What causes night sweats?

Question

Every few months, I'll have a couple of weeks when I wake up soaking wet in sweat.

What causes/is the reason for this?

Answer 1

Lots of conditions can cause the night sweats and have already been mentioned.

It can be anything from endocrine imbalances, low blood sugar, heart problems, lung problems, etc. Try having a snack before bedtime, one that includes protein as well as some carbohydrate (e.g., cheese and crackers with a glass of milk). That snack won't pile on the pounds but will get rid of any blood sugar problems if that happens to be the cause.

An often missed reason is sleep apnea--where you actually stop breathing during your sleep. When your blood oxygen levels drop because of not breathing, your heart has to pump faster and harder to oxygenate your cells. This causes the sweating, and it also causes you to wake up. Having morning headaches after sleeping is another telling indication that sleep apnea might be the cause of the sweats. I have that, and I have to sleep at night with a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machine.

Best bet: schedule a checkup with your doctor to find out the reasons why you are experiencing night sweats.

Answer 2

lack of vitamin b12

Answer 3

Contrary to popular belief, hot flashes don't just happen to women once they reach menopause.  They can happen (and do) at any age.  Often, they occur in the form of night sweats.  To ease them, you can either sleep with just a sheet on or, if you like being cuddled up in a blanket while you sleep, have a small fan trained on you at night.  Even though you're covered up enough to feel cuddly, the cool air will reach you, just enough so that you don't wake up sweating.

You can also try medications, but for something that happens this infrequently, I'd recommend the fan.  It's much easier to do that than worry about side effects from medication.  But, if you're truly worried, you could bring it up the next time you go for a physical at your doctor's.  They may know more than Yahoo answerers would.

Answer 4

something may be bothering you an you don't realize it or sometimes dreams have that affect like a nightmareish sort of thing

Answer 5

stress??

Answer 6

If you are not having any health issues, tension or excitement you endure during your dreams might be the main cause.

Or you might be simply using a blanket in a warm environment, it happens to me all the time, waking up soaking and having the blanket all over me.

Answer 7

that is because u r putting ur blanket without leaving the air inside  

Answer 8

Numerous things cause such. HIV, Menopause, alcoholism to name 3 right off. Do a search for "night sweats" including the quotation marks.