The Article in Brief

Background Research has shown that night sweats are more common than previously thought. This study examines possible relationships between night sweats and sleep disorders.

What This Study Found Thirty-three percent of patients in this study experienced night sweats, with 16% reporting nighttime sweating severe enough to soak their bedclothes. Night sweats appear to be associated with a variety of sleep symptoms (daytime tiredness, waking up with a bitter taste in the mouth, legs jerking during sleep, and awakening with pain in the night), but it is not clear how they are associated. Sleep-related symptoms, such as waking often at night and daytime drowsiness, were also common among primary care patients.

Implications

• Night sweats are commonly experienced by adults who visit primary care doctors and are associated with a variety of sleep symptoms.
• Doctors should ask patients with night sweats about sleep problems.