Night Sweats & Caffeine

If you are or know a woman who is menopausal, you may think of hot flashes and night sweats as being the same thing. Although they may be related, night sweats can be symptoms of a disease such as cancer, an infection or a condition such as heat intolerance. If the night sweats are secondary to menopausal hot flashes, caffeine may be a factor.

Caffeine

Caffeine is a mild stimulant that can be habit-forming; if you normally ingest caffeine and stop suddenly, you may develop a headache or fatigue. People respond differently to caffeine, and you may be more or less sensitive to its effects than another person. Caffeine can be found in that familiar beverage, coffee, but it is also present in tea, chocolate, soft drinks, and both prescription and nonprescription medicines.

Night Sweats

According to MayoClinic.com, a night sweat can soak your night wear or your bedding, even if the room you sleep in is relatively cool. A night sweat could be the result of too many blankets. Medications such as antidepressants, hormones and hypoglycemic agents -- medicines that decrease the sugar level in the blood -- can cause night sweats. Serious conditions such as AIDS or tuberculosis can also cause night sweats. If you are a menopausal woman, however, that is the most likely reason for your night sweats.

Hot Flashes and Night Sweats

Hot flashes may cause profuse sweating at any time of the day. If they occur at night, they can disrupt sleep and may be indistinguishable from night sweats. Hot flashes may be due to deceasing estrogen that affects the hypothalamus, an area in the brain that regulates your temperature. According to MayoClinic.com, caffeine can make hot flashes worse. Research reported in the August 2011 “Maturitas” found that caffeine intake was a reliable predictor for perceived severity of hot flashes and night sweats in menopausal women.

Other Possibilities

If you are not menopausal, your night sweats could be due to a number of diseases and medical conditions. An article in the March 2003 “American Family Physician” reported multiple potential causes of night sweats ranging from cancers such as lymphoma and leukemia to excess thyroid hromone, diabetes, fungal infections, alcohol or heroin abuse. The authors did not report a connection between caffeine and nonmenopausal night sweats.

Considerations and Warnings

Although night sweats are normally benign, they could be a symptom of serious disease. MayoClinic.com recommends you consult a health care professional if you have night sweats on a regular basis, if the sweats interrupt your sleep or if you have other symptoms such as a fever or unexplained weight loss.