Night Sweats

Nights sweats are a surprisingly common problem, especially in middle-aged people. (Journal of Family Practice 2002;51:452–6).

The most common reason is the menopause in women. Alcohol seems to be a common cause, so it might be worth seeing whether stopping alcohol altogether would solve the problem. If you are overweight and a snorer, you may have ‘sleep apnoea’, which causes restless sleep and, in some cases, night sweats. Some people with restless legs syndrome wake with sweating as well as with the discomfort or jerking of the legs (Annals of Family Medicine 2006;4:423–6). If the sweats are a new problem that has followed a sore throat, you might have glandular fever (infectious mononucleosis), which is a common viral infection that usually clears up in 1–2 weeks.

You should discuss this problem with your doctor, who will wish to rule out an overactive thyroid, so will ask you about nervousness, palpitations and weight loss. It is also worth checking whether medication might be the cause. Aspirin or acetaminophen (paracetamol) are the most common culprits; propranolol, pilocarpine and some antidepressants (tricyclics, vanlafaxine, fluoxetine) can also encourage sweating. People taking treatment for diabetes can have night sweats if their blood sugar falls too low in the night, so if you are diabetic you should certainly report the sweats to your diabetes doctor.

All doctors were taught in medical school that night sweats can be a symptom of tuberculosis. Therefore, when a patient says they have night sweats, doctors always consider tuberculosis, but this is actually a very unusual cause. Other serious causes include HIV infection and lymphoma.

• Sweating
• Sweaty armpits
• Sweaty feet
• Sweaty hands
• Sweating and hot flushes – look at our Blushing & flushing section
• Sweating when you are anxious – look at our Shyness section
• Pheromones
• Antiperspirants and breast cancer
• Useful contacts