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Night Sweats and Alcohol

Medically reviewed by Alana Biggers, M.D., MPH — Written by Ann Pietrangelo — Updated on April 20, 2023

Alcohol & night sweats
Alcohol withdrawal
Alcohol intolerance
Managing symptoms
Alcohol dependence

Night sweats are usually harmless. However, a more serious cause of night sweats is alcohol consumption. It can happen if you have an alcohol use disorder, binge drink, or even if you’ve only had one drink.

You probably don’t think of being sweaty as a good thing, but it serves an important function. Sweat is a vital part of our body’s cooling system. Our sweat glands work hard, even when we’re sleeping.

Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night in a pool of sweat? If so, you’ve experienced night sweats.

Menopause, low blood sugar, and fever can cause night sweats. So can certain medications, including antidepressants and steroids. If your clothing or your bedroom temperature causes you to sweat, it’s not considered night sweats.

However, drinking alcohol can also be a cause. If you’re physically dependent on alcohol, sudden withdrawal can result in night sweats. If you experience frequent night sweats due to drinking, you may have a drinking problem.

How alcohol triggers night sweats

Alcohol affects the central nervous system, the circulatory system, and virtually every part of your body. Drinking can increase your heart rate and widen blood vessels in your skin. This can trigger perspiration.

Can you sweat alcohol out of your system? Yes and no.

A small amount of alcohol is broken down in your stomach lining, but your liver metabolizes most of it. Most of the alcohol you consume is broken down into byproducts through metabolism within your body.

Having night sweats or making yourself perspire won’t expel alcohol from your system any faster.

Night sweats can also be caused by alcohol withdrawal. This symptom of withdrawal, along with most others, is temporary.

Alcohol withdrawal and night sweats

If you have night sweats but you haven’t consumed alcohol recently and you’re a regular drinker, it may be a sign of alcohol withdrawal.

Withdrawal symptoms can begin as soon as a few hours after your last drink or within several days. Some symptoms may take several weeks to completely disappear.

If you have night sweats along with some of the following symptoms, it could be a sign that you’re going through alcohol withdrawal.

Common symptoms

Sweating, clammy skin, and night sweats are common symptoms of withdrawal. You may also feel anxious, depressed, or moody. Other symptoms include:

nausea
shakiness
nightmares
difficulty sleeping
fatigue
headaches
loss of appetite
body aches
restlessness
muscle pains
fever

Severe symptoms

vomiting
rapid heart rate
heart palpitations
high blood pressure
changes to respiratory rate
tremors
confusion

Symptoms of delirium tremens

Delirium tremens (DT) is the most severe form of alcohol withdrawal. It can cause severe sweating, fever, hallucinations, and seizures. This is a life threatening event requiring immediate medical care.

Symptoms of DT typically occur within 48 to 96 hours after your last drink. In some cases, symptoms can occur up to 10 days after your last drink. Symptoms of DT can quickly worsen and may include the following:

body tremors
changes in mental function
irritability
confusion, disorientation
decreased attention span
deep sleep lasting for a day or longer
delirium
excitement
fear
hallucinations
increased activity
quick mood changes
sensitivity to light, sound, or touch
sleepiness
fatigue
seizures

If you experience these symptoms along with regular night sweats, you may be going through alcohol withdrawal.

Alcohol intolerance and night sweats

Occasionally, alcohol-induced night sweats can be due to alcohol intolerance. Alcohol intolerance is caused by a genetic mutation. When your body has this mutation, it can’t produce the enzymes that break down the toxins in alcohol.

Additional symptoms of alcohol intolerance include:

facial redness
hives
worsening of preexisting asthma
runny or stuffy nose
low blood pressure
nausea
vomiting
diarrhea

Because alcohol intolerance is a genetic condition, there’s currently no cure for it. The best way to relieve the symptoms of alcohol intolerance is to limit or eliminate alcohol consumption.

Tips for dealing with alcohol related night sweats

Your body loses a lot of moisture when you sweat profusely. It’s important to replenish fluids by drinking plenty of water. You should also:

rinse your skin to remove excess salt from dried sweat
change your sheets before you get back into bed
keep your bedroom at a comfortable temperature
avoid using too many heavy blankets

See your doctor if you’re not sure what’s causing your night sweats or if you have accompanying symptoms. Getting night sweats from alcohol consumption may indicate symptoms of a drinking problem.

Are you alcohol dependent?

Your doctor can diagnose you with alcohol dependence by using specific criteria. You may be dependent on alcohol if at least three of these symptoms apply to you:

continuing alcohol use despite knowing its harmful effects
drinking more alcohol than you first did
giving extra effort and time to drinking alcohol
having a tolerance for alcohol
having withdrawal (physical or mental) symptoms after not drinking for a short period
having problems with decreasing or controlling your alcohol use
spending less time doing more important things

These symptoms must greatly affect and cause you not to do well in school, work, or relationships.

Resources to find help

If you believe that you are dependent on alcohol, it’s important to know that there are sources for help. For more information on alcohol dependence and where to find help, visit the following websites:

National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
National Institute on Drug Abuse
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
DrugFree.org
Alcoholics Anonymous
Al-Anon Family Groups

How we reviewed this article:

SourcesHistoryHealthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We only use quality, credible sources to ensure content accuracy and integrity. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

Alcohol. (n.d.).http://www.brookes.ac.uk/student/services/health/alcohol.html
Alcohol absorption. (2016).https://prevention.gwu.edu/alcohol-absorption
Cedarbaum AI. (2013). Alcohol metabolism.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3484320/
Night sweats. (2012).http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/night-sweats/Pages/Introduction.aspx
Thomas S. (2020). Night sweats and alcohol: Why alcohol makes you hot.https://www.alcohol.org/effects/warm-flushed-skin/

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Medically reviewed by Alana Biggers, M.D., MPH — Written by Ann Pietrangelo — Updated on April 20, 2023

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