When should you worry about excessive sweating if you have obstructive sleep apnoea?

Repeated airway narrowing during sleep can trigger brief stress responses and disturbed sleep. A damp pillow or clothing may occur alongside loud snoring, gasping, witnessed pauses, dry mouth, morning headaches, poor concentration, or tiredness during the day. Night sweating is not specific to sleep apnoea; room temperature, medicines, infection, and other conditions can also contribute.

Book an assessment if sweating repeatedly wakes you or someone notices pauses, gasps, or choking during sleep. Share a sleep partner's observations, your medicines, alcohol pattern, nasal symptoms, and any home readings with the clinician. Use prescribed positive-airway-pressure treatment as directed and report mask, pressure, or comfort problems rather than abandoning it.

Seek urgent help for chest pain, severe breathlessness while awake, fainting, blue lips, or new confusion. Prompt review is warranted for extreme sleepiness that makes driving unsafe, repeated choking at night, or symptoms that continue despite prescribed treatment.

Ask whether a sleep study is needed, how to check that treatment is working, and whether another cause of night sweating should be assessed.