Are You Waking Up Covered in Sweat?
Pregnancy night sweats are about waking up in the middle of the night with what seems like a pool of water on your chest or soaked sheets. Welcome to the phenomenon of pregnancy night sweats, medically termed as hyperhidrosis.
Sweating heavily during pregnancy could get uncomfortable or even embarrassing. Follow my recommendations below to help ease your sweating.
Are Night Sweats Normal During Pregnancy?
Normally night sweats are a short phase during pregnancy and should disappear once hormone levels have balanced out again. Night sweats are also common short term phenomen postpartum – see Sweating Postpartum.
All bodies react differently; some women may not experience many pregnancy symptoms or changes compared to others.
That’s why I much prefer to ask in the internet, to avoid some strange looks. Asking “is it just me” will most likely return many answers from other woman who are also experiencing the same or experienced the same during their pregnancy.
According to a study conducted by Medical News Today, 29% of the women studied reported that they experienced excessive sweating in the night during pregnancy.
Pregnant and Sweating Night and Day?
Excessive sweating is not just a night time thing during pregnancy, especially on warmer days, you may find you sweat a lot in the space between your boobs and your belly. Having a big sweat patch in this area is something you most likely don’t really want.
Try patting a talc-free body powder to soak up excess sweat and reduce any uncomfortable rubbing.
Or you could try out a sweat soaker band which fits underneath your bra.
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Why Does it Happen - What Causes Pregnancy Sweating and Night Sweats?
- Night sweats can be caused when the estrogen hormone is imbalanced and triggers the hypothalamus to warm the body up. This occurs more often at night because the hypothalamus is also responsible for regulating our sleep (according to Modern Mom).
- It is common for the body to go through a period of hormonal fluctuations and imbalance during pregnancy. Imagine such an influx of hormones coming in one big wave and then having to slowly spread out around your body. It takes some getting used to.
- Increased blood volume during pregnancy (by up to 50%, according to the American Pregnancy Association) can cause your pregnant body temperature to feel warmer, especially during the night when you are moving around less
8 Recommendations for Easing Excessive Pregnancy Sweating
- Ensure your bedding is made out of 100% natural fabrics such as cotton or linen. Natural fabrics are breathable whereas man made fabrics are less and therefore tend to cause sweating.
- Put extra layers of pillow cases on your pillows, to save your pillow stuffing from soaking up too much sweat (again everything 100% natural fabrics).
- You may want to invest in waterproof mattress and pillow covers for your bed (you’ll need one anyway when your toddler stops wearing nappies), make sure it is also made of natural textiles.
- Invest in some natural, lightweight textile pyjamas – made out of cotton or silk
- Put a towel underneath you whilst sleeping, to absorb the sweat.
- Try out a natural non-talc baby powder to help soak up sweat directly from your skin.
- For sweating between your boobs and belly, try a sweat soaker bra liner to avoid an embarrassing, wet top.
- Make sure you drink enough water to replace lost fluids.
In case you experience excessive sweating for a period of more than a 2-3 weeks, ensure you contact your doctor. Although excessive sweating during pregnancy is common, it could also be an indication of thyroid issues