Night Sweats: Causes, Information, Treatments

Author: Thomas C. Weiss
Published: 2009/07/25 - Updated: 2024/04/15
Publication Type: Informative
Topic: Sleep Disorders - Publications List

Page Content: Synopsis - Introduction - Main

Synopsis: Examines a number of causes of night sweats and excessive body sweating when sleeping. A health care worker distinguishes night sweats that arise from ones that happen because a person's room is too hot, or because they are wearing too many clothes to bed, from ones that are referred to as true night sweats or severe hot flashes.

Defining Nocturnal Hyperhidrosis

Nocturnal Hyperhidrosis

Night sweats or nocturnal hyperhidrosis is the repeated occurrence of excessive sweating during sleep. The person may or may not also perspire excessively while awake. Night sweats range from being relatively harmless to a sign of underlying disease. Night sweats may happen because the sleep environment is too warm, either because the bedroom is unusually hot or because there are too many covers on the bed. Night sweats have been associated with a long list of clinical conditions. There are four types of sweats:

Primary Hyperhidrosis: A condition characterized by abnormally increased perspiration, in excess of that required for regulation of body temperature. This is not a cold sweat.
Diaphoresis: Diaphoresis is excessive sweating commonly associated with shock and other medical emergency conditions. It is distinguished from hyperhidrosis by the "clammy" or "cold state" state of the patient.
Night sweats: Sleep hyperhidrosis, more commonly known as the night sweats, is the occurrence of excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis) during sleep. The sufferer may or may not also suffer from excessive perspiration while awake.
Secondary Hyperhidrosis: A condition characterized by abnormally increased perspiration, in excess of that required for regulation of body temperature that is secondary to an underlying pathologic process such as infections, disorders of the thyroid or pituitary gland, diabetes mellitus, tumors, gout, menopause, certain drugs, or mercury poisoning. This is not a cold sweat.

Introduction

There are several different forms of night sweats. In order to determine the cause of night sweats in a particular person, doctors need to obtain details regarding their medical history, as well as perform tests to determine any underlying conditions that may exist that could be causing them. Health care workers many times hear people complain about night sweats, which refers to any excessive sweating that occurs during the night. There are some known conditions that may cause night sweats.

Main Item

If a person's bedroom is unusually hot, or they are wearing too many clothes to bed, they may begin to sweat while they sleep; something that is probably expected. A health care worker distinguishes night sweats that arise from ones that happen because a person's room is too hot, or because they are wearing too many clothes to bed, from ones that are referred to as true night sweats or severe hot flashes. True night sweats or hot flashes can drench the clothes a person wears to bed, or their sheets, and are not related to their environment.

A study of two-thousand two-hundred and sixty-seven people who visited their primary care physician found that forty-one percent of them experienced night sweats during the month previous to their doctor's visit. Their perception of excessive sweating during the night was common. Another thing that is important to note is that, 'flushing,' a form of redness and warmth of a person's trunk or face, might be difficult to tell apart from a true night sweat. You should contact a health care provider if you experience persistent night sweats that do not resolve, or if the night sweats that you experience are associated with fevers or other troubling symptoms.

Possible Causes of Night Sweats

There are some known conditions that may cause night sweats; these include:

Menopause

Menopause can be accompanied by hot flashes which may happen at night, causing sweating. Hot flashes that occur at night are a common cause of night sweats in perimenopausal women.

Idopathic Hyperhidrosis

Idiopathic Hyperhidrosis is a condition where a person's body chronically produces too much sweat. There is no known, identifiable medical cause for this condition.

Infections

Infections such as Tuberculosis are commonly associated with night sweats. Bacterial infections like Osteomyelitis, Endocarditis, the HIV infection, and abscesses can all result in night sweats as well.

Cancer

One of the early symptoms of cancer is night sweats. One of the most common types of cancer found in association with night sweats is Lymphoma. Persons who have undiagnosed cancer frequently present other symptoms, to include unexplained fevers and weight loss.

Medications

There are certain medications which may lead to night sweats. In persons who do not have other, physical signs or symptoms of either an infection or tumor, medications are many times found to be the cause of night sweats. Antidepressants are one medication that may lead to night sweats, with all forms of antidepressants having night sweats as a side-effect and a range of incidence ranging between eight and twenty-two percent in persons taking these medications. Other forms of psychiatric medications may also cause night sweats.

Even medications that are being taken to control nights sweats, such as acetaminophen and aspirin may cause sweating. Other kinds of medications can lead to flushing, something that can be confused with night sweats. Medications that may lead to flushing can include:

Niacin
Sildenafil
Tamoxifen
Hydralazine
Nitroglycerine

There are a number of other medications, to include cortisones such as either Prednisolone or Prednisone, that might also be associated with either flushing or night sweats.

Hypoglycemia

Low blood sugar may, at times, cause sweating. Persons who use either oral anti-diabetes medication or insulin could experience hypoglycemia during the night, accompanied by sweating.

Hormone Disorders

Hormone disorders, to include Carcinoid syndrome, Phenochromocytoma, and Hyperthyroidism, may cause either flushing or sweating.

Neurologic Conditions

Neurologic conditions may uncommonly increase the amount of sweating a person experiences, potentially leading to night sweats. The conditions that may lead to this include Post-traumatic Syringomyelia, Stroke, Dysreflexia, and Autonomic Neuropathy.

Sweating that is excessive at night can drench a person's sheets and the clothes they are wearing when it is severe. A flushing sensation can be difficult to distinguish from a true night sweat, or it may occur in conjunction with a night sweat. The person may experience additional symptoms along with the sweating, depending on the underlying cause of the night sweats. A person may experience both fever and chills along with night sweats if they have either an infection or cancer, for example. For this reason, unresolved night sweats are something you should approach a health care professional about.

Treatment

Determining the cause of night sweats in a specific person requires a doctor to get a detailed medical history from the person involved. A doctor will many times also order testing to determine if there is an underlying cause that is responsible for the night sweats the person is experiencing. Depending upon the cause of the night sweats, as well as the person's specific medical history, a doctor might order imaging studies to include X-rays or CT scans, blood work, or additional specialized testing.

Night sweats that are a symptom of an underlying issue might require medical treatment. Usually, medical treatment is not directed towards the night sweats specifically; instead, treatment is aimed at the underlying cause of them.

Cancers, hormonal disorders, or infections; for example, that cause night sweats - would be treated.

Night sweats that arise as a symptom of Perimenopause could be treated with hormone therapy; both estrogen and combined progestin and estrogien therapy have been successfully used for this purpose.

Night sweats that occur as a result of medication side-effects may improve when the person either discontinues or changes the medication.

A health care professional could be able to suggest an alternative to a medication that is causing night sweats.

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Author Credentials: Thomas C. Weiss is a researcher and editor for Disabled World. Thomas attended college and university courses earning a Masters, Bachelors and two Associate degrees, as well as pursing Disability Studies. As a CNA Thomas has providing care for people with all forms of disabilities. Explore Thomas' complete biography for comprehensive insights into his background, expertise, and accomplishments.