymphoma and Leukemia
• HIV
• Heart Conditions – High Cholesterol, Heart Disease or Endocarditis

Because conditions like cancer, type II diabetes and heart conditions are more common as we grow older, these causes of night sweats in men become more likely when you are over 50.

Sweating At Night Treatments

If you are seeking ways to address your night sweating, I recommend you consider the following treatment and therapy resources on my site:

• Night Sweats Treatment
• Night Sweats Relief
• Natural Remedies for Night Sweats in Men

I hope you find a reasonable way to address your problem somewhere among these night sweats treatment resources. If you know of any highly effective night sweats treatments I haven’t included, please let me know with my contact form.

I sincerely hope this guide helped you isolate, identify and treat night sweats in men over 50, whether you’re trying to help someone you love or find relief for yourself.

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Night Sweats In Men Over 50 is a post from: Night Sweats

The night sweats men experience can be caused by several of the same things that cause night sweats in women, yet just as women uniquely experience menopausal hot flashes, men experience their own uniquely male night sweats.

Table of Contents for Night Sweats In Men:

• Night Sweats in Men or Andropause Night Sweats
• Andropause Symptoms
• What Causes Night Sweats In Men?
• Male Night Sweats at Different Ages
• Night Sweats In Men Treatments

Of course, I should distinguish true night sweats and sleep disorders related to night sweats in men from simple environmental heat and natural fluctuations in body temperature experienced by many. Forty percent of all doctor visits involve a complaint about night sweating, yet a much smaller percentage of these visits actually involve a real clinical case of sleep hyperhidrosis or idiopathic hyperhidrosis. It will help you in your treatment to know if you’re suffering true night sweats or if you’re just suffering environmental discomfort because your bedroom is too hot for sound sleep.

Night Sweats In Men or Andropause Night Sweats

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There are a number of reasons why the night sweats men experience are difficult to pinpoint, some of them universal and some specific to male night sweats. With this article I will address those specific night sweats in males, so for other causes of night sweats in men which may trigger night sweats in anyone, please visit my website’s front page: Night Sweats.

The first cause of night sweats in men we’ll discuss is andropause. Yes, andropause, sometimes referred to as male menopause. It does exist. Well, at least more and more research compels people to think so. Just as women experience a reduction in their production of certain hormones during menopause, many feel that men experience a reduction in testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone during an andropause phase. The kind of nite sweats men experience is often associated with this phenomenon.

Night Sweats In Men

You will find some controversy in the medical community about the overall nature and condition of andropause and its relation to the night sweats men experience. Some simply consider it a “state” or phase, while others consider it a potential “disorder.” If you experience many of these symptoms in your middle or early manhood and you’re cleared of any other medical conditions which may cause them, you may be diagnosed with an andropause disorder. However if you experience this as an older man, it may simply be diagnosed as a state or phase.

Yet because men can continue to reproduce well into their old age, some researchers feel this is a “false” diagnosis or label for this “disorder.” Put simply, there really isn’t a cut and dry answer for what andropause means just yet.

Andropause Symptoms

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Common symptoms of andropause (whether defined as a state or disorder) are as follows:

• Hot flashes
• Excessive perspiration
• Loss of libido
• Impotence
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Impaired memory
• Lack of concentration
• Fatigue
• Insomnia

Of course, you may not experience all these symptoms (let’s hope not, right?), but let’s focus on the hot flashes and excessive perspiration symptoms since they relate directly to night sweats in men. It is important to understand that these result from hormonal changes in your body and those hormonal changes affect your hypothalamus — your body’s thermostat. And while more drastic and permanent hormonal changes occur during andropause, it isn’t uncommon for men to experience an ebb and flow of hormones (specifically the testosterone or the estrogen hormone) throughout their life, causing occasional cold sweats or cold night sweats.
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An embarrassing for some but real example involves a common occurrence for most healthy men. It isn’t uncommon for a man to experience random erections while asleep. This is a result of hormonal rushes in the body. These same hormonal rushes can cause night sweats in men. Often it isn’t unhealthy or unnatural, but if the sweats become more severe and more consistent each night, then you should discuss this with your primary care physician or check with a medical professional.

What Causes Night Sweats In Men?

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While this article is mostly about night sweats in men, I must also note that some serious health conditions can be indicated by night sweats or hot flashes in men, including:

• HIV or AIDS
• Tuberculosis
• Thyroiditis or Hyperthyroidism
• Fibromyalgia
• Arthritis, especially rheumatoid arthritis (RA)
• Diabetes (Type I or Type II) or Hypoglycemia (in this case sometimes referred to as Nocturnal Hypoglycemia

. Learn more at: Night Sweats and Diabetes

• Infections of any sort along with infectious diseases
• Malignancy or cancer: cancers can cause sudden rising and falling body temperatures, which leads to sweating. The night sweats cancer causes tend to be pretty distinct and severe, but always check with your doctor if you’re concerned.
• Silent Neoplasm
• Specifically, lymphoma often causes sudden and severe night sweating like the severe hot flashes women experience during perimenopause
• Heart conditions along with high cholesterol
• Any kind of inflammation
• Neurological conditions
• Stroke
• Endocarditis (Inflammation in your heart)
• Sleep apnea
• Anxiety and Stress or related mental health issues.
• Pain, especially joint and back pain
• Acid reflux

If you experience other symptoms with the sweating, a sudden change in your pattern of night sweats or sweating while sleeping which involves more severe or more frequent excessive sweating, consider consulting a physician. It may be nothing to be concerned about, but of course it is better safe than sorry and any such signs or complications should be addressed by a professional. I always encourage people to seek appropriate night sweats treatment, but you must also treat the underlying cause or condition. Early diagnosis and treatment can help you avoid further problems.

Keep in mind that sometimes factors outside of any medical condition or disease can cause severe night sweats in men. These could include:

• Side-effects from prescription drugs or over-the-counter medications.
• Specifically, antipyretic medications such as acetaminophen may cause night sweating.
• Any psychological states or conditions that trigger the autonomic nervous system or cortisone, such as anxiety or fear.
• Consuming or experiencing anything that causes flushing, including alcohol, niacin or caffeine.
• Poor diet or eating foods like spicy foods, excess heavy and fatty foods or food allergies.
• Obesity or rapid weight gain
• A lifestyle with poor diet, irregular sleeping patterns or too much stress.
• Alcohol Withdrawal

This list shouldn’t be considered all inclusive. I suggest reviewing the Night Sweats home page and reviewing my guides to night sweats in men at different ages (see below).

Male Night Sweats at Different Ages

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While andropause symptoms may manifest in men of any age, more medical professionals lean towards andropause itself being a phenomenon unique to men between the ages of about 40 and 55. But what if you’re a younger man and you still feel like your sweating at night is unusual and excessive? In attempt to answer this question and more, I’ve started series on how and why night sweats occur to men of different ages. I will add to the following list as these individual guides are completed:

• Night Sweats In Men Under 30
• Night Sweats In Men Over 50

So please return later if you’re interested and your age group hasn’t been covered yet.

Night Sweats In Men Treatments

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Male night sweats treatments are as nebulous as men’s night sweats causes. If you are suffering from night sweats in men, I suggest you first isolate whether it is something persistent or just the result of diet or a bad habit (like drinking alcohol or caffeine too close to bed time or smoking). If it is something persistent, you might discuss the matter with your doctor. In lieu of a specific medical diagnosis, I encourage you to read my detailed post on treating night sweats: night sweats treatment.

I also suggest you address the matter with poise and common sense. Sometimes simple and natural solutions like changing the environment in the bedroom to be less warm can make a world of a difference. Wicking pajamas or lighter sleepwear, light breathable materials for your sheets and better temperature control in your home may be all you need to combat your night sweats in men causes (see my night sweats sleepwear article for specific suggestions). If you can prevent your male night sweats or find relief without resorting to expensive medicines or doctor’s visits — great! But don’t be afraid to seek appropriate health care, either. Always ask a doctor instead of the Internet when it doubt.

As you can see, it is possible some men can empathize for a woman’s battle with menopause night sweats. Men night sweats may be less discussed and less understood, but they still exist and they still serve to make for long and sleepless nights, even if such male night sweats are the result of normal hormonal changes.

I hope this helps you better understand the specific night sweats in men. I encourage you return to my Night Sweats site often as I roll out more and more detailed information to round out your understanding of night sweats in general as well as specific night sweating in men.

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Night Sweats In Men is a post from: Night Sweats

Table of Contents for Sweating While Sleeping:

• Excessive Sweating While Sleeping
• Environmental Treatments for Sweating While Sleeping
• Natural Remedies for Sweating While Sleeping
• Medical Causes for Excessive Night Sweating

Excessive Sweating While Sleeping

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Excessive sweating while sleeping is known clinically as sleep hyperhidrosis. The most common sweating while sleeping causes are often harmless, so don’t panic. Panic attacks while sleeping won’t help you curb your rising body temperature as you try to get a good night’s sleep.

Sweating at night while sleeping often occurs for hormonal reasons, such as sweating while sleeping after pregnancy, genetic reasons or simple environmental reasons. If your dad tends to sweat at night, even in good health, and you do too, you may simply have to learn to handle it as best as you can. Fortunately both genetic and environmental causes of sweating while sleeping can be treated much the same way. Whether the origin of your night sweats are serious or not, you should address this disruption of your sleep cycle; waking with damp sheets can affect your overall health and well being if you can’t get a good night’s rest.

Environmental Treatments for Night Sweating While Sleeping

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First I want to encourage you to step back and really think about your sleep environment. There are four specific areas to address:

Set the Optimum Sleep Temperature to Stop Night Sweats

Humans prefer cooler temperatures when they’re sleeping. The ideal temperature for sleeping may vary depending on the individual, but generally the temperature in your bedroom should be between 66 and 68 degrees Fahrenheit (which may cooler than you expected). Get a cheap room temperature gauge at your local department store or discount super store and determine the average temperature of your bedroom at night. If it is more than a couple degrees above the recommended sleep temperature, consider lowering the thermostat during the winter months and increasing the air conditioner during the summer months. See if you can integrate either a ceiling fan or a table fan into your room, but be careful not to let it push high velocity air right at you.
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Room Air Circulation

Even beyond the air temperature, humans by default don’t usually like being in a room with dead air. By dead air I mean air which is entirely still. While it is also unhealthy to have too much of a breeze on you while you sleep, you might check the air movement. A lack of air movement may be associated with anxiety and panic attacks. Sometimes all you need to do is create a path for air to move. For example, open your bedroom door and your closet door. This might be just enough to encourage some kind of air flow through the air. Of course, a fan or an open window can provide common sense night sweats treatment and can help immensely.

Bedsheets for Night Sweating, Material and Weight

Sweating While Sleeping

You’d be surprised how often I learn that people who are suffering from excessive sweating while sleeping use thick, heavy fabrics while they sleep. And because stylish blankets with shiny patterns are popular, people often cover themselves with blankets that don’t easily breathe (like polyester). So check the tags on those blankets and bed sheets. Ideally, you want light materials made from cotton or linen. Linen is ideal, but it can be expensive. A quality 100 percent cotton sheet will do fine as well. Note that this means it should be either 100 percent cotton or 100 percent linen… or a combination of just those two fabrics. If it has any polyester or satin in it, you want to remove it from your bedroom, unless it is a blend that was designed to wick moisture away from your body. Instead of relying on heavy sheets or blankets, rely on lighter materials and use layers.

Clothes or Pajamas for Night Sweating, Material and Weight

The same variables I described in regards to bed sheets and blankets goes for sleep clothes or pajamas. You want those pajamas to be made from light, breathable material. Again, linen is ideal, but cotton is great too. You can also find some great wicking pajamas these days. Those pajamas, which grew in popularity for their use by menopausal women, help to wick away moisture and heat. But they can be effective even if you don’t suffer from menopause night sweats. Update: See my new night sweats sleepwear article for specific suggestions on wicking pajamas.

Natural Remedies for Sweating While Sleeping

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Here are some simple, natural remedies for treating your night sweating. Please note that these are meant for people who are experiencing genetic or environmental night sweats. If you’re confident you’re experiencing unusually severe sweating while sleeping, I urge you to consult with your physician.

• Let’s start simple. Keep a cool glass of water near your bed while you sleep. Should you awaken, take a sip of the cool water.
• Keep a couple of ice cubes in that glass to make sure it is useful for this next tip: if you feel your temperature rising, place your wrists against the cool glass and hold them there for several seconds. As your blood flows through this junction, it will cool and then cool the rest of your body as it flows on. (This is a great trick to use anywhere and anytime, by the way.)
• Use specially designed bed devices to help you cool yourself. I suggest the chillow and if you really want to get elaborate, try the bedfan. These two devices provide an entirely natural and comfortable way to reduce your sleeping temperature in a safe and effective way. I usually only suggest them for more severe situations, but many people enjoy their benefits, even people who don’t specifically suffer from night sweats.

• This won’t help if you’re suffering from night sweats in men, but if you’re suffering from menopause, you might try taking black cohosh. This natural herbal remedy has helped many (though not all) women suffering from menopause hot flashes sweating.
• Try a small amount of tryptophan-heavy foods an hour before bed (peanut butter is tasty, easy and high in tryptophan).
• Try some relaxing herbal remedies, such as chamomile and valerian. You might also try melatonin, which helps your body reset its sleep cycle through a naturally-occurring hormone.

Medical Causes for Excessive Night Sweating

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Try to address your sweating while sleeping through environmental control and natural remedies before you consider more serious conditions. I say this because a vast majority of night sweats cases aren’t serious, but when they are serious, they can be very serious. Here are some cold sweats while sleeping causes with medical origins:

• Medication side-effects: Study enough labels and you’ll find that night sweating is one of the most common side-effects of potent prescription drugs. If you’re really experiencing a drenching night sweats, discuss your medications with your physician.
• Infections: Even minor infections and fevers can cause sweating while sleeping. However, you should also be on the lookout for more serious infections which may cause profuse night seats. These include tuberculosis, endocarditis (heart valve swelling), osteomyelitis (bone inflammation) and an AIDS infection from the HIV virus.
• Abscesses: You might think this should fit under infections, but a long list of seemingly simple abscesses can cause severe night sweating. This includes boils and even dental infections (yes, tooth decay can cause night sweats). Note that some of these, like appendicitis, can be very, very serious.
• Diabetes and Hypoglycemia: Individuals suffering from diabetes or hypoglycemia who are taking insulin or other medications to moderate their blood sugar may suffer from sweating while sleeping. Read more in my article on this: Night Sweats and Diabetes
• Hormonal Changes: As I mentioned earlier, women experiencing menopause or low estrogen symptoms often experience hot flashes at night. But that’s not the only time our body’s may experience radical shifts in body temperature. Men may experience a kind of andropause and it isn’t unusual for individuals to experience night sweats during adolescence or during pregnancy as well.

There are, of course, many other causes of excessive sweating while sleeping, but I think this is essay is getting long enough already. In another article I cover, more generally, the causes of excessive sweating. In this article I have covered most of the common causes and provided you with some common sense solutions. I sincerely hope my suggestions help you curb your sweat glands and get through the night cool and dry.

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Sweating While Sleeping is a post from: Night Sweats

However, night sweats in women can also be caused by menopause via menopause night sweats, certain medications, and medical conditions. So after you address the basics, you may need to develop an understanding for how different conditions may cause your hypothalamus (a gland in your brain that acts like your internal thermostat) to run amok.

Navigate the contents of my Night Sweats In Women article:

• Medical Causes of Night Sweats In Women
• Environmental Causes of Night Sweats In Women
• Night Sweating In Women of Different Ages
• How to Reduce Night Sweats in Women
• Hormone Replacement Therapy, Estrogen and Foods for Menopause
• Universal Precautions for Night Sweating In Women

Medical Causes of Night Sweats In Women

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The following medical conditions have been known to cause night sweats in women:

• Bacterial infections like tuberculosis and inflammation of the heart valves
• Cancer, especially lymphoma
• Diabetes
• Drug side effects, especially antidepressants and antipyretics (drugs that reduce fevers)
• HIV/AIDS
• Hormone disorders such as hyperthyroidism
• Hypoglycemia
• Idiopathic hyperhidrosis and sleep hyperhidrosis
• Menopause symptoms and hot flashes from hormonal fluctuations
• Neurological conditions

For more on conditions behind various forms of night sweating, visit night sweats causes. One tricky condition is insomnia. Sometimes it acts as a trigger for the night sweats women experience and sometimes it is a symptom.

Environmental Causes of Night Sweats In Women

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Before you grow too concerned about any of these medical causes, please note that many people who believe they’re suffering from sleep hyperhidrosis are only sweating while sleeping because of environmental conditions. By environmental conditions I mean they’re sleeping in a room that is too warm, they’re wearing pajamas or bed clothes that are too heavy or made from non-breathable fabrics, or they’re using blankets or sheets that are too heavy or again, made from non-breathable fabrics.

Night Sweats In Women

So before you go through a list of medical causes (which may only increase your stress), consider making some deliberate but common sense changes. Wear lighter, wicking pajamas made from natural, breathable fabrics. I offer some suggestions for effective night sweating clothing on my new page: Night Sweats Sleepwear.

Use only light, natural fabrics like cotton for your bedding, and go without the blanket at all if possible. Try to increase the air circulation in your room and if possible, lower the thermostat a few degrees to see if you sleep more comfortably with the temperature just a couple degrees cooler. Read on for more tips for how to stop night sweats in women or consider reading my articles on night sweats treatment, which provides some information on a few clever devices that may help you, and night sweats relief, which suggests some inexpensive and natural remedies for excessive night sweats in women.

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Night Sweating In Women of Different Ages

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The reasons young women may experience sleep hyperhidrosis may be quite a bit different than for a woman over 60. Be sure to consider your age and condition when considering the different possible causes of night sweating. I am currently working on articles targeting these age groups and I will update this page as I publish them. Currently I have the main three published:

• Night Sweats In Women Under 30
• Night Sweats In Women Under 40
• Night Sweats In Women Over 60

For context and comparison’s sake, you might consider night sweats in men under 30 and the various causes and treatment of night sweats in men.

How to Reduce Night Sweats in Women

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Outside of hot flashes and menopause, most situations that cause sweating at night in women only happen every once in a while, and the majority of these episodes are harmless. But waking up with soaking wet covers and pajamas can be more than a bit discouraging, so finding relief from symptoms is important. Here are some ways to control excess sweating at night.

Manage night sweats stress with regular exercise such as walking, jogging, biking, or swimming to ward off excessive sweating at night. However, do not do these types of exercises prior to bedtime; they raise the body’s core temperature and increase perspiration while sleeping. Meditation and deep breathing techniques are more appropriate stress-relief options to do before bedtime.

Avoid eating heavy meals before you go to sleep. The food will just sit in your stomach, and cause you to feel bloated and uncomfortable. Also avoid spicy foods and hot beverages before bed as they may increase perspiration and make night sweats more likely.

For a more specific discussion on treating night sweats women often experience, please visit my comprehensive guide: Night Sweats Treatment

I’ve also added an article on selecting the best night sweats bedding, from bed sheets to clever bed cooling devices: Night Sweats Bedding.

Hormone Replacement Therapy, Estrogen and Foods for Menopause

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Using natural remedies for night sweats in women, hormone replacement therapy (HRT), or increasing your intake of foods containing phytoestrogens can help replace lost estrogen, which in turn can help combat menopause night sweats. This can even help a woman suffering from premenopause or night sweats in women under 40. Foods that naturally contain estrogen and help with low estrogen symptoms include:

• alfalfa sprouts
• apples
• barley
• beans
• carrots
• flax
• legumes and lentils
• nuts and seeds
• oats
• soy milk
• tempeh
• tofu
• whole grains
• yams

In general, these foods are good to integrate if want a natural hot flashes treatment that will also provide a health benefit.

Universal Precautions for Night Sweating In Women

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Do not drink alcohol — as the night sweats alcohol may trigger can be particularly uncomfortable — or smoke cigarettes before bedtime. These stimulants raise your body’s pulse rate and body temperature, increasing the chance of perspiring while you sleep. If at all possible, I urge you to avoid these toxins entirely, especially when you’re trying to isolate the causes of your sweating at night.

In addition to the above mentioned lifestyle changes, keep your bedroom cool, wear lightweight, loose fitting clothes, and use thin covers to reduce sweating at night.

Find more ideas for treating your night sweats in my sweating while sleeping and night sweats relief articles.

Night sweats in women that are recurrent or accompanied by a fever, pain, or discomfort should be addressed. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, talk to a doctor immediately. Your physician can evaluate your medical history, do an examination, and run tests to rule out any problems or serious underlying conditions.

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Night Sweats In Women is a post from: Night Sweats

I will eventually expand on each treatment for sleep hyperhidrosis with its own page, but for now you can use the following index links to jump down to the section that most interests you. I hope this helps!

Navigate Night Sweats Treatment:

• Common Sense Night Sweats Treatment
• Natural Treatment for Night Sweats
• Night Sweats Remedies
• Night Sweats in Men Treatment
• Menopause Night Sweats Treatment
• Treat Night Sweats With the Chillow, The Bed Fan, The Chili Pad and Wicking Pajamas

Common Sense Night Sweats Treatment

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First I’d like to address some basics to make sure you can achieve your night sweats relief with a common sense foundation. These night sweat cures may not seem exciting or evoke great epiphanies, but I believe they’re necessary steps in the treatment of night sweats.

Set the Proper Temperature for Sleeping

As I describe in my sweating while sleeping article, humans prefer a cooler temperature when they sleep than when they’re awake. While the exact right temperature for restful sleep is still up for debate, some studies indicate that the ideal temperature may be around 66 to 68 degrees Fahrenheit. It is important that you recognize the difference between the temperature indicated by your thermostat and the ambient temperature in and around your bedroom, bed and body.

If you discover that ambient temperature is well above the 66 to 68 degree area, you need to somehow get that temperature under control before you can realistically focus on other night sweats causes. Crack a window, place standing fan or install a ceiling fan… but do something.

Be Careful What You Eat and Drink Before Bed

The usual suspects are the culprit in this case: foods and beverages containing caffeine (including chocolate), alcohol, dense and fatty foods and spicy foods can all contribute to those uncomfortable night sweats symptoms.

Night Sweats Treatment

Additionally, I think people underestimate how close to bed they should avoid these foods and beverages. An hour isn’t enough time: I encourage you to avoid these foods at least 2 to 3 hours before bed and ideally you shouldn’t consume either caffeine or alcohol in the evening at all (at least while you’re trying to determine the cause of your sweating at night).

You will find some foods and beverages that help prevent your night sweat. But I’ll leave that for the section below.

Don’t Exercise Too Late

Getting regular exercise is a great way to relieve stress, sometimes even those night sweats stress causes, and it can help you sleep better at night, but vigorous exercise too late can trigger sweating at night. Vigorous physical activity gets your heart pumping, increases circulation and raises your body temperature causing you to sweat. Exercising within a couple of hours before going to bed may keep your body temperature elevated and trigger sweating during the night. Try to exercise in the morning or earlier in the day.

Natural Treatment for Night Sweats

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Chamomile tea may soothe and calm you while peppermint tea can both cool you and your heat-generating digestive tract. If you’re concerned with drinking a hot beverage near bed time, you can brew a strong tea earlier in the day then refrigerate it to make an iced tea.
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If you don’t mind the scent of peppermint, a quality peppermint essential oil can help in a variety of ways. Some people put a dab on the back of their neck. Some put it on the soles of their feet. You can even put a couple drops in some water and ice for sipping as you prepare for bed. Unfortunately peppermint also has an awakening effect, so be careful with how much you use. If you think this sounds silly, just wait until you try it for yourself.

A really popular natural treatment for hot flashes and night sweats is black cohosh. And that will make for a nice segue into my night sweats remedies section.

Night Sweats Remedies

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Black Cohosh

Straddling the natural treatments and the night sweats remedies sections is black cohosh. Black cohosh, or scientifically, Actaea racemosa, is an herbal remedy created from the roots and rhizomes of this herbaceous perennial plant. This is considered an alternative therapy as the science supporting its use is inconsistent and controversial, but this remains one of the most commonly used of the natural remedies for night sweats in women.

It is primarily used for women either going through menopause or experiencing premenstrual tension. Its origin as a therapy derives from its use by Native Americans for alleged anti-inflammatory, sedative and pain-relieving properties.

I will write a whole page on the black cohosh phenomenon because it has become so popular. I am not personally recommending it, although I know a few people who swear by it.

Simple, Natural Night Sweat Relief

One simple night sweat cure — or cure for excessive perspiration (hyperhidrosis) of any sort is to place a cool glass, a cool, damp wash cloth or run cool water over your wrists. This is a really neat and genuinely useful trick that will quickly provide your body an overall cooling sensation. I kept a small bowl near my bed with a clean wash cloth and a bunch of ice cubes. When I felt hot, I reached for the wash cloth and held it against my wrists.

Because your veins gather at the junction of your wrists, you cool your blood as it passes through this point and then the blood cools the rest of your body. It is a simple, safe and effective way to cool yourself anytime.

Another simple, natural way to find some relief in the night is to use lighter, more breathable fabric for your pajamas and your bed sheets. Further down, I discuss some other products and devices along this line that can provide natural relief without resorting to drugs.

Night Sweats in Men Treatment

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One problem men have with night sweating is that so many night sweats therapies are targeted at women and menopausal hot flashes. But as I discuss in my night sweats in men article, men are almost as likely to experience hormone-based changes that lead to night sweats as women. And men are just as likely to experience some of the serious illnesses that can lead to sleep hyperhidrosis, such as HIV symptoms, symptoms of lymphoma, hyperthyroidism, the night sweats cancer may cause and more.

For men, I encourage you to not shy away from remedies often directed at women that can be just as practical for men. Don’t feel too manly about sipping chamomile iced tea before you go to bed and don’t be stubborn about trying some moisture wicking pajamas.

Other Night Sweats and Sleep Help Online:

• Understanding Sleep Paralysis
• AHI
• Morning Wood

Menopause Night Sweats Treatment

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On the alternative therapy side you have supplements and herbs, such as black cohosh and Estroven, and on the medical site you have HRT (hormone replacement therapy). I suggest you try the many natural and safe therapies I’ve included on this page before you attempt to treat your menopause night sweats with medications.

The problem with drugs is that they often evoke side-effects which may ultimately exacerbate your night sweats or hot flashes, or cause other problems. For example, the night sweats Zoloft can cause are not unlike the night sweats alcohol provokes. I don’t mean to sound too anti-drug — my doctor friends wouldn’t approve — but I do suggest taking a safe, natural and simple approach to treating your night sweats before you bring out the big guns. For more on this specific matter, read Menopause Night Sweats Treatment.

Treat Night Sweats With A Chillow, Bed Fan, Chili Pad and Wicking Pajamas

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I will write pages on each of these devices in the near future, but I wanted to at least introduce you to these four clever products that may be worth your money if you’re serious about your night sweats treatment. Unlike some unconfirmed herbal remedies out there, these are practical common sense solutions to over heating in the night. If you can manage, I encourage you to use the four together for maximum relief:

The Chillow

I’m sure you’re familiar with the way your pillow warms up from the heat of your face. I’ve always loved flipping the pillow to the cool side. Well, the Chillow basically allows the surface side to stay cool all the time. It absorbs the heat from your face and shoulders and helps them stay cool.

Bed Fans

Most bed fans operate by connecting to the foot of your mattress, the blowing a light breeze beneath your sheets along your body. This breeze lifts away the heat emanating from your body.

Wicking Pajamas

Wicking pajamas, particularly the excellent Cool Jams brand of wicking pajamas, use a carefully designed material and texture to literally wick away moisture from your body while you sleep. This helps by both keeping you cooler and keeping you drier. While most moisture wicking pajamas you’ll find will be for women, Cool Jams also makes men’s pajamas, t-shirts and boxers. Don’t be shy about trying them, boys: they’re very effective! Update: Check out my new guide to wicking sleepwear: Night Sweats Sleepwear.

Cooling Mattress Pads

A cooling mattress pad is another option to help you find relief from night sweats. There are a few different types of mattress pads available, from gel pads to temperature control systems, but the base idea of them is to keep your body temperature down while you are sleeping by keeping the mattress underneath of you cooler. Read more in my article: Cooling Mattress Pad

For more on the specialized bed cooling systems (including the expensive but effective Chili Pad Temperature Control System), see my article on night sweats bedding.

I really hope something in this article help you to find a more healthy and restful night’s sleep with effective night sweats treatment. Some of these topics have endless depths to explore so I’ll expand on them with additional pages on Night Sweats.

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Night Sweats Treatment is a post from: Night Sweats