Most women who are going through menopause often complain about frequent night sweats. Basically, a night sweat is nothing but unusual perspiration during the bedtime. This condition can make a woman uncomfortable and disrupt her sleep as well. Although they can occur due to many reasons such as infections, medication, cardiac diseases, fluctuations in blood pressure, cancer, idiopathic hyperhidrosis, etc. menopause has come across as one of common night sweat causes.
What causes night sweats during menopause?
Menopausal night sweats are caused mainly due to erratic hormonal fluctuations in a woman’s body. This means that the body’s estrogen levels fall drastically which directly affect the hypothalamus (an area of the brain that manages the body’s temperatures). The hypothalamus basically senses the rising temperature, and in order to restore the balance, it triggers your sweat glands to cool off the body.
If you are tackling with a similar situation, don’t get worried as there are several ways to manage menopausal night sweats.
- Relaxation techniques Often once you wake up due to night sweats it’s hard to fall asleep because of the restlessness. To evade this situation, try some deep breathing exercises so that you can calm your nerves. These can gradually help bring down the effect of hot flashes and help get back to your slumber.
- Exercise If you are looking for a long term solution, then use some form of physical exercise to alleviate your symptoms. Certain studies conclude that women who work out regularly have fewer episodes of night sweat and hot flashes. This could be helpful especially if you happen to be overweight, as body fat can cause distress by confining extra heat aggravating night sweat and hot flashes. So accommodate some simple physical training in your schedule. Also, try to make necessary alterations in your diet. For instance, avoid heat inducing ingredients, depend on foods that have a cooling effect on your body.
- Room temperature Are you tackling with night sweats on repeated occasions then ensure to focus on smaller details like room temperature. Use a fan or lower the temperature while sleeping. So even you are awakened due to perspiration you will be able to soothe your body instantly. Also remember to wear comfortable clothing, preferably cotton or linen so that your body could breathe.
The above-listed home remedies can help you handle menopausal night sweats, however, if these don’t work for you, consult a doctor. They can recommend you with prescription drugs or hormonal therapies. Don’t forget that there are several night sweat causes and menopause is just one of them. So if you experience any additional and unusual symptoms then immediately seek medical intervention to gain clarity about your health.