Sleep Disorders Causes & Risk Factors Why Do We Sweat While Sleeping? By Brandon Peters, MD Brandon Peters, MD Facebook Twitter Brandon Peters, MD, is a board-certified neurologist and sleep medicine specialist. Learn about our editorial process Updated on January 25, 2022 Medically reviewed Verywell Health articles are reviewed by board-certified physicians and healthcare professionals. These medical reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research. Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates. Learn more. by Sanja Jelic, MD Medically reviewed by Sanja Jelic, MD Sanja Jelic, MD, is board-certified in sleep medicine, critical care medicine, pulmonary disease, and internal medicine. Learn about our Medical Expert Board Print Table of Contents View All Table of Contents Less Serious Causes More Serious Causes Other Causes Solutions When to See a Doctor If you ever wake up drenched in sweat, you might wonder why. If it happens often, it could be associated with a medical condition that needs evaluation by a doctor. Night sweats may also mean different things to different people, such as children or women going through menopause. This article looks at some of the causes of night sweats. It also looks at ways to reduce night sweats and when you should see a doctor. Peter Dazeley / Getty Images What Are Night Sweats? Less Serious Causes of Sweating While Sleeping Some causes of night sweats may be serious, but many common ones are not. These include: Sleep environmentAnxiety and nightmaresHormonesGastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)Alcohol consumption Sleep Environment One of the most common causes of night sweats is trying to sleep in a warm or hot sleep environment. It's normal to sweat if your bedroom is warm, you wear heavy pajamas, or you sleep under lots of blankets. Your body goes through normal temperature changes throughout sleep. Most people have a dip in core body temperature towards morning, often around 4 a.m. During certain phases of sleep, your body temperature may also increase, which can lead to sweating. What Causes Older People to Wake Up so Early Recap Often, night sweats are just due to your environment. Try cooling down the room or wearing lighter pajamas. Anxiety and Nightmares If you have nightmares or general anxiety, you may have panic attacks while sleeping. This can also cause sweating. If you have bad dreams often, especially if you have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), talk to your doctor. Treatment may help stop your night sweats and relieve other, more serious symptoms too. Children may also sweat during night terrors. In children, other symptoms of night terrors include: Thrashing aroundFast breathing and heartbeatScreamingActing upset How Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Affects Sleep Hormones Perimenopause is the "change" before menstruation ends. People going through this may have hot flushes, also called hot flashes, during sleep. Compared to females who have not gone through menopause, postmenopausal females often say they have poorer quality sleep. This is can be because of insomnia caused by night sweats and hot flashes. Night sweats in older females may also be a result of obstructive sleep apnea. This is a condition where you stop breathing multiple times during sleep. The risk of developing this condition increases during menopause because of the loss of the hormones estrogen and progesterone. GERD Night sweats can be related to gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), though they aren't among the most prevalent symptoms. When you have GERD, stomach acid backs up into your esophagus. Your night sweats could be GERD-related if you have other symptoms like: Heartburn Chest pain Vomiting Hoarse voice If your night sweats are caused by GERD, getting treatment for the condition can help relieve them. Recap Night sweats can also be related to things like nightmares, hormones, and gastroesophageal reflux disease. Alcohol Consumption Some people notice night sweats after drinking alcohol. Alcohol dependency, in particular, may cause night sweats. Alcohol is a muscle relaxant. It can affect the upper airway and make snoring and sleep apnea worse. Because drinking alcohol may cause sleep-disordered breathing problems like apnea, it has also been linked to night sweats. More Serious Causes of Sweating While Sleeping Sometimes, night sweats may point to a serious condition that needs to be treated. These conditions include: Sleep apneaInfectionAutoimmune disordersSome cancers Sleep Apnea When you have sleep apnea, your breathing pauses during sleep. This may wake you up or bring you into a lighter stage of sleep. This condition makes you struggle to breathe, which causes your body to exert itself, possibly enough to make you sweat. Other symptoms to watch for include: Feeling very sleepy during the dayTrouble concentratingWaking with a dry mouth, sore throat, or headacheLoud snoringAwakening with a gaspBed partner reporting that you stop breathing periodically, then snort and gasp Sleep apnea is a dangerous condition. It can increase the odds that you'll fall asleep or be inattentive while driving or working. It also increases your risk of heart attack and stroke. Sleep apnea is usually treated with a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine. Treatment often helps alleviate night sweats as well as other symptoms. When children, especially toddlers, have breathing problems during sleep, it may look like sweaty and restless sleep. The child may wake red-faced and drenched in sweat with the covers messed up. 10 Surprising Signs of Sleep Apnea in Children Infections Some serious infections can cause night sweats, including: Tuberculosis Brucellosis Bacterial infections HIV See your doctor if you also have other symptoms that suggest an infection, such as: Fever Chills Body aches General weakness Fatigue Sore throat or cough Lack of appetite Diarrhea Vomiting Unintended weight loss Treating the infection should relieve your symptoms, including night sweats. Recap Infections like tuberculosis or a bacterial infection can also cause you to sweat while sleeping. Autoimmune Disorders When you have an autoimmune disease, your immune system mistakes a normal part of your body for a dangerous pathogen. Some of these conditions can cause excessive sweating, including night sweats. These include: Graves' disease Sarcoidosis Rheumatoid arthritis Fevers are a common symptom in autoimmune disease, and they may contribute to sweating. Symptoms vary from one condition to another, but other common symptoms of autoimmunity include: Inflammation with redness and heatMuscle achesJoint painFlares and remissions, periods of heightened symptoms and periods of lighter symptoms Why Are You Always Waking Up Tired? Recap Night sweats can be a symptom of an autoimmune disease like Grave's disease or rheumatoid arthritis. Some Cancers Some types of cancer, especially Hodgkin's lymphoma, can cause drenching night sweats. People with this cancer usually also have other symptoms, though. These may include: Persistent, painless swelling in the lymph nodes in the neck, underarm, or groinUnexplained fever that doesn't go awayUnintended weight lossItching all over that may be severeFatigueShortness of breath, cough, or discomfort in the chestPain in the lymph nodes after drinking alcohol Make an appointment with your healthcare provider right away if you notice these symptoms. How Hodgkin Lymphoma Is Treated Recap Certain cancers can also cause night sweats. People with these cancers usually also have other symptoms, like swollen lymph nodes and unexplained weight loss. Other Causes of Sweating While Sleeping Other things can trigger night sweats, including: Medications: Antidepressants, over-the-counter analgesics (painkillers), beta-blockers, cholinergic agents, diabetes drugs such as insulin, hormone replacement therapy, triptans, Viagra (sildenafil) Dietary supplements: Calcium, niacin Hyperthyroidism: Symptoms include increased appetite, tremor, restlessness, goiter (a visibly enlarged thyroid gland), anxiety, and frequent bowel movements Neurologic disorders: Autonomic dysreflexia, syringomyelia What Is Restless Legs Syndrome? How to Stop Sweating While Sleeping The solution to night sweats depends on the cause of the problem. If the problem is medical, getting the right diagnosis and treatment should relieve the symptom. If a medication side effect is causing your night sweats, talk to your doctor. You may need to compare the risks and rewards of the drug. For other causes of night sweats, you can try: Keeping your bedroom coolerMoisture-wicking sleepwear and beddingLighter or no pajamasAvoiding alcohol or hot beverages before bedDrinking cold waterNot exercising right before bed Sleepwear for Hot Flashes and Night Sweats Recap Getting relief from night sweats depends on what's causing them. If environmental changes don't help, see your doctor. When to See a Healthcare Provider Occasional night sweats aren't usually anything to worry about. Talk to your doctor if your night sweats are: Not explained by a previous diagnosisNot a medication side effectExtremeFrequent and persistentInterfering with sleepAffecting your daily lifeAccompanied by other symptoms To find the cause of your night sweats, your doctor may order a sleep study or other testing. Overnight Sleep Study Testing: What to Expect Recap See your doctor if your night sweats are frequent or they are affecting your quality of life. Summary Night sweats can have a number of causes. They could be related to something simple, like the temperature in your room or what you wear to bed. They could also be related to a medical condition like GERD. Sometimes, night sweats can point to a serious condition like sleep apnea or an autoimmune disorder. If changing your sleep environment and bedtime activities doesn't help, see your doctor. The right diagnosis and treatment may help you find relief. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tossing and turning night over night can have a big impact on your quality of life. Our free guide can help you get the rest you need. Sign up for our newsletter and get it free. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit 17 Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Harding EC, Franks NP, Wisden W. The temperature dependence of sleep. Front Neurosci. 2019;13:336. doi:10.3389/fnins.2019.00336 Kids Health from Nemours. Night terrors. Johns Hopkins Medicine. How does menopause affect my sleep? Huang T, Lin BM, Redline S, Curhan GC, Hu FB, Tworoger SS. Type of menopause, age at menopause, and risk of developing obstructive sleep apnea in postmenopausal women. Am J Epidemiol. 2018;187(7):1370-1379. doi:10.1093/aje/kwy011 Berdnikov A, McPhee S, LaBine L, Fatoye T. Night sweats as a manifestation of gastroesophageal reflux disease. Can Fam Physician. 2020;66(12):901-903. doi:10.46747/cfp.6612901 Taveira KVM, Kuntze MM, Berretta F, et al. Association between obstructive sleep apnea and alcohol, caffeine and tobacco: A meta-analysis. 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Frustrated by night sweats while you're sleeping? American Osteopathic Association. Excessive sweating keeping you up at night? Know when it's time to see your doctor.