Health education · night sweats
Why do I sweat at night? Common causes and when to get checked
Waking up a little warm is common. Waking up with soaked pajamas or sheets, night after night, is different. A Nov 11, 2026 article from Ascension walks through eight common reasons people sweat at night. This page summarizes them, explains how night sweats differ from everyday underarm sweat, and lists what to note before you see a clinician.
Why do I sweat at night? Quick checks
- Did the sweating start after a new medicine or dose change? Do you also have hot flashes, fever, chills or a cough? (Ascension)
- Does it follow alcohol, caffeine or spicy food? Are you snoring, gasping or waking up exhausted? Note your answers for your doctor.
Sleep setup
Night sweats or just a warm bedroom?
Ascension describes true night sweats as heavy sweating that soaks clothing or bedding even in a cool room. A warm bedroom, heavy blankets or fleece pajamas can cause ordinary sweating, so try a cooler room and lighter layers first (Ascension).
Get checked
Why do I sweat at night even in a cool room?
If you keep waking up drenched in a cool room, or the sweating comes with other symptoms, something other than your bedroom may be involved. Nurse practitioner Andrew Fritz, DNP, APNP, says one sweaty night is usually less concerning than sweating that keeps happening.
FAQ
Why do I sweat at night? Quick answers
What counts as night sweats?
Can menopause cause night sweats?
Can medicine make me sweat at night?
Is night sweating a sign of hyperhidrosis?
Will an underarm antiperspirant stop night sweats?
Why do I sweat at night? 8 common reasons
Ascension’s Nov 11, 2026 article lists eight possible reasons (Ascension): (1) a bedroom or bedding that is too warm; (2) menopause or perimenopause; (3) medication side effects; (4) stress or anxiety, which can trigger the fight-or-flight response; (5) an infection or fever, including colds, flu and COVID; (6) alcohol, caffeine or spicy food close to bedtime; (7) low blood sugar or another condition such as an overactive thyroid, obesity or hyperhidrosis; and (8) obstructive sleep apnea.
The article also warns that alcohol withdrawal can cause sweating, shaking and a racing heartbeat, and that people who drink heavily should talk with a health professional before stopping suddenly.
Night sweats, hot flashes and menopause
The National Institute on Aging says hot flashes that happen at night are called night sweats. Its practical tips include lowering the bedroom temperature, layering bedding so it can be adjusted, using a fan and avoiding alcohol, spicy foods and caffeine (NIA).
Menopause night sweats are a different problem from everyday underarm wetness. Read more in night sweats vs underarm sweating and talk with a clinician about treatment options.
Sweating while asleep vs daytime sweating
AAD lists sweating that stops while you sleep among the signs of primary hyperhidrosis, and notes that secondary hyperhidrosis, caused by a medicine or another medical condition, can cause sweating during sleep (AAD). That is one reason drenching night sweats deserve a check-up.
What to track before your appointment
Fritz recommends tracking night sweats for a week: when they happen, whether pajamas or sheets were soaked, and anything else you notice, such as fever, coughing, fatigue or hot flashes. That record helps your clinician spot patterns.
Sources
- Ascension. Why do I sweat at night? 8 common causes (Andrew Fritz, DNP, APNP). Nov 11, 2026
- National Institute on Aging (NIH). Hot Flashes: What Can I Do?
- American Academy of Dermatology (AAD). Hyperhidrosis: Causes
Educational information, not a diagnosis or medical advice. Sources were opened and read on Nov 11, 2026. Research summaries are based on the published abstract or full text as noted; they are not evidence for any Maxim product.
Waking up drenched night after night?
Keep a one-week log and see a clinician, especially if you also have fever, chills, cough, fatigue or hot flashes.
See the 8 causesRead the sourcesEducational information only, not medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Maxim underarm antiperspirants do not treat night sweats, hot flashes, menopause or whole-body sweating.
