There is actually a medical term for night sweating - it's called sleep hyperhidrosis. It's normal to sweat at night - in fact, everybody does it. And sometimes the cause is simply that the room in which we sleep is overheated, or our blankets are too thick. But some people sweat excessively at night. Sometimes they even wake up because of it, soaked in sweat.

There are many possible causes for night sweating, and most of the time there is nothing to worry about. Some people simply have a genetic predispotion for night sweating.

Many women suffer from night sweats during menopause. When the hot flashes appear at night, that is just what happens. And it's nothing to worry about - once your body has adjusted itself to the hormonal changes, the night sweating will disappear again, and you will be able to sleep peacefully and undisturbed again. I understand that it can be annoying, and you might want to consider using special bedsheets, mattress covers and pyjamas if that's the case for you.

If you are taking some kind of medication, that might also be causing sleep hypherhidrosis, oftentimes antidepressiants, other pyschiatric drugs or cortisone medication are the culprit. Every drug that includes niacin, tamoxifen, nitroglycerine, hydralazine or sildenafil can cause night sweating. Even common drugs like aspirin or acetaminophen can cause night sweating. If you suffer from night sweating and are taking ANY kind of medication at all, then you might want to talk with your doctor about it - he will in most cases be able to help you determine whether the medication is the actual cause of your night sweating.

Bacterial infections are another common cause of night sweating. In the past, tuberculosis was the most common cause of night sweating. Other possibilities are abscesses, endocarditis, osteomyelitis, or HIV (Aids).

If you have noticed unexplainable weightloss and repeated fevers, you might want to have yourself checked for cancer. Specially with lymphoma it is known that night sweating is an early warning sign of this disease. However, keep in mind that in most cases, night sweating is caused by something very harmless - but if in doubt, just be sure and have yourself checked.

A condition called idiopathic hyperhidrosis is also known to cause night sweats. It isn't really known why someone might get idiopathic hyperhidrosis, but it's a health condition where your body just produces too much sweat in general.

Other possible causes of night sweating are hypoglycemia, hormone disorders (pheochromocytoma, carcinoid syndrome, and hyperthyroidism) and neurologic conditions (autonomic dysreflexia, post-traumatic syringomyelia, stroke, autonomic neuropathy).^

A doctor will usually need your medical history and then perform some tests in order to determine what causes your night sweats.

Since night sweats are almost never the root of the problem, there is also no effective treatment for night sweats. That's why it's so important to identify the root cause, because when you fix the underlying health condition, the night sweats also disappear.

Keep in mind - it can be quiet confusing and worrying when you suffer from night flushing or wake up in the middle of the night soaked in sweat, with your bedsheets drenched. In fact, many people become seriously concerned, or even panic, because they are afraid of a dangerous disease that causes the night sweats. But as I repeatedly mentioned in this article - most of the time, the night sweats are no reason to worry about. Just be sure if in doubt.