A woman in her large bedroom smiles as she wakes up from a great night’s sleep

Why do I sweat so much when I sleep? Let’s find out

Are you a sweaty sleeper, slipping and sliding around the sheets at night? You’re not alone. Sweating at night isn’t uncommon, and it’s not always due to the outside temperature. There are lots of reasons why it could be happening, and most of those reasons aren’t serious. But if it’s messing with your sleep, we say it’s time to get to the bottom of it. What causes night sweats, and what can we do to prevent them? To answer these questions, we chat with sleep expert Andrew Mair to understand why our bodies are turning on the taps at night and how we can keep things dry for a better night’s sleep.

Why do I sweat so much when I sleep?

So, why all the sweating? Here are several factors that can cause the dreaded night sweats: 💧stress and anxiety 💧menopause 💧 sleep apnea 💧 some infections 💧 certain medications

The impact of stress and sleep

Stress and anxiety can have a huge impact on our quality of sleep. When we’re stressed, our bodies tend to go into a fight or flight response, increasing our blood pressure and heart rate and sometimes causing us to sweat. “With humans, our complex brains are unable to know the difference between a real threat and stress,” says Andrew. “The physical reaction is the same. So it makes sense that if somebody was going through a period of stress or high anxiety, they might be more inclined to experience these physical responses, including sweating.”
A pregnant woman lies on her Koala mattress and wonders what causes night sweats There are plenty of ways to keep your cool at night — having a great mattress is a good place to start

Why do I sweat in bed when it’s cold?

Let’s look at it this way. When you’re too cold, you start to shiver. You generate heat, and this warms you up. When you’re too hot, you start to sweat. As this sweat evaporates, it cools you down. Sweating overnight during the summer is one thing, but what if you’re sweating in bed on those colder nights? Well, in that case, it could be down to one of these three things.

Your room is too hot

Our core body temperatures drop when we sleep. If you’re unable to cool down, this could easily prevent you from sleeping while also causing you to sweat.

You’re stressed

Night sweats could be an emotional response. They could be a reaction to stress or worry you’ve experienced throughout the day.

It might be something medical

There are certain medical reasons why you might be sweating on a cold night, and it may not always come down to your environment. To get to the heart of the issue, speak with your GP to find out more about night sweats.

Do women experience night sweats more than men?

Both men and women can experience night sweats. But it’s possible that women are more likely to experience sweating at night due to menopause. Stats show that sleep-related perspiration is one of the most common symptoms of menopause and that 70% of menopausal women experience this condition.

Tips to stop night sweats

Andrew’s top tip when dealing with night sweats? “Calm down and cool down.” Body temperature has a big part to play here, so if you can cool yourself down, that’s a great place to start. Helping your mind to relax will help to de-escalate the stress response and may also help you get a better night’s sleep. If you’re looking for a mattress that’ll do away with those pesky night-time droplets, you can’t go past the Koala Calm As Mattress. It uses COOLMAX® technology and fibres designed to wick away the moisture from your body, keeping you cool and dry all night long.And remember, if you’re having regular night sweats, it’s important to see your GP to resolve the underlying issue. Treatment will vary depending on what’s causing them.

No more sweaty sleeps

If you’ve experienced late-night sweating (and not the good kind), knowing how to clean a mattress is vital. And don’t forget that using a mattress protector is just good street smarts in the bedding world. At Koala, we want you to have a great night’s sleep every night of the week, which is why our mattresses are designed to last. Go on, try it for yourself. Once you purchase your Koala mattress you have 120 nights to give it a go. And if you decide that the mattress isn’t for you, we’ll arrange a full return and refund. It’s that easy.
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