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Do you wake up in the middle of the night only to find your baby drenched in sweat? A baby sweating too much while sleeping can be a cause of concern among parents. Particularly new parents start panicking upon noticing a tiny bit of discomfort in their babies. Night sweats are basically excessive perspiration or sweating by babies during the night. Read on to know if night sweats are normal in babies or not and what you can do about it.

Common causes of baby sweating while sleeping

Here are some of the common health conditions that can result in your baby sweating too much during the night:

1. Sleep Apnea: Sleep apnea is a condition in which the baby stops breathing for at least twenty seconds. This causes his body to work too hard to breath. It is mostly premature babies who are affected by sleep apnea. In case your baby is afflicted with sleep apnea, he will also show other symptoms like wheezing and bluish skin tone.

2. Hyperhidrosis: In case you have placed your baby in a cool room and despite that he is sweating, he can be suffering from Hyperhidrosis. It is characterized by sweaty hands, feet and head. It is not a very serious health issue and can be taken care of by taking few measures.

3. Congenital heart disease: This is yet another reason for babies sweating too much particularly during the night. Babies who suffer from congenital heart disease also sweat when they play and eat. Every one in one hundred and twenty five newborns are affected by this condition. It results from defective development of the heart in the fetus.

4. Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS): Sudden infant death syndrome commonly referred as SIDS is caused by overheating of the body during the night. It makes the baby fall into deep sleep and makes it difficult for the baby to wake up.

Useful tips to deal with night sweats in babies

Here are some tips to cope with the problem of baby sweating at night:

1. Keep your baby well hydrated: Before making your little baby sleep, always make sure he is well hydrated to compensate for the loss of fluids that happen while sweating.
2. Keep checking the temperature of the room: make sure the room temperature is cool to cope with baby’s night sweats. If you are feeling hot, your baby is probably feeling hot too. So don’t unnecessarily wrap or cover the baby.
3. Dress him appropriately: Make your baby wear comfortable night clothing. A light and soft sleeping gown with a breathable material is a good option for your baby’s night time sleep.

Things to remember

• If your baby happens to show any other signs and symptoms like teeth grinding, snorting, snoring, rocking and head banging, he could actually be suffering from health conditions already mentioned. Take him to a pediatrician to check if that’s the case.
• If you have tried all the measures but your baby still sweats at night, you should consult a pediatrician. He can diagnose the real problem and give proper treatment as well.

If you notice that your baby’s head is sweating profusely and her stool and skin is getting drier, it is a sign of weak kidneys. You should immediately take your baby to a doctor.