Anxiety and night sweats: Understanding the Connection and Managing Symptoms
Published: 17 April 2023
Millions of individuals all around the world suffer from the common disorder of anxiety, which is characterised by feelings of fear, worry, and uncertainty. At times this overwhelming feeling can make it challenging to perform everyday tasks and maintain a good level of living and well-being. Nearly 30% of adults at some point in their lives develop anxiety disorders, the most prevalent mental illness. Night sweats are one of the anxiety symptoms that frequently go undetected. You’re not alone if you’ve ever wondered whether it’s natural to wake up drenched in sweat. In this article, we’ll talk about whether worrying might make you sweat at night and how menopause can make these sensations worse.
What causes night sweats?
It’s crucial to first understand what causes night sweats. You could wake up drenched in sweat for a variety of reasons, from medical issues to lifestyle choices, which may include infections, hormonal changes, drugs, stress and sleep difficulties (insomnia). If you wonder if your night sweats are caused by anxiety – well, yes, that is possible.
Your body can be impacted by stress and anxiety in a variety of ways, including by inducing the fight-or-flight response. This reaction speeds up our heartbeat, blood pressure, and breathing to help us deal with perceived threats. When this response is triggered, the body may oversweat in an effort to control body temperature. This condition is referred to as hyperhidrosis and is a typical sign of anxiety disorders.
You can also experience other symptoms if you have night sweats brought on by worry. These can include heart palpitations, restlessness, and trouble sleeping or staying asleep. Additionally, you might discover that your anxiety symptoms are stronger at night, which makes it challenging to get the rest you require.
Anxiety in menopause
Anxiety and night sweats can be a double whammy for women going through menopause. Menopause, a biologically normal process, signals the end of a woman’s fertile years and this transition period can bring on a lot of health challenges. Often this period is characterised by hot flashes, mood swings and insomnia resulting from the reduction in oestrogen levels. Menopausal hot flashes frequently result in nocturnal sweats, making you feel clammy and uncomfortable.
A hot flash is a quick sensation of warmth or heat that spreads throughout the body. They are frequently accompanied by sweating and a fluttering heart. Although they can happen at any moment, they typically happen at night. It’s completely understandable if you feel like you’re caught in a vicious cycle if you’re having hot flashes and anxiety. Hot flashes might worsen due to anxiety, which in turn can exacerbate the hot flashes. If you are suffering from hot flushes and night sweats due to menopause, check out the article ‘ How to Get a Good Night’s Sleep Despite Hot Flushes – Tips from a Doctor’.
How to control night sweats
Fortunately, there are steps you may do to control hot flashes and night sweats brought on by anxiety:
- Practice relaxing methods like deep breathing or meditation (such as, transcendental meditation)
- Try low intensity exercise, such as restorative yoga, tai chi or qigong
- Use natural supplements, such as ashwagandha, holy basil, maca root, sage, camomile, or Rhodiola rosea.
These strategies can assist in calming your body and mind, decreasing the possibility of inducing the fight-or-flight reaction and brining you soothing sleep and consequently better mood during the day.
If you are going through menopause there are treatments available that can help you control your symptoms. You may decide to use natural, vegan remedies that contain clinically proven ingredients such as sage, or maca root. Alternatively , there is also an option to take oestrogen and progesterone to replace the hormones your body is no longer making is known as hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Antidepressants are among the other treatments, and they can assist in regulating mood and lowering anxiety.
Lifestyle changes to help with anxiety and night sweats
You can alter your lifestyle in addition to receiving medical treatment to lessen your symptoms. Night sweats and hot flashes can be less severe if you maintain a balanced diet, exercise regularly, and stay away from substances that cause them, such as caffeine and alcohol.
Many people concentrate on the environmental elements, such as temperature and room ventilation, when managing night sweats. However, the selection of your pyjamas, bed linens, and bedding can also be very important for controlling night sweats.
First off, the pyjamas you choose can significantly affect how much you perspire at night. Polyester and nylon are examples of synthetic textiles that can trap heat and moisture, leaving you uncomfortable and overheated. Instead, choose breathable natural materials like lyocell or linen that help drain moisture away from the skin.
Second, the bed linen you choose for your bed can affect how well you manage night sweats. Polyester and microfiber are examples of synthetic textiles that can trap heat and moisture, making you sweat and feel too warm. If you want to reduce night sweats the best option is to look for bed linen made from highly breathable, moisture-absorbing and moisture-wicking fabric, like Tencel Lyocell that will keep you comfortably cool and dry throughout the night. You can start from changing your pillows, Tencel pillowcases can be the best solution for night sweats.
Night sweats can also be influenced by your choice of bedding, including your mattress and pillows. Memory foam pillows and mattresses can trap heat, making you uncomfortable and overheated. Instead, opt for natural materials like latex, or wool for your mattress and pillows because they are breathable and can help control your body temperature.
Impact of lack of sleep
Anxiety, stress, night sweats and hot flushes can significantly negative impact on the quality of your sleep. It’s worth remembering that sleep issues can cause further problems such as weight gain, increased feeling of sadness and depression, poor decision making and low productivity.
Healthy sleep is our basic need and it’s never too late to start making changes and getting one step closer to improving your sleep and in consequence – your daily life.
Final words
You can select a number of tactics that can help reduce anxiety and its symptoms, like hot flushes and night sweats and enjoy a better night’s sleep – from your diet, through what you sleep in, up to your external environment.
Many people experience night sweats as a result of anxiety, especially if their worry is severe or ongoing. For women in menopause these symptoms may be even worse resulting in a vicious cycle of anxiety, hot flashes and sweaty nights. You may undertake therapies and make certain lifestyle adjustments to control your symptoms and enhance your quality of life. Talk to your doctor about your treatment choices if you’re having hot flashes or night sweats so you can come up with a plan that works for you. Keep in mind that there is aid accessible; you do not have to suffer in silence.