Night Sweats: Common Causes, What Helps and When to See Your GP
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Night sweats are when you wake with your pyjamas and sheets soaked, even though the room isn't hot. They're common, they have many possible causes, and most are not serious, but a few are worth checking with your GP. This guide covers what counts as night sweats, the common causes, what you can do tonight to sleep more comfortably, and the signs that mean you should book an appointment.
The short answer: night sweats are heavy sweating during sleep that soaks your clothes or bedding when the room is cool. Common causes include menopause, infections, some medicines, anxiety and low blood sugar, and occasionally more serious conditions. A cooler bedroom, light natural-fibre bedding and cutting back on alcohol, caffeine and spicy food in the evening can make nights easier. See your GP if they keep happening, or if they come with fever, unexplained weight loss, a cough or pain.
This guide is general information, not medical advice.
What counts as night sweats?
Feeling a bit warm under a heavy doona on a humid night isn't night sweats. Healthdirect describes night sweats as waking with your pyjamas and sheets soaked with sweat, even when conditions are cool (source). They can happen to anyone, of any age or sex.
A simple test: if you'd sweat in that room under that bedding no matter what, it's probably the environment. If you're drenched in a cool room with light bedding, and it happens again and again, it's worth paying attention to. For getting the room right in the first place, see the best bedroom temperature for sleep.
Common causes
Healthdirect lists a wide range of possible causes (source):
| Group | Examples |
|---|---|
| Hormonal | Perimenopause and menopause, premenstrual changes, pregnancy |
| Infections | Flu, COVID-19, tuberculosis |
| Medicines | Some antidepressants, diabetes medicines, blood pressure medicines, steroids, fever reducers such as paracetamol and aspirin, cancer treatments, methadone |
| Other conditions | Thyroid disease, low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia), hyperhidrosis (a condition that causes excess sweating), stroke, some cancers such as lymphoma and leukaemia |
| Mind and mood | Anxiety and stress |
Most people with night sweats don't have anything serious. But because the list is long, the pattern of your symptoms matters more than the sweating alone.
Night sweats and menopause
Menopause is one of the most common reasons adults ask about night sweats. Jean Hailes says around 3 in 4 women have hot flushes and night sweats around the time of menopause, and a flush usually lasts 1 to 5 minutes (source). Spicy food, alcohol, smoking and extra weight can make them worse.
The Sleep Health Foundation notes that women tend to wake just before a hot flush starts, which suggests the body is already alerting before the heat arrives (source). That's why night sweats often come with broken sleep, not just damp sheets. The foundation also says cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) and mindfulness training can improve sleep during the menopause transition, and that treating hot flushes can improve sleep quality.
Menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) is one option your GP may discuss, and there are non-hormonal options for people who can't use it. For more on this stage of life, see menopause and sleep.
What helps tonight
You can't always fix the cause straight away, but you can make the night more bearable. Drawing on healthdirect and the Sleep Health Foundation:
- Cool the room. Use a fan or air conditioning. See sleeping with a fan on for the pros and cons.
- Choose light, natural fibres. Loose cotton or linen pyjamas and lightweight cotton sheets.
- Layer your bedding. Several thin layers you can kick off beat one heavy doona.
- Keep cold water by the bed. Sip it if you wake hot.
- Watch the evening triggers. Alcohol, caffeine, smoking, spicy food and exercise close to bedtime can all make sweating worse. Alcohol is a common one; see does alcohol help you sleep.
- Have a spare set ready. A dry T-shirt and a towel on the bedside table means a 2-minute change, not a full wake-up with the light on.
- Keep regular exercise in your day, just not right before bed.
In an Australian summer, some of this overlaps with simply coping with the heat. Hot weather sleep tips covers the rest.
Sharing a bed when you're sweating
Night sweats affect partners too. One person throws the covers off while the other is cold. Some practical fixes:
- Separate top sheets or doonas, so each person controls their own layer.
- A fan on your side only, pointed at you rather than across the bed.
- Quiet changes. Keep a spare top within reach so you're not opening drawers at 3am.
If you're up early and don't want to disturb a partner whose sleep has already been broken, see how to wake up without waking your partner.
When to see your GP
See your GP if night sweats keep happening and you don't know why, or if they're affecting your sleep and daytime life. Healthdirect advises seeing a doctor if night sweats come with (source):
- Unexplained weight loss
- Fever
- Pain in a particular spot
- A cough
- Diarrhoea
It also helps to tell your GP about any new medicines, since several common ones can cause sweating. Don't stop a prescribed medicine on your own; ask first. Keeping a short note of when the sweats happen, how bad they are and anything that seems to trigger them makes the appointment more useful.
Where the Sovune Nudge fits
We make the Sovune Nudge, a silent alarm wristband, so we're not neutral. It does nothing for night sweats themselves. Where it fits is the morning after a broken night, especially if you share a bed and want to wake without an alarm sound.
- Wakes you with vibration on your wrist, starting as a gentle tap and building through three intensity levels, with no sound in the room.
- Water-resistant for everyday use, so a sweaty night or a shower is fine (not swimming or diving).
- Under 20 grams, with a slim, soft adjustable strap. It can also be worn on the ankle.
- Set on the band itself. No app, no phone and no Bluetooth.
It comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Quick answers
Are night sweats always a sign of something serious? No. Most have a common cause such as menopause, an infection, a medicine or a warm room. They're worth a GP visit if they keep happening or come with fever, weight loss, cough or pain.
Can anxiety cause night sweats? Yes, healthdirect lists anxiety and stress among the causes. If worry is keeping you up, see your GP.
Can medicines cause night sweats? Yes, including some antidepressants, diabetes and blood pressure medicines, and steroids. Talk to your GP or pharmacist before changing anything.
What should I wear to bed if I get night sweats? Loose cotton or linen pyjamas, with light, layered bedding you can remove easily.
For every type of silent alarm compared, see our complete guide to vibrating alarms in Australia.