The Atkins Diet, Dr. Robert Atkins' weight loss regimen predicated on drastically reduced carbohydrate intake, first gained fame in the 1970s. Its popularity faded with the following decade's low-fat fad, but then shot to prominence again in the mid-2000s after a flurry of articles in the mainstream media attributed America's growing obesity problem to overconsumption of refined carbohydrates. The first phase of the Atkins diet restricts carb intake to a mere fraction of what the average eater consumes. If you're experiencing night sweats or other side effects on Atkins, it's probably not what you're eating -- but what you're not eating -- that's the cause.
Atkins Theory
The human body mostly runs on glycogen, the carbohydrates stored for fuel in the liver and muscles, via a process known as glucosis. When glycogen is no longer available for to body to metabolize for fuel, it "switches gears" and begins burning fat instead -- a process called lipolysis. It takes the body about two days to burn through its existing glycogen stores and start burning fat, according to Atkins. Dieters in the first phase of the Atkins Diet, induction, facilitate the switch to lipolysis by restricting their carbohydrate intake to no more than 20 g per day.
Food Addiction
Lowering your carbohydrate intake to 20 g per day or less means you must eliminate a number of foods that you may have eaten regularly. The Atkins induction phase prohibits sugar, bread, pasta, fruit, starchy vegetables and soft drinks, among other things. Atkins argues that you may have become addicted to the carb-laden foods you ate the most, in thrall to the surge and fall of blood sugar levels your body experienced after every snack or meal. "When you suddenly stop eating a food or ingredient you are used to ... you may experience withdrawal," Atkins writes. "Common offenders are caffeine, sugar, wheat and other foods capable of quickly changing blood sugar levels."
Alcohol Withdrawal
Night sweats and insomnia are classic symptoms of withdrawal from alcohol, consumption of which is prohibited during the induction phase of Atkins. If you suddenly stopped drinking when you started Atkins, you could be experiencing night sweats as your body eliminates alcohol and its metabolites from your system. The severity of alcohol withdrawal symptoms depends on individual physiology and the level and duration of alcohol consumption but in severe cases withdrawal can quickly become a medical emergency. Consult a health professional immediately if your drinking history suggests that you may be experiencing alcohol withdrawal.
Outlook
In addition to night sweats, low-carb dieters have reported a variety of symptoms including rash, nervousness, euphoria and fatigue. Dr. Atkins writes in "Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution" that the most severe symptoms -- he cites fatigue, faintness, palpitations, headaches in addition to sweating -- should begin to resolve within a few days. He suggests that dieters who find themselves very uncomfortable wean themselves off their favorite carbs over time rather than "crash" straight into induction. If alcohol withdrawal is part or all of the problem, your symptoms may persist just a few days or much longer; consult with a health care professional to get care tailored to your situation.
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