Why Night Sweats? - Common Causes

Waking in a pool of sweat is uncomfortable but not always a cause for concern.  It is usually due to a warm room, heavy sleepwear, or too many covers on the bed.  Other causes of night sweats include stress, hormonal changes, menopause, infections like the common cold, and over-the-counter medications.  Sometimes night sweats may indicate that something more serious is going on.  

Why Night Sweats? - Common Causes
By Pierre Mouchette | Bits-n-Pieces

Waking in a pool of sweat is a relatively common experience that people call "night sweats."  In most cases, they are not a cause for concern.  But, now and then, they can be a sign of an underlying health condition. 
 
Most common causes of night sweats
Night sweating often has nothing to do with a person's health.  It is an indicator of natural changes that occur when you are asleep.  As an example, they can be a result of the following:

• Sleepwear:  Your pajamas could cause you to overheat at night.  It is especially true if your pajamas have long sleeves or are made from a heavier material like fleece or flannel.
  
  
• Sleep environment:  When most people visualize falling asleep, they think of curling up in a warm cozy bed.  Nestling under a heap of covers can help you sleep.  But if you like a heavy blanket, keeping the room temperature cool is essential.  60° to 67°F is an ideal temperature range.
  
  
• Medications: Many medications can cause excessive sweating and lead to night sweats.  Some common ones include medicines that help reduce fevers, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) and ibuprofen (Advil); steroids, like prednisone; certain antidepressants, like amitriptyline, duloxetine, venlafaxine; and medications for diabetes, like insulin and pioglitazone.
  
  
• Menopause:  Hot flashes may occur at night while you sleep.  They are commonplace during menopause or perimenopause, the time around menopause when an individual body starts changing in preparation for menopause.
  
  
• Menstruation:  A decrease in estrogen can cause the body to be more susceptible to temperature changes.  This change can happen just before and at the start of one's menstrual period.  It may also cause some people to experience night sweats.

 
Many health conditions can result in night sweats, like:

• Stress:  Natural body stress response can result in sweating, which can happen at night.  Stress can trigger an overactive mind and body, resulting in different physical symptoms.
  
  
• Infection:  A recurrent infection, such as the common cold, may cause a fever that leads to night sweats.  But some rarer disorders could also be the cause of night sweats.  These include endocarditis, HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), mononucleosis, and malaria.  Getting night sweats from a fever does not necessarily mean you have one of these infections.