Night sweats are excessive sweating while sleeping, caused by a range of conditions from hot environments to serious medical problems. It affects men and women equally and can vary from light sweating to soaking sheets. Seek medical advice if it persists.
Night sweats refers to excessive sweating while sleeping. Light sweats would typically not be characterized as night sweats. They are more like the hot flashes you experience at night. It is a common problem that affects men and women equally and can be caused by a range of conditions from medically benign problems such as a hot bedroom or sleeping under too many blankets to more serious medical conditions such as excessive stress or anxiety. from drugs, or even neurological problems.
A light night sweat would not be called “night sweats”. The amount of sweat produced by this condition is excessive. It can vary greatly from lightly sweating in your pajamas to soaking your sheets and bed. Sometimes the amount of overheating and sweating experienced during an episode is so great that it wakes people up in the middle of the night, prompting them to move to a dry part of the bed or perhaps even change the covers. If it’s clear that the sweating is a result of a warm environment, wearing lighter pajamas, using lighter blankets, or keeping airflow open in the bedroom can prevent future episodes. If your sleep conditions aren’t warm, however, there could be medical causes.
A variety of medical conditions or medical situations can contribute to the occurrence of night sweats. Perhaps the most common or most obvious is stress and anxiety. Stressful waking lives can manifest in dreams that cause great anxiety and lead to this condition. For menopausal women, sweating episodes can occur during the night just like hot flashes during the day. They can also be a byproduct or side effect of certain drugs or drug combinations. Those suffering from idiopathic hyperhidrosis, or excessive sweating in general, can sweat excessively even during the night hours. Infections, hormonal imbalances, some cancers, and even neurological problems can also cause this condition.
In most cases, night sweats are harmless, the result of a hot environment or a temporarily stressful time in one’s life. Medical professionals, however, recommend that those experiencing these discomforts for an extended period seek the advice of a doctor as they could be a symptom of a more serious medical problem.
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