THE LOW-DOWN ON NIGHT SWEATS

Ever woken up in the night to find yourself totally sweaty? Damp, clammy and your sleepwear and sheets soaked through? You’re not alone. A study has shown that a third of patients visiting their local doctor complained of night sweats. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg; how many others of us are suffering from night sweats that we haven’t reported?

Sweating while sleeping is a perfectly normal physiological process; it helps regulate our temperature by cooling us down as the fluid evaporates off our skin.

We sweat different amounts throughout the day and night, sweating on average a whole cup full of perspiration at night.

But of course there are also times we sweat more. The amount we sweat at night is affected by a whole range of factors, such as our exercise habits, diet, dreams, choice of bedding or sleepwear, age and the temperature of our bedroom. Sweating is also a common side-effect of some medications and is often experienced during the menopause, pregnancy or periods of anxiety. In extreme cases night sweats can also be a sign of ill health so it is important to consult a doctor if this sweating is accompanied by other symptoms such as weight loss.

Luckily for most of us there are steps we can take to control night-time sweating. Avoiding spicy food or exercise late at night can help with sweating. Alcohol is also associated with both night sweats and poor sleep quality, so reigning in your late-night drinking could also be beneficial.

Keeping an eye on the temperature of your bedroom and choosing sleepwear that is breathable and regulates your temperature are also good ways to stave off the sweats. You can find out more about the science behind Dagsmejan’s sweat-beating sleepwear here. Small steps can make a big difference, so why not try a few out today. Find out how to sleep better with Dagsmejan;

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Sources: Associations Between Night Sweats and Other Sleep Disturbances: An OKPRN Study. James W. Mold, Joseph H Wooley, Zsolt Nagykaldi.  Night Sweats: A Systematic Review of the Literature. James W. Mold, Barbara J Holtzclaw, Laine McCarthy. http://www.jabfm.org/content/25/6/878.full, http://www.osteopathic.org/osteopathic-health/about-your-health/health-conditions-library/general-health/Pages/night-sweats.aspx