Surprising Causes of Night Sweats

Up to 40% of the population experiences night sweats at any given moment. This can happen to everybody and become more frequent as we get older. There are numerous potential reasons, ranging from less serious illnesses to more serious disorders.

Anyone who shares a bed with someone who has night sweats knows how uncomfortable they can be. Additionally, they may cause issues with sleep and daytime fatigue.

Thankfully, you don't just have to put up with them. It's crucial to comprehend why they are occurring and to go over the symptoms with your doctor. They can create a strategy to end your sweating at night.

What Are the Causes of Night Sweats

Numerous factors, such as stress and infections, can produce night sweats in both men and women, although some of these factors are different in each gender.

Perhaps because menopause is a major contributor to sweating at night in women, males do not have them as frequently as women do. Low testosterone levels have been suggested as a potential factor in men's night sweats, but hormones may also be involved.

1) Low testosterone level

Low testosterone levels, or male hypogonadism, are a major cause of night sweats in men. For various causes, 38% of men aged 45 or older have low testosterone levels, and even otherwise healthy men have a 20% chance of having low testosterone levels. Male hypogonadism has a wide range of primary and secondary causes.

Numerous factors, such as stress and infections, can produce sweating at night. (Image via Unsplash/ Kinga Cichewicz)

2) Medication

There is evidence that certain drugs may cause night sweats. Some antidepressants referred to as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), and medications used to treat fever, including aspirin, can also make you sweat at night.

Caffeine use may produce widespread perspiration in certain people.

3) Menopause

Menopause causes night sweats in women frequently.

Hot flashes and sweating at night are two of the initial signs of menopause in women and those who menstruate. With up to 85% of menopausal and postmenopausal individuals experiencing them, they are also the most widespread symptoms. They can start in the years leading up to a person's last period and last for years after. The duration of a hot flash might range from 30 to 10 minutes.

Low testosterone levels have been suggested as a potential factor in men for sweating at night. (Image via Unsplash/ Adi Goldstein)

People going through menopause may experience severe sleep problems as a result of night sweats.

4) Infections

A pattern of chills and fever that can lead to night sweats while the body fights off infection can be brought on by bacterial, viral, and fungal infections.

HIV and TB are two well-known illnesses that have been linked to sweating at night.

5) Substance use and abuse

Alcohol consumption can increase heart rate and cause blood vessels to expand. This has an impact on your body's temperature, blood flow, and blood pressure, all of which can cause you to perspire. Even one drink can cause a severe reaction to alcohol and cause night sweats. After consuming more than four or five drinks in a short time, most people may start sweating.

HIV and TB are two well-known illnesses that have been linked to sweating at night. (Image via Unsplash/ Hua Ling)

Many addictive substances have similar effects to alcohol in that they can change your body's temperature.

Conclusion

Your sleep may be disturbed and you would feel uncomfortable by night sweats. They often don't raise any major red flags. However, occasionally they could be brought on by an underlying problem that has to be treated.