Night sweats, along with their daytime counterpart, hot flashes, are common symptoms during perimenopause and menopause. They are not limited to these stages, though, and there are other reasons women may experience night sweats. Once you understand what is driving this uncomfortable sleep disruptor, you can take steps to ease it and, in some cases, prevent it.
Let’s explore the possible causes and what you can do about them.
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Causes of Night Sweats
When hormones begin to shift, often around age 40, it may mark the beginning of perimenopause. Fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone can lead to a wide range of symptoms, and night sweats are often one of them. If night sweats show up at other times in your life, though, or even during the menopause transition, it may be worth exploring other possible causes with your doctor.
Use of medications: Night sweats can be a side effect of drugs used to treat diabetes (hypoglycemic medications), hormone-blocking drugs used to treat some cancers and antidepressants. You may also experience them when switching medications.
Medical conditions. A substantial number of diseases and conditions can cause night sweats. They include anxiety disorders, autoimmune disorders, autonomic neuropathy, HIV/AIDS, endocarditis, Hodgkin’s lymphoma, hyperthyroidism, leukemia, myelofibrosis, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, osteomyelitis, obstructive sleep apnea, drug addiction, and drug addiction withdrawal, stroke, thyroid disease, tuberculosis, and hypoglycemia.
Lifestyle/environmental causes: Some women experience night sweats if they eat spicy foods or hot beverages before retiring, are exposed to hog weather or sleep in an over-heated room, are covered with an excessive amount of bedclothes or blankets, or exercise before going to bed.
Pregnancy: More than one-third of women reported having either night sweats or hot flashes during pregnancy. The symptom peaked at week 30. For more than one-quarter of women, the hot flashes occurred postpartum, reaching their worst at week 2 and improving thereafter. Rapid changes in hormone levels are believed to be the cause.
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Natural solutions for night sweats
Some natural approaches for easing night sweats overlap with those recommended for hot flashes, while others are more specific to nighttime symptoms. Here are several options to consider, and you may find that combining a few works best.
- Practice relaxation techniques before bed. Focus on calming, low-stress activities such as deep breathing, guided imagery, meditation, tai chi, or gentle yoga.
- Wear lightweight, loose-fitting cotton sleepwear. Dressing in layers can make it easier to adjust during the night if you get too warm.
- Use layered bedding that you can easily add or remove as needed throughout the night.
- Keep a small fan by your bed or in a nearby window. A remote control makes it even easier to adjust without getting up.
- Place a cold pack under your pillow. Turn your pillow over and rest on the cool surface. You can switch during the night if you wake up.
- Keep a glass or bottle of cold water by your bed so you can sip it as needed during the night.
- Try a solution you can add to your bed to keep you cool. An example is BedJet (I love this product and own one myself), a system that combines technology that allows you to set your own individual sleep temperature, depending on your needs. It both cools and warms your sleep experience while also whisking away sweat. One study found that 85 percent of women who had night sweats got significant relief when using this system.
- Take a look at your habits. Common night sweat triggers include caffeine, spicy foods, cigarettes, and alcohol.
- Make movement part of your day. Even 20 minutes of exercise can help. Walking, dancing, tennis, spinning, yoga, and swimming are all great options.
- The North American Menopause Society suggests hypnosis as a treatment for hot flashes. Acupuncture also may reduce their severity or frequency.
Bottom line
Night sweats can be uncomfortable, frustrating, and disruptive to sleep. Fortunately, there are many natural ways to ease this symptom. I hope one or more of these approaches helps you find relief and enjoy more restful nights. Sweet dreams!
[Editor’s Note: WeAreMorphus is a sister company to Naturally Savvy and was founded by our founder, Andrea Donsky. WeAreMorphus offers information about perimenopause and menopause, as well as, supplements developed by women in menopause for women in menopause. You can learn more about the supplements here. Sleepus is specially formulated with four ingredients to help you sleep better.]
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