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Why do I wake up sweating?

177 Answers
Last Updated: 05/27/2022 at 2:14am
Why do I wake up sweating?
1 Tip to Feel Better
United States
Moderated by

Tracy-Kate Teleke, PsyD, M.A., LMFT

Marriage & Family Therapist

I assist adults and couples in CA experiencing relationship challenges and interpersonal struggles including anxiety, depression, and a myriad of other life challenges.

Top Rated Answers
Anonymous
December 3rd, 2015 1:43pm
There is a possibility that you just might be detoxing from drugs, alcohol, fear, anxiety, depression...
soultourist1234
September 5th, 2015 10:53pm
First of all you need to know that Sweat is a liquid that is made by the skin when the body is hot. Sweat is made in sweat glands under the surface of the skin, and it comes out of tiny holes in the skin called pores. Sweat is mostly water, but it also contains some salts. The body makes sweat to cool itself down. Thats on the scientific side. On the other hand the right question is "Why is my body warming up while I am sleeping" The answer could by psychological or medical. You could be suffering from a kind of infection that raises your body's temperature and due to that you wake up sweating. Also it can be you suffering from a certain kind of dreams that you dont remember in the morning
jasmineyas
August 22nd, 2015 8:03pm
worst case night sweats could indicate a serious prolem,they can be a symptom of autoimmune disease,heart problems,endocrine disorders,HIV,TB certain cancers, sleep apnea and panic disorders
SpiritedMeteor
August 20th, 2015 2:11pm
I wake up sweating when I have nightmares. I have been prone to anxiety in the past and, when my life becomes too stressful, it tends to come across in my sleep.
InstaCyrus143
August 21st, 2015 9:15am
If you experience waking up sweating more often than you used to, you may be suffering from sleep hyperhidrosis. Night sweat usually occur at night even when ambient temperature is cool. It can happen anytime when one is asleep, then suddenly waking up sweating and feeling very hot. It can be distressful and can lead to insomnia. This condition is different from flushing, which can also occur during daytime.
iPheonix
October 21st, 2015 8:47pm
I sometimes wake up sweating and it's a very uncomfortable experience. Possible contributions to this discomfort can be too thick a blanket or pyjamas, a loud environment, bed bugs or even an old mattress. While these are physical explanations, your overall health can also be a leading cause of a sweaty sleep. If you have recently changed your diet, are feeling fatigued, or are experiencing a flu, sweating is a common result. A area which won't effect all, is also woman experiencing menopause. The fluctuation in hormonal changes can cause sweating during your sleep. Likewise, men who are testosterone deficient or taking drugs to prevent or reduce the production of the hormone can also experience sweating in sleep, unfortunately.
Anonymous
September 2nd, 2015 11:23pm
My accunpunurist told me that it has to do with Kidney function. In my own experience it can also be from hormonal changes in the body.
fabulousRose2899
October 28th, 2015 11:43am
You could wake up sweating from it being too hot in the room, or from having too many blankets on. It also could be from having nightmares or night terrors that you do not remember.
Anonymous
August 29th, 2015 5:19pm
If you experience waking up sweating more often than you used to, you may be suffering from sleep hyperhidrosis. Night sweat usually occur at night even when ambient temperature is cool. It can happen anytime when one is asleep, then suddenly waking up sweating and feeling very hot. It can be distressful and can lead to insomnia. This condition is different from flushing, which can also occur during daytime. There are many possible causes for you to wake up sweating these include: Infections: Tuberculosis, a condition accompanied by chronic pneumonia, cough, weight loss, and fever Endocarditis or inflammation of heart valves Cystitis or urinary bladder infection Osteomyelitis or bone infection Histoplasmosis , a fungal infection often associated with AIDS patients Lung, liver or spleen abscess Any infection with fever: bacterial infections like brucellosis, viral infections like mononucleosis , fungal infections like coccidioidomycosis Other Diseases: Stress or anxiety Chronic fatigue syndrome Chest pain Gastro-esophageal reflux disease Diabetic neuropathy, a nerve disorder related to diabetes Pulmonary edema due to heart failure Inflammatory bowel disease Ulcerative colitis Sarcoidosis Thyroid disorders like Hashimoto's disease Granulomatous disease, a hereditary disease affecting the immune system Endocrine system disorders like diabetes and acromegaly Myelofibrosis, a bone marrow disorder Diabetes insipidus Rheumatological Causes: Takayasu's Arteritis Temporal Arteritis Malignancies or Cancers: Lymphoma or cancer of the lymphoid cells Leukemia or cancer of the blood Other types of cancer like breast cancer Neurological Conditions Autonomic dysreflexia Posttraumatic syringomyelia Stroke Dysautonomia Epilepsy Cerebral palsy Sudden onset migraine Head trauma Medications for neurological disorders Sleep Disorders Sleep apnea Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome Phentermine, a drug used to control obesity and sleep apnea Medication Antipsychotics Antidepressants Antihypertensives Antipyretics Antihistamines Hypoglycemic agents Hormones Steroid medications Medicines containing niacin, nitroglycerin, tamoxifen, etc. Other drugs, including Accupril, Ambien, Cozaar, Viagra, Zoloft, etc Post-Surgery Chemotherapy Orchiectomy, or removal of testicles in prostate cancer patients Substance Abuse Alcohol abuse Drug abuse including marijuana, heroin, and other prescription drugs Withdrawal from drugs Mercury Poisoning Mercury poisoning can causes serious problems including hyperhidrosis. Cardiovascular, neurological or gastrointestinal disorders are often accompanied with hyperhidrosis or they may happen simultaneously. Mercury poisoning can also affect the body’s immune system, causing easier exposure to infections.
lovelyDew79
December 5th, 2015 7:36am
That could be because of a bad dream or when I feel uncomfortable or sick! It also happens when something unsettling occurs inside me!
Anonymous
August 23rd, 2015 8:31pm
Any number of reasons could lead to a person waking up sweating, such as waking from a recent nightmare.
Anonymous
October 28th, 2015 6:27pm
If your room is well ventilated and you are sweating despite the Air conditioning being switched on, then there could be several reasons that range from anxiety attacks and nightmares to a health condition. If you notice erratic heart rate and heavy breathing accompany the sweating, then you probably had a nightmare or a panic attack in your sleep. Introspect and think if there's something that you are very scared of or worried about. But if the problem persists, you should probably visit your doc. Try drinking some cold water or splash some on your face, if it helps.
PeacefulLauren
September 9th, 2015 2:41pm
You might wake up sweating because you're anxious or nervous about something. You could also be having some troubling dreams.
Anonymous
September 3rd, 2015 6:32pm
It might be because of nightmares. Do you remember your dreams? Another possible reason is too much stress and anxiety that piles up during the day.
Anonymous
August 26th, 2015 2:08pm
There are several reasons as to why you wake up, sweating. They are a bad dream, a warm room temperature or even a physical condition that causes hot flashes.
CalmSunset
April 23rd, 2016 3:20am
There are many different reasons you can wake up sweating. Overall it's a biological response to your sleeping environment being too warm. That could simply mean your just tossing and turning too much, it could mean that you had a bad dream, or it could just be that the room was too warm under the covers. If you think it's a dream, try and connect with a friend about it and reflect.
Emily619
August 29th, 2015 6:23am
You may wake up sweating because you are nervous. Don't worry, this happens often. Try talking to a close friend. It will help, believe me :)
EnigmaticRebel
August 20th, 2015 8:23pm
Maybe a bad dream, my anxious thoughts in your sleep, maybe the room is too hot lol. To be serious though anxiety can plague us even after the sun goes down.
Peacefulmeditation
August 19th, 2015 7:19am
This can be caused by nightmares or just getting hot. However, you should seek medical attention because some diseases can cause this, for example, diabetes, HIV, and Tuberculosis to name a few.
Anonymous
August 20th, 2015 10:15am
Well, there might be a lot of reason. First of all, may be weather causes your sweating. The room you sleep may be too hot to sleep. If degree of room is normal but you still sweating, may be you saw a bad dream and that caused it. I'm not qualified about this but for what i live, these things causes wake up sweating. I hope its helpful.
lucy2
August 23rd, 2015 1:35pm
In my experience it can be for a number of reasons. You may have been eating and drinking late at night, which fuels your body and mind and makes sleeping very uncomfortable. It may be hormonal or you may be developing an illness. It may simply be that there is not enough ventilation in your room.
Anonymous
August 19th, 2015 8:32am
Your body could be overheated. You could have also had a bad dream which caused your body to go into a panic mode, therefore causing you to sweat.
Anonymous
December 2nd, 2015 6:56pm
I wake up sweating after having a nightmare that really terrified me. It made the hairs on my arms stand up and it made me sweat. The nightmare is all I could think about.
Anonymous
December 2nd, 2015 2:19pm
This may happen when you have a bad dream. You wake up sweating because the dream gave you stress causing you to stress sweat.
gracefulSunshine62
November 27th, 2015 5:04am
Sometimes I wake up sweating because I had an especially bad dream. Sometimes its a sign that my body is out of whack and I might be getting sick. If my body is processing junk food or excess stress I also will have trouble sleeping.
lillitiger
November 26th, 2015 4:44pm
I had the falling dream, the one where you fall for eternity, but for me the dream ends a couple minutes AFTER I hit the floor
yourownlight
November 25th, 2015 1:52pm
Sometimes waking up sweating can be directly related to night terrors and or bad dreams that you’re having. You might not be aware of them because you don’t actually remember them, but that doesn’t mean they’re not occurring. Furthermore, it’s common for individuals to suffer from night panic – in which you just wake up in a panic.
Egaeus
October 24th, 2015 1:28am
Dreams can be terrifying and beautiful things. When we dream we connect to our subconscious. Our subconscious is the most beautiful and disgusting place in our minds, yet, when we sleep, when we dream, everything becomes connected. That can, however, be more than we bargained for. In sleep there shouldn't be fear, but sometimes there is. Unresolved issues arise when we are at our most vulnerable and sleep is one of the most vulnerable states we have. If sleep becomes impossible, it's a clear sign of psychological issues unresolved.
StarrDust
September 13th, 2015 11:12am
This can be caused by several things such as temperature, hormones or anxiety. Depending on whats happening when the sweating occurs, your best bet is to go to your doctor to check out what might be going on.
shoshho
September 6th, 2015 2:52pm
i wake up seating normally from hot temperature or from a terrible nightmare that jolts me in sleep