How to Reduce Night Sweats Using Lifestyle Changes

Night sweats can be caused by a variety of different conditions, particularly perimenopause and menopause in women. In certain ways, night sweats are considered similar to hot flashes. (They are sort of a nighttime version of them.) Night sweats are periodic episodes of excessive perspiration that strike throughout the night. They can be very disruptive to your sleep because they can cause you to wake up soaked. Fortunately, there are a few ways to reduce night sweats. Read on to learn specific lifestyle changes which can help reduce night sweats.

Instructions

• 1

  One way to reduce night sweats is to lower the temperature of your bedroom at night. (Check with your partner about this first, of course.) A cooler bedroom won't necessarily eliminate night sweats, but it can help.

• 2

  Keep a cold drink next to your bed. If you wake up in the middle of the night experiencing night sweats, one way to cool off at least a little bit is to drink a few sips of an cold beverage, ideally water.

• 3

  Soak a wash cloth in cold water, wring it out well, and apply it to your forehead whenever you wake up sweating. Alternatively, you can keep an icepack or a cold compress by your bedside.

• 4

  Try to calm down as much as possible before you go to sleep. Feeling stressed out can increase the frequency and severity of your episodic night sweats. So be sure to do whatever it is you like to do to relax right before bedtime. Some effective relaxation techniques include deep breathing, meditating, doing Yoga and/or listening to soft, calming instrumental music.

• 5

  Do not wear socks to bed. Some people feel more comfortable sleeping with socks on their feet, but doing so will only help your body retain more body heat, something you certainly don't want if you are regularly experiencing night sweats. (The same holds true for night hats or caps. Avoid using them.)

• 6

  Consider sleeping under only a sheet instead of under blankets and/or under a comforter or duvet. This can take some getting used to at first, especially if you have always used several blankets or a comforter, but sleeping under cool sheets (and nothing more) can help reduce night sweats.

• 7

  Wear something pretty flimsy to bed. The thinner the material of your pajamas or nightgown, the better off you will be when you are hoping to reduce night sweats.