Are You Drenched When You’re Asleep? Know Common Causes for Sweating in Sleep

Feeling well-rested can be a difficult task when you are sweating in sleep. You may even sweat with the AC on, and we know how annoying this can be!

This condition is uncomfortable, and if it causes you to wake up from sleep, you might find it challenging to fall back asleep. Experts say that despite being a troublesome condition, sweating in sleep or night sweats are quite common.

There isn’t one reason behind sweating in sleep, but many factors are usually at play. This may include medications, infections, hormones, and stress.

---

What Is Meant by Sweating in Sleep or Night Sweats?

Night sweats are characterized by recurrent episodes of extremely heavy sweating while you're asleep, enough to drench your bedclothes or sheets. They are frequently brought on by a disease or underlying condition.

According to some experts, night sweats are defined as excessive perspiration that necessitates changing your mattress. You might not notice until the next day if you sleep through it, or you might wake up in the middle of the night bathed in sweat.

Night sweats are recurrent episodes of extremely heavy sweating. (Image via Pexels/ Andrea Piacquadio)

Night sweats frequently co-occur with other unsettling symptoms like fever, weight loss, localized pain, coughing, or diarrhea.

---

Why Do I Sweat So Much When I Sleep?

Your body may be sweating in sleep if it can't control its temperature while you're sleeping, which could be a sign of a serious problem. It is recommended to consult your healthcare professional to determine the problem, especially if your night sweats are accompanied by symptoms like fever, cough, obesity, or anxiety.

Here are some common reasons for night sweats:

1) Sweating in sleep while sick

Night sweats can be a result of any viral or bacterial infection. The reason behind this is that cytokines are released by the body when infected by some virus or bacteria.

Cytokines are a chemical that increases body temperature to fight off sickness. Your night sweats may be due to infections like Tuberculosis, HIV, or any other related causes. If you are experiencing excessive sweating at night, it is best to get checked for any underlying sickness.

---

2) Sweating in sleep due to stress

Worry, anxiety, and stress are among the most common causes of night sweats. There may also be additional symptoms like mood swings, sleep issues, excessive depression, hyperactivity, or ongoing exhaustion.

Your doctor may advise talking therapy, taking antidepressants, changing your lifestyle, or both if stress or anxiety is at the root of your night sweats.

Stress can also cause night sweats. (Image via Unsplash/ Ahmad Gunnaivi)

---

3) Sweating in sleep because of menopause

Women cease menstruating during their menopause. Hot flashes are thought to be significantly influenced by the body's production of the hormones progesterone and estrogen at this time.

Menopausal hot flashes can happen several times a day, including at night, when they might result in night sweats. They typically persist for a few minutes. Hot flashes frequently last for several years, and for some women, they last for more than two decades.

---

4) Spicy foods can cause sweating in sleep

The same nerves that make you feel heated are stimulated by certain spicy foods that contain capsaicin, which causes perspiration as a cooling mechanism. Avoiding them too close to bedtime may be beneficial.

Bedtime routine is also a major cause of night sweats. (Image via Pexels/ Cottonbro Studio)

---

5) Alcohol before bedtime

It might seem like a good idea to unwind with a glass of wine or beer. However, switching to a seltzer can make sense if you've been waking up sweating. Alcohol causes the skin's blood vessels to enlarge, which can cause perspiration.

---

Treatment for Night Sweats

It can be beneficial to sleep in a cool environment wearing light natural fabric pajamas and bedding.

If you often experience sweating in sleep, you should visit your doctor, especially if you also experience other symptoms like unexplained weight loss. Depending on what's causing your night sweats, your doctor will advise a certain course of treatment.