When you get pregnant, your hormone levels change to support the pregnancy. Those rising hormone levels lead to common symptoms of pregnancy: sore breasts, fatigue, morning sickness, and more. What goes up must come down. After you deliver the baby, those hormone levels change again.
For many women, the change in hormones after having a baby can cause postpartum night sweats that can make you completely wet. Although they’re common, waking up soaked in sweat can be uncomfortable. Postpartum night sweats make it hard to have a restful night’s sleep.
Learn more about the causes of postpartum night sweats, other symptoms, steps you can take, and when to talk to a doctor.
What Causes Postpartum Night Sweats?
Postpartum night sweats are often caused by decreasing levels of estrogen and progesterone hormones. Your body needs high levels of these hormones during pregnancy but doesn’t need as much after giving birth.
Just after giving birth, the estrogen and progesterone levels drop dramatically. But it takes many weeks for them to completely go back to prepregnancy levels. As the levels change, they affect the part of your brain that controls body temperature. As estrogen lowers, your brain might think your body is too hot and make you sweat. (This is why hot flashes and night sweats are also common during menopause, when estrogen levels decline.)
Another reason that night sweats might happen after delivering a baby is extra fluid being released. During pregnancy, the amount of blood in your system increases, meaning you have more fluid in your body. After delivery, your body lets go of the extra fluid. Sweat is one way by which the extra fluid is released.
Some food and drinks can also cause you to sweat at night. Spicy foods and coffee can cause your body temperature to spike, which can cause sweating. It might be worse if you eat them before bed.
When Should You See a Doctor About Postpartum Night Sweats?
You have chills and a fever. If your night sweats come with chills and a fever, your doctor needs to know. A fever and chills could be signs of a postpartum infection. Your doctor may do some tests and examine you to make sure you don’t have an infection or the need for an antibiotic.
You have other conditions. If you have diabetes or a thyroid condition, your doctor might also want to check your blood sugar levels and your thyroid hormone levels. Hyperthyroidism and postpartum thyroiditis cause night sweats, and the condition called hyperhidrosis, which causes excessive sweating, can do the same. Your doctor might adjust your medicine to make you feel better. Sometimes, medications can cause night sweats. In that case, your doctor may change your medication.
You’re feeling anxious or emotional. Having night sweats during the postpartum period affects your sleep. That may worsen the fatigue you already feel from caring for a newborn. And lack of sleep may affect your emotions. Postpartum depression is a serious concern after pregnancy. If you feel sadness for more than two weeks, visit your doctor. Night sweats can happen with anxiety, too. If you have a lot of trouble sleeping or are having anxiety and other emotional problems, your doctor might be able to give you some medicine that can help.
What Are the Signs of Postpartum Night Sweats?
You can easily tell if you’re having postpartum night sweats. The most clear symptom is that you’re sweaty at night while you sleep. You may also go through:
- Having strong body odor
- Waking up often
- Clothing feeling soaked
- Bedding feeling too wet
- Irritability
- Tiredness
How Do You Treat Postpartum Night Sweats?
Night sweats can make it hard to sleep, which can make you feel more tired, stressed, and emotional.
Postpartum night sweats usually clear up on their own. As your hormones get back to normal levels, your body temperature will, too. In the meantime, there are some things you can do:
- Sleep on a towel to absorb some of the sweat
- Use lightweight or moisture-wicking bed sheets
- Sleep in your underwear or in lightweight clothes
- Turn down the temperature in your bedroom
- Drink less coffee, especially at night
- Eat less spicy food
- Drink cold water before bed
- Use relaxation methods before sleep
- Cool your body with a cold cloth
- Use a ceiling fan or portable fan
- Turn on the air conditioning at night
Natural remedies might not be safe. Sometimes women want to take natural remedies to help their hormones get back to normal. While some might be helpful, they’re not always safe during breastfeeding. Make sure you talk to your doctor or midwife before taking any supplements.
Be patient. If you are dealing with postpartum night sweats, try to be patient with your body. These are usually a sign of your changing hormones, and they will get better with time. Try to rest, eat a healthy diet, and stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water. If you are struggling, see your doctor for help.
Takeaways
Postpartum night sweats leave you and your sheets soaked in sweat. They can disrupt your sleep and add to the fatigue you already feel with a newborn. Postpartum night sweats are mainly caused by the decrease in hormones after pregnancy. It takes a few weeks until hormone levels return to normal prepregnancy levels. There are many things you can do at home to make yourself more comfortable. Avoiding spicy food and coffee can help, as can staying hydrated with water. If you have a fever or chills along with night sweats after having a baby, contact your doctor. Also contact your doctor if your night sweats have affected your sleep so much that it leads to other conditions.
Postpartum Night Sweats FAQs
How long do postpartum night sweats last?
Postpartum night sweats tend to last about six weeks. They get better as your hormones return to prepregnancy levels, and that takes about six weeks.
Does breastfeeding make you sweat at night?
If you’re breastfeeding, you’re lactating. That means your body is full of the hormone prolactin, which triggers the production of breast milk. Prolactin keeps your estrogen level down, which can make you sweat.
Do you sweat more when you stop breastfeeding?
When you wean your baby and stop breastfeeding, your level of prolactin will drop. This could make you have night sweats as your hormone level adjusts.
Are night sweats normal?
Nearly one-third of all women say they’ve had night sweats after delivering a baby. In one study, factors that led to having postpartum night sweats included younger age and higher body mass index.
