You Toss, You Turn
Research has shown that night sweats, otherwise known as being a “hot sleeper,” can affect anywhere from 10% to 40% of people.
In other words, science hasn’t quite figured out how common it is be a hot sleeper. But it’s safe to say that feeling hot at night isn’t abnormal — although if you’re regularly sweating through PJs and sheets when you sleep, there could be an underlying cause.
Want to know the reasons you seem to be overheating when you sleep? Longing for some tips to keep yourself cool and sweat-free? Read on for all the answers to these burning questions.
In the evening, when your eyes see that it’s dark, a hormone called melatonin is released. As well as triggering feelings of tiredness, this causes your body temperature to begin dropping. When you finally nod off, your body will continue decreasing its temperature —around 2°F (-1°C) in total —to help promote a good night’s sleep and when it’s time to wake, the temperature will begin rising again to its usual level, according to Sleep.org.
Sweating occurs in order to cool your body’s core temperature when it rises above a certain point. So, what makes your internal temperature rise at night? Well, there are some obvious causes and some not so obvious ones. The simplest cause is that it’s too hot in your bedroom or you’re using thick bedding or mattresses that are known to retain heat. (Think memory foam designs.)
Of course, having another person or pets in the bed can increase the heat in the room, too. But night sweats can also have nothing to do with external temperatures and more to do with internal processes. For example, the hormonal changes that come with menopause or hyperthyroidism can affect the regulatory system that helps lower temperature when you’re sleeping.
Metabolism can also play a role. - The likes of eating and exercising too close to your bedtime can amp up your body’s metabolic rate. This disrupts temperature control and sleep quality.
According to the National Health Service, over-heating at night can be caused by certain medications, like pain relievers and antidepressants.
Again, this can happen as a result of disturbances to your body’s temperature regulation system. Some conditions, such as anxiety and hyperhidrosis, actually make your sweat glands more responsive. This can potentially lead to nighttime sweatiness.
As you can see, there are many potential causes of night sweats.
Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to help keep yourself cool at night. Most involve attempting to prevent the problem in the first place.
* Firstly, take a look at your bedroom. Do you usually keep the curtains wide open, letting the sun stream in? While letting sunlight in is a normal way to start your day, keeping the curtains shut or blinds down can help keep the room cool, blackout curtains are also recommended according to the National Sleep Foundation.
* Next up: your bed. Everything from your mattress to your pillows can have an effect on your body temperature. When it comes to sheets and pillowcases, opt for breathable fabrics like bamboo which are not only more breathable, they are eight times more absorbent than cotton. Wicking moisture away from the skin also aids in stabilising body temperature.
* For mattresses, latex is a good option for air circulation. Memory foam, on the other hand, tends to retain heat. If you have a memory foam mattress, don’t despair — you can easily buy cooling pads or sheets to go on top.
* AC is another obvious way to keep your bedroom on the cool side. Setting your thermostat 60 to 67°F (16 to 19°C) is thought to be best for most people, with 65°F (18°C) being the ideal temperature.
* Finally, there’s the almighty fan. Although some people find it impossible to sleep with a fan blasting in their ears, others find the noise soothing. Even if you can’t sleep, you can put it on during the day for improved air circulation.
What you do before you nod off can have an impact on your internal body temperature. While exercising too close to bedtime can cause your temperature to rise, taking a hot bath or shower can have the opposite effect. When you get out, that body temperature will begin to dip, giving you a good chance of a restful night.
Ready to jump into bed? Consider what you’re wearing. Sleeping naked may seem like the answer however, choosing lightweight, breathable fibers like those used in Pasithea’s bamboo range can actually help you stay cooler than sleeping nude.
Plenty of people have tried all kinds of things in a bid to cool down at night. While some hacks may or may not work for you, there are a few products that seem to be universally liked by hot sleepers.
If you’re looking for new bedding, try our bamboo bed sheets. Bamboo is by far the most effective bedding material for thermo-regulation and moisture wicking . As well as being softer, lighter and more comfortable than cotton sheets.
Although night sweats are less than ideal, they’re your body’s nifty way of cooling itself down. it’s worth considering why you’re feeling overly hot at night. It could be something as simple as your diet,exercise or sleep routine, or it could be a symptom of a more complex condition.
Of course, if your night sweats are the result of an underlying health condition, you should seek medical advice.
