Night Sweats in Men
The reason why men get night sweats is due to the hypothalamus' inability to control the body temperature when subjected to internal triggers like testosterone level deficit, sleep apnea or infections.
Low testosterone levels are common in 38% of men over the age of 45 and one of the most prevalent hormonal causes.
Each time sleep apnea prevents a breath from being taken, adrenaline rushes into the system and causes temperatures to spike, sometimes up to dozens of times a night.
Night sweats are among the side effects of many of the most commonly prescribed drugs in the world: antidepressants, steroids, diabetes medications.
Persistent or severe night sweats combined with fever, unexplained weight loss, or mood changes?
2am. Sheets soaked. No fever, not sick. So what's going on?
Night sweats in men are more common than most guys realize - and the causes range from easy fixes to things worth getting checked out. Studies show up to 41% of adults in primary care report night sweats, with the highest rates between ages 41 and 55. If that's you, you're not alone, and there are real answers here.
In this guide: the actual reasons men get night sweats, what the research says, and what you can do about it.
What Causes Night Sweats in Men
Sweating at night comes down to your body's temperature control kicking in while you sleep. What sets it off, though, varies a lot from person to person.
A few common culprits:
- A warm room or heavy bedding
- Low testosterone
- Stress and anxiety
- Sleep apnea
- Infections
- An overactive thyroid
- Certain medications
- Alcohol, spicy food, or other dietary triggers
- Hard exercise too close to bedtime
Let's get into a few of these.
Low Testosterone (Low-T) and Night Sweats in Men
Hormones play a role in how your body handles temperature. In some men, lower testosterone shows up alongside hot flashes and sweating - not unlike what's often described in menopause.
If the sweating comes with other changes too - lower libido, less muscle, constant fatigue, mood shifts - it's worth more than a shrug. That combination is worth bringing to your doctor rather than blaming the thermostat.
A doctor can decide whether hormone testing makes sense from there.
How Does Stress and Anxiety Trigger Nighttime Sweating?
That stress activates your sympathetic nervous system. Adrenaline, cortisol, the whole chain reaction.
And it doesn't necessarily turn off the second your head hits the pillow.
So if your mind has been spinning lately, or you've had weeks of low-grade anxiety humming in the background, waking up warm and damp might just be your nervous system still running the show.
How to bring it down before bed in practical ways:
- Put the phone down earlier
- Stretch a little
- Slow your breathing
- Give yourself actual wind-down time before bed.
Small changes, but they add up.
Why Is Sleep Apnea a Common Cause of Night Sweats for Men?
Sleep apnea is one of the most underdiagnosed causes of night sweats in men and here's the mechanism: every time breathing stops mid-apnea, the body floods with adrenaline just to restart it.
That adrenaline spike raises your body heat. Sweating follows. And if it's happening multiple times a night? You're not really sleeping. You're surviving until morning.
Men are three to five times more likely than women to develop obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), with an estimated 3% to 7% of Americans affected overall. About 25% of men will deal with sleep apnea at some point in their lives.
Loud snoring, waking up with a headache, feeling wiped out even after a full night in bed - if night sweats show up alongside any of that, OSA is worth ruling out.
CPAP therapy is still the go-to treatment, and once breathing stabilizes, nighttime sweating tends to drop off significantly too.
Which Infections Are Linked to Persistent Male Night Sweats?
Fevers breaking, infections running their course - the body sweats as part of that process. Normal, short. Typically.
But if it doesn't stop or there is no clear reason for it, that's a different kettle of fish.
If you have night sweats together with a fever, chills, unexplained weight loss or swollen lymph nodes, see a doctor. Night sweats that continue over time can be related to some more serious infections, including tuberculosis and HIV.
How Does an Overactive Thyroid Affect Male Body Temperature?
Your thyroid controls your metabolism. When it's in overdrive, your whole system gets a little hot - literally.
Up to 91% of people with hyperthyroidism have night sweats.
Hyperthyroidism may cause unexplained weight loss, a rapid heartbeat, fatigue, or simply feeling too warm when everyone else in the room feels fine.
If it is something you are thinking about, blood tests can quickly confirm or rule it out.
Can GERD Cause Night Sweats?
Less common, but yes - GERD has been linked to night sweats too.
Lying flat tends to make acid reflux worse, and that discomfort can be enough to wake you up sweating.
If heartburn and unexplained night sweats keep showing up together, mention both to your doctor - not just one or the other.
Which Medications Cause Night Sweats as a Side Effect?
The usual suspects here are antidepressants (SSRIs), steroids, and diabetes medicines. These drugs can affect neurotransmitters such as dopamine that are involved in controlling the sweat response of your skin.
Antidepressants (SSRIs): They alter the dopamine pathways that govern sweating via the skin. About 29% of people on antidepressants experience night sweats as a side effect.
Steroids (cortisone, prednisone) These can interfere with your hormonal balance and metabolism which can then increase your body temperature.
Diabetes medications - hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) is when blood glucose levels drop below 70 mg/dL and sweating is often one of the first symptoms.
Did you start on a new medication around the time the night sweats began? Worth noting for whoever prescribed it. Don't go changing or stopping a dose on your own - but there may be other options on the table worth asking about.
And as you're staying well hydrated throughout the day, your body is better able to run temperature regulation smoothly when night comes.
Can Your Diet Cause Night Sweats?
What - and when - you eat or drink can shift how warm you run overnight.
The usual suspects are spicy food and alcohol. Caffeine can also disrupt sleep quality and for some people that means feeling warmer or more restless at night.
Worth monitoring: whether certain foods or drinks correlate with more sweaty nights. If a pattern develops, just cutting back or changing timing may solve the problem.
Exercise and High-Intensity Workout
Exercise is good for you - no argument there. But a high-intensity workout right before bed can leave your body running hot when you want to cool down.
If you see your late workouts and sweaty nights are happening at the same time, try moving the harder sessions earlier in the day and see what changes.
No need to quit training. Just maybe rethink the timing.
| Cooling Method | How It Helps | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Lightweight bedding | Reduces heat trapped around the body | Warm sleepers |
| Breathable sheets | Allows better airflow around the body | Hot & humid nights |
| Cooling blanket | Provides a cooler-feeling sleep layer | People who prefer sleeping under a blanket |
| Fan or open window | Improves airflow in the bedroom | Warm rooms |
| Moisture-wicking sleepwear | Helps manage sweat and moisture | People who wake up sweaty |
How to Stop Night Sweats in Men
Waking up hot and sweaty gets old fast - but there's a way out of it.
Sleep Temperature Study: A 2026 Loughborough University study found that a hot bedroom cut total sleep time by 28 minutes a night. But cooling the mattress brought rest back to near-normal levels.
Here's the thing though - you've got to deal with the actual cause, not just paper over the symptoms. If low-T, sleep apnea, or a medication is behind your night sweats, lighter sheets alone aren't going to cut it.
That said, actively cooling your sleep environment is still one of the most effective things you can do while you're working on the root cause. Lying in trapped heat versus sleeping on a surface holding a steady 60 to 68°F all night - that's not a small difference.
- See your doctor if the night sweats keep happening, especially alongside other symptoms
- Cut back on alcohol and spicy food close to bedtime
- Push intense workouts earlier in the day
- Build in a wind-down routine that actually brings your nervous system down before sleep
- Upgrade your sleep surface - breathable bedding helps, but a temperature-controlled bed cooling system actively pulls heat away from your body all night, instead of just soaking it up
When to See a Doctor About Night Sweats
Sweating once in a while? Not automatically a concern.
Drenching, repeated night sweats are a different category - especially paired with other symptoms.
Talk to a doctor if you're also dealing with:
- Fever or chills
- Unexplained weight loss
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Serious daytime fatigue
- Mood changes that won't let up
- Symptoms that started right after a new medication
- Repeated episodes soaking through clothes or sheets
A doctor can look at the full picture - symptoms, medications, history - and figure out what's actually going on.
This article is general information, not medical advice. Night sweats can have many causes, some of which need medical attention. Talk to your healthcare provider about persistent or severe night sweats, especially alongside fever, weight loss, or other symptoms, and before making changes to any medication.