Both men and women can experience night sweats for a myriad of reasons. If you’re dealing with night sweats, figuring out the cause is the first step toward a sweat-free night’s sleep.
Do you usually wake up drenched in sweat? This could mean that your bedroom is too warm. If that is the case, use these tricks to stay cool at night. However, you can experience night sweats even when your bedroom is cool.
WHAT CAUSES NIGHT SWEATS?
Sometimes night sweats can be a sign of a serious condition, such as cancer. In other cases, they happen due to drinking too much alcohol. Below are some habits and conditions that could be causing you to sweat every night.
1. Taking Antidepressants
Research shows that taking antidepressants can cause night sweats. In fact, eight to 22 percent of people taking antidepressants experience night sweats.
Experts recommend dose reduction to manage the night sweats. If that doesn’t help, go off the meds (under a doctor’s supervision) or try different antidepressant meds.
2. Menopause or Giving Birth
It is common for women to sweat at night during menopause or shortly after having a baby. The drastic hormonal changes that occur in the body during these periods can cause night sweats.
The treatments for menopause symptoms vary from person to person. If you suspect that your night sweats are menopause-related, seek advice from a doctor.
3. Cancer
Night sweats are an early sign of different cancers, including liver cancer, leukemia, breast cancer, and bone cancer. Researchers say that the sweating may be caused by a tumor, cancer treatment, or fever. Luckily, there are different treatments for night sweats your doctor can offer to improve your quality of sleep.
4. Low Testosterone Levels
Low testosterone levels can cause night sweats in men. Many older men deal with this problem, since testosterone declines by one percent per year starting from the 30s or 40s, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Younger men can have low testosterone levels due to excess body fat, poor diet, and exposure to chemicals.
The good news is that increasing testosterone levels may help relieve night sweats in men.
5. Infections
According to WebMD, tuberculosis infection can cause night sweats. Bacterial infections such as osteomyelitis and abscesses can also make you sweat at night.
6. Drinking Alcohol
Not only does drinking alcohol before bed cause night sweats, it can prevent you from sleeping deeply. Quitting alcohol cold turkey may make you sweat at night as well, if you are a heavy drinker.
Avoid drinking a lot of alcohol before bed. It may also help to seek advice from a professional, if you are a regular drinker.
7. Low Blood Sugar Levels
Most people are worried about high blood sugar, but low blood sugar, or hypoglycemia, can also be problematic. Low blood sugar is usually a side effect of using insulin or diabetes meds.
People with low blood sugar tend to experience regular night sweats. For diabetics, snacking before bed can help keep your blood sugar levels stable during sleep.
8. Nightmares and Night Terrors
Have you ever woken up sweaty from a horrific dream? Well, it turns out that intense nightmares can have real effects on our body, like sweating and a racing heart.
No comments:
Post a Comment