Night Sweats and Sleep Waking up in the middle of the night feeling clammy and drenched in sweat? Too hot to get back to sleep? Night sweats are surprisingly common. In fact, in a survey we carried out, 34% of respondents reported excessive sweating at night. And with the condition common in children too, it can be a big cause of disrupted sleep for all the family, making you feel tired rather than refreshed in the morning. What are night sweats? Are you having night sweats, or are you simply too hot in bed? You may just be overheating because the central heating is on, your bedding is far too heavy or because it’s a very warm night. Real night sweats will wake you up from deep sleep with drenched bedding and are more difficult to solve than being too hot in bed. They usually occur when your body's natural thermostat isn't working perfectly. There are lots of different reasons why this can happen, from hormones to medication, and even certain foods and drinks. What’s more, they can happen to anyone – male or female, child or adult, in illness or in perfect health.
The important thing to realise is that there are steps you can take to get relief. What causes night sweats? • Menopause: 75% of women will experience extreme sweating while sleeping due to menopause. In fact, it's one of the most common symptoms. They are basically 'hot flushes' or 'hot flashes' while you're trying to sleep. • Infant/child overheating: It’s very common for young, growing children to overheat at night. We tend to warm up more in our deeper stages of sleep, which causes more trouble for little ones than adults due to immature temperature regulation systems and a greater proportion of sweat glands compared to body size. • Diabetes: When hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar) happens during sleep, it can cause episodes of excessive sweating. • Sleep apnoea: Night sweats are a less obvious side effect of sleep apnoea, a condition which causes waking and restlessness during the night. • Other medical conditions and medication: A variety of other medical conditions, from infections to hormone disorders, can trigger extreme sweating at night.
It can also be a side effect of taking certain medication. • Memory foam mattress: Because they’re made from purely synthetic materials, memory foam mattresses can’t regulate temperature or absorb the moisture which comes from excessive sweating at night. In fact, these mattresses need body heat in order to mould to your body shape and provide support. So if you’re sleeping on a memory foam mattress, this could be causing your night sweats or making them worse. • Simply a warm sleeper: Not all night sweats are caused by medical conditions or the wrong choice of mattress. Some people are simply warm sleepers. However, don’t worry – there are still ways for you to improve your sleep quality. Read on to find out more. Once you've been checked over by your GP and have identified the cause of your night sweats, you can begin working on ways to help yourself sleep more comfortably. How to get relief from night sweats – and get a better night’s sleep We’re firm believers that night sweats don’t have to be a nightmare.
Simple tips, such as leaving a window open at night, having a fan pointed at your bed, and keeping a glass of iced water by your bed can all help to keep you cool. So can avoiding synthetic nightwear and bed linen. Natural fibres such as cotton, linen and wool are breathable, helping to reduce sweating at night. Swapping your polyester pyjamas and bed sheets for cotton alternatives is a great starting point for better sleep. But it’s a little-known secret that changing your duvet, pillows and mattress to wool-filled alternatives can deliver far greater benefits. Contrary to popular belief, wool is a very cool fibre to sleep in, thanks to its superior natural ability to manage moisture. If you suffer with constant night sweats, this quality is crucial to waking less and sleeping more. How wool bedding can help with sweating during sleep Wool is an amazing natural fibre that has evolved over thousands of years to keep sheep healthy. It's a natural thermoregulator and can absorb up to 30% its own weight in moisture.
It’s also natural and renewable, hypoallergenic, antibacterial and dust mite free. When you begin to sweat, the dry wool fibres draw that moisture away from your skin and absorb it into the structure of the fibre. It's common to sweat around half a litre of moisture every night. If you are suffering from night sweats it's likely you'll lose far more. This moisture has to go somewhere, which is why wool’s ability to absorb moisture is so beneficial. Even a simple cotton sheet won't perform as well to keep you cool as it can't absorb as much moisture as wool. Cotton can absorb 10% its weight in moisture in comparison to wool's 30%, so amazingly, you'll be better off with a wool duvet than a cotton sheet. Better still, combining a wool duvet with cotton sheets and covers will provide further benefit. Night Sweat Solution from The Wool Room Our wool bedding sets come with a 30-day money back sleep guarantee – if you don't see an improvement in your sleep after 30 days, we'll give you a full refund.
You can choose one of our pre-made bedding sets or alternatively you can select your ideal duvet, mattress protector/topper and pillows to make up your own custom bedding set. A good night’s sleep is invaluable to your health and wellbeing – which is why choosing wool bedding is one of the smartest investments you can make. Ready to reclaim your sleep routine – try our tips for relieving night sweats and let us know how you get on in the comments. I find most beds too hard on holiday and thought I'd take a foam camping mat/ mattress topper or inflatable mattress. But which type is best - it needs to be comfy on the bed, lightweight, easy to pack and reasonably priced. Any good suggestions please? That sounds like a lot to carry. Mattress toppers are bulky and inflatables heavy. Depending on where you are going, and for how long, it might be better to buy something when you arrive and just leave it behind. Thanks for the advice but I will find shopping difficult. I bought 2 different foam camping mats which weigh next to nothing but wondered which if either would work.
I'll just have to open them and test. If they are no good I'll just have to waste my money. Just thought someone might have a good suggestiin. I really don't think there is much on the market that will change a "hard" mattress into a "soft" one. This has the advantage of packing into a small space and being thin enough to slide under a bed sheet and seems to provide her with enough support to take the edge of the hardness of continental mattresses. They are not cheap :-( but the cheaper versions seemed too bulky/heavy to pack in a suitcase. They come in a variety of sizes and mens/womens models but if you are using it on a bed rather than on the ground camping you only really need the small/thin version. My mattress topper is huge and weighs several kilos - not a good idea! Self inflating camping mats take the edge of rocks and sticks sticking into you - that's about it. They certainly don't make the ground soft. If you wear yourself out during the day and are tired enough you will be able to sleep anywhere.
Don't stress the little stuff. I have the same problem - beds in hotels, b&b's, holiday homes - all too uncomfortable. I've just been looking and discovered these travel toppers. Obviously haven't bought one yet but thought I'd share. I will be buying one to take away to Scotland later in the year! My husband simply asks the hotel for an extra duvet to put under the sheet which they can nearly always supply. Hi Just asking if you found one and how did you find it. Just lately i'v had trouble waking up in hotels with aching bones so i'v been thinking along the same lines as. Where ever you went I hope you had a great time This used to be a problem for me too. I was so fed up with hard, lumpy or just uncomfortable cheap mattresses so I bought a mattress topper that I roll up. If I go abroad it goes in the hold. I dont mind paying for a bit extra baggage as I know I am guaranteed to be comfortable! That to me is far beter than spoiling my whole holiday with aching joints (especially hips) and worth every penny, after all we spend enough on extras when away, ie nice meals etc etc so why not spend a bit extra on quality comfort?