Excessive sweating while sleeping

Excessive sweating while sleeping is often an unpleasant experience. Sometimes, it is caused by simple things such as environmental temperature or an extra blanket. However, excessive night sweat may also be a symptom of various health problems, including diseases, infections and hormonal changes. Excessive night sweats are not the same as the simple sweating. These episodes of extreme perspiration usually involve soaking the nightclothes or beading in sweat, even when the bedroom temperature is at its optimum. In most cases, night sweats aren’t a sign of a serious health problem, but it is important to become more acquainted with this symptom and rule out any kind of underlying medical issue from its causes. Night sweats are medically known as sleep hyperhidrosis.

Signs and symptoms of sweating while sleeping

Night sweating usually occurs in the early adulthood, but it may happen to people of all ages. In most cases, sufferers do not experience excessive perspiration while awake but during the night time the sweats may become so excessive to cause a lot of discomfort and disrupt normal sleep patterns. More severe types of night sweats are usually described as hot flashes occurring at night which can soak the sleepwear and sheets. Even though night sweats affect most of the people at some point in their lives, it is important to consult a physician and rule out any serious cause behind this symptom.Most frequent causes of sweating while sleeping

Hot flashes and night sweating are most frequent in women over 40. This is a stage when most women enter menopause, a transitional period characterized by severe fluctuations in hormonal levels. Night sweating typically affects this group of population and stands out as one of the most prominent symptoms of the menopause.

Idiopathic hyperhidrosis

Sometimes, the body may start to produce too much sweat without any identifiable medical cause. This condition is medically known as idiopathic hyperhidrosis.

Infections

Various infections may also result in night sweats. This symptom is tightly associated with tuberculosis, inflammation of the heart valves, inflammation in the bones, and HIV/AIDS infection.

Cancers

Among most severe causes of night sweats are some types of cancers. Typically, excessive sweating while sleeping occurs at the early stages of lymphoma and it is normally accompanied with numerous other symptoms including weight loss and fever.

Medications

Certain medications are also known to provoke sweating while sleeping. Typically, this is indicated in description, as a side-effect of treatments. Most commonly, night sweats are caused by antidepressants, Viagra, niacin, Aspirin and acetaminophen.