Sweating is crucial to survival because it is the body’s tool to regulate temperature. The skin and sweat glands also have elimination functions, and may work to compensate for other organs. When perspiration occurs only at night in children, it may be an indication of immune system or endocrine reactions to disease conditions, some of which may or may not be serious. The medical term for night sweats is nocturnal hyperhidrosis.
Fever
The body responds to infection or illness with fever. This elevation of normal temperature occurs when the brain signals the body to divert blood away from the skin to conserve heat. Chills generate even more core warmth. When the body temperature returns to normal, often during the night, perspiration helps rid the body of excess heat. Since fevers aid the body to fight infection and may help children rest, the Mayo Clinic advises parents not to medicate children with a temperature under 102 degrees Fahrenheit except under the advice of a physician.
Metabolic Disorders
Sweating is a symptom of low blood sugar, or hypoglycemia. In type 1 diabetes, the pancreas does not secrete sufficient insulin, a hormone that regulates blood sugar. Diabetics who take too much insulin at bedtime will experience low blood sugar and perspire during the night. Eating a piece of fruit or other snack may correct the condition.
Type 2 diabetes in children is characterized by insulin-resistance, in which the cells of the body cannot use insulin, even though the pancreas secretes enough. High insulin levels, coupled with fasting overnight, can produce episodes of low blood sugar and trigger night sweats.
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, or TB, is caused by a bacterium that most commonly affects the lungs. Night sweats are a classic symptom of tuberculosis infection. TB is usually transmitted in crowded conditions, such as in shelter homes, where many people, including children, share the same air. Additional symptoms include coughing, fatigue, weight loss, chills, and fever. As much as 33 percent of the Earth’s population is infected with TB, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and in 2008 there were 12,904 cases reported in the United States.
Childhood Cancers
Night sweats, fever, weight loss, and a painless swollen lymph node could be symptoms of malignancy, such as Hodgekin’s disease or non-Hodgekin’s lymphoma, two of the most common childhood cancers. Although rare, the Nemours Foundation reports that 1,700 children and teens are diagnosed with lymphoma in the United States each year. Lymph nodes, or glands, are located in the neck, groin, armpit, and above the collarbone.
