What Causes Night Sweats?

Let’s face it, waking up in the middle of the night to wet clothes and sheets is never enjoyable. Don’t worry, it’s not what you think. The culprit? Sweat. Now while many of us have experienced excessive sweating during the night, only some of us have actually experienced night sweats.

What are night sweats?

The term ‘night sweats’ refers to an excessive amount of sweating that takes place during the night for reasons other than factors of temperature. For example, if you wake up in the middle of the night in a pool of sweat because it’s 30 degrees celsius and you have a thick blanket on, you are not experiencing night sweats, you’re simply sweating because of environmental factors. If you, however, wake up drenched in sweat for no obvious reason, then you’re experiencing night sweats.

What causes night sweats?

Night sweats take place because of underlying medical issues and can be caused by a variety of conditions, some severe and some very mild. Possible causes of night sweats include, but are not limited to: anxiety, autoimmune disorders, bacterial infections, cancers, low blood sugar, medication side effects, menopause and sleep apnea.

Should I be worried if I get night sweats?

Surprisingly enough, night sweats are quite common, so if you’ve experienced them at some point in your life, or if you are experiencing them now, there’s no need to panic. You should, however, be concerned if your night sweats continue to persist over a long period of time or if they are combined with additional symptoms such as fever, chills or excessive weight loss. If this is the case, contact your doctor immediately.