There are many reasons why you might sweat profusely at night: your duvet is too thick or you live somewhere near the equator being two very good reasons. Women can also sweat heavily at night when they are going through the menopause. But aside from room temperature and hormones, a less common cause of night time sweating is anxiety and related psychological disorders. So what are anxiety night sweats and is the problem curable?
Anxiety night sweating is a medical condition known as nocturnal hyperhidrosis and it can affect anyone of any age, although the problem is more likely to affect women. It is not considered to be a serious problem and many people are only affected by a mild case of anxiety night sweats. However, others find their sleep seriously affected by the problem.
What causes anxiety night sweats?
Anxiety disorders are a psychological condition, but they cause a number of physical symptoms, include profuse sweating. Anxiety is closely related to stress, and when we are under a great deal of stress, we are tense and unable to relax. As a result of all the stress and worry arising from anxiety disorders, people suffering from anxiety problems tend to sweat at night as a way of releasing stress and tension. Night sweats can also be an unwanted side effect of antidepressant medication prescribed for anxiety disorders.
Anxiety night sweats and insomnia
Unsurprisingly, excessive night time sweating is a major cause of insomnia. Not only are you stressed and anxious every waking moment, but as soon as you finally manage to drop off to sleep, you wake up soaked in clammy sweat, and if left untreated, night time sweating can soon lead to a serious case of insomnia.
Anxiety night sweats and weight loss
Anxiety combined with night sweats may lead to unintentional weight loss. When you are constantly stressed and anxious, you are likely to lose weight, and combined with the extra problems caused by profuse sweating at night, it is highly likely that you will begin to lose extra weight. However, excessive sweating at night combined with unexplained weight loss can also be caused by other medical conditions such as hyperthyroidism, so you should arrange to have a medical check-up to rule out other more serious conditions.
How to deal with anxiety night sweats?
Anxiety is related to stress and tension, so the best way to treat the symptoms of anxiety is to try some relaxation techniques. It is worth trying deep breathing exercises if you feel anxiety building. You might also have some success with homeopathic remedies as a treatment for anxiety related night sweats and insomnia.
The best way to reduce night time sweating caused by anxiety is to avoid stress and tension, but the more you suffer from anxiety related night sweats, the more it becomes a self fulfilling prophesy. Try soaking in a warm bath before bedtime to promote feelings of calm relaxation, and if you are woken up by a night sweat, have a cool shower as this will bring your anxiety levels down and help you get back to sleep once again.
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