Night sweats

What are night sweats?

Night sweats refer to severe hot flashes and excessive sweating that occurs during the night while you are sleeping. This can occur on a regular basis with some people. The excessive perspiration can lead to having to wake and change night clothes or sheets at night due to being drenched with sweat. Night sweats are very unpleasant. The sweating hits out of no where and normally comes over us rapidly at random points in the night.

Causes

There are a few potential causes:

• Menopause - Hormonal changes related to menopause or perimenopause commonly lead to hot flashes and night sweats. As estrogen levels decline, this can disrupt the body's temperature regulation. Hormone therapy may help.


• Medications - Certain medications like antidepressants and pain medicines have night sweats as a side effect.


• Infections - Infections like TB, endocarditis, or HIV can induce drenching night sweats.


• Cancers - Lymphomas and leukemias may be associated with significant night sweats.


• Hypoglycemia - For diabetics, low blood sugar at night can cause sweating.


• Hormone disorders - Problems with the thyroid, pituitary gland, or adrenal glands can lead to night sweats.

Treatment

If the cause of your night sweats is due to hormonal changes from menopause or perimenopause, you may consider hormone replacement therapy, especially bioidentical hormones which are identical in molecular structure to the hormones produced by the human body.

Hormone Health Institute specializes in customized bioidentical hormone therapy to help both men and women get their hormone levels optimized again. This can help eliminate hot flashes and night sweats. Their expert physicians will evaluate your lab testing and symptoms to craft a personalized treatment plan. Reach out today for a consultation!

In addition to medical treatment, some lifestyle adjustments may help night sweats:

• Keep the bedroom cooler


• Wear lightweight pajamas


• Use layered bedding you can adjust


• Maintain a healthy weight


• Practice stress management

If you regularly deal with drenching night sweats that disrupt your sleep, be sure to follow up with your doctor to identify any underlying condition. Treating the root cause when possible along with certain lifestyle measures can help you manage bothersome night sweats.