Causes of Night Sweats in Men Over 40

Sweating during hot environmental conditions is a normal response of the body, to get rid of the excess heat. So, if a person experiences night sweating during the summer months, it is considered normal.

However, if excessive sweating in the night is unrelated to weather, and is experienced over the age of forty, especially in men, it could be due to numerous reasons, ranging from serious diseases to intake of certain kind of foods.

Sweating, accompanied by hot flashes in middle-aged men, is caused due to the hormonal changes that take place in their body, once they reach a particular age.

Just like women experience menopause, men experience andropause when the testosterone levels in their body reduce to a great extent. Sweating and hot flashes are the side effects of andropause, which resolve by themselves once a man is over this stage.

A man who suffers from this condition experiences excessive sweating at night. Although, the exact cause of this condition is still not known, some studies suggest that, it is due to the wrong signals sent by the nervous system to the body to sweat in excess.

Night sweats could be due to excessive intake of alcohol. Men, who are in a rehabilitation center, or are trying to quit drinking, may experience excessive sweating at night accompanied by other symptoms of alcohol withdrawal, such as, nightmares, hallucinations, tremors, etc.

If a man is suffering from certain diseases, such as, cancer, AIDS, tuberculosis, pheochromocytoma, Lyme disease, or from some specific bacterial or viral infections, or inflammations, such as osteomyelitis, he may experience night sweating as one of the symptoms or side effects of these health disorders.

Stress, anxiety, or depression caused due to work pressure or any personal problem, is one of the main causes of night sweats in men over 40 years of age.

It could be due to the intake of a spicy diet, especially if a person already has a poor digestive health or suffers from irritable bowel syndrome. Sometimes, intake of specific foods such as, red meat, onion, and garlic may cause nighttime sweats in men.

Night sweats can occur if the blood sugar level falls. Men who are diabetic, and take medicines to bring down the sugar levels, may experience sweating during the nighttime as one of the side effects. Men, who suffer from hypoglycemia, a condition characterized by low sugar levels in the blood, experience sweating even while sleeping.

It can be experienced due to some medicines, which a person is taking. Anti-depressant drugs, niacin, tamoxifen, and nitroglycerine are some of the medicines, which can cause severe night sweats in men.

It is not uncommon to see people suffering from neurological conditions, such as, post-traumatic stress disorder, dysreflexia, autonomic neuropathy, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, etc., experience sweating while sleeping. So, if a man over forty is suffering from any of these conditions, it can cause sweating in him at nighttime.

Night sweats, caused due to hot weather conditions, can be taken care of by sleeping in a well ventilated room, wearing clothes made of cotton. Andropause induced night sweats can be taken care of by testosterone gels, which are available on prescription.

 Taking a healthy diet, avoiding spicy and fried foods, and asking the doctor to replace the medicines that produce nighttime sweating, can reduce the problem to a great extent.

However, even if, after making lifestyle and dietary changes, excessive sweating persists, a serious underlying medical condition could be the reason behind it. In such a case, a doctor should be contacted for proper diagnosis.