Would this be classed as night sweats and something to worry about?

[ShaunRyder]

Ok so this week I have been having a lot of trouble getting a full night sleep, I will wake up during the night and the back on my head will be sweaty and my pillow wet/damp. I do not wake up dripping all over it just the back of my head. I have been really stressed lately with a relative being ill and also a chance I could lose my job at the end of the month so could worrying cause something like this? :shrug:

[daisyflower]

No, that's not a night sweat. After a night sweat, it feels like you have been in the shower and it soakes through thr bedding so you either have to change it or lie on a towel

[sandie]

Shaun - daisy is quite correct, and I would certainly not class what you are experiencing as a night sweat.

I am suffering badly from night sweats; this morning I awoke at just after 2 am and could feel the perspiration running down my back.

I have a good quality mattress protector on top of which I put a towel before the bottom sheet. This morning the top and bottom sheet, and the towel were soaked, and even the mattress protector felt damp. My pillowcase and pillow protector were wet through and even my pillow was damp.

I take all these measures to protect our mattress - which is new and was quite expensive. I got so fed up with also having to wash the mattress protector (which takes ages to dry) - hence the towel. However, I am now wondering if I shouldn't also use a towel on top of the bottom sheet. It's all a blasted nuisance.

I would not worry about the mild over-heating which you are experiencing.

[Mindknot]

I have a good quality mattress protector on top of which I put a towel before the bottom sheet. This morning the top and bottom sheet, and the towel were soaked, and even the mattress protector felt damp. My pillowcase and pillow protector were wet through and even my pillow was damp.

I take all these measures to protect our mattress - which is new and was quite expensive. I got so fed up with also having to wash the mattress protector (which takes ages to dry) - hence the towel. However, I am now wondering if I shouldn't also use a towel on top of the bottom sheet. It's all a blasted nuisance.

I would not worry about the mild over-heating which you are experiencing.

What's your mattress protector made of? If it's anything plasticky, it's probably just making you hotter, as is the towel. And by plasticky I mean any synthetic fibres. My BF removed ours which I didn't exactly agree with at the time, but tbh I sleep a lot more comfortably without it. We strip the bed every couple of weeks and let the mattress "breathe".

I know night sweats are one of those things that totally freak you out when you have problems with anxiety (been there, done that) but usually it's either caused by your body's anxious reaction (which doesn't go away just because you're asleep!) or your room/duvet/pyjamas are too warm - it's been proven that a slight drop in body temperature induces sleep, plus once you are asleep you emit heat anyway - hence sweating... If it's happening regularly, try changing your heating or duvet or something. If it's just round your head & neck, it could be your pillow - i switched to a feather pillow a while back and again because it's not synthetic it's sooooo much more breathable. Sure, occasionally I still wake up feeling sweaty from anxious dreams, but I no longer consider it a cause for concern.

[sandie]

The mattress protector does not contain plastic and has never caused me a sleep problem before. It has a cool side for use during the summer months and a warmer side for the winter. We have never used the winter side !

We have a very good mattress and I don't want to risk staining it. We have a super king bed and the mattress protector is obviously therefore very large. I have only just had it laundered - the sweats had stained it quite badly, hence my wanting to protect it with the towel underneath the sheet. I certainly don't want to risk staining the mattress - which is only 2 years old, by not using a mattress protector.

I sleep naked - hence being able to feel the perspiration rolling down my back when I turn over. My duvet is 4.5 tog so not over-warm. We can't have feather pillows because of allergies - so this sadly is not an option.

To be honest, I am not sure these meds are suiting me and wonder if perhaps I wouldn't be better off just trying to deal with the issues without any meds. Of course, I now have to wean myself off the blasted things.

[Mindknot]

Okay, we're all different and I can only make suggestions based on my own experience - it sounds like you already thought about all the possible causes in this case then.