What causes night sweats and how to manage them

If you’ve ever woken up drenched in sweat, you’ve experienced night sweats. But don’t panic: It’s estimated that between 10 percent and 41 percent of adults have experienced night sweats within the past month.¹

While night sweats can be disruptive, shocking and uncomfortable, they are often manageable. Lifestyle adjustments and over-the-counter (OTC) products may help in many cases.²

Here’s what you need to know, including what causes night sweats, when to seek professional guidance and how to support relief.

In this article

• What are night sweats?
• Why do I sweat in my sleep?
• What causes night sweats in women?
• When to be concerned about night sweats
• How to help reduce night sweats

What are night sweats?

Simply feeling hot under your heavy blankets or sticky on a humid summer night is not the same thing as having night sweats. Instead, think about heavy sweating that leaves your pajamas and maybe even your bedding soaked.

“People generally wake up from the sweating component with some sense of an elevated temperature that broke and caused them to sweat,” says Adrian M. Pristas, MD, a pulmonologist and sleep apnea specialist with Hackensack Meridian Health in New Jersey.³

They may also wake up with a racing heart and feeling cold⁴. The purpose of sweat is to cool down the human body.

Why do I sweat in my sleep?

Night sweats have many causes. They vary from relatively harmless to more serious. “You should always try to pinpoint what’s causing night sweats, because there may be a serious underlying problem,” Dr. Pristas says.⁵

There are a few potential causes for night sweats.

Certain medications

Taking certain medications, such as antidepressants, aspirin, certain hormone therapies, high blood pressure drugs, hypoglycemic agents and ibuprofen, can cause night sweats.⁶

Illness

Night sweats can occur when you have a viral infection, like a cold, COVID-19 or flu, or certain bacterial infections.⁷

Stress

Anxiety, panic and stress can all trigger night sweats by elevating your heart rate and causing your body to become overheated.⁸ If you’re dealing with a job loss, having relationship issues or having other life worries that are weighing on your mind, your body may respond with night sweats.⁹ Consult your health care provider and seek mental health support if you’re experiencing the above symptoms.

Underlying medical conditions

Certain medical conditions make you more prone to night sweats:

• Autoimmune disorders
  
• Cancers like leukemia and lymphoma ¹⁰
• Diabetes
• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
• Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
• Hyperthyroidism
• Neurological disorders, including stroke
• Obstructive sleep apnea
• Tuberculosis¹¹

Substance abuse

Night sweats can also be brought on by drinking alcohol or certain illicit drug use, such as cocaine or heroin.¹²

What causes night sweats in women?

Night sweats can also be triggered by hormonal fluctuations at various stages of life.

Dr. Pristas explains that it’s important not to assume night sweats are simply hormone related. “Diagnosis for women in their fifties can be a dicey situation,” he says, “because so many women have night sweats from menopause, but is it menopause or a serious illness?”

Here are several reasons women may experience night sweats:

Menopause night sweats

During perimenopause, up to 14 years before menopause, the ovaries produce less estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. These fluctuating hormone levels can make it difficult for the body to regulate body temperature, resulting in sudden bouts of heat. During the day, these are called hot flashes. In an effort to cool the body down, excessive sweating may occur.¹³

Typically, night sweats end once a person reaches menopause, generally defined as a full year after their last menstrual cycle. When night sweats do persist, they are usually milder.¹⁴

Night sweats and pregnancy

A pregnant person may also experience night sweats due to hormonal fluctuations, usually in the first and third trimesters.¹⁵

Night sweats before a period

Hormones similarly fluctuate during a person’s menstrual cycle. Estrogen levels decrease before menstruation, which can also trigger night sweats.¹⁶

Postpartum night sweats

As the birthing parent’s hormones gradually reset after giving birth, they might experience night sweats in the few weeks after the baby is born.¹⁷

When to be concerned about night sweats

Night sweats may occur in repeated episodes and accompany other symptoms like a cough, diarrhea, fever, pain in a specific area or weight loss.¹⁸ If you’re regularly experiencing night sweats or if they are accompanied by these symptoms, contact your health care provider and schedule a visit.

A health care professional can help diagnose the cause of your night sweats and recommend appropriate treatments for any underlying health conditions.¹⁹

How to help reduce night sweats

You can help improve sleep quality in a few ways, including certain lifestyle changes.²⁰ It’s important to talk to a health care provider about any planned changes. Some recommended strategies include the following:

• Avoiding alcohol, cigarettes and spicy food before bed.²¹
  
• Exercising regularly but not before bed.²² This can help decrease the core body temperature and make the body less sensitive to the onset of sweating later.²³
• Keeping your bedroom comfortable and cool.
• Opening a window or using a fan to enhance air flow in the room.²⁴
• Reducing stress in your day-to-day life and before going to bed, such as through meditating and deep breathing.
• Wearing loose, breathable clothing to sleep in.²⁵

Whether your night sweats are brought on by hormonal fluctuations or other causes, there are also some OTC products that may help you get relief support:

• Cooling pads. Use lightweight bedding and a cooling mat,²⁶ like HealthSmart Polarmat Cooling Aid. This is a bed pad designed to absorb body heat as you sleep — no freezing or electricity needed.
• Wearable cooling sheets. Use lightweight patches like Be Koool Migraine & Fever Cooling Gel Sheets, which adhere directly to your skin to provide cooling relief support for up to eight hours.