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Nothing interrupts sleep or creates an incredibly uncomfortable experience the next morning quite like night sweats. I know it all too well: I regularly contend with a feeling of clamminess and the ickiness of damp sheets and pillowcase, which just adds to the innate unpleasantness of my blaring alarm.
I've always been a pretty sweaty person in general, drenching a yoga mat more than the folks doing downward dogs around me, or wiping my too-dewy face due to August humidity or a toasty subway car that's dozens of degrees warmer than the winter weather outside.
Night sweats don't make me as self-conscious since only my boyfriend and myself witness it, but it's very annoying and interrupts a solid night's sleep. Sometimes I wake myself up at 2 a.m. because I'm sweaty, making me feel less rested the next day.
Dr. Noelani González, MD, director of cosmetic dermatology at Mount Sinai West, explains that evening perspiration can be caused by a vast range of things, including menopause, chemotherapy, and certain medications, like NSAIDs (such as Aleve and Advil), anti-nausea medications, and antipyretics, aka anti-fever medications.
Dr. González says that other factors you might not realize are causing or worsening nighttime sweating, which is considered secondary (not primary) hyperhidrosis, include excessive heat, pregnancy, fever, infections, consuming hot or spicy foods and beverages, and withdrawal from alcohol, and drugs like heroin, and cocaine.
Personally, I've found my excessive sweating is caused mostly by certain prescription medications I take daily, worsening when I drink alcohol, eat a heat-packed bowl of Szechuan peppercorn-doused Dan Dan noodles, or experience a ton of stress.
"The first step is reaching out to your healthcare providers to address any conditions or medications that could be contributing to symptoms," recommends Dr. Katherine Revelle, MD, a psychiatrist based in New England, who has personally grappled with post-partum night sweats. "If no underlying causes can be found, the focus moves to self-care and comfort."
Here are six tips for night sweaters seeking a more comfortable and less disruptive sleeping experience: Read the original article on Business Insider