Night Sweats: When Will The Nightmare Be Over?

They strike in the middle of the night, leaving you sweaty, overheated and counting sheep to fall back to sleep. Night sweats are a common symptom of menopause, affecting about 75% of all women. But when will you regain your cool? Read on to find out more about night sweats.

Postmenopause: The End of Night Sweats?

Many women incorrectly assume that when they reach the postmenopause phase, all their menopausal symptoms will disappear.

Unfortunately, this is not true. While not every woman continues experiencing symptoms like night sweats in the postmenopause phase, some do. In fact, it has been suggested that about 10% of women over the age of 65 continue to experience night sweats. In the postmenopause phase, night sweats may be accompanied by visceral pains or body pains, fever, muscle cramps and tingling.

Click here to continue reading about postmenopause, or continue reading below to learn what causes your night sweats.

What Causes Night Sweats?

During menopause, the body slows production of hormones such as estrogen, progesterone and testosterone, signaling the end of the fertile period of a woman´s life. When hormone levels become erratic, the body begins to experience a myriad of unpleasant symptoms. Even after you have completed the menopause phase of life, the body may need time to adjust to its new hormone levels. During this adjustment period, a woman may continue to experience the symptoms of menopause.

In addition to hormone imbalance, night sweats may be triggered by spicy foods or hot drinks, unnatural fibers and certain medications. Click here to read more about night sweats´ causes and triggers, or continue reading below to learn how you can help reduce the risk of night sweats.

What Can I Do To Get Some Relief?

Doctors agree that women seeking relief from night sweats should first attempt to make lifestyle and dietary changes. The simplest change you can make is to pump water into your system: dehydration is one of the leading causes of elevated body heat.

You can increase intake of soy and vitamin B and reduce consumption of alcohol and caffeine. Keep the following considerations in mind to avoid triggering night sweats;

• Sleep in removable, breathable layers
• Avoid spicy foods
• Avoid hot beverages
• Exercise regularly and practice controlled breathing

While lifestyle and dietary changes are the safest way to treat symptoms linked with hormone imbalance, there are a host of herbal and pharmaceutical treatments available to help relieve night sweats. Click here to read more information about treatments for night sweats.

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