What Are Night Sweats?
The definition of night sweats is pretty self-explanatory: excess sweat that your body secretes while you’re sleeping. In other words, it’s when your body produces more sweat than what’s necessary to cool down and control your internal temperature. Sometimes the easiest and most obvious solution to stop the excess sweat is to sleep under fewer layers or crank up the A/C. But other times, getting night sweats actually has less to do with your external environment (the humidity outside, the room temp) and everything to do with what’s going on in your body. It’s a helpful revelation in some ways, but this can also make you feel like you have less control over conquering your night sweats. Don’t despair—we had Mehmet Oz, M.D., physician and cardiac surgeon at Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center in New York City, explain the most common potential reasons why you’re getting night sweats, what you can do about them, and when to turn to your doctor for relief.
Why You Might Be Getting Night Sweats
The downside to this naturally occurring phenomenon is it’s pretty much bound to happen, and it can last up to seven years or more. The upside is that there are ways to reduce the symptoms that accompany it. First, cut down on alcohol, spicy foods, and caffeine. These night-sweat-inducing triggers are especially important to avoid right before heading to bed. Then, opt for moisture-wicking sleepwear, cooling bedsheets, or a frozen cold pack under your pillow (periodically flip over the pillow so you get the most out of the refreshing coolness it provides). If symptoms persist, Dr. Oz suggests talking to your doctor to see if certain medications or hormone therapy to replace lost estrogen are good options for you. The most obvious way to combat medication-related night sweats is to talk to your doctor about switching to a different medicine. But if you don’t want to do that, there are a few things you can try. In addition to a more breathable nighttime wardrobe, mattresses are often overlooked as something that can contribute to the severity of night sweats. “Many memory foam mattress users report that [it] holds and retains heat,” says Dr. Oz. “Simply adding a fitted sheet or topper made of natural, breathable material on top of your mattress can lower a memory foam’s temperature. You might even want to try a mattress cooling pad!” (Find our picks for the best cooling toppers here.) To combat anxiety-induced night sweats effectively, the first thing you should do is pinpoint your triggers. If it’s something you can avoid, do that. But pinpointing the exact cause of anxiety isn’t that easy, especially if you have an anxiety or panic disorder. Dr. Oz suggests exercising, practicing yoga, meditating, listening to music, and learning different relaxation techniques. “Cognitive behavioral therapy can [also] help balance the effect of anxiety,” he adds. “If you feel overwhelmed, you should reach out to your doctor or a professional therapist to see if your anxiety can be managed another way.” RELATED: Avoid Night Sweats by Making Your Bed This Way in Summer When it comes to solving your hyperhidrosis-induced night sweats, your doctor might refer you to a dermatologist, who will most likely work with you to find an antiperspirant that works for your skin type. “If that doesn’t help they might try Iontophoresis, which is a device that sends low-voltage current through water when your hands or feet are dipped inside,” says Dr. Oz. “Other tactics include prescription medication, Botox injection, or surgery if all else fails.” RELATED: 4 Reasons Why Sweating Is Actually Great for You (Besides Cooling You Down) If you think you might be experiencing hyperthyroidism, your healthcare provider can run a blood test to check your thyroid hormone levels. If they’re too high, they might prescribe you medication to lower the number of hormones being produced. Your doctor might also suggest radioiodine therapy, which destroys the cells in the thyroid gland that produce hormones. If necessary, surgery to remove part of or the entire thyroid gland is another option, says Dr. Oz. There’s really no one-size-fits-all way to combat every type of infection, which is why it’s super-important to reach out to your doctor as soon as you suspect you might have one. That way, they can run diagnostic tests to determine what the cause of the sweating is.
