Sometimes you may wake up in the middle of the night and find your clothes soaking wet with sweat, but after changing into clean clothes you may find yourself tossing and turning and unable to get a good night’s sleep. If this happens to you a lot and ruins your sleep quality, your body may be actually giving you some warning signs about your health.

5 reasons for night sweats

Sick

If you catch a cold and have a fever, your immune system will react to viral or bacterial infection, causing your body to feel cold and shivery.

Menopause

When women enter menopause, their oestrogen production will decrease, leading to hot flashes, excessive sweating and palpitations during sleep.

After surgery

Some patients may experience night sweats after surgery with general anaesthesia.

Drug withdrawal

After discontinuing certain drugs, some patients may encounter withdrawal symptoms such as trembling in their sleep. Certain antidepressants and cancer drugs can also lead to night sweats.

Health issues

Patients with anxiety, panic attacks, sleep apnoea, hyperthyroidism, acid reflux, obesity or low blood sugar will easily sweat at night.

To reduce night sweats, you may turn on a fan to keep your bedroom cool. If the condition persists for a long time, you should seek help from doctors as soon as possible to identify the underlying causes.