Night Sweats Causes

Find out what causes night sweats and start working your way towards a drier, more comfortable sleep.

THE TOP SIX CAUSES OF NIGHT SWEATS

Waking up in the middle of the night with your clothes and sheets drenched in sweat, is no-one’s idea of a good time.

Night sweats, or cold sweats as they’re sometimes referred to, are a special type of sweating. Unlike sweating caused by a hot room or heavy blankets, night sweats can often be traced to an underlying medical cause or condition. Thankfully there are remedies to stop night sweats that are not caused by a medical condition.

But what are these other causes for night sweats? Learn about six common causes and start working your way towards a drier, more comfortable sleep.

1. POOR DIET

While food does not necessarily cause night sweats, eating the wrong kinds of foods and drinks before bedtime can worsen the effects, such as:

Sugars
Hydrogenated fats
Highly refined foods
Spicy foods
Alcohol
Caffeine

2. DISRUPTED SLEEP

Shifting abruptly between sleep, wakefulness and different sleep phases can stress out your brain and often trigger night sweats.

Sleep apnoea and working irregular hours can also increase the frequency and severity of night sweats.

3. MEDICATION

Some medications can cause night sweats, such as:

Hormone regulators
Antidepressants
Hypoglycemic agents, which lower your blood-sugar levels

If you take any of these medications and are experiencing night sweats, it may help to consult your physician and discuss alternative treatments.

4. MENOPAUSE

Hormone imbalances associated with menopause are a common cause of night sweats in women.

5. LOW TESTOSTERONE LEVELS

Night sweats in men are predominantly caused by low testosterone levels. Hormone imbalances in andropausal men cause the hypothalamus to malfunction and make the body think it’s overheated when it isn’t.

This causes the body to expel this non-existent excess heat by excessive sweating.

High levels of stress-induced cortisol and poor diet or fitness can also contribute to night sweats in men.

6. PRIMARY HYPERHIDROSIS

For certain people, regular excessive sweating can occur for no medical reason at all.

This is known as primary hyperhidrosis, and is often hereditary, or common to members of the same family.

When you have explored all other night sweats causes, it’s a good idea to see your doctor and rule out an underlying medical condition.