What are night sweats?
Night sweats refer to excessive sweating during sleep. They involve drenching nighttime sweating that makes your bedding or sleepwear wet, often due to an underlying medical condition or illness.
Some key things to know about night sweats:
- They are a common symptom of menopause and perimenopause in women as hormone levels change. Night sweats can also accompany hot flashes during menopause.
- Infections like TB, endocarditis, or HIV/AIDS can cause severe night sweating.
- Cancers such as leukemia and lymphoma are associated with profuse night sweats.
- Medications like antidepressants and narcotics may cause increased perspiration at night.
- Hypoglycemia can trigger night sweats.
- Hormone disorders like pheochromocytoma and low blood sugar levels can also cause excessive sweating while sleeping.
- Idiopathic hyperhidrosis refers to extreme night sweats without a known cause.
- Sleep environments themselves, especially very hot rooms, can contribute to night sweats. Lifestyle factors like spicy foods and alcohol before bed can also play a role.
If you suffer from repeated night sweats that affect your sleep, make sure to see your doctor to get checked out, as they can be a sign of an underlying health condition. Getting good sleep is important, so treat night sweats as soon as possible.
At Optimized Hormones, we specialize in helping patients address hormonal causes of night sweats, through customized bioidentical hormone therapy plans to help regulate hormones and reduce uncomfortable symptoms. Our caring doctors can provide personalized care. Contact us today to learn more and take control of your night sweats!