COVID-19 and Night Sweats: An Insomniac’s Nightmare

I am at an age when I am no stranger to night sweats. Perimenopause has caused me to have these wretched things for several years now. I am used to that. This, however, is something different. It is something new.

If you have had COVID-19 and had night sweats or all-day sweats or any kind of sweat that made you mad, you are not alone.

Night sweats or fever?

When I say night sweats, I am not talking about issues caused by having a fever. That is a completely, albeit equally bothersome, issue. This is the feeling of having a fever without having an actual fever.

If you are sick, you should certainly take your temperature to be sure it is not fever. Do not just assume you are having night sweats. If you have a fever, it needs to be treated. If you do not have a fever but feel like you are burning up, congratulations. You are experiencing night sweats.

Night sweats can happen at any time of the day

When it happens during the day, people generally call them hot flashes. Most people associate the term with perimenopause and menopause, but it would also be an accurate term for this symptom of COVID-19.

Since I started having this issue, I have noticed that night sweats tend to be more severe, but I do indeed have hot flashes during the day. This is not related to perimenopause. I have had those symptoms for some time, but the issue has changed since I contracted COVID-19. It is a different feeling and it is far more frequent.

Burning up and freezing all night and day

It is not just a matter of feeling like I am on fire. This is followed by a brief period of chills. I get hot and throw all the covers off of me. As I start to cool down, the cold air hits me, and I get a chill. Rinse. Lather. Repeat all night and day.

I am constantly taking off my sweater and throwing off blankets and then putting on a sweater and grabbing a blanket. This has become a major annoyance.

Perimenopause or COVID-19?

How is this different from perimenopause symptoms? I have had night sweats for several years now. It is very rare for me to have hot flashes during the day. I could count on one hand how many hot flashes I have had during the day in the last 2 or 3 years.

Also, my night sweats tend to be short and might happen once or twice a night. This is off and on all night with very little time that I feel like I am not burning up or freezing. It happens many, many times throughout the night and day with very little relief.

Sleeplessness is making the fatigue worse

Even though my other symptoms have mostly disappeared, this one has lingered far longer than I would like. I do still have quite a bit of fatigue, and sleeping even less than before is making things worse.

Have you experienced night sweats after contracting COVID-19? How long did it last? How did you cope? I would love to hear about your experience.