5 causes of night sweats and what to do about them

Sleeping well and living well go hand in hand. Don’t let night sweats rob your body and mind of crucial rejuvenation. The solutions to these five causes of night sweats can restore your peaceful slumber.

You just started a new exercise routine

One of the benefits of exercise is a boost to your metabolism, but this same boost can trigger night sweats.

Your metabolism affects more than you may realize. It influences your blood circulation, breathing, muscle contraction, nerve function, brain function and body temperature regulation. New exercise can alter your metabolism and disrupt your body’s ability to regulate temperature, resulting in night sweats. Metabolism stays elevated for approximately 14 hours after vigorous exercise, according to research in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise journal.

To reduce night sweats linked with increased metabolism, exercise earlier in the day.

Your exercise is too intense

While daily exercise is integral to a healthy heart and body, your exercise intensity could be to blame for night sweats.

Exercise at higher-than-average intensity levels causes your thyroid gland to release more hormones to support the heightened activity. This shift in hormone levels can trigger night sweats as your body acclimates to the new training routine.

To help, ease into new exercise programs, so your body doesn’t receive a shock to the system. Allow for adequate cool downs after intense exercise to help your body regulate its temperature.

Your estrogen levels are fluctuating

Some of the most common causes of night sweats for women are menopause-related hot flashes and hormone flux. As a matter of fact, 75 percent of women experience hot flashes or night sweats during menopause.

Medical experts blame these night sweats and hot flashes on fluctuating or decreasing estrogen levels. Drops in estrogen alter the area of your brain charged with regulating your body temperature. This means that even minute changes in temperature can cause a rise in body heat. Some women have night sweats for a short time during menopause, but others may be susceptible for the rest of their lives. Ordinarily, hot flashes and night sweats will decrease in frequency and intensity over time.

Don’t despair, as you can ease hormone-related night sweats by avoiding these triggers: smoking, alcohol and caffeine consumption, restrictive clothing, heavy bedding or sheets, spicy foods, stress and warm sleep environments.

You share your bed with a pet

According to a National Pet Owners Survey, 45 percent of dogs and 62 percent of cats sleep in their owners’ beds. While pets provide emotional security that promotes better sleep, their furry proximity in bed can cause your temperature to rise. Not ready to kick your furry feline or shaggy best friend to the floor?

Consider taking steps to cool your sleep with a cool bed, such as the TitanFlex or the Brooklyn Aurora bed with TitanCool™ technology. TitanFlex foam gives a comfortable night’s sleep with a gel that dissipates body heat before it becomes trapped in the mattress. TitanFlex also features TitaniumGel, which has been tested and proven to sleep cooler than latex.

You’re losing the thermostat war

Does your bedtime companion crank up the heat at night? Paying attention to your sleep environment is a critical part of a good night’s sleep. The National Sleep Foundation recommends a room temperature between 60-67 degrees for optimal sleep conditions. If your partner isn’t ready to go quite that low, consider these home hacks for cooling down your sleep:

• Use a cool gel pillow
• Change your air filter to ensure thermostat accuracy
• Circulate air with a fan
• Adjust your thermostat at the right time of day to chill your house in time for sleep
• Move your bedroom to the bottom floor to avoid warm, rising air

It’s time to stop sweating about your night sweats. Put your soggy symptoms to bed by giving these cooling suggestions a dry run and investing in cool bed technology from Brooklyn Bedding.

Founded in 1995, Brooklyn Bedding is a family-owned and operated company committed to delivering high-quality mattress products at affordable prices with great customer service. In 2015, Brooklyn Bedding built and expanded into a 145,000-square foot, state-of-the-art production facility in Phoenix, AZ, where each mattress is skillfully crafted with expert quality. Visit one of Brooklyn Bedding’s 15 showrooms in the Valley today.