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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
EricaaCB97
September 13th, 2015 3:27pm
Perhaps it was a nightmare, I know sometimes I'll wake up sweating if I have had a particular terrifying dream. sometimes it could just be because you have been too warm under your covers and your body wakes you up to help regulate your body temperature.
Anonymous
December 6th, 2015 5:39pm
There are many reasons to wake up sweating. Most of the time it is related to anxiety. One possible reason is a bad dream or nightmare. Another reason that is unrelated to stress or anxiety is the room is too hot.
Anonymous
December 6th, 2015 2:07am
Your body is cleaning off the oils off you but the sweat usually sticks to you so the oil starts to have a smell
Anonymous
March 4th, 2018 2:11am
You may wake up sweating because a thought or dream you had previously had frightened you to where you wake up miserably and sweating hoping it doesn't happen to you when the new day starts.
Anonymous
June 16th, 2021 12:10am
Of course, i realize this can be a totally case-by-case thing and there may be factors unique to you that i am discounting, but the main thing I can think of is perhaps being stressed. Being overly anxious about the next day and can have negative physical impacts. When I wake up sweating, it is usually because I had a hard time falling asleep and just did not have a restful night. If this is the case for you, maybe try limiting screen time before bed and thinking of happy/calm thoughts as you fall asleep :) I find our 7 Cups guide regarding sleep quite helpful: https://www.7cups.com/sleeping-well/
Anonymous
December 4th, 2015 3:12pm
could be anything. it could be night tremors/ nightmares/ anxiety or it could be the temperature of your room.
Anonymous
July 29th, 2018 7:58pm
There are many reasons that could cause that. i know from personal experience that some people just sweat in their sleep and some don't.... it could simply be the way that your body heals and repairs itself during sleep. If it is bothering you or interfering with your life i would consult a medical professional just to be safe and discuss what is best for you specifically. :)
Anonymous
November 27th, 2015 6:22pm
Maybe you had a nightmare or something in that context. Or maybe you move quite a bit in your sleep.
Journey2Healing
July 21st, 2017 5:33am
That could be a number of various things. I would suggest going to go see a doctor to rule out any medical reasons. Also, consider things that you are going through. Is this something that developed recently? Is this something that you notice occurs at certain times throughout the year? If so, it could be anxiety. Think about if you are anxious or nervous about anything in your life as well.
ruedabega13
April 19th, 2018 7:42pm
Could be that you are having bad dreams, or something more simple like you're wearing too many covers or are sweating out a fever.
Anonymous
April 18th, 2018 11:00am
That’s probabaly because you are nervous about something. People sometimes sweat during their sleep because they’re stressing out.
Anonymous
April 12th, 2018 1:18pm
If where you are sleeping is hotter than usual body temperature our bodies overheat. to reduce the hotness our body makes us sweat in order to cool us down. Perhaps where your sleeping is to hot.
Pumpkin74
February 28th, 2018 8:15am
Sometimes it can be a medical condition such as thyroid or hormone issues but if you have been cleared by a doctor, you may be experiencing too much stress. Perhaps you can take some time prior to bed to find some peace. Good luck!
Kanga
February 10th, 2018 8:03pm
Your body temperature naturally drops to around 60 degrees Fahrenheit while you sleep. Sometimes, if you are overdressed, have too thick of blankets, etc. your body temperature may not be able to drop all the way, resulting in a sweaty, and not very good nights sleep.
Jasmine7860
January 20th, 2018 6:14pm
When your anxious, scared and frightened about anything that leads to increase heart beat and restlessness which causes sweating
ChloeF
January 3rd, 2018 4:02am
Sweating can be due to a bad dream, hormonal fluctuations, fevers/chills, flu, too hot under the covers/sheets
Girlwithsuperpower
November 24th, 2017 2:36pm
It might because of your mom or wife who switched off your fan to wake up you.maybe you had been seen any bad dreams..its not a big problem to worry
Anonymous
November 23rd, 2017 9:18pm
You might wake up sweating due to a bad dream. Probably it's about something you love, care about, or treasure deeply about being harmed.
Anonymous
November 23rd, 2017 8:01pm
Maybe you had a hot night or maybe you had a bad dream. Another thing is that maybe you were stressing about something while you slept and you woke up because of that.
Anonymous
November 14th, 2017 12:37am
It could be that you're anxious while you're asleep, due to nightmares or stress of some kind. It's also possible that the temperature in your room is too warm.
Blackmetalismytherapy
November 9th, 2017 11:12pm
You could be having night terrors or just a bad dream. Somtimes nervousness and anxiety can stem from this as well
Anonymous
September 23rd, 2017 1:35am
Sweating in our sleep is not super uncommon, but like with many things the reasons may vary, and ultimately you are the expert on your own experiences. Some reasons might be a high sodium diet as too much salt can push out water from our bodies as our bodies try to metabolize during our sleep, or nightmares that cause your body to trigger a sweat reflex, or it's possible you are legitimately too hot during the night, or it's also possible you have a temporary or long-term condition that causes nightsweats such as persistant withdrawl syndrome. Whatever the case, if sweating in your sleep interferes with your nightly or morning wellbeing, it's totally okay to ask a doctor about it. Good luck!
Anonymous
August 18th, 2017 5:33pm
If you're been having nightmares/night terrors, that could be a factor. It could also be hormone related or you might just be too hot.
yourlisteningear
October 5th, 2016 11:44pm
There could be several reasons... Might be it was such a hot day or ur air con was not on or you could be worrying about something and anxiety makes you nervous and sweat.. so you probably might not be sleeping well..
LeighAnnListens
November 10th, 2016 5:40pm
This can be for many reasons. Do you have bad dreams? Do you struggle to go to sleep? Is this a recent event in your life? Has something else happened in your life that coincided with this? These can be some routes to an answer.
CassandraLouise
October 23rd, 2016 5:40pm
this can be due to a number of reasons, if this is due to a panic attack and occuring on a regular basis then medical assistance should be given.
TheSpoonTheory724
October 22nd, 2016 4:48pm
Excessive sweating is called Hyperhidrosis. Night sweats can be from different number of things. Night terrors, sleep disorders, medications, or medical conditions. See your doctor if it's a bother to you.
WarriorQueen95
September 26th, 2016 1:18pm
Waking up sweating can be a sign that you have had a nightmare, been anxious or panicky in your sleep or you overheated whilst sleeping, although if it is a recurring incident then consult your doctor as it could be a medical issue but a one off or once a week sort of thing is probably nothing to worry about
fyeo
September 16th, 2016 12:52am
I might just had a bad dream, and got pretty anxious about what happened inside the dream, like running away from someone or etc.
Anonymous
November 11th, 2016 7:33pm
Firstly, look at your physical environment. Is your bedroom too hot, or do you have thick pyjamas or a thick duvet on your bed? Sometimes people do wake up sweaty, and it's just a normal thing to do! If your sweating is excessive, and your environment doesn't offer any clues, maybe check in with your doctor? Another explanation could be that you have had a nightmare or unpleasant dream that you don't remember, and the sweating is simply your body's response to a perceived threat.