5 exercises to deal with night sweats
5 exercises to deal with night sweats

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5 exercises to deal with night sweats

5 exercises to deal with night sweats

Night sweats are often referred to as the ‘nocturnal cousin’ of hot flashes. In a lot of ways, they are the most disruptive of all menopausal symptoms. Waking up with your sheets soaking and needing changing is common when you are going through this and this can disrupt sleep. A disruption in sleep can lead to irritability during the day and trigger other menopausal symptoms

There are multiple causes for night sweats and with it many options to help contain or deal with night sweats. The key is helping the body not be overheated before bedtime. Exercise helps to reduce stress and balance hormones. Here are five possible exercises to deal with night sweats.

Pilates and yoga

These stretching exercises are a great way to keep the muscles toned and help you to deal with night sweats. The meditation and breathing aspect of yoga and pilates aids relaxation in menopausal women, and this can lower anxiety and stress which are well known triggers of night sweats.

Gym

Just 30 minutes of exercise a day can help to prevent night sweats. A healthy body can lead to a healthy mind, and vice versa, so by hitting the gym daily you will reduce stress and deal with night sweats.

Running

Another idea if you don’t like the gym is to go running. This is cheaper, can be more convenient and quicker. Any sort of cardiovascular exercise should help to alleviate all symptoms of menopause.

Taking the stairs

Alternatively, if you don’t want to do either of them then just consider taking the stairs, walking to work or things like that. Simple lifestyle changes can make a big difference, so by increasing the distance you walk in a day can help in similar ways to running and the gym.

Team sports

To many, exercise is a monotonous experience. With this in mind, why not consider something a little more social. Joining a tennis team, having tennis lessons or joining a waterobics class – amongst other things – can help you to meet people and deal with night sweats better.

Recommendation about exercises to deal with night sweats

One thing to remember about cardiovascular exercise is not to do it directly before sleep – this can increase the severity of night sweats. Instead, try and do this in the afternoon or early evening – ideally, at least two hours before bed and complemented with a cold shower. There are other ways of alleviating or dealing with this uncomfortable sign of menopause. Click on the following link for more information about night sweats.

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Sources:
  • The National Institute of Health. "Signs of the Menopausal Transition." www.nih.gov.
  • Boston Women's Health Collective. "Hot Flashes, Night Sweats and Sleep Disturbances." Our Bodies, Ourselves, 2006.
  • Von Muhlen, DG, et al. "A community-based study of menopause symptoms and estrogen replacement in older women." Maturitas. Sept 1995; 22(2):71-8.