Fever is a natural body response to infection or injury. When the body is under attack, it responds by increasing it’s temperature to fight the infection.
Why Do Fevers Spike at Night?
This is why fevers spike at night. Your body temperature drops during the day, but when you sleep, your body heats up again making the fever spike at night.
What Causes Fevers to Spike at Night?
Hormones
A study found that those who had high cortisol levels in their blood at night woke up with higher temperatures than those who had low levels of cortisol.
Hormones are responsible for regulating body temperature and sleep cycles.
Cortisol helps your body fight various infections. Cortisol levels are higher during the day and then taper off at night. This could allow your cold or flu symptoms to feel stronger at night.
Position of Body
Fevers spike at night due to the position of your body. This is because your body temperature increases at night and decreases during the day.
The reason for this is that when you sleep, a lot of blood flows to your head causing your cold or flu symptoms to magnify.
Also, once you finally lay down to rest after a busy day your immune system will try to kick into high gear to try and heal you.
What is a Fever?
A fever is a body temperature elevation above normal. It is associated with increased white blood cells and other immune cells in response to infection or inflammation.
When you have a fever, your body tries to fight off an infection or inflammation by producing more white blood cells and other immune cells.
Your body temperature will be elevated because your sweat glands release excess fluid needed for cooling the body down.
How to Fight Fevers at Night?
Hydrate Yourself
Hydration is essential for your body as it helps regulate blood pressure and maintain optimal body temperature.
While the human body is designed to process the blood and toxins that come out of the skin, it can quickly dehydrate, leading to a fever.
When you’re feeling unwell, staying hydrated can help reduce your fever and make you feel better.
Stay Prepared
Fever is a common flu symptom and is usually caused by an infection. It can be dangerous, but it’s essential to stay prepared.
It’s essential to keep a thermometer, medicine, and water close by at night while you’re sleeping so you can monitor your fever.
You should also make sure that your phone is charged and have your emergency contact information if something goes wrong.
Support Immunity
The immune system is a complex network of cells that protect the body from infection and disease. This network of cells can be weakened by factors like stress, poor diet, and exposure to allergens like pollen or dust mites.
When you’re fighting a fever at night, it’s essential to keep your immune system strong so that it can keep up with the fight against infection. Here are some tips for keeping your immunity strong:
- Take time for yourself during the day. Give yourself time to relax and meditate
- Exercise regularly. This helps improve blood flow throughout the body
What Temperature is Considered a Fever?
Fever is an elevation of body temperature above the normal range of 100.4° Fahrenheit.
This elevation in temperature is caused by various factors, including infection, drugs, and stress.
Fever is usually accompanied by other symptoms such as chills and sweating.
Five Types of Fever
Intermittent
Intermittent fever is a fever that comes and goes. It is common in children. The symptoms of intermittent fever may include:
- Fever that comes and goes over time
- Chills or shaking chills
- Sweating or clammy skin
- A headache with a stiff neck and neck stiffness
Remittent
Remittent fever is an illness that repeatedly causes a person to feel sick and have flu-like symptoms.
There are different types of remittent fever based on the virus or bacteria that causes it. Some classes are caused by influenza, parvovirus, or adenovirus viruses.
Other types of remittent fever can be caused by bacteria such as Streptococcus pneumonia or Staphylococcus aureus.
Hectic
Hectic fever is a term used to describe the symptoms of a cold, flu, or other viral infection. It is typically characterized by intense and prolonged fatigue.
It’s not just people who get the hectic fever, but animals as well.
Continuous
A continuous fever is a medical condition with symptoms such as a high body temperature, headache, and fatigue.
This type of fever is usually caused by an infection or inflammation of the brain.
Other conditions can also cause it. It usually lasts for several days to weeks before it goes away on its own.
It may last for months in some cases.
Relapsing
The symptoms of a relapsing fever are similar to those of other types of bacterial infections. They include high fever, headache, muscle pains, and chills.
There may also be a rash or swollen lymph nodes in some cases.
Causes of Fever
Infections
Fever is a symptom of an infection. It is a body’s response to Fahrenheit or bacterial invasion. It can be challenging to tell if your fever is normal.
Several infections could cause it. The most common cause of fever is the flu virus or other respiratory viruses or bacteria like strep throat and pneumonia.
Inflammatory Conditions
Inflammatory conditions like cough and cold can cause fever, a symptom of infection. The most common infections that cause fever are bacterial and viral infections.
Viral infections can be caused by the flu or a cold, while bacterial infections can be caused by pneumonia or bronchitis.
Fever is not always a sign of an infection, but it is often an indication that your body has some kind of minor illness.
Environmental Factors
Fever is a prevalent symptom that most people experience at some point in their lives. It is caused by an increase in the body’s temperature caused by environmental factors.
Many environmental factors can cause fever, including infections, infection-fighting cells, drugs, chemicals, and physical injury. These factors can also cause other symptoms like headaches and nausea.
Hormone Disorders
The symptoms of hormone disorders can include high temperature, fatigue, weight gain or loss, mood changes, and skin changes.
These symptoms can be difficult for doctors to diagnose without ruling out other illnesses like an infection or thyroid problems.
Drugs
Fever is a common symptom of many diseases, including the flu, caused by an infection. Fever is also caused by other factors like drugs, alcohol, and exposure to high temperatures.
A fever can be treated with antibiotics and antipyretics (medications that reduce fever). Antipyretics can also be used in cases where there are no infections present.
Final Thoughts
Fevers can spike at night because your body is working in overdrive to try and heal you. Also due to hormones and sleep positions fevers and cold and flu symptoms can feel worse at night.
It is important to always stay hydrated and try to support your immune system when you are feeling under the weather.
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