Postpartum Night Sweats Explained: Causes, Duration, and How to Manage It
By Team Fitmoms
Updated on 2 July 2025
Waking up drenched in sweat leaves new moms frustrated and exhausted. Postpartum night sweats can steal your rest when you need it the most.
Getting some uninterrupted sleep when you have a newborn is a blessing. But when your sweet dreams are disturbed by sweat covering your back, you wake up tired, sleep-deprived, and angry. This is what postpartum night sweats feel like. It is a commonly experienced but lesser-known aspect of the postpartum period. In this article, we will explore what postpartum night sweats are, why they occur, and how you can manage them.
What Are Postpartum Night Sweats?
Postpartum night sweats are when postpartum women experience excessive sweating at night during the weeks or months following childbirth. Typically, postpartum night sweats begin to occur within the first week after delivery. During the first few weeks, these night sweats might be recurring. This happens due to the changing hormone levels. Your body is trying to heal from the process of pregnancy and childbirth, and sweating is just one of the many things it does to help with the recovery.
Why Does Sweating After Childbirth Happen?
Postpartum sweating can happen for several reasons. A lot goes on in your body during the complete process of Pregnancy, including the fourth trimester, which is the postpartum period. There is a complete hormonal shift, which brings a lot of imbalance and causes irritation and discomfort. Hormones like estrogen see a sudden drop, which affects the body so that you overheat easily. Night sweats also help your body shed the excess water retained during pregnancy. While all this is happening, your body works hard to heal itself, produce milk, and do it on low sleep. This causes some changes in your metabolism, resulting in increased internal heat. So, yes, several things are working against you and causing all that sweat.
5 Ways to Manage Postpartum Night Sweats
There is no way to prevent postpartum night sweats, and you should not try to do that either. It is your body's natural reaction, and you should let that happen. However, there are ways you can make them manageable. Here are some ways you can keep cool and not be overwhelmed by the sweating:
1. Hydrate
- First things first, when you are excessively sweating, you need to make sure you are hydrated. You are losing fluids through both sweat and breast milk. If you don’t pay attention, dehydration will sneak up on you in no time. So, you make sure you are drinking enough water throughout the day. Keep a water bottle by your bed at night. If you want to take this further, consider adding electrolytes to your water. You can also drink coconut water occasionally, which helps with hydration and replenishes lost minerals.
2. Dress Smart
- You need to make sure you wear lightweight, breathable fabrics like cotton or linen to minimize sweating. For now, quit those thick fleece, synthetic, and woollen materials. These will trap the heat and make the sweating worse. Avoid tight-fitted dresses. Instead, opt for a loose tank top and shorts. Make sure you don’t make things difficult for your body by wearing clothes that will make you sweat a lot and not allow any wind to pass.
A good night's sleep feels impossible with night sweats. But catching moments of rest like this can ease the exhaustion of early motherhood.
3. Keep the Room Temperature Low
- This can significantly help your body, which is trying hard to care for you. If you have an air conditioner in your home, you can easily adjust the temperature setting. Make sure you dial it down to a low, providing your heated body with a cool environment. A thermostat between 15 -19°C is the ideal temperature, but instead of following some guide, it is better to adjust it according to your body. If you don't have an air conditioner, that is fine. A good, speedy fan can do the job just fine. Another great cool-down option is getting a chilled gel pillow or cooling mattress pad. These come in really handy for some immediate cooling down. Keep your surroundings and environment cool and breezy, and your postpartum sweat will be a little easier to handle.
4. Avoid Sweat Triggers at Night
- Many people are unaware of sweat triggers and accidentally make things too difficult for themselves. Sweat triggers are basically things that can make your night sweats worse. These triggers include spicy foods, caffeine, alcohol, or any heavy or rich meals late in the evening. They cause you to sweat more. Avoid these items within 3-4 hours of bedtime to give your body a better chance of maintaining a stable temperature.
5. Practice Stress Reduction
- Stress management is a crucial aspect of the postpartum period. It is challenging to manage your stress when your body is reacting to anything and everything, your baby is crying in the other room, and you haven't had a good night's sleep in a while. But it is important to push through regardless. Stress raises cortisol levels, which can cause body temperature fluctuations and worsen night sweats. So, try to manage your stress. Practice deep breathing for 5 minutes before bed. Take the help of those guided sleep meditations. Nowadays, several apps can provide that for free. Do not over-push yourself, but within your comfort range, you can also try stretching or light yoga. If you think there is too much going on inside and around you, consider writing in a pregnancy journal to offload that mental noise.
Postpartum nights are hard. Between sweat-soaked sheets and baby cries, your body needs all the support it can get to recover and reset.
When Should You Worry About Night Sweats After Childbirth?
So, as we learned, postpartum sweating is normal. It's mostly your body’s way of detoxing. However, sometimes these night sweats can be a red flag for something more serious. If you experience chills, shaking, or a high fever along with your postpartum night sweats, you should consult your doctor as these symptoms may indicate an underlying infection. Additionally, you should see a doctor if you're experiencing sudden, inexplicable weight loss or feeling unusually weak, lightheaded, or dizzy. If you think something is wrong, don’t take chances. Follow your gut and consult a specialist.
Conclusion
Postpartum night sweats are annoying, gross, and rarely discussed, but you should know it is normal. It is just one of the things your body does in the long list of things to get itself back on track after creating and birthing a baby. So don't worry about it. Drink plenty of water, turn on the fan, and remember you are not alone. Even though it might feel that way in the middle of the night when your pillow is soaked and the baby is crying again, this phase won't last forever. Also, don’t forget to confide in your partner or loved one. Ask for help. You don’t have to do all of this alone.
