A few nights ago, I heard my three-year-old daughter crying out in her sleep. I came into her room to check on her just as she fully woke up-- and found that she was absolutely covered in sweat. Her pajamas were saturated, and her pillow was drenched. Although I'd seen her sweat a little in her sleep, this sort of night-sweat was unusual-- and it worried me.
I asked a few other moms in my family and circle of friends, and found out that night-sweats are extremely common in toddlers. In fact, almost parent who I spoke to said that her children went through a night-sweating phase in toddlerhood or during the preschool years. BabyCenterconfirmed their observations: that night sweats are essentially normal for toddlers.
If your toddler has been sweating in her sleep, it's natural to be concerned. Here a few things you may need to know about night sweats in toddlers and preschoolers.
Understand that it's normal.
There's no need to page your pediatrician in the middle of the night over a toddler's sweaty pajamas, unless you see other symptoms that worry you. BabyCenter reports that toddlers are prone to night sweats for three reasons: they spend more time in deep sleep, they have proportionally more sweat glands than adults, and their bodies' temperature-regulation symptoms are immature. Occasional night sweats are a completely normal and developmentally appropriate reaction to this stage in a child's development.
Check for signs of overdressing. We moms have a tendency to overdress, not underdress, our babies and toddlers. This habit comes from the outdated advice suggesting that young children need to be constantly "bundled" to prevent colds and respiratory infections. In reality, toddlers only need to be dressed a tad warmer than adults. If your toddler goes to bed wearing long sleeves and thermal pants every night, he's bound to wake up in a sweat. Try dressing your toddler in fewer layers or using a lighter blanket on him at night. You're likely to find that the night-sweats go away.
Look for symptoms of sleep apnea. Sometimes night-sweats in toddlers are a symptom of sleep apnea, a disorder that causes children to stop breathing for brief periods of time while asleep. Symptoms of sleep apnea include gasping for air while asleep, snoring and irritability. Toddlers with sleep apnea may sweat because their bodies are struggling to breathe. If your toddler shows signs of sleep apnea, consult her pediatrician for an evaluation.
Watch for infection symptoms. If your child has an infection, such as bronchitis, cold or flu, she may begin sweating heavily in her sleep as her body combats the infection. Check for other infection symptoms, like fever, breathing problems and irritability. If you're concerned or the infection seems particularly serious, go ahead and give your toddler's pediatrician a call. It's always better to play it safe when your little one is ill.
5Keep an eye out for improvement. In general, as your toddler gets older and her body's temperature-regulation symptoms improve, she'll have fewer and fewer night sweats. If your child continues to sweat copiously on a regular basis, even into her school years, let her pediatrician know. Rarely, serious medical conditions such as thyroid disease and cancer can cause prolonged or frequent night sweats.
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