A good night鈥檚 sleep can be hard to come by when you wake up in a pool of sweat. But getting to the bottom of what鈥檚 causing night sweats is often difficult, says , a family medicine specialist at Rush.
Night sweats 鈥 although some studies have found an even higher prevalence, Rowland says.
Night sweats: Rarely cause for concern
Most of the time, night sweats are harmless, she says. But occasionally, they can be a sign that you鈥檝e caught the flu, COVID-19 or another bug. 鈥淎lmost any kind of infection can cause night sweats,鈥 she says. This includes kidney infections and much rarer infections like tuberculosis.
In other cases, the cause may be thyroid or liver disease, or a sleep disorder like obstructive sleep apnea. Night sweats can also be a symptom of a serious health issue like lymphoma, a type of cancer that affects lymph nodes, bone marrow and other parts of the lymphatic system.
鈥淲hile night sweats are a common symptom for people with lymphoma, very few people who have night sweats have cancer,鈥 Rowland explains.
Medications that can make you sweat
Night sweats are a frequent side effect of many medications, Rowland says. This includes the following:
- Steroids
- Birth control pills and other hormone therapies
- Insulin and other diabetes medications
- Antidepressants
- Blood pressure medicines
Even if you suspect your medicine may be causing night sweats, be sure to check with your doctor before you stop taking a medication, Rowland advises.
Night sweats during menopause: More treatable than other types
Among middle-aged women, one of the chief causes of night sweats is menopause. Some women may suffer from night sweats for six to 10 years or more during the menopausal transition, Rowland says.
But there is some good news. 鈥淗ot flashes鈥 and night sweats 鈥 what doctors call the vasomotor symptoms of menopause 鈥 are often more treatable than other types of night sweats, she says.
One lifestyle change that can help reduce menopausal sweating is being more active, which seems counterintuitive because exercise can make you sweat. 鈥淭hose who stay active throughout perimenopause and menopause have a bit of improvement in their vasomotor symptoms,鈥 Rowland says. Avoiding alcohol can also help tame hot flashes and night sweats.
When these changes aren鈥檛 enough, medicines that can ease menopausal night sweats include venlafaxine or escitalopram, two types of antidepressants.
If menopausal night sweats don鈥檛 respond to an antidepressant, another option is hormone replacement therapy. However, HRT isn鈥檛 ideal because it can raise the risk for stroke and heart attack and may only provide temporary relief.
鈥淲hen you stop HRT, a lot of times those hot flashes and night sweats come back because you鈥檙e taking away the hormone that was staving off the sweating,鈥 Rowland says.
Changes to help you keep your cool at night
You may be able to get relief by altering your nighttime routine. Rowland suggests the following strategies to reduce night sweats:
- Turn down the thermostat. The National Sleep Foundation says the ideal bedroom temperature is 60 to 67 degrees. 鈥淭he temperature for staying asleep is often a lot cooler than the best temperature for falling asleep,鈥 she says.
- Consider using a fan in the bedroom.
- Choose light, breathable pajamas.
- Use layered covers on your bed, so you can remove a blanket or two if you heat up.
When to talk to your doctor
鈥淚f you鈥檝e had night sweats for a long time, they aren鈥檛 changing much and you are still able to wake up in the morning feeling refreshed, it鈥檚 OK not to feel worried,鈥 Rowland says. 鈥淏ut if night sweats are new for you, getting worse or disrupting your sense of restfulness, you may want to talk to a doctor.鈥
If you see a doctor, it鈥檚 helpful to provide answers to the following questions:
- How long have you had night sweats?
- How much do you sweat (for example, do you soak through the sheets)?
- Do your night sweats wake you up?
- Do you have any other symptoms (such as a cough, fever, breathing problems, enlarged lymph nodes or weight loss) that started around the same time as your night sweats?
- Are you experiencing a lot of stress?
Your doctor may recommend bloodwork or other tests. But if you are like many people with night sweats, your results may not point to a culprit.
鈥淢ost of the time, night sweats don鈥檛 have a clear explanation, which can be frustrating for patients and for their doctors,鈥 Rowland says. However, seeing a doctor can put your mind at ease by ruling out other conditions that might cause night sweats. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what we鈥檙e here for,鈥 she adds.
If you are concerned about night sweats, a Rush primary care provider is ready to help.
