Are you suffering from night sweats? It may surprise you to learn that alcohol and night sweats are connected. Let’s take a look at why people suffer from this issue, who it impacts and the steps you can take to solve it.
If you feel you are alcohol dependent, rehab or detoxing are usually the most recommended action. If you need help, talk to us today.
What Causes Alcohol Night Sweats?
Some people will experience night sweats after drinking. While this won’t impact everyone, alcohol affects the nervous system. This changes how the body senses and regulates temperature, heart activity or blood pressure.
In other cases, night sweats can be a sign of alcohol withdrawal or intolerance to alcohol. Alternatively, women going through the menopause can find alcohol makes their night sweats far worse.
How Does Alchohol Impact The Body?
Alcohol can impact the body in various ways. It can cause changes to the heart, making the heart rate increase or it could even cause an irregular heart rhythm. As the heart rate increases blood vessels widen. This process is known as vasodilation.
When blood vessels are dilated, it causes the skin to feel flushed and warm. Sweat is then released and, while this can happen at any point in time, it’s more common at night.
Why is this? The evening is more commonly when people drink and therefore night sweats alcohol symptoms are more prevalent. Sweat is also a way to your body temperature back under control after drinking alcohol causes the core temperature to drop over time.
Alcohol and night sweats can also come with other symptoms too. For instance, it’s possible that hot weather leaves people suffering from dehydration. Cold weather can even lead to hypothermia.
How Do Night Sweats Impact People With Alcohol Withdrawal?
If you are experiencing alcohol withdrawal then night sweats can last for several hours. Night Sweats will also commonly impact those suffering from alcohol use disorder which is quite common. One report suggests that 15.1 million adults in the US suffer from AUS. In some cases, night sweats may last for several days at a time. They can also be connected to other symptoms such as:
- Headaches
- Shaking
- Nausea
- Sleep problems
In more rare and extreme cases, people can experience hallucinations as well as vomiting or even a fever.
What About Alcohol Intolerance?
You don’t have to be suffering from AUD or alcohol withdrawal to experience night sweats. It’s possible that you have alcohol intolerance. A genetic disorder, individuals with alcohol intolerance are unable to break down alcohol once it is consumed. Facial flushing is common here however sweating can be another one of the symptoms.
Other Variables
There are other variables that can cause night sweats alcohol symptoms. For instance, it is possible that night sweats after drinking are due to medication. It is a common side effect of a variety of meds available on the market today.
As mentioned, drinking alcohol will also often cause issues for those experiencing menopause. One study found that drinking alcohol will make night sweats far worse in menopausal females.
What Are The Solutions To Night Sweats Related To Alcohol Intake?
Experiencing night sweats after drinking is a common occurrence but luckily, there are a number of solutions to help provide you some relief. The first one is keeping your bedroom at a comfortable temperature for sleep. The warmer your bedroom is, the more you are going to sweat, so you need to work on bringing the temperature to a normal level.
Another solution is to get rid of all excess blankets from your bed. Make your bed as light as possible, and wear light pajamas when you go to sleep. This should help bring your body temperature down and reduce the amount that you sweat.
While you are drinking alcohol, ensure that you are also drinking plenty of water to keep yourself hydrated. When you sweat you lose a lot of fluids but drinking water should help to replace these and minimize the risk of night sweats after alcohol.
Finally, have a shower to get rid of all the excess sweat and salt that is on your skin. However, if you do have alcohol intolerance, then you might have to stop drinking alcohol altogether if you want to get rid of the night sweats.
Or, try limiting the amount that you are drinking and see if this helps to improve your symptoms. If your problem persists you should consider an alcohol detox or alcohol rehab.
