I’m having night sweats due to an infection that I’m being treated for. I’m halfway through the 2-week (twice a day) course of antibiotics.
I’m 13 years post-menopausal, and I’m NOT having hot flashes. This is not menopause-related. I don’t want to take any oral remedies, especially stuff like evening primrose oil that contains estrogen, because I’ve just been diagnosed with estrogen-positive breast cancer. (The infection is related to the lumpectomy I had 3.5 weeks ago.)
I’m looking for **physical **strategies for dealing with this.
The first two nights, they took me by surprise, and I thought it was related to the fact that we’re in a transitional weather situation where you don’t know whether to put on the heat or the a/c. After the second night, I did some research, and found that it probably is related to this infection.
The third night, I got clever and took a tepid shower before bed, made the bedroom fairly warm-- not hot, but if it’s at all cool or chilly in the room, I’m inclined to burrow under the covers, and that sets me up for a sweat-a-thon. I slept on top of the covers with just a light throw over me and wore a cotton nightgown. Had to change the nightgown once due to minor sweating. Made it almost all the way through the night-- dangit. Got up at 5-ish and went back to bed, slept til 7, and woke up soaking wet.
At least I didn’t soak the sheets… As I get over the hump on this infection, I’m assuming this will correct itself.
Any other tips and tricks? Dietary/beverage suggestions okay, just not herbal remedies. Green tea is okay, too, and I’ve been drinking that a lot.
Do you have a fan in your room? I have a fan with a remote control. It’s awesome.
I don’t actually suffer from night sweats, I just sometimes get hot at night. Or I sleep all night with a fan. Having a fan with a remote (not an overhead fan, but they make those too) is great!
My bedroom does have a ceiling fan, but even on low, it’s too much right now. I wondered if a floor fan would be good, just to keep the air circulating. Good suggestion.
If you have an programmable thermostat, you can program it it take the temperature down gradually throughout the night and then back up by the time you wake up.
Put a large bath towel or beach towel in the bed and sleep on that. If you wake up soaked, remove the towel & sleep on the still dry sheets. You can even keep a spare towel at the ready & replace it, only going to sheet sleeping if you sweat it out twice. You probably own more towels than sheet sets, so this also simplifies getting through a week of laundry.
As you’ve noticed, paradoxically you don’t want to be too cool. That triggers overheating. You want cozy.
You can also try going to sleep in a t-shirt or similar. If you wake up for any reason after a couple hours, take it off. Odds are you needed it for extra cozy for the first couple hours, but later into the sleep cycle it’ll just turn into excess clothing and trigger overheating.
Why yes, I do sleep with someone who has this problem, also not menopause related. How did you know?
I think you’re close. Make the room tepid-warm-neutral enough that I don’t need any covers. I already have several cotton nightgowns at the ready to change into. Flannel might be too warm for this time of year.
I hope that as this infection gets under control, this will stop.
I don’t wake up hot. I wake up drenched in sweat. Kind of like when you have a fever that breaks–when that happens your body temp feels pretty normal. I don’t experience the part where I get hot (if I do-- not sure, because I’m asleep), but when I wake up drenched I’m not hot (anymore).
But gee… a popsicle in the middle of the night would be soooo good.
If this is something that might continue, I suggest Chili Pads. I’m not sure where brand recommendations fall under Board policies, so I’ll let you google…
They make thin mattress pads that let you set temperature. I have chronic migraine, so I always feel cold, while my spouse always very hot. I’ll set my side to 95, he’ll set his side to 65 (eek). It’s easy to change the temp if you feel over- heated, or chilled. It adjusts quickly. My aunt had breast cancer and some of her meds gave her hot flashes, so she got one of these and has been very happy.
I found mine on Amazon, but they sell direct too.
They are pricey. More of a solution if you think other meds will be an issue, like my aunt. You might ask your med team?
I don’t get night sweats, per-se, but I am a fairly hot-natured kind of guy (my wife swears I’m a human space heater!).
One thing I do in the summer that is surprisingly effective at staying comfortable when it’s hot, is to wear one of those performance polyester athletic shirts (Dri-Fit, Under Armor, etc…) that wick the sweat away, to bed. I still sweat I’m sure, but I don’t feel sweaty or clammy when the AC kicks on.
You know those blue and white disposable absorbent pads they use in the hospital? Nurses sometimes call them chucks or Chux (although I don’t even know if that brand is made anymore). Puppy training pads are the same thing, and often much cheaper. Make your bed with a chuck, then a fitted sheet, then a chuck on it, then another fitted sheet, then a chuck, and repeat with as many layers as you need (or your sheets are big enough for.) When you wake up wet, strip the top sheet and chuck. No need to remake the bed in the middle of the night, and the chuck will keep the next-under sheet dry.
Works great for bedwetters and sick (vomiting) kids, too.
Get a gel ice pack, freeze it, bring up to bed wrapped in a damp dishcloth. Put it under your neck when you feel flushed. I’m not menopausal (I think), just thyroidal, but that helps me sometimes. Use a sheet and a light down comforter…that seems to regulate all temperature situations.
The situation seems to have resolved itself. I’ve been sleeping in a thin cotton nightgown on top of the sheets under a loosely woven cotton blanket. I’ve been free of the night sweats for at least a week. Thanks for the suggestions. Fingers crossed, this is the end of the problem.
I like the Edy’s juice pops, especially peach or pineapple. Blood orange is also tasty.