How to Ease Your Night Sweating

Night sweats can be clammy and unpleasant, but they do not have to be the obstruction that stands between you and a good night's sleep. Night sweating, or nocturnal hyperhidrosis, occurs when activity in the body causes a raise in internal temperature, to which the body responds by producing sweat to cool down. If left untreated, sweating episodes might repeatedly interrupt your sleep cycle and result in fatigue. Luckily, there are a number of simple adjustments you can make to your diet, evening habits, and sleeping environment to ensure that this does not happen.

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Avoid Dietary Stimulants

Certain chemicals and compounds trigger an increase in body temperature and resultant sweating. For this reason, alcohol, caffeine, and spicy foods are best avoided in the evening. You should change your diet and also take care not to eat dinner within two hours of going to bed, and the process of digestion is likely to raise internal temperature and increase the likelihood of sweating in the night.

Keep a Cool Sleeping Environment

This may seem obvious, but aiming to keep a consistently cool body temperature as you sleep will considerably reduce sweating episodes during the night. Avoid using central heating or heaping unnecessary blankets on your bed. In addition, keep a window open for ventilation and layer cotton sheets to sleep beneath, as these allow the skin to breathe and remain cool through the night.

Sleep Naked

Restrictive nightwear in synthetic materials, like lace or silk, will only exacerbate night sweating. Sleeping naked - or wearing loose, breathable nightwear - allows air to access the skin to keep you cool and aid the evaporation of any sweating that does occur, which will prevent uncomfortable clamminess.

Use Sage

Sage has considerable sweat-relieving properties, so finding a way to work the herb into your evening routine could be useful in minimizing sweating episodes. You could use sage to season your evening meal, drink sage tea, or add a cool sage poultice over sweat-prone areas before going to bed.

Apply Talcum Powder

Talcum powder has astringent properties that cause the skin tissues to constrict and deter sweating. Talc is also absorptive and fragrant, so it will absorb sweating that occur and mask body odor. Ensure your skin is completely dry, then apply it to sweat-prone areas before going to bed.

Avoid Heated Environments

Sweating episodes can be triggered up to two hours after a raise of internal body temperature. This means that if you suffer with nocturnal hyperhidrosis, heated environments, such as hot baths and saunas, should be avoided during the evening to prevent resultant night sweats.

Getting 6 to 8 hours of restful sleep per night is essential for maximizing energy and concentration levels during the day. Sleep strengthens the body and allows it to rejuvenate after the day's exertion; while, conversely, sleep withdrawal and fatigue weakens immunity and makes the body more susceptible to disease.