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Why Do I Get Hot When I Sleep?
Do you run hot while you sleep? Do you spend the whole night kicking off the covers and pulling them back up, desperately trying to find the right temperature? Have you tried everything to cool down, up to and including using a package of frozen peas as a pillow?
Well, you’re not alone. Below is a list of some of the most common reasons people overheat at night, followed by some solutions you can introduce into your nightly routine to help regulate your temperature, including some of the best temp control blankets and other products to help sweaty sleepers get some shuteye.
Well, you’re not alone. Below is a list of some of the most common reasons people overheat at night, followed by some solutions you can introduce into your nightly routine to help regulate your temperature, including some of the best temp control blankets and other products to help sweaty sleepers get some shuteye.
CAUSES
It’s the time of the
Changing seasons are always a hard time of year for hot sleepers. Fluctuating temperatures, new allergens, and unpredictable weather patterns can make it hard to get a good night’s sleep. You start off under a sheet, blanket, and heavy duvet, then end up kicking them all off in the middle of the night, only to wake up shivering once the cold air hits your sweat-drenched skin.
Pre-bedtime Routine
Are you someone who likes to play a rousing game of tennis after work? Do you pour yourself a nice cup of coffee or black tea after dinner to help you digest?
If that lifestyle works for you, then by all means—enjoy. But if you’re struggling to get to sleep because you’re waking up hot and sweaty, you might want to reconsider. Both vigorous exercise and caffeine can raise your core temperature and make it harder for your body to cool down for sleep.
If that lifestyle works for you, then by all means—enjoy. But if you’re struggling to get to sleep because you’re waking up hot and sweaty, you might want to reconsider. Both vigorous exercise and caffeine can raise your core temperature and make it harder for your body to cool down for sleep.
Medications
Certain medications can mess with your body temperature. Depression meds are the most prevalent, along with medicines used to treat low blood sugar in diabetes patients, methadone, and hormone replacement therapies. Which leads us to the next topic…
Hormones
You may have noticed that you tend to feel particularly chilly or feverish during particular times of the month. That’s because your hormone cycle plays a huge role in your body’s thermoregulatory processes.
For instance, rising progesterone levels during ovulation may make you sweaty for a few days in the middle of your cycle.
TIP: Many menstruators are regular enough that they can predict when their hormone levels are highest. Try tracking your cycle to find out when you usually ovulate, either manually or through an app. That way, you’ll know when to wear your flannel jammies and when to opt for your birthday suit.
For instance, rising progesterone levels during ovulation may make you sweaty for a few days in the middle of your cycle.
TIP: Many menstruators are regular enough that they can predict when their hormone levels are highest. Try tracking your cycle to find out when you usually ovulate, either manually or through an app. That way, you’ll know when to wear your flannel jammies and when to opt for your birthday suit.
Specifically, melatonin
But perhaps the most important hormone when it comes to sleep and temperature regulation is melatonin. Among other things, melatonin causes the body temperature to drop, making us feel sleepy and helping us drift off to dreamland. Production of this vital hormone is stimulated by complete darkness. Back in olden times, this happened naturally at sunset, but nowadays, with all the screens and artificial lighting in our homes, we can keep the party going 24/7. Woohoo!
Unfortunately, every party has to end sometime, and if you don’t call it quits, your body will do it for you. Melatonin deficits completely disrupt your circadian rhythms, making you groggy during the day and alert at night, eventually leading to other problems, such as depression, insomnia, and reduced immune system function. So tuck your screens under your pillow and grab a book before bed instead!
SOLUTIONS
Regardless of the underlying causes, you don’t have to resign yourself to sleepless nights. These small changes to your routine can make a world of difference.
Just relax
We know, easier said than done. But the less anxious you are, the more your nervous system will calm down and your core temperature will lower. Hot chamomile or mint tea is soothing and can reduce anxiety and lower body temperatures, but if you’re overheating at night, try brewing your herbal tea earlier in the day and drinking it at room temperature, or even iced.
Stay hydrated
Sleep and hydration are also closely linked, and those who suffer from sleep deficits are also chronically under-hydrated. If you’re waking up sweaty multiple times a night, chances are you’re also dehydrated. Drink small sips throughout the day and keep a glass on your bedside table. Just be sure not to gulp back a gallon right before bed or you’ll be getting up five times a night to use the bathroom.
Get steamy, then dreamy
Though it may seem counterintuitive, a hot shower or bath before bedtime can actually lower your overall body temperature. The warm shower improves blood flow, reduces inflammation, and lowers blood pressure. Once you step out, the water evaporates, acting like sweat and cooling your skin.
TIP: Add a few drops of lavender essential oil and you’ll be floating off to bed on a cloud.
Hello darkness, my old friend
Draw the curtains, turn off all the lights, put away any screens and shut off any electronic equipment with blinking lights that may distract you during the night. If you have bright street lamps outside your window, you may also want to try black out curtains.
Alternatively, you can try a silk sleep mask that completely blocks out all light, allowing you to stimulate melatonin production naturally without completely rearranging your bedroom.
Upgrade your blanket
Blankets filled with down or fluff are designed to trap in heat. This is good for cold winter nights, but if you’re a hot sleeper, you need something with more air flow.
Break the cycle of overheating, sweating, and waking up cold with a ventilated blanket! Other cooling blankets may start off cold, but gradually retain your body heat as the night goes on. The Sleep&Glow ventilated blanket’s mesh ventilation panels promote air circulation, allowing excess heat and moisture to pass through and dissipate, keeping you at the optimal sleep temperature all throughout the night. Look for a blanket with all-natural, breathable, certified safe materials, such as Sleep&Glow’s.
