Night sweats: when they are normal and when to see a doctor
Waking up slightly damp on a hot night under a warm duvet is a normal body response. It is a different matter if you regularly wake up in wet clothes and bedding even though the bedroom is not hot.
Short answer
Night sweats are most often linked to a warm bedroom, heavy bedding, alcohol, spicy food, or hormonal changes. If you regularly wake up in soaked bedding, or have a fever, chills, or unexplained weight loss, see a doctor.
When sweating at night is normal
During sleep the body keeps regulating its temperature. If the room is stuffy, the duvet too warm, and the pyjamas made of thick synthetic fabric, the skin cools itself with sweat, just as it does on a hot day.
This kind of sweating usually stops once the bedroom becomes cooler. It does not recur every night regardless of conditions and does not come with other new symptoms.
Common harmless causes
Night sweating can be increased by habits and circumstances that are easy not to connect with sleep. Changing one or two of them is usually enough to notice a difference.
- a warm or poorly ventilated bedroom, a duvet or bedding that is too heavy;
- alcohol, spicy food, or a large dinner shortly before bed;
- anxiety and stress before important events;
- hormonal changes, for example during menopause;
- side effects of some medicines — do not stop them on your own; discuss it with your doctor.
When to see a doctor
Regular night sweats that leave you waking up in soaked bedding deserve a specialist’s attention, even if you otherwise feel well.
Do not postpone a visit if night sweats come with a fever, chills, a cough, diarrhoea, or unexplained weight loss, or if they disturb your sleep and do not go away. A doctor will look for the cause, which may range from hormonal changes to an illness or a reaction to medication.
How to make your sleep cooler
Air the bedroom before bed and, if possible, lower the temperature a little. Choose a light duvet and bedding, and pyjamas made of cotton or linen.
Keep a glass of water nearby and limit alcohol and spicy food in the evening. If night sweating is linked to anxiety, a calm evening routine without screens in the last hour before sleep can help.
How OKEY can help
OKEY is applied in the evening before bed to clean, completely dry underarm skin. It helps control sweating in that area, but it does not treat night sweats as a symptom and does not affect their cause.
If your whole body sweats at night, an antiperspirant is no substitute for a medical check-up. First find the cause with a doctor, and use OKEY according to the instructions for everyday underarm control.
