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Metabolism & Night Sweats

Night sweats can occur due to a great number of things such as taking certain medications, an illness or disease, a hormonal imbalance and even menopause, just to name a few. However, relating them to metabolism alone is a very narrow path. Before understanding how metabolism and night sweats are related, you must first understand exactly what metabolism is and how it works.

  1. What Metabolism Is

    • In simple terms, metabolism is the amount of energy your body burns in order to sustain itself. This energy is in the form of calories. Since calories are a measurement of energy, the more calories you ingest, the more your body burns, thus increasing metabolism. If caloric intake is decreased, your metabolism will slow down and begin to store the calories, or energy, to use at a later time. Your basal metabolic rate is the bare minimum amount of calories your body needs to perform basic functions in order to stay alive.

    Increasing Metabolism

    • There are several ways metabolism can be increased. A higher caloric intake is not the only way to increase metabolism. Certain foods such as grapefruit, nuts, apples, beans, broccoli and oatmeal take more energy to digest than others and this will increase your metabolism. Negative-calorie foods take more energy for your body to digest than the number of calories in the food to begin with. Celery and raw broccoli are good examples of negative-calorie foods

      Exercise will increase your metabolism as well as build muscle. Muscle can burn up to 50 calories a day, so the more muscle your body has, the faster your metabolism.

    Reasons for Night Sweats

    • When metabolism is increased, body temperature increases. Someone who has increased her metabolism may notice that she wakes in the middle of the night in a sweat. The room temperature may not be too warm and she may even feel cold. The sweating is due to her body's burning calories and working hard while at rest.

    Management

    • Although night sweats are common with increased metabolism, they can be very uncomfortable. Of course, running a fan to cool your body will help. Wearing clothing made of wicking fabric may also help. Wicking fabric actually pulls moisture away from the skin. Using cotton sheets on the bed can also help as cotton absorbs moisture.

    Warnings

    • While increased metabolism commonly can cause night sweats, it is not the only reason. If night sweats persist and there has not been a change in diet or activity, you must look for other reasons for the night sweats. It is advisable to speak with a medical professional if the night sweats persist.

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