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Doctors in primary care fields often hear their patients complain of night
sweats. Night sweats refer to any excess sweating occurring during the night.
However, if your bedroom is unusually hot or you are using too many bedclothes,
you may begin to sweat during sleep–and this is normal. In order to
distinguish night sweats that arise from medical causes from those that occur
because ones surroundings are too warm, doctors generally refer to true night
sweats as severe hot flashes occurring at night that can drench sleepwear and
sheets, which are not related to an overheated environment.

In one study of 2267 patients visiting a primary care physician, 41%
reported experiencing night sweats during the previous month, so the perception
of excessive sweating at night is fairly common. It is important to note that
flushing (a warmth and redness of the face or trunk) may also be hard to
distinguish from true night sweats.

There are many different causes of night sweats. To determine what is
causing night sweats in a particular individual, a doctor must obtain a
detailed medical history and order tests to decide if an underlying medical
condition is responsible for the night sweats. Some of the known conditions
that can cause night sweats are:

1. Menopause
   The hot flashes that accompany the menopausal
   transition can occur at night and cause sweating. This is a very common cause
   of night sweats in perimenopausal women.

1. Idiopathic hyperhidrosis Idiopathic hyperhidrosis is a condition
   in which the body chronically produces too much sweat without any
   medical cause.

1. Infections Classically, tuberculosis is the infection most
   commonly associated with night sweats. However, bacterial infections, such as
   endocarditis (inflammation of the heart valves), (inflammation
   within the bones), and abscesses all may result in night sweats. Night sweats
   are also a symptom of AIDS virus (HIV) infection.

1. Cancers Night sweats are an early symptom of some cancers. The
   most common type of cancer associated with night sweats is lymphoma. However,
   people who have an undiagnosed cancer frequently have other symptoms as well,
   such as unexplained weight loss and fevers.

1. Medications Taking certain medications can lead to night sweats.
   In cases without other physical symptoms or signs of tumor or infection,
   medications are often determined to be the cause of night sweats.
   Antidepressant medications are a common type of medication that can lead to
   night sweats. All types of can cause night sweats as a side
   effect, with a range in incidence from 8 to 22% of persons taking
   antidepressant drugs. Other psychiatric drugs have also been associated with
   night sweats. Medicines taken to lower fever such as aspirin and acetaminophen
   can sometimes lead to sweating. Other types of drugs can cause flushing, which,
   as mentioned above, may be confused with night sweats. Some of the many drugs
   that can cause flushing include:

• niacin (taken in the higher doses used for lipid disorders),
• tamoxifen,
• hydralazine,
• nitroglycerine, and
• sildenafil (Viagra).

Many other drugs not mentioned above, including cortisone medications such
as prednisone and prednisolone, may also be associated with flushing or night
sweats.

1. Hypoglycemia
   Sometimes low blood glucose can cause
   sweating. People who are taking insulin or oral anti-diabetic medications may
   experience hypoglycemia at night that is accompanied by sweating.

1. Hormone disorders - Sweating or flushing can be seen with several
   hormone disorders, including pheochromocytoma, carcinoid syndrome, and
   hyperthyroidism.

1. Neurologic conditions Uncommonly, neurologic conditions including
   autonomic dysreflexia, post-traumatic , stroke, and autonomic
   neuropathy may cause increased sweating and possibly lead to night sweats.