• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

Night Sweats - any tips?

E

Emck

Well-Known Member
Messages
173
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
Hi all,

For the past few years, I have suffered really badly with drenching night sweats. However in the past year, it has really gotten much worse.

I don’t really know if it is linked to diabetes (other than when it is hypo-related). It really affects my quality of sleep and I’d love to know if anyone has been able to get rid of the sweats altogether. I have searched the forum and can see that some others do think there could be a link with sweats and diabetes.

I have been trying all of the suggestions I can see on the internet. I have done the following:
  • No heating on in bedroom (it gets pretty freezing except when we’re asleep).
  • Sleep under a 4tog duvet for most of the year, except winter. We have just swapped up to a 10.5 to as it is what we had before we moved to the lighter one. For most of the year the 4 tog controls the sweats, but it’s just too cold to use it right now.
  • Had blood tests to check for underlying causes (all clear).
  • Sleep in minimal pjs (just cotton vests and shorts). Without these I just soak through the sheets faster.
  • All bedding is natural fibres (cotton plus feather duvet and pillows)
  • Invested in a mattress with a “cool side” for summer that we use all year round.
  • Don’t let myself or husband into bed in the few hours before we’re planning to sleep as this tends to “heat up the mattress”.
I’m really getting to my wits end with this. I can’t remember the last time that I had an uninterrupted night’s sleep

For context I am early 30s so shouldn’t be menopause related.

Any further tips would be greatly appreciated!
 
I've had some real belters recently, though few back to back. They are just awful. I have a fresh T-shirt by my bed for when I get up so I can begin to feel dry. Tends to be shoulders and across my neck.
I track a lot of my testing, feeding, drinking, exercise and now my night sweets, not been able to pin it down to anything like a more carby meal or excess red wine (!).
We have new bed and got a mattress protector on and a couple of towels near by....
I hope you get to the bottom of it because yours sounds less than nice.
 
Thanks both!

@hankjam it really is miserable! I’d love to be able to look forward to sleep, but haven’t managed it for a long time!!

I might call my GP when things have calmed a bit with covid and see whether they’ll do anymore investigations. The main concern when they tested previously was blood disorders as I had just lost my Dad to lymphoma and sweats are a symptom. I’m not sure that they checked my thyroid.
 
Best to give your GP a call - I have this too but I am menopausal!
 

I wouldn't hold back from contacting your GP because of Covid, that is if you can get past the GateKeeper.
Need to carry on as much as normal as is possible and not leave any conditions to go undetected.
Best wishes
 
Just as an aside when I was in my thirties I had a Morena coil which put me into fake menopause with severe night sweats. Once removed everything started back up and when I went into actual menopause about 8-10 years ago I didn't get a recurrence of night sweats, just got hot flashes and they were a lot easier to handle.
 
Hhhmm....this doesn't sound like anything to do with your temperature. If it was your blood sugars you wouldnt be here to write this.....do you suffer from anxiety? Are you on any other medication? Could you be suffering from sleep paralysis or night terrors?
Have you had your kidney function checked?
Your blood pressure could be dipping very low cause the sweats as well, do you get nausea with it?

Sorry a million questions
 
Hi Ley666

You’re right that it’s not my sugars. I use a libre so I can tell that I’m not having hypos that are going undetected.

I’m on fiasp, levemir and metformin (insulin resistance). I’ve done a bit of reading that shows that metformin can cause sweats but it sounds more like they are linked to low glucose levels.

I have suffered from anxiety and stress. The past few months have been stressful but I don’t feel any worse than normal. I haven’t been suffering from panic attacks or anything like that recently.

I had a really restful Christmas break, but still had bad sweats. The last night that I didn’t experience one was Christmas Eve I think.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn More.…