When to worry about night sweats with obstructive sleep apnoea

Obstructive sleep apnoea repeatedly narrows the upper airway during sleep. Breathing effort and brief arousals can activate the body's stress response, which may cause sweating. Night sweats can also have other explanations, including a warm bedroom, medicines, infection, hormonal changes, or another sleep problem. They do not by themselves confirm the cause.

Keep a short record of when the sweating happens, whether clothing or bedding becomes wet, and any snoring, choking, morning headache, or daytime sleepiness. Keep the room comfortably cool, avoid alcohol close to bedtime, and use prescribed sleep-apnoea treatment as directed. Arrange a review if symptoms continue despite treatment or if your equipment is uncomfortable or difficult to use.

Contact a clinician soon for repeated drenching sweats, fever, unexplained weight loss, swollen glands, a persistent cough, or worsening tiredness. Seek urgent help for severe breathlessness, chest pain, blue lips, confusion, or difficulty staying awake. If someone observes prolonged pauses in breathing or repeated choking during sleep, arrange prompt assessment.

Could my sleep-apnoea treatment or another medicine be contributing to the sweating? Do I need a sleep review, examination, or tests for another cause? What changes in breathing or daytime alertness should prompt urgent help?