Q I sweat so much at night that my underwear and pillow get soaked. What does this cold sweat mean?
A Night sweats mean sweating heavily enough to soak your clothes or bedding while you sleep. Common causes include menopause, infection, hyperthyroidism, low blood sugar, and certain medications, but rarely conditions like tuberculosis or lymphoma can be behind it, so it is important to sort out the cause.
Detailed Answer
Night sweats are not just sweating because you feel warm — they mean your clothes or pillow get soaked with sweat while you sleep, even in a cool room. The causes vary widely. Hormonal changes during menopause are the most common, but infections, hyperthyroidism, low blood sugar, and certain medications (painkillers, antidepressants, etc.) can also be behind it. Rarely, conditions such as tuberculosis or lymphoma can cause it too, so it is important to look at any accompanying symptoms together.
Our Korean Medicine Clinic's Perspective
In Korean medicine, sweating during sleep is seen as a state in which the body's moistening fluids that should keep it nourished run low, the protective energy that should hold sweat in place weakens, and heat that has risen upward pushes fluids out at night. The focus is on replenishing the depleted fluids and lowering the risen heat to restore the balance between yin and yang, so sweat no longer leaks out.
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