A good night’s rest can become unpleasant pretty quickly if you don’t feel like you’re able to regulate your temperature.
Sweating in your sleep, however, is not necessarily a sign of a medical problem. Still, your body could be signaling you to make some changes – so it’s important to pay attention.
Here are ten things your body is trying to tell you if you sweat in your sleep, according to experts.
#1 – THE DAYTIME STRESS
The stress you are experiencing during the daytime can cause a few sweats to roll down your back, but what you don’t know is the possibility to carry that to bed with you if you didn’t get rid of all what worries you.
Let’s be honest, some of us are still trying to master the art of getting rid of stress and anxiety, and sometimes, we tend to ignore it as much as we can, till it comes back at night and bite us in the a*s.
In these cases, you will feel exhaustion, abnormality in your heart beats, and of course, a lot of night sweats.
#2 – WEARING THE WRONG PJ’S
When the seasons change, we have to be picky about the clothes we wear to bed. So if it is already warm outside, but you are still wearing your cozy, black PJ’s, you will definitely end up waking up drowning in a pool of sweat.
According to Dr. Sujay Kansagra, a sleep health expert at Mattress Firm and the director of Pediatric Neurology Sleep Medicine Program at Duke University, some people are naturally warmer than others, which is why each individual must count on his/her own preference when it comes to the environment and clothes they choose to sleep in.
#3 – CHANGE YOUR SLEEP ENVIRONMENT
In addition to your sleep clothes, you must consider the room’s temperature because it might be the reason why you are dealing with night sweats daily. It could be your body’s way of telling you that the temperature has to be turned down a little, even if you are enjoying being cozy.
Dr. Kansagra explains that 68°F to 72°F is the ideal temperature for a good night’s rest. So don’t hesitate to turn it down a bit to improve your sleep’s quality and to help your body breathe.
#4 – IT COULD BE MENOPAUSE
Hormones can be a major influence on the temperature of your body. So the night sweats could be symptoms of hormonal changes, and if you are a woman, then you might be experiencing a few effects of early menopause.
Menopause can cause excessive sweating due the hot flashes and changes that happen in the estrogen levels. If you are still too young for menopause, then you might be experiencing mood swings or irregular periods.
#5 – SIDE EFFECTS OF A SPECIFIC MEDICATION
It is a possibility that your night sweats could be resulting from a prescription medication you are on. Testosterone supplements and antidepressants are known to cause these side effects. So if you find the night sweats annoying or frustrating, then you should discuss it with your doctor who may find other solutions.
#6 – SWEATING DISORDER
Sweating during the night may go unnoticeable sometimes, but if you sweat during the day, too, then your body is telling you that you got a sweating disorder.
This condition is called hyperhidrosis and it may lead your underarms, palms, and many other areas to sweat throughout both the day and night. It is important to mention these symptoms to your doctor as there are things that can be done to treat excessive sweating.
#7 – IT MIGHT BE A THYROID PROBLEM
When we are sweating too much every night, we might be unaware that our bodies are signaling something serious like hyperthyroidism, which is a condition when the thyroid produces a lot of thyroxine hormone due to the false alarm the brain gets about not having enough blood in our system.
People having this issue will also experience tremors, increased appetite, poor sleep, and anxiousness.
#8 – LOW BLOOD SUGAR
If low blood sugar is causing your night sweats, then the issue is serious and it is time to take a serious action. Diabetic people can experience this symptom if they have been taking too much insulin, skipping a meal, taking different diabetes medications or working out more than they should.
If this is the case, you will constantly have nightmares and a lot of confusion when waking up, along with tons of sweats.
#9 – A SIGN OF LYMPHOMA
Most of the times, night sweats are the results of minor reasons, but sometimes, it may indicate a very serious issue that needs to be fixed. One of the earliest signs of lymphoma, cancer in general, could be the excessive night sweats, and mostly, it is followed by exhaustion, chronic itching and shortness of breath.
Thankfully, it’s rare when it happens, but if you noticed that your night sweat is getting persistent, then it is best to call a doctor.
#10 – TUBERCULOSIS
This is also a rare scenario but it is a must to tackle all the reasons. Tuberculosis is an infectious disease that affects our lungs, and night sweats are one of its earliest signs.
If you are concerned about it, then get medical care as soon as you can. Most likely, it is going to be TB, but it is necessary to pay attention to the signals our bodies send. Sweating every night doesn’t really mean something bad is happening within your body.
For that to happen, there will many other symptoms that are too obvious and bothersome. However, it is always worth seeing a doctor in order to avoid letting a small issue to become a large problem. Stay safe!
