Why Am I So Sweaty? 5 Signs it’s a Hot Flash

If you’re pregnant, it’s easy to start feeling pretty overwhelmed, even if it’s very early on in the gestation. While not common, it’s possible to experience hot flashes in the first trimester of pregnancy. However, it’s much more usual for hot flashes to occur during the third trimester for most pregnant people.

But what does a hot flash feel like? And what do you do in the middle of a hot flash episode? Is it going to be manageable to have hot flashes during pregnancy relatively often? Especially if you’re preparing to bring a baby into your life, hot flashes in pregnancy are going to add to the stress.

If you aren’t sure what hot flashes during pregnancy look like, the following are a few of the more common signs.

You Feel Warm, Especially in the Chest and Face

Hot flashes are going to normally feel like what the name implies: a feeling of warmth spreading throughout certain parts of your body. But where is the most common?

Generally, hot flashes during pregnancy are going to bring a feeling of warmth to the torso and face, but especially to your chest. It may feel like the heat is spreading from the center of your body and going outward, and some people may describe it as a cloud of heat settling around them.

You may feel a little overwhelmed about the situation, especially if you’ve never experienced having hot flashes during pregnancy before. But this is relatively normal and just a sign that your body is overheating and trying to cool you back down.

You’re Sweating

If you’re sweating, as well as experiencing feelings of warmth spreading through your body, this is also a good sign that you’re dealing with hot flashes in your pregnancy. 

In terms of where you may be sweating, the same areas are pretty common. You may feel a lot of sweating in your chest, on your face, and in your armpits. Again, this is just your body trying to help you cool down and reach a more comfortable temperature.

Why is this? This is largely the case because your body is much more likely to experience a hot flash if there is a dramatic change or jump in the temperature of the environment around you. That’s the case in either direction of temperature change, but it is more common to notice the signs of a hot flash in pregnancy if the temperature has jumped up rapidly.

Redness Across the Body

In similar places to where you would feel the heat and sweating, your body may get a little bit more red in response to changes in blood flow. This is because your body is, again, trying to regulate your overall temperature.

The redness is commonly seen on the face, chest, and upper arms, and it’s a sign that your body is functioning in order to release the heat that you’re holding onto internally. As the blood is brought closer to the surface of your skin, it gets much easier to release heat and regulate your temperature in response to the temperature of the environment around you.

Waking Up Sweating

This kind of hot sweats episode is commonly called “night sweats” because they happen in the middle of your rest period. If you have a different sleeping schedule, this still applies even if you aren’t experiencing them during the nighttime.

Frequently, you’ll be woken up from your sleep and will be covered in sweat. This is your body trying to regulate your internal temperature while you’re sleeping, and you’re most likely to be woken up because of the intense levels of discomfort. 

Your body is telling your brain that something is wrong and needs to be fixed immediately, largely because the temperature has changed significantly in your environment. 

At least the temperature has changed enough to wake you up from your otherwise peaceful slumber (actually, your sleep may be uncomfortable in other ways, but this is the most likely reason you’re experiencing night sweats).

Heightened Anxiety or Stress Levels

As is pretty normal if you’re experiencing hot flashes during pregnancy, you’re going to be pretty anxious about the situation. However, hot flashes are significantly more likely to be triggered if you’re feeling higher levels of anxiety or stress.

A strong indicator that you’re experiencing a hot flash is that you were just recently feeling exacerbated or more anxious than usual. So if you sense that anxiety or stress was happening before any of the other typical symptoms, it’s possible that this is what ultimately helped to trigger your feelings of discomfort.

One of the things that are the best at allaying hot flashes more quickly, or sometimes even preventing them, is meditating on a regular basis. This can help you to regulate your stress levels, as well as to lower your overall heart rate.