Night Sweating: 5 Causes To Consider

Even if this does not correspond to a serious illness, if we sweat too often at night and for no reason, it is better to consult a specialist to do tests.

Night sweating is normal only when the temperature or atmospheric pressure is high.  If these factors are not present, it is an abnormal symptom that should be analyzed.

Too much sweating is a very common ailment. Sometimes it is the incubation period of a cold or a minor infection. It can also be a very common effect during menopause.

However, anyway, it is necessary to have a proper diagnosis. The International Society of Hyperhidrosis has conducted studies to better understand this problem.

Although not all people who sweat during the night have hyperhidrosis, it is a very common problem with primary attention consultations. This is often due to insomnia or even stress, and this accumulated anxiety because one fails to achieve restful sleep.

In other cases, there are underlying illnesses that are relatively serious but need to be treated. In this article, we explain 5 causes of this symptom.

1. Night sweating and the side effects of certain medications

Excessive sweating at night can perfectly be the consequence of the side effects of certain medications.

The Department of Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania (USA), many treatments for anxiety and depression have been shown to trigger increased nighttime sweating.

• However, this does not happen in all patients. Only between 14% and 20% show an excessive increase in sweating during the night (pajamas and sheets end up soaking).
• Likewise, excessive consumption of drugs to treat pain or inflammation can also cause this side effect.

So, do not hesitate to consult a doctor in the face of any symptom or side effect related to certain medications that you should be taking for your disease.

2. Hyperthyroidism

It is, without a doubt, the most common cause of nighttime sweating. Clearly hyperthyroidism has other obvious symptoms like fatigue, weight gain, capillary fragility and such common temperature disturbances.

• You should know that when the thyroid gland suffers from an alteration linked to the hormone thyroxine, our metabolism becomes imbalanced. One of the main consequences is heat intolerance and excessive sweating.
• Likewise, we also notice palpitations when we are in bed, ringing in the ears, and sleepless episodes.

3. Lymphomas 

We said at the beginning of this article that night sweating is an indicator of certain types of more serious illnesses.

• The lymphomas are one example. It is a cancer that begins in lymphocytes, which are an essential part of the immune system. 
• The lymphatic system or the spleen can be affected by this type of disease, where nighttime sweating is usual.
• In general, the main indicator experienced by patients with  these lymphomas is inflammation of a lymph node in the armpit or groin.

However, be aware that it is a type of cancerous disease that responds well to treatment and has a long lifespan.

4. Hypoglycemia

Nighttime sweating is also a common symptom of low blood sugar. 

Patients with type 1 diabetes, for example, often suffer from bouts of excessive sweating at night. Because they suffer from imbalances in their glucose levels. If this happens, it is for a very specific reason. The pancreas does not secrete enough insulin. As a result, perspiration is created to balance this internal alteration.

5. Gastric reflux or poor digestion

Surely this has happened to you before. You eat too much or something that makes us sick. One moment of the night, you wake up feeling very unwell and completely “drenched in sweat”.

• It is a way that our body reacts to an imbalance, a threat or an inner alteration.
• Likewise, be aware that gastric reflux disease is also linked to this symptom.
• Also note that exhaustion, chest pain and breathing problems are too. If you suffer from this regularly, see a specialist.
• Once the disease is diagnosed, with the right treatment, you will gain quality of life.

In conclusion, never normalize this type of symptoms. Sweating at night, if it is not hot, is not normal.

See your doctor and explain how you are feeling and what is happening to you.