Night sweats

What are night sweats?

Night sweatsOpens in a new window are a condition characterised by excessive sweating that occurs at night. The condition can be caused by a variety of factors, including bedding, menopause, pregnancy, anxiety, and medications.

Night sweats can be disruptive to sleep and can cause feelings of anxiety or embarrassment. In some cases, night sweats may be a sign of a more serious condition, such as infections or hypoglycemia.

What causes night sweats?

Everyone experiences night sweats at some point in their lives. They can occur if you’re too warm while sleeping. Occasionally, they can also be due to:

• Illness or fever
• Infections
• Side effects of medication
• Heavy night clothes or bedding
• Sleep apnoea
• Hypoglycemia or low blood sugar
• Alcohol or drug use
• Hyperhidrosis
• Hormone disorders

Can I stop night sweats?

If you begin sweating in your sleep, a few simple changes could improve things:

• Stay hydrated during the day.
• Wear lighter clothing in bed.
• Change your bedding to lighter fabrics or a thinner duvet.
• Keep your bedroom cool and ventilated at night.
• Avoid potential triggers, such as spicy food, caffeine, smoking and alcohol.

Ways to prevent night sweats

How can I reduce or avoid night sweats?

Your sweat glands are less active at night, so applying a 72-hour protection antiperspirant to clean, dry skin before bed will allow it to work while you sleep and into the next day.

You might want to consider a  extra protection antiperspirantOpens in a new window deodorant like Rexona Clinical Protection, which is double the strength of regular antiperspirant. As sweating at night occurs all over the body, applying antiperspirant will only help with sweaty armpits.

If you’re experiencing excessive sweating − to the point where you regularly soak your bed sheets or have sweat patches on your clothes – you might want to speak to your doctor or healthcare professional, who will be able to offer you more advice.