People often mistake regular sweating at night for night sweats. If the room you are sleeping in is overheated or if you are using an overly warm comforter or clothing, do not panic, you may not be suffering from night sweats. It is just your body reacting to the heat as it should be.
However, if you wake up in the middle of the night with your sheet and clothes soaking wet even if your room is cool, then maybe you really have a medical problem. Night sweats are caused by the expansion of blood vessels, which results in a hot flash felt over your entire body. The body reacts to this heat wave by sweating, increasing your heart rate and inflammation of the skin.
Read on to find out what causes night sweats, and how you can stop them from occurring.
Infections
Many serious infections can be connected to night sweats, including HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis. If the night sweats continue for an extended period, it is best advised to visit your doctor.
Tuberculosis is a very serious infectious disease that primarily targets the lungs. TB spreads through TB bacteria in the air, such when an infected person coughs or sneezes. It had long been controlled in developed countries until the emergence of HIV in 1985.
HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) weakens our immune system to the point where it cannot defend against the tuberculosis germs. HIV infects and kills white blood cells, which are crucial for our immune systems. As the disease progresses, white blood cells count drops which leaves our organism defenseless against diseases. HIV is transmitted through intravenous drug use, sexual contact, blood contamination, and pregnancy (mother to child).
Night sweats are a symptom of HIV/AIDS, especially in the later stages of the disease, but they are not much of an indication on their own. Other symptoms like weight loss, diarrhea and fever need to accompany night sweats before you need to worry.
Cancer
Night sweats can be a symptom of any type of cancer. However, a combination of other symptoms like fatigue, bleeding, swelling and weight loss is more indicative of cancer than just night sweats. Types of cancer that cause white blood cell inflammation like leukemia and lymphoma are most typically associated with night sweats.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Obstructive sleep apnea is a sleep disorder which interferes with your breathing as you sleep. Your breathing suddenly stops due to your throat muscles, which relaxes and blocks the airways. As a result, air is not properly transported in and out of your lungs, which can lead to snoring, waking up in the middle of the night, choking, and, you guessed it, night sweats.
Idiopathic Hyperhidrosis
Idiopathic hyperhidrosis is a peculiar condition which causes a person to sweat excessively, without any obvious medical explanation. Sweating occurs on the feet, armpits, and palms of the hand at random. A person who has a distinct unpleasant body odor might have hyperhidrosis.
Stressful experiences can cause sweating and they can definitely amplify this condition. Anxiety is proven to cause our bodies to sweat, and it can lead to night sweats as well, especially if you are nervous about what is to come tomorrow. Another symptom of anxiety is increased heart rate, which can also wake you up if you are too nervous to sleep.
Menopause
Women who are going through menopause often experience night sweats due to hot flashes. These flashes are a reaction to changing hormone levels, which causes adrenaline spikes and increased body temperature.
Namely, the levels of progesterone and estrogen go through changes during menopause, which affects regular body temperature regulation. The affected could experience hot flashes day and night, which leads to night sweats during sleep.
Besides menopause, which is a very common cause of night sweats, women may experience this phenomenon during pregnancy.
Medication
All medications have side effects, some more serious and others. Night sweats are a very common side effect of the following medications:
- Antidepressants and other psychiatric drugs have a very high chance of causing night
- Hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, can cause night sweats, and it just so happens that insulin and other diabetes medications lower the blood sugar at night.
- Hormone-blocking drugs used in cancer therapy
- Pain relievers and steroids
- Among others
Night Sweats Prevention
There are many possible prevention methods but they all depend on what causes night sweats specifically. Here are some general guidelines that you should follow if you want to get rid of night sweats.
Adjust the heat in your bedroom. There are many underlying factors which you can take care of, such as:
- The thermostat should be set between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Sleep in comfortable clothing. Your pajamas should not be too thick. If you sleep without a thread, the better for you.
- Use a fan. Put a tabletop fan next to your bed for even better cooling.
- Use lighter cotton or linen sheets. You do not need thick sheets that smother you and prevent your body from cooling off during the night.
Reduce stress before sleeping. If you are working late, take at least an hour-long break doing something you enjoy like reading a book before you turn in for the night. If you have work in the morning or a scheduled doctor’s appointment, try not to think about it.
Additional tips:
- Keep a healthy diet and work out regularly
- Avoid alcohol and spicy foods
- Keep a glass of water next to your bed
The Takeaway
Waking up in a pool of sweat is never pleasant. If you’ve taken precaution, lowered the room temperature and got rid of extra bedding to no avail, maybe your body is trying to tell you something is wrong.
Trying to prevent night sweats might even lead you in the direction of solving a medical condition you didn’t know existed. Don’t wait too long, pay your doctor a visit and find out what exactly interrupts your sleep and causes excessive sweating at night.
References:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/symptoms/night-sweats/basics/definition/sym-20050768
https://www.mayoclinic.org/symptoms/night-sweats/basics/causes/sym-20050768
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/296818.php
https://www.self.com/story/night-sweat-causes
https://www.tuck.com/night-sweats
https://www.verywellhealth.com/are-night-sweats-a-symptom-of-cancer-514441
https://www.webmd.com/menopause/guide/8-causes-of-night-sweats
https://osteopathic.org/what-is-osteopathic-medicine/night-sweats
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