Women & Night Sweats

Night sweats, also known as sleep hyperhidrosis, are occurrences of severe hot flashes while sleeping. These nocturnal hot flashes are accompanied by profuse sweating and result in clothing and bedding that is soaking wet.

Causes

• Dramatic shifts in hormones can result in night sweats as women go through menopause, during pregnancy or after childbirth. Medications such as antidepressants, antipyrectics, hypoglycemia medications and hormone therapies can cause night sweats. Women with cancer and nervous system or endocrine system problems may also suffer from night sweats, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Additional Factors

• Women who are overweight are more likely to experience hot flashes and night sweats. Additionally, women who have high levels of anxiety are approximately five times more likely to suffer from night sweats, according to womentowomen.com.

Prevention/Solution

• Women may find diet and lifestyle alterations, such as avoiding hot drinks, acidic foods, caffeine, alcohol, white sugar, stress, intense exercise, spicy foods, tobacco, hot weather and saturated fats, may reduce night sweats.

Warning

• Night sweats that occur regularly, interrupt your sleep or are accompanied by other symptoms, such as unexplained weight loss or fever, may be a sign of a medical disorder or disease. Consult a health care professional.

Treatment

• Night sweats that are a side effect of an underlying disorder may be relieved by proper medical treatment of the diagnosed problem. Hormone replacement therapy or natural hormone replacement therapy may help improve hormonal imbalances that result from menopause, according to womentowomen.com.