10 Causes of Night Sweats In Men and Women

There are many reasons for the occurrence of night sweats. Below we discuss ten of the most common reasons for this pesky problem. For whatever reason you, family members or friends suffer from night sweats, moisture wicking pajamas offer a natural solution to the problem.

• MENOPAUSE: Menopause starts as the ovaries fail to produce an egg every month. This in turn interrupts the regular pattern of the hormone cycles, and gradually leads to the  somewhat chaotic and long-drawn out shutting down of the reproductive system. With this shut down, the hormones begin to fluctuate dramatically resulting in all   kinds of menopausal symptoms which include insomnia, night sweats and hot flashes to name a few.

• ANDROPAUSE: So you thought that women were the only ones to be effected by age related hormonal changes? Low levels of testosterone in men has been reported to cause a male form of menopause called Andropause. Some of the symptoms include loss of libido and potency, nervousness, depression, impaired memory, the inability to concentrate, fatigue, insomnia, hot flashes, and night sweats. Many men suffering from Andropause have found relief with some of the following therapies:*Testosterone replacement therapy*Exercise, dietary changes *Stress reduction through meditation and yoga *Spiritual support *Treatment for depression

• PREGNANCY Night sweats can occur during pregnancy due to hormonal changes. Normally, the hypothalamus (heat regulatory area in the brain) regulates the body heat. If it’s hot outside, it makes the body release heat. And if cold outside, it keeps the heat in the body. However, night sweats during pregnancy are produced because the hypothalamus (the heat regulator) starts overproducing heat.The declining level of estrogen hormones, associated with pregnancy, are responsible for the malfunction of the hypothalamus (heat regulatory area), which detects an increased body temperature and releases chemicals that cause the skin blood vessels to dilate so the heat can be released; therefore, starting the Night sweats during pregnancy. This process could be accompanied by cold shivering as well. This condition is not serious, just a bit of a nuisance for the pregnant women.

• MEDICATIONS There are many medications that can cause night sweats.Below is a list of the most common medications with this side effect:*Antidepressant and other psychiatric drugs can lead to night sweats. *Medicines taken to lower fever such as aspirin and acetaminophen can sometimes lead to sweating.*niacin (taken in the higher doses used for lipid disorders). *tamoxifen *hydralazine *nitroglycerine *Viagra *Steroids such as prednisone and prednisolone, may also be associated with hot flash or night sweats.

• THYROID CONDITION Hyperthyroidism is a condition in which an overactivethyroid gland produces excessive amounts of thyroid hormones that circulate in the blood.Thyroid hormones regulate* Night Sweats and excessive sweating* Heat intolerance * Increased bowel movements * Tremor (usually fine shaking) * Nervousness; agitation * Rapid heart rate * Weight loss * Fatigue * Decreased concentration * Irregular and scant menstrual flow If these symptoms are present, it is important to see you physician for further testing and treatment.

• DIABETES Many of the classic signs of low blood sugar—including shakiness, light-headedness, dizziness, confusion, rapid heartbeat, irritability, and extreme hunger—can occur during the day or at night. Nighttime hypoglycemia(low blood sugar) has also been known to cause night sweats, headache, restless sleep, and nightmares.

• EXCESS BODY FAT Excess body fat can increase the occurrence of night sweats and hot flashes because the body has a more difficult time with it's natural heat thermal regulation. See the article. See the following link for an article on this subject.

• CHEMOTHERAPY Chemotherapy, a common treatment for cancer can leach the the body of estrogen, which brings on menopause in many women. One of the biggest complaints from women going through cancer treatments are the difficult night sweats that they must endure.

• SLEEP APNEA Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder characterized by pauses in breathing during sleep. These episodes each last long enough so one or more breaths are missed, and occur repeatedly throughout sleep. Sleep apnea is diagnosed with an overnight sleep test called a polysomnogram. Symptoms include, excessive daytime sleepiness, partner reports loud snoring, gasping during sleep and possible night sweats.

• ANXIETY Stress and anxiety can cause night sweats, resulting in interrupted sleep. The less one sleeps, the worse the anxiety becomes. By working on stress reduction through exercise, meditation and yoga, many people find relief from this sleep issue.