Alcohol consumption causes blood vessels to dilate, resulting in night sweats. Heavy drinking and addiction can worsen the symptom, and withdrawal can cause other unpleasant side effects. Professional treatment may be necessary for those with alcohol dependence.
The connection between night sweats and alcohol can be attributed to the body’s response when liquor is introduced into the bloodstream. Alcohol is a vasodilator, which means that when the drink is consumed, blood vessels dilate or expand in size. When this occurs, it creates a feeling of warmth throughout the body. At night, the blood vessels continue to react, causing the person to sweat even when at rest. In addition to alcohol consumption, abrupt withdrawal – or withdrawal from alcohol – can also lead to night sweats.
A period of heavy drinking, or bingeing, doses the bloodstream with an exorbitant amount of alcohol. This affects the mind in many destructive ways. In addition to other areas of the brain, the way the hypothalamus, the part of the brain that regulates temperature, responds changes. As a result of the signals sent by it, blood vessels dilate, resulting in hot flashes.
Usually, a small amount of alcohol consumption does not cause this symptom. Many social drinkers don’t wake up sweaty in the middle of the night just because they had a glass of wine or a beer earlier in the day. Night sweats and alcohol consumption may be more frequent when an individual suffers from addiction. Intermittent binge drinking can also cause the symptom, even when addiction is not a factor.
When people are chemically addicted and decide to stop drinking, night sweats and alcohol withdrawal symptoms are quite common. Other unpleasant side effects may also occur, such as tremors, nausea, vomiting, and confusion. Some withdrawal symptoms can occur as early as six hours after an addict last consumed the substance. For this reason, withdrawal effects, such as night sweats, can occur even if the individual is not intentionally trying to quit.
In those who drink daily, night sweats and alcohol dependence indicate a serious condition that rarely resolves on its own. People who are addicted to controlled substances usually require professional treatment to overcome the addiction. Inpatient rehabilitation centers, for example, specialize in detoxification, along with the many stages of recovery.
While not always necessary, medications may be prescribed to help combat the withdrawal side effects that can occur when an addicted person stops drinking. Some patients are able to quit without medication, but seek help from an outpatient rehabilitation facility for support. Group therapy, as well as one-on-one sessions with substance abuse counselors, can help people who are battling addiction.
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