Women are prone to night sweats in early pregnancy, which varies from person to person and may last up to a month after delivery before ending.
Before pregnancy, we were people who had no body odor and normal sweat secretion. But after pregnancy, we noticed an increase in sweat secretion, especially in summer, when the armpits are often wet in high heat. Even in winter, we sweat a lot at night when we sleep. This kind of sweating is not the kind of sweating after exercise, but the feeling of sweating all over. Some pregnant women sweat a lot along with nausea and vomiting, so the experience is really unbearable!

Sweating during pregnancy is nothing new, but it is not a good thing if the level of sweating during pregnancy goes into a wet state. We need to pay attention to this, it may be the body to send us a message to help.

Table of Content:

• What Are Night Sweats?
• What Causes Pregnancy Night Sweats?
• Other Causes for Night Sweats
• Are Night Sweats Dangerous during Pregnancy?
• 6 Suggestions for Relieving Night Sweats
• How to Get a Good Sleep during Pregnancy

It is normal for pregnant women to sweat in bed at night. When you are pregnant, your metabolism increases, so you tend to sweat at night. I believe we don't know much about Night Sweats. So let's start with what we know about Night Sweats.

What Are Night Sweats?

We often refer to night sweats when we fall asleep and stop sweating when we wake up, as opposed to other normal sweating. Whenever we fall asleep, or when we close our eyes and are about to fall asleep, or when we sleep in the middle of the night, sweat sneaks out like a thief. The amount of sweating varies from person to person and night sweats are classified according to the amount of sweating. In severe night sweats, the sweat comes out very easily. Soon after falling asleep or just before closing the eyes, the sweat will come out in large quantities and the sweat will be awakened. When you go back to sleep, you may sweat again. The sweat is often salty, or sweat mixed with sweat odor. These patients are often accompanied by an obvious feeling of heat, irritability, and a dry mouth after sweating. The condition can worsen over time, seriously threatening the health and life of the patient.

What Causes Pregnancy Night Sweats?

Night sweats during pregnancy are a signal from the body. In general, night sweats during pregnancy are mainly caused by physical weakness, and the main symptoms are sweating without exercise when the temperature is not high, and some people sleep with sweat all over their body, especially head sweat, and feel weak and easy to catch a cold. When a woman is pregnant, her estrogen increases and her basal metabolic rate increases, which can lead to a temporary loss of balance in her body. At this time, if a pregnant woman is deficient in trace elements or has weaknesses such as anemia, this may lead to weakness and night sweats.

Other Causes for Night Sweats

There are many other causes of night sweats. Some of the more common ones are:

• Inadequate blood supply. Insufficient blood supply and brain ischemia are relatively common in pregnant women. Mainly during the 14-27 weeks of pregnancy, due to the formation of the placenta, blood pressure will drop, especially in pregnant women with hypertension, blood pressure will drop significantly.
• Inappropriate body position. Mainly due to inappropriate position, the uterus presses on the inferior vena cava behind it, causing obstruction of blood flow, resulting in reduced blood supply and dizziness, commonly seen in supine or lying down.
• Underfeeding. Not eating in time or eating too little, resulting in low blood sugar, pregnant women will also occur dizziness, weakness, cold sweat, so pregnant women need to ensure proper feeding even if they vomit.
• Calcium deficiency. Women are prone to micronutrient deficiencies after pregnancy, calcium deficiency and iron deficiency are two of the most common, indirectly leading to dizziness and sweating of pregnant women.

Are Night Sweats Dangerous during Pregnancy?

Some women who are preparing for pregnancy have the following questions:"Are night sweats a sign of pregnancy？" The answer is no. Night sweats are an abnormal phenomenon of sweating caused by physical weakness or illness, and are not directly related to pregnancy.

However, women do tend to sweat more when they are pregnant. This abnormal sweating phenomenon is often ignored by many pregnant women because it does not have a significant effect on their bodies. Frequent sweating can lead to dehydration, disturbance of electrolyte balance, and loss of trace elements in the body. In mild cases, they often feel dizzy, weak, pale, loss of appetite, sleepless and thin; in severe cases, they may suffer from muscle twitching, panic and shortness of breath and memory loss. If pregnant women are always like this, it may also cause fetal dysplasia.

6 Suggestions for Relieving Night Sweats

In general, night sweats do not pose much threat to our lives. We can first determine the cause of our night sweats and then supplement with the appropriate nutrients. In severe cases, it is necessary to seek medical help. The following are six suggestions for relieving night sweats in pregnant women.

1. It is normal to sweat a lot during pregnancy, so don't be afraid of sweating. In summer, be careful not to stay in a room with air conditioning on for a long time.
2. Drink water reasonably. An adult will unknowingly sweat 500 ~ 700ml every day, and more during pregnancy, these lost water need to be replenished in time, so pregnant women should take the initiative to drink water.
3. Eat more vegetables and fruits. This not only replenishes vitamins, but also replenishes the potassium and sodium ions lost from sweat and maintains the electrolyte balance in the body.
4. Change your underwear and take a bath regularly. Buy maternity clothes and wear loose clothing to facilitate the growth of the fetus in your belly and to distribute heat.
5. Avoid physical work that is too heavy, too much, and prone to sweating.
6. If sweaty eczema appears, you need to seek treatment from a dermatologist in a timely manner.

In addition, the night sweats of pregnant women are likely to be related to mental tension, therefore, pregnant women should adjust their work and rest time, regular life can gradually restore the autonomic function and reduce abnormal sweating. At the same time, it is also important to maintain a happy mood, which will also help to improve. Pregnant women can communicate more with their family and friends, or keep a good mood by listening to music or taking a walk. However, you should pay attention to hygiene, go to less densely populated public places, keep indoor air circulation, and exercise properly to enhance your physical fitness.

How to Get a Good Sleep during Pregnancy

Pregnant women are in a special period of their lives, and "more rest and more nutrition" is the main focus of this period. The quality of sleep of pregnant women not only affects their health but also their daily life. We can improve the sleep quality of pregnant women from daily habits and diet.

Bedtime preparation

• Increase the pillow: A little increase in the height of the pillow is good for improving sleep. You can also use a pillow to support the abdomen and back, put a pillow between the legs can support the sinking back to help fall asleep.
• Take a comfortable bath: a comfortable bath before going to bed can make the whole body relax, has a certain hypnotic effect.　
• You should not exercise within 3-4 hours before going to bed: Exercise before going to bed can make people's spirit become excited, which is not conducive to sleep.
• Relaxed mood: keep a happy and relaxed mood during pregnancy can play a positive role in the development of the fetus. If you can't sleep, you can read a newspaper, read a book or listen to soft music.
• Less sleep during the day: if you sleep too much during the day, you will easily lose sleep at night, so pregnant women should find some other things to relieve drowsiness during the day and try to sleep less during the day.

Diet preparation

Do not drink coffee, tea, fried food, indigestible food before going to bed. You can drink hot milk to help you fall asleep, but it is best to drink it two hours before bedtime. When urinary frequency is severe, drink more water in the morning and less in the afternoon and evening. Eating a moderate amount of snacks before bedtime can prevent waking up with a headache the next day. Eat less refined starchy foods, such as white bread, white rice, and sweets.