Yuck.
Night sweats are more common than you might think. Some people associate the disorder with menopause, but spoiler: anyone can suffer from nighttime perspiration. Learning how to prevent night sweats will benefit you at various stages of life, regardless of your gender.
If you’re suffering from night sweats, there are several at-home solutions that will bring relief. From switching to bamboo sheets to drinking an apple cider vinegar concoction, you may be able to stop your symptoms quickly.
Let’s talk about how many people have night sweats, what might be causing them, and how to prevent sweating at night.
- How Common are Night Sweats?
- Medical Causes of Nighttime Hot Flashes
- Environmental Factors
- 10 Tips on How to Stop Sweating at Night
- When Should You See a Doctor for Night Sweats?
- Layla Sleep for Cooler Slumber
How Common are Night Sweats?
More people have night sweats than you might think. It’s not just women going through hormonal changes! In fact, many adults say they suffer from night sweats not caused by factors like insulated pajamas or outdoor temperature. Check out our Hot Sleeper Solutions.
Now, there is a difference between being a sweaty sleeper and having diagnosable “night sweats.” It’s more than just a bit of dew on your brow when you wake in the morning.
According to Healthline, when someone has night sweats, their sheets and pillow often become so saturated with sweat that they’re unusable. Some people wake up feeling like they just got out of a shower (except not in a cool and refreshing way).
If you wake up not just a little sweaty, but rather looking like someone just did the ice bucket challenge on you as you slept – we’re talking to you.
Medical Causes of Nighttime Hot Flashes
Our bodies sweat when they’re trying to cool us down. It’s why you start dripping from the armpits (and everywhere else) when you go for a run or sit under the sun for a long period of time.
That’s usually a good thing. Except for when your body does it to indicate an underlying medical issue.
Before you figure out how to stop night sweats, you should determine their root cause. The reason you’re breaking out in a cold sweat will help inform the best course of action to relieve it.
Here are some of the most common medical reasons people suffer from night sweats:
- Menopause. Ah, the Big Change. One of the most annoying symptoms for women going through menopause is hot flashes. Unfortunately, they don’t stop just because you fall asleep. Fluctuations in hormones are behind the annoying (at a minimum) sweat-drenching symptoms.
- Medication. Night sweats can also be caused by certain medications. Antidepressants, for instance, can cause night sweats in up to 22% of patients. The Mayo Clinic reports that hormone-blockers and diabetes drugs are also commonly known to cause night sweats.
- Infections. Certain infections manifest in excessive night perspiration, too. Endocarditis (inflammation of the heart), abscesses, and HIV are all known to cause sweaty symptoms.
- Substance Abuse. Sometimes the use of drugs and alcohol can cause your body to sweat profusely. This is particularly true during the withdrawal stage of use.
- Hyperthyroidism. An overactive thyroid sends too many T4 and/or T3 hormones into your body. These hormones regulate a few things, most importantly your metabolism. Because your body is burning too many calories and overworking, you can experience a lot of sweating at night – when your system would normally be at rest.
- Low Blood Sugar. Hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, can also cause a lot of night sweating. Even if you’re regulating your diabetes with insulin or oral medications, you may still perspire like crazy while you sleep.
- Cancer. Some cancers can lead to night sweats. They include bone cancer, liver cancer, and leukemia.
We should note here: Please step away from your Google spiral. Having night sweats doesn’t necessarily mean you have one of the conditions above. They are only some of the reasons that night sweats happen.
Environmental Factors
Sometimes, a bad habit or environmental issue is the reason you wake up looking like you just sat in the front car of a splash-themed roller coaster. It’s a lot easier to work out how to stop night sweats from impeding your slumber when one of these causes is to blame.
Here are some common causes of waking up drenched in sweat in the middle of the night that has nothing to do with a medical condition:
- Spicy Foods. According to the American Osteopathic Association, eating spicy foods right before bed can cause your body to over-sweat at night. The same goes for hot drinks and acidic foods.
- Nighttime Exercise. If you do a lot of exercises right before bed, your body may continue to cool itself while you sleep. This can lead to significant sweating while you’re trying to rest.
- Caffeine. If you drink a lot of caffeine later in the day, you may have trouble falling asleep in the first place. Once you do, you could find yourself waking up sweaty.
- Hot Bedding. You like to feel snug as a bug in a rug – but is that ruining your sleep? Solving the mystery of how to stop night sweats could be as simple as buying a set of more breathable sheets that are also moisture-wicking.
- Excessive Stress. If you’ve been under tremendous stress lately, your body could react by sweating up a storm. Stress can also create a hormone imbalance – which will contribute to your sweating.
10 Tips on How to Stop Sweating at Night
Now that you might have an idea about what is causing your night sweats, let’s talk about things you can do to relieve the symptoms. If you suspect a medical condition, you should make an appointment with your doctor.
If an environmental factor is causing your sweating, or your doctor can’t offer total relief, check out these tips for how to prevent night sweats.
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Drink Apple Cider Vinegar
Your body typically sweats to cool itself, but you could also perspire because your system is trying to get rid of toxins. Drinking a combination of apple cider vinegar, baking soda, and water during the day could help clear toxins – so you don’t have to sweat them out at night.
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Take B Vitamins
Take your vitamins, kids. Some B vitamins, including B2, B3, B5, B6, and B12, help regulate your hormones (particularly estrogen). In combination with advice and medication from your doctor, B vitamins could help stop night sweats when a hormonal imbalance is the cause.
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Wear Loose Clothing to Bed
If you sweat in your sleep due to an underlying medical condition, changing your clothing may not be enough to offer full relief. Still, you can keep symptoms within reason by wearing light and loose clothes to bed. Wearing heavy clothing to bed only traps body heat and makes symptoms worse.
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Keep a Cool Pack Under Your Pillow
Buy yourself a cooling pack. Put it under your pillow. Boom – a “cool side” is always within reach. Keeping your head and neck cool can do wonders for regulating your overall body temperature.
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Use Bedding with Good Airflow
Another easy change with the potential for a big impact is being smart about your bedding. A cooling comforter and sheets made of a forgiving fabric will do wonders for letting your body heat escape more easily. When your body heat gets trapped, you’re bound to sweat more. For example, down alternative comforters, down comforters for hot sleepers, and bamboo sheets are more breathable, allowing your body heat to escape. Bamboo sheets also wick away moisture to remove sweat from your skin and body while you sleep. Want to learn more? Check out these summer bedding ideas.
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Allow Air Circulation
Open your windows at night if you’re able and point a fan at your face. Good air circulation on your skin helps dry sweat immediately, so it doesn’t have a chance to build up and put you in the drench zone.
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Invest in a Cooling Mattress
A cooling mattress is designed for maximum airflow and preventing heat retention, allowing you to sleep cooler. They also have a unique ability to wick away moisture, preventing you from waking up in a pool of sweat. Cooling mattresses are typically made of memory foam and cooling material, such as copper, to increase breathability. Learn about Layla’s sleep hot solutions.
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Stretch and Relax Before Bed
Many people sweat when they’re stressed because their body temperature rises. If you’re stressed when you hit the sheets at night, you may be more prone to sweating whether you’re awake or asleep. If you feel stressed or anxious when going to bed, consider finding ways to relax, including stretching, which can help calm your mind and body. You can also have a set time every night in which you begin to settle down by doing relaxing activities, including taking a shower or bath, reading a book, or performing any other part of your nightly routine.
Your environment should also be relaxing with lights off and as little sound as possible. If your room has sounds for some reason, like you live on a major road or you have a loud roommate, you can use a sound machine to block out noise.
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Avoid Spicy Foods, Caffeine, and Alcohol
Spicy foods, caffeine, and alcohol cause you to sweat whether you’re awake or asleep. Meanwhile, caffeine and alcohol can trigger stress and anxiety that also contribute to night sweats. Limiting the consumption of spicy food, caffeine, and alcohol before bed can help reduce sweating in your sleep. Aim to stop drinking your daily coffee or tea in the early afternoon to let the caffeine leave your system before bed. If you have a spicy dinner, try to eat it earlier in the day instead of a few hours before bed. Additionally, limit how much alcohol you consume, whether with or without a meal.
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Create a Cool Sleep Environment
Not only should your environment be stress-free, but it should be cool. If your air isn’t cool, your bed can’t be as cool as possible to prevent night sweats. Night sweats may be more common in the summer because of the heat outside. There are many ways to keep your room cool. For example, if you turn your AC down a few degrees or invest in a quality fan, you can decrease the temperature in your room and allow your body to fall asleep and stay asleep without sweating.
When Should You See a Doctor for Night Sweats?
If you’ve tried all the different tips to sleep cool and are still having difficulty staying cool and dry at night, it might be time to consult a doctor. Even creating a cool environment can’t prevent stress from heating your body up and causing you to sweat. If your night sweats interfere with your sleep or exacerbate other health conditions, consider seeing your doctor right away. Treating and preventing night sweats will depend on the cause. For example, those sleeping in hot rooms will need to turn their AC down. Meanwhile, those suffering from menopause or anxiety may require medications to prevent night sweats.
Layla Sleep for Cooler Slumber
If you’re more than a hot sleeper, it’s time to act. Night sweats can have you waking up dehydrated, exhausted, and with body odor you hate to even think about.
Could a part of your solution for a better night’s rest be an upgraded bed?
At Layla Sleep, all of our products are designed to keep you sleeping all through the night. Our memory foam mattress pulls body heat away from you, leaving you cooler. Did you know copper is a natural heat conductor? It also mitigates germs and body odor.
Our Layla pillow also works to keep you cool. Even better, you can adjust the fill until the height of the pillow is perfect for your needs.
Finally, our bamboo sheets are great for night sweats, keeping you about 3 degrees cooler than cotton on average. How’s that for sleeping comfortably?
You can try out any one of our Layla mattress-in-a-box products for 120 days. If you don’t fall in love (it’s unlikely, but it happens), you can return it to us without hassle. Start sleeping cooler today! When you sleep better, you live better.
