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Getting a good night’s sleep when living with leukemia can be difficult. Stress, insomnia, and other symptoms of leukemia can make falling or staying asleep a struggle. Many members of MyLeukemiaTeam have discussed one such sleep-disrupting symptom: night sweats.
Night sweats are episodes of heavy or excessive sweating during the night, which can leave you feeling uncomfortable and make it difficult to fall back asleep. Luckily, there are some ways you and your oncologist can work together to manage your night sweats and help you get a cooler, more comfortable sleep.
Are night sweats keeping you up? You’re not alone. Members of MyLeukemiaTeam frequently talk about their night sweats.
“My night sweats are horrible,” said one member. “No high fever, just soaked night sweats.”
“The night sweats need to get out of here!” wrote another member.
You may even sweat enough to soak through your pajamas or bedsheets. One member shared, “It feels like someone dumped a gallon of water on me.”
Many members experience night sweats regardless of the outside temperature. “Even when the weather was in the single digits, I was still sweating,” wrote one member.
Another described the feeling as having “an internal heater that’s on full blast.”
MyLeukemiaTeam members take many different approaches to dealing with night sweats. One wrote that they change nightgowns in the middle of the night. Another shared that they sleep with “a darn bath towel to soak up the water,” adding, “It’s miserable.”
Night sweats can also cause people to feel chilled as the moisture evaporates from their bodies. “I keep a lot of T-shirts within reach because when they’re soaked, things cool off, and I get cold,” explained one member.
Night sweats can be both a symptom of leukemia and a side effect of certain treatments, such as chemotherapy.
Night sweats can happen because the body is trying to fight leukemia. Our bodies heat up to fight infections and illnesses, including leukemia. This can cause both fever and night sweats.
According to the NORD, night sweats are a particularly common symptom for people who have chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Treating your leukemia will usually control the sweats. Night sweats are also considered typical of acute lymphocytic leukemia.
Night sweats are often one of the first symptoms that lead a person to seek medical advice and an eventual leukemia diagnosis. In a survey of more than 2,000 people with leukemia, 31 percent reported night sweats as a major symptom before diagnosis.
Night sweats are a very common symptom of early CLL, specifically. This phenomenon has been noted by multiple MyLeukemiaTeam members. “Severe sweating is what sent me to the doctor,” explained one member. “He did extensive blood testing, and it turned out to be CLL.”
Because night sweats are a common symptom of menopause and perimenopause, this symptom can be confusing if you’re going through menopause. “I had drenching sweats for a year before diagnosis. I thought my hot flashes had returned,” said one member.
“I was sweating every night,” wrote another member. “I thought it was menopause. Nope. Sweating is a warning that something is wrong. My something was CLL.”
Although scientists don’t know why people with CLL get night sweats, some think it’s linked to the hormones they release during sleep to fight the cancer cells. There’s no research that shows that having night sweats means your CLL prognosis (outlook) is any worse than if you didn’t have night sweats.
Some treatments for leukemia and its symptoms can bring on night sweats. These treatments include chemotherapy, opioid pain medications, steroid medications, and tricyclic antidepressants.
Night sweats that accompany leukemia treatment can be incredibly frustrating. One member with CML shared, “I’m on Tasigna (nilotinib). I sweat all the time and go through towels all day long.”
“I think it’s my meds,” said another member. “By day two of treatment, I can barely sleep.”
One member said that they toss and turn every night. “I know a lot has to do with my meds,” they wrote.
Just as some treatments can cause night sweats, other treatments can help you find relief. Start by talking with your doctor or oncologist to find the root cause of your sweating. If you’ve already been diagnosed with leukemia and are having night sweats before starting treatment, it can be a sign that it’s time to begin treatment for your specific type of leukemia.
In many people, night sweats may become less severe after beginning treatment. Here, we give some additional tips to control this symptom.
Some medications can ease night sweats:
If chemotherapy or other leukemia treatments are causing night sweats, switching or adjusting your treatments may help solve the problem. “I started Sprycel (dasatinib) a week ago,” said one MyLeukemiaTeam member. “Doctor is hoping it will help with the sweating issues.”
Give your body time to adjust after starting leukemia treatment. As one member shared, symptoms like night sweats may improve over time: “I was diagnosed with CML almost three years ago. Night sweats were one of my symptoms. My body is finally settling down and adjusting to these powerful drugs that keep us alive.”
Cancer treatment often weakens the body’s immune system. As a result, people with leukemia are generally more susceptible to developing infections. Infections can raise a person’s body temperature and lead to night sweats. Tuberculosis in particular is an infection that can cause drenching night sweats and is seen frequently in people with leukemia because of their weakened immune system.
Your health care provider may prescribe antibiotics if you develop a bacterial infection, which should help ease related night sweats.
One important factor to consider when dealing with night sweats is whether your sleep habits are contributing to the problem. Practicing good sleep hygiene can help you get better sleep with simple lifestyle changes. If you experience frequent night sweats, changes that can help make you more comfortable include the following.
Opt for natural fibers like cotton, or try sweat-wicking bedding. Additionally, using lightweight blankets and layers that can be easily adjusted can help manage temperature throughout the night.
Doctors recommend keeping your bedroom between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit for optimal comfort. If you’re too warm, it may be hard to fall asleep.
If your home doesn’t have central air conditioning, consider putting in a window box fan or installing a ceiling fan. Even an extra plug-in fan may help.
Certain foods and drinks can aggravate the gastrointestinal system, making some medical conditions worse, leading to night sweats. These include processed foods, spicy fare, and beverages containing alcohol or caffeine.
Treating the stress, depression, and anxiety that can occur when living with leukemia may also help ease night sweats. Anxiety in particular can contribute to night sweats, so managing stress is important.
There are many treatment options for anxiety, including medications and therapy. Other ways to combat stress include:
Managing night sweats when living with leukemia can significantly improve your comfort and quality of sleep. Work with your doctor to identify the cause and find the best treatments for relief. Simple changes like adjusting your bedding, keeping your room cool, and improving air circulation can make a big difference. A combination of physical and mental health care can help you improve your quality of life.
MyLeukemiaTeam is the social network for people with leukemia and their caregivers. More than 19,000 members come together to ask questions, give advice, and share their experiences with others who understand life with different forms of leukemia.
Do you experience night sweats with leukemia? How have you managed this symptom? Share your thoughts in the comments below, or start a conversation by posting on your Activities page.
Fatima Sharif, MBBS, FCPS
graduated from Aga Khan University, Pakistan, in 2017 after completing medical school.
Learn more about her here.
Dawn Ferchak
is a content creator with over 15 years of experience. Her areas of expertise include health and wellness, including clinical areas such as rare diseases, orthopedics, oncology, and mental health. She writes for both professional and consumer audiences.
Learn more about her here.
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I Think The Body Heats Up To Fit This "illness." Therefore During The Summer And At Night I Use A Fan To Cool Myself At Night.
Can You Have Night Sweats During The Day? Sometimes I Sweat So Bad That The Tip Of My Hair Is Dripping Wet.
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I use Clonidine for years. It really helps.
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