Night Sweats

[andriap969]

Hi All! My name is Andria, I am just starting the Holistic Nutrition course as a distance learning student so bare will me, this is one of my first posts. 

I was wondering the steps you would take in trying to figure out an ailment. For example, I am trying to help my friend determine why he has such bad night sweats. He is usually a comfortable temperature when he goes to bed but in the middle of the night he profusely sweats and in the morning is cold. Keep in mind he is sleeping with the windows open and it typically gets down to the 40's.

I am assuming diet would be the first thing to analyze. I have noticed he has some bad eating habits such as a lot of processed foods, but I am going to have him write out a 7 day food journal to get a better idea. Also I noticed he is always craving coconut water which I believe is a cooling food. Could this have something to do with his night sweats? I will also ask him the amount of water he drinks, what he is doing for exercise, his alcohol intake, if he does any smoking and other drugs he may be on.

Other then these topics, what kinds of questions do you typically ask people when trying to help them correct a problem such as this?

Thanks all!

[jodi f.]

If this guy works out hard, it might be as simple as his metabolism still being cranked up at night, causing him to get too warm, and then the open windows cooling him off too much. Been there, done that. And if he has short hair, a knit hat can help keep him warmer in the morning. (My husband knows this one well.)

He might also consider his stress levels, since this is a pervasive issue in our culture. His craving for coconut water, which is rich in electrolyte minerals, may be because of imbalances in these minerals. Adrenal fatigue has many symptoms, one of which is the inability to regulate body temperature. If this seems likely, a naturopath, an NC, a holistic chiropractor, or other holistic practitioner can order a saliva adrenal test. This is the best means of detecting adrenal imbalances. He may also have other hormonal imbalances, which is very easy to have checked out by a holistic medical professional.

Helping him learn to make better food choices, and to drink optimal amounts of water, no matter the issue, will be helpful. Nutritional status makes a huge difference in health status, whether it's hormone balance or whatever. Since you're a new student, you've come up with exactly the right questions that are appropriate for you to ask him at this time. If he's willing to keep a food and activity journal for you, that would allow you to begin to assess any patterns that might be affecting him. If he hasn't seen a doctor in awhile, and if the simple issue I mentioned above doesn't seem to apply, then a medical examination would be a prudent next step. It may be nothing, but why not just get that ruled out?