As a physician who's experienced night sweats all my life, I found this discussion to be not very useful. My mother also experienced night sweats all her life until she died at age 79. I suspect I have idiopathic night sweats, meaning that the doctor is an idiot and the patient is pathetic. My night sweats occur within the first few minutes of falling asleep. The profuse seating is largely confined to my head. I believe it's known that body temperature falls during sleep. So I think my night sweats are an attempt by my body to reset my thermostat. I had night sweats when I was young and healthy, after I developed obstructive sleep apnea and hypothyroidism. Correcting those conditions has had no effect on the night sweats. Now I cover my pillow with a towel every night and wash it every day.

I am a 67 year old black woman. I'm one of the lucky women like my mother and has never had menopause. I had a hysterectomy (years ago) leaving the ovaries intact, (which they can't find now) and never had menopausal symptoms. One day, 20 years ago I woke up in the middle of the night drenched down and said to myself, wow, menopause came on quick, but low and behold it was appendicitis. Now I was told by doctors I have an overactive thyroid and urine infection (taking meds for both) and for days I have had night sweats. The doctors say it's just because I'm ill, so I will continue to sleep with towels on my pillow and under me to catch all the sweat until we find out what's going on.

I suffer from hot flashes and night sweats. I wake up with the urge to use the bathroom and suffer a terrible hot flash. I feel as though my health care providers don't listen when I explain how badly I suffer with this problem (more than 20 times a day). I don't believe that a lack of estrogen is associated with hot flashes when I have the urge to use the restroom.

My boyfriend has started sweating badly at night. We sleep with the windows open, but this seems to have no effect. Please, could someone give us a clue about treating the night sweats?

I am a 71-year-old woman and have suffered with night sweats for the past several years. I am hypothyroid. I don't know if this matters. In the winter, I sleep with my window wide open, the heat off, a light blanket, and still wake up hot during the night. I'm only hot from my shoulders up and many times my hair is totally wet. It is so aggravating.

For months I've had extreme night sweats. It is winter. I sleep with windows open even in 32-40 degree weather at night with no heat,and the ceiling fan blowing straight on me. Still even laying there with nothing but my underwear on sweat pours off of me and soaks the bed within an hour. I change sides of the bed, then get up and do laundry, washing the soaked bedding and mattress cover. This goes on all night every night. I'm lucky to get a couple of hours sleep a night. I'm exhausted! I've gone to one doctor, no luck. I'm having to wait three and a half months for an appointment to see another doctor. By then,if there is something wrong I could be dead.

I am a 65 year old male kidney transplant patient. Sometimes, I will go 7-10 days with sweating of my upper torso. It happens when I fall asleep, whether I'm in bed or sitting up. I will find myself changing pajama tops 2 or 3 times at night. Eventually, I started to sleep on a pad and with a large bath towel on my chest. When I awaken in the morning the towel can actually be rung out. I am diabetic, but this is not due to a drop in blood sugars. I keep my diabetes under control. None of my doctors have been able to provide answers.