What is Night Sweats: Know the Causes and Treatment

Have you ever awakened in the midst of your sleep, and find yourself drenched in sweat and gasping for breath? Although, this can be a normal situation if you are sleeping in an uncomfortable environment, or if you are having fever or any other temporary illness. But if you are persistently encountering this sort of midnight blues, it might be a symptom of a possible health issue or an ailment.

What is Night Sweats?

Night sweats or ‘sleep sweat’ refers to a peculiar health issue that results in drenching of the body in sweat at night. The issue is commonly persistent among women in their 30s and early 40s.  

This phenomenon of sweating is a response to the hot flashes that cause a sudden heat wave throughout the body. Sweating gradually cools down the body by lowering your body temperature to a safe and comfortable level.

However, the persistence of such a situation can be frightful as it may cause insomnia, depression and other mental issues as well. 

Main Causes of Night Sweats in Women 

Following are being the main causes of night sweats: 

Hormonal Changes 

Hormonal change in the female reproductive system, especially oestrogen and progesterone is the main cause for night sweats in women. These abrupt hormonal changes result in abnormal fluctuations in body temperature especially at night. As a response to this stimulus, the night sweats occur. However, excessive sweating can be a cause of worry as it can hint towards a possible critical illness.

Work-related Stress 

In normal situations, work-related stress can affect your mental peace, thereby disturbing your sleep cycle. However, if you're constantly suffering from anxiety or depression, you are more likely to experience night sweat while sleeping. Sometimes, the stress due to work or a crisis revs up your mind during sleep, causing you to perspire and wake up at midnight. 

Over-tight Sleepwear 

Sometimes, a wrong selection of night-suit or even an uncomfortable mattress hinders your skin to ‘"breathe’" properly, thereby causing too much sweat while sleeping.

It is always advised to wear cotton sleepwear that lets your whole body breathe properly and choose the right type of mattress for sound sleep.

Hormonal Changes during Pregnancy:

During pregnancy, the female body undergoes abrupt hormonal shifts. This is why many women experience mood swings and night sweats. A recent survey by the National Library of Medicine, Biotech Information (USA) suggests that above 33 percent of women experience night sweats in the prenatal stage (before childbirth), while 29% experience in the postpartum (after childbirth) stage. 

Among the two conditions, the prenatal night sweats commonly happen during the following stages:—

• Trimester 1, i.e., during 1st to 14th week; and 
• Trimester 3, i.e., from 27th week till the childbirth stage. 

Sometimes, the sleep sweat may persist even a few weeks post your childbirth, because it takes time to adjust the hormonal level to their pre-pregnancy normal range.

So, there is absolutely no need to worry if you are facing night sweats throughout the period of pregnancy as this is nature's way of controlling your pregnancy temperature. 

When do the Night Sweats Occur the Most?

Mostly, the night sweats occur during the successive stages of perimenopause and menopause. 

• Perimenopause: Perimenopause refers to the transition towards the stage of menopause. During this stage, a woman’s ovaries generate less amount of oestrogen hormone than her initial years. This also leads to irregular periods. Generally, perimenopause occurs from the age of 40 to 50.

• Menopause: This stage begins with the end of perimenopause. When you miss your periods for 12 months in a row, it means you have entered the phase of menopause. The onset of menopause in women happens generally at the age of 51. 

Night Sweats and An Underlying Health Issue 

If you are persistently facing the problem of night sweats, it might be a symptom of a possible medical condition or a critical ailment such as the following:

• Obesity
• A Cardiac Ailment
• Hypertension and Depression
• Hyperthyroidism (i.e. the overactive thyroid)
• Autoimmune disorders, e.g. rheumatoid arthritis
• HIV/AIDS

Can Cancer Cause Night Sweats?

It is true that sometimes the night sweats can be symptoms of some particular types of cancers. Here are different types of cancers that involve night sweats as symptoms: 

• Breast Cancer, which can occur both in men & women.

• Carcinoid tumours, that generally occur in the digestive tract.

• Leukaemia or blood cancer.

• Lymphoma: Cancer of the lymphocytes, i.e. cells of the immune system. It can be found in the lymph nodes, thymus, spleen, and bone marrow. 

• Prostate cancer: Cancer occurring in the prostate gland of males. This type of cancer is characterised by common symptoms such as night sweats in men. Although, men should always not apprehend night sweats as symptoms of prostate cancer, if they occur persistently every night, they should get diagnosed for this cancer as soon as possible.

Thus, the occurrence of night sweats might be a symptom of one of the types of cancers mentioned above. Now, an obvious question arises—

What if you are Diagnosed with Cancer?

For such an unwanted situation, you must already have adequate cancer coverage. The skyrocketing medical treatment costs has made health insurance quite essential for every household. Especially, the expenses involved in cancer treatment can drain all your savings if you do not have adequate health coverage. 

A cancer specific plan works on the principle of fixed-benefit plan, where a lump sum amount is provided towards treatment. The granted amount can be utilised in paying off the liabilities. 

In this regard Care Cancer Mediclaim plan can be a good option to consider. With comprehensive cancer coverage, you can prevent depletion of your savings due to hefty hospital bills. Starting from covering the hospitalisation expenses to other related expenses, the policy proves as a boon in the time of need. 

>> Also Read: Cancer Treatment Cost in India

Disclaimer: Verifying the policy details and coverage with the official policy documents is essential. Also, kindly consult a professional medical expert to verify the details of health concerns.