Night sweats are a common, distressing symptom of anxiety.
Many people with anxiety often awake at night, only to find themselves dripping in sweat, their bedding soaked. Our complete guide to excessive sweating tells it all.
The result?
You may not be receiving the quality of sleep necessary to function over the course of the day.
No doubt this can cause great discomfort. In some cases, night sweats can intensify anxiety, making it more difficult to cope.
This is largely brought on by constant worrying. One may fear that the night sweats are a sign of health issues that could be fatal.
Indeed, night sweats can be an indication of other health issues.
Nevertheless, it could also be a result of anxiety and nothing more.
Read on for more on the connection between night sweats and anxiety, as well as a test to identify what triggers your anxiety.
How Does Anxiety Cause Night Sweats?
It all has to do with our inbuilt fight or flight mechanism.
“The fight or flight response, or stress response, is triggered by a release of hormones either prompting us to stay and fight or run away and flee.
During the response, all bodily systems are working to keep us alive in what we’ve perceived as a dangerous situation.” — Psychologist Carolyn Fisher, Ph.D
The fight or flight system gauges how best we can survive danger.
In the case of anxiety, this mechanism is triggered even when you aren't necessarily in a life-threatening situation.
You are likely to experience the following:
An increase in heart rate and blood pressure because your breathing is probably quicker and heavier.
Pale or flushed skin. Your blood flow is redirected, making your hands and feet feel cold and clammy. Your face could appear flushed due to blood and hormone circulation.
Dilated pupils. Your pupils dilate to take in more light, allowing you to see better.
Feeling on edge. You become more aware and observant, with heightened senses. You keenly assess everything around you, looking out for any threats.
Tension and trembling. This mechanism causes stress hormones to circulate throughout your body, making you twitch and shake.
Heavy sweating. This is extremely uncomfortable and embarrassing.
How severe is your anxiety? Take this test to find out.
As the fight or flight response unfolds, you experience vasoconstriction. This means that your blood vessels start constricting.
Your body starts to heat up as a result, and the apocrine glands go into overdrive, producing sweat.
This is your body attempting to cool you down to prevent overheating.
Some people reduce their water intake in a bid to minimize sweating.
However, it's not advisable to try interfering with sweat production.
Stopping your body's ability to cool down will cause your body to overheat. If this happens, it can damage your brain and organs.
What should you do, then?
You need to find ways to calm your nerves to keep your body from heating up then sweating to compensate.
You should also take measures to reduce excess heat in sweat prone areas of your body, in order to prevent overproduction of sweat.
Below are some ways in which you can do just that.
How Can I Minimize Night Sweats?
When you feel yourself start to heat up, there are several actions you can take.
First, adjust your clothes or sheets so that you don't overheat. Don't cover yourself with thick bedding or reduce the layers you're sleeping under.
Wear nightclothes made from a breathable fabric such as cotton. Better yet, swap your regular t-shirt for a sweat proof undershirt.
Since your environment affects your temperature while you sleep, keep the room temperature cool.
And, if your night sweats cause too much discomfort for you to sleep through, don't force yourself to try to fall asleep. This may only worsen your anxiety.
Instead, get up and walk around to make yourself more comfortable.
Keeping yourself preoccupied can help you relax.
As you do this, don't get overly active. In the same vein, avoid exposing yourself to bright lights as well as activities that can stimulate your mind.
Why? This makes it harder to fall asleep.
Try calming activities that don't require you to use a lot of energy.
And, try doing this in the dark or moderate lighting to help your mind wind down.
For instance, write down thoughts that make you anxious in a journal. Doing this may help you relax and shake them off.
Stay Dry and Cool All Night Long With Sweatshield
As earlier mentioned, a sweat proof t-shirt can make a huge difference in how you sleep by making you more comfortable.
Normal tees are likely to stick to your skin and trap sweat, heat and odor.
On the other hand, a sweat proof undershirt allows your skin to breathe, making sure you stay dry.
But not all sweat-proof clothing is created equal.
Sweatshield t-shirts are made from micromodal fabric. It's more absorbent than cotton and makes our undershirts very comfortable thanks to a smooth, luxurious feel.
Sweatshield undershirts also use a sophisticated technology called a sweat barrier.
How does Sweatshield's sweat barrier technology work?
- It absorbs perspiration, preventing sweat stains from forming.
- It includes a comfort layer to keep the shirt feeling soft.
- It stops sweat odor where it starts. The odor is caused by bacteria on the skin’s surface breaking down sweat. The sweat barrier ensures sweat isn't trapped on your skin.
- It allows heat to escape, so you'll keep cool and feel comfortable in the shirt.
Don't take our word for it.
For over a decade, Sweatshield has positively impacted many people from around the world, in the USA, South Africa, Australia, France and more.
Here's what a few happy customers have to say:
"Sweatshield Undershirts have changed my wardrobe. I can now wear light coloured shirts and not feel conscious of the under stains. Normal T-shirts don't work for me. I bought a five pack for the working week, I have just ordered another 5 for everyday use. I would recommend them to anyone who suffers from embarrassing sweat marks"
— Alan, South Africa
"Thank you. I love the shirts. They work awesome. I feel like I have just gained my confidence back to step out the door in this hot Florida weather and not worry about underarm stains. These shirts are amazing. I highly recommend them to anyone with hyperhidrosis. You gained a customer for life!"
— Miriam, USA
Check out more stellar reviews for Sweatshield here.
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