Health Tips

Don't Lose Sleep Over Night Sweats

If you are one of the many people who suffer from night sweats, classified as excessive sweating at night, then you may be wondering about the potential causes and if you should be concerned. While night sweats are very common and often due to a sleeping environment that is too warm, they may also be symptoms of underlying medical conditions.     

“True night sweats are defined as severe hot flashes occurring at night that can drench sleepwear and sheets,” explains Laura M. Rosch, DO, an osteopathic internal medicine specialist from Wheaton, Ill. Practical reasons for why someone may be experiencing night sweats include:

• Spicy foods or hot drinks before bedtime
• Hot weather or an over-heated bedroom
• Excessive amounts of blankets or bedclothes
• Exercising before bedtime

If your night sweats occur on a regular basis, interrupt your sleep, or are accompanied by a fever or other symptoms, such as unexplained weight loss, then you should schedule an appointment with your physician. “Your doctor will take a look at your detailed medical history and may order tests, such as blood counts and virus and thyroid tests, to determine if you have any underlying medical conditions that could be responsible for the night sweats,” explains Dr. Rosch.

Common Causes

According to Dr. Rosch, the following medical conditions are common causes of night sweats. 

1. Menopause—Known as “hot flashes” during the day, night sweats are very common for women going through menopause and are often the first sign.   
2. Infections—Bacterial infections like endocarditis (inflammation of the heart valves) and osteomyelitis (inflammation within the bones) may result in night sweats, with tuberculosis being the most common infection associated with the condition.
3. Chronic sweating—Idiopathic hyperhidrosis is a medical condition in which the body chronically produces too much sweat without any identifiable environmental or medical cause.  
4. Cancers—Night sweats are often early indicators of some cancers. However, a person with an undiagnosed cancer typically experiences additional symptoms, such as unexplained weight loss and fever.  
5. Hypoglycemia—Since hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, can cause sweating, people who are taking medications to lower blood sugar, like insulin and oral anti-diabetics, may experience sweating at night.    
6. Hormone disorders—Night sweats can be a result of problems in the hormone-producing glands (endocrine system). If a person receives too much or too little of a hormone, such as serotonin, it can result in flushing and sweating. Night sweats may also be a side effect of hormone therapy medications that regulate the amount of hormones in your system.   
7. Anxiety—Stress and emotional problems that cause sweating during the day can often have the same effect at night.

Before visiting your doctor, try to eliminate the practical causes of night sweats from your daily routine and sleeping environment. “Make sure your bedroom is at a comfortable temperature for sleeping, remove extra blankets from your bed, and refrain from exercising or eating spicy foods late in the evening,” advises Dr. Rosch. “If your night sweats persist, then make an appointment with your family physician.”  

Source : http://www.osteopathic.org/osteopathic-health/

Dr. Weill claims that 4-7-8 breathing can help people fall asleep in just 60 seconds by acting as a “natural tranquiliser for the nervous system” that reduces stress and tension in the body.

How do you do it?

1. Before you begin, place the tip of your tongue on the roof of your mouth just above your teeth and keep it there throughout the exercise.

Related: Your Attention Span Is Now Shorter Than a Goldfish’s

2. Exhale completely through your mouth quite forcefully so you make a “whoosh” sound.

3. Close your mouth and inhale quietly and softly through your nose for a mental count of four.

4. Hold your breath and count to seven.

5. Next, exhale completely through your mouth, making another whoosh sound for eight seconds in one large breath.

6. Now inhale again and repeat the cycle three times for a total of four breaths.

Related: Mom With Skin Cancer Shares Graphic Photo as a Warning Against Tanning

Remember: All inhaling breaths must be quiet and through your nose and all exhaling breaths must be loud and through your mouth.

How does it help?

• It takes on more oxygen relaxes the parasympathetic nervous system and promotes a state of calmness.

• It helps rebalance the nervous system which can become over stimulated during times of stress.

• It helps you connect with your body and your breathing and distract you from everyday thoughts that can prevent you from sleeping.

Source : https://in.lifestyle.yahoo.com/