Night sweats are repeated episodes of intense sweating during sleep. The sweating is so heavy that it can even soak nightclothes or bedding. They commonly stem from an underlying condition or illness.
Night sweats are different from sweating due external causes like sleeping under too many blankets or sleeping in a room that is too warm.
Night sweats usually occur with other symptoms, such as fever, weight loss, pain in a specific area, cough or diarrhea.
Causes
Some medications can cause night sweats, examples are:
- Depression medications (antidepressants)
- Hormone therapy
- A drug used to treat opioid use disorder (methadone)
- Drugs used to treat low blood sugar with diabetes (hypoglycemic agents)
Conditions and illnesses that can cause night sweats include:
- Alcohol use disorder
- Anxiety disorders
- Autoimmune disorders
- Autonomic neuropathy (damage to autonomic nerves)
- Brucellosis (a bacterial infection)
- Carcinoid tumors (a type of neuroendocrine tumor)
- Drug addiction (substance use disorder)
- Endocarditis (an infection of the inner lining of the heart)
- HIV/AIDS
- Hodgkin's lymphoma (Hodgkin's disease)
- Hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid)
- Leukemia
- Menopause
- Myelofibrosis (a bone marrow disorder)
- Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
- Osteomyelitis
- Pheochromocytoma (a rare adrenal gland tumor)
- Pyogenic abscess (a pus-filled cavity caused by an infection)
- Sleep disorders (such as obstructive sleep apnea)
- Stroke
- Syringomyelia (a fluid-filled cyst in the spinal cord)
- Takayasu's arteritis
- Thyroid disease
- Tuberculosis
- Valley fever (coccidioidomycosis)
Nursing Interventions
- Maintaining a cool environment in the bedroom. This can be done by using a fan, air conditioner, or opening a window.
- Wearing loose-fitting, breathable clothing to bed. Cotton is a good choice.
- Avoiding caffeine and alcohol before bed. These substances can trigger hot flashes and night sweats.
- Taking a cool shower or bath before bed. This can help to lower body temperature.
- Using a cooling mattress pad or pillow.
- Keeping a spare set of pajamas and bed linens by the bed. This way, patient can change into dry clothes and bedding if they wake up sweating.
- Encourage the patient to keep a sleep diary. This can help the nurse to identify patterns in the patient's night sweats and to develop a targeted treatment plan.
- Monitor the patient's fluid intake and output. This will help to ensure that the patient is not becoming dehydrated.
- Educate the patient about the causes and management of night sweats. This will help the patient to understand their condition and take steps to reduce their symptoms.