Treating night sweats is important because people who suffer from them will want to stop the excessive sweating that can soak their clothes and bed sheets. Night sweats can be caused by a number of factors, including medications that a person is taking, as well as underlying medical conditions. The treatment choice that will be made for your specific situation will depend on the underlying cause. It is important to familiarize yourself with the different treatment methods that can work for your specific situation so you can stop the annoyance of night sweats. There are many different things that you can do with both your doctor and at home to treat night sweats so they no longer soak your clothes and sheets.
The first thing you will want do is discuss possible causes for night sweats with your doctor. Many people experience night sweats because of medications they are taking, or because they are experiencing a medical condition like menopause. Your doctor will be able to adjust your medication and attend to the contributing medical condition to treat the symptoms.
You can also ask your doctor about the possibility of a medication that is known as anticholinergic agents. This type of medication may reduce sweating at night, but they should only be taken under the advice of a health care professional.
You should change the environment that you are sleeping in. Many people think that they are experiencing the medical condition of night sweats when in reality they are just in an environment that is too hot to sleep in. Make sure to make your room cool and comfortable. You can also use non-synthetic night clothes as well as sheets that do not make your bed too warm. Do not use a heavy comforter and avoid using extra blankets or bundling up blankets in the bed. You should use air conditioning during the summer, and have a fan going in your room to circulate the air.
You can also practice relaxation exercises before going to bed to treat night sweats. You can use relaxing breathing exercises before going to bed to help prevent the onset of a night sweat attack, or you can do this exercise if you wake from night sweats. Relaxing before can help prevent night sweats from happening. If they do occur, using the relaxing breathing exercise can also help prevent another from happening in the same night.
Applying a clinical strength antiperspirant before going to bed can also treat night sweats. You should apply the antiperspirant to the parts of the body that are most sweaty, like the underarms, hairline, back, chest, groin, hands and feet.
In order to treat pre-existing night sweats, a person should take measures throughout the day to help prevent them from happening. Make sure to drink plenty of water throughout your day. You should also avoid alcohol, caffeine, eating (especially spicy foods) about two to three hours before going to bed. You should also make sure that any exercising that you do takes place more than three hours before you go to bed.
Having night sweats can be embarrassing and irritating for the sufferer to deal with. The treatment option that is right for you will depend on what is causing the night sweats. Consult a doctor about the possible causes for your night sweats and decide which option is the best for you.