My husband is waking up with clothes and sheets damp. He claims it's from "sweating." Anyone have this type of experience?

I also thought it was sweating but it got worse.The real answer was incontinence the diaper solved the problem.

I had that trouble and decided that it was the mattress protector, much the same as sleeping on a plastic bag. I changed its position on the bed so that it covered the ‘bottom’ half (sorry about that), and it has worked out fine.

Have him checked by his physician. Could be many reasons for it. My sister is a diabetic and when her sugar gets dangerously low during the night, she sweats through her sheets.

Happens to me about once a week now. Mine from chemo years ago. Talk to his doctor about it.

I put a towel over the damp sheet and change nightie. Usually the top sheet isn't too bad. Sometimes, I put my fan on the folded back top sheet for a minute. It makes the bed cold, but my electric blanket and body will rewarm it quickly.

JanBro: Turn down the thermostat at night. It's best to have a cool house for sleep. If this doesn't remedy the issue, perhaps he should see his physician/neurologist.

I agree that night sweats need to be evaluated.They are frequently the first symptom of a more severe problem such as cancer.Night sweats are totally different than an incontinence issue.If his tee shirt is damp or wet especially the neck and chest area.Check the pillow for dampness.The use of a moisture proof mattress pad will show if it is urine or a more generalized sweating.

This can be something serious. Your husband should be examined by his physician and have some lab testing and possibly a chest X-ray done. There are probably many not serious causes but serious conditions such as lymphoma can have symptoms of drenching night sweats. Get him evaluated for peace of mind.

JanBro, take the blanket off the bed, just have a top and bottom sheet, maybe a light bedspread. If the night sweats continue, then have this checked with hubby's doctor.

And make sure the temps at night are cooler. We set our thermostat at 67 degrees for night. Day time thermostat is too warm when under the covers. You may even want to consider a table top fan that blows a breeze onto him a few feet away. I know I need to use one in the summer.

What type of clothing does hubby wear at night? If he wear flannel pj's, time to change over to light weight short sleeve and short pj's of cotton.

And as others have mentioned, it could be medication. There are some meds that will give the guys hot flashes.

This scared me! I have been having night sweats for the last 2-3 years since becoming the primary care giver to my parents. I sent a message to my doctor

Talk to your doctor. Night sweats are a side effect of many medications and are also a symptom of thyroid problems and diabetes, among other diseases. Wear breathable cotton pajamas, fold a top sheet to sleep on ( saves time changing sheets). There are all kinds of waterproof pads, mattress covers etc. The newer styles of adult pull-ups look and feel like underwear and are not as embarrassing as the old school diapers.

The OP has said this is NOT incontinence.
Night sweats are entirely different than incontinence.; ITRR is correct it can come from plastic mattresses and pads, and I didn't mention that. that would be the first thing to try. Get that plastic well covered with cotton, or out if that is possible, covered with mattress cover material. But night sweats soak the FRONT of tee shirts worn to bed, etc. And it is always clear that this isn't from incontinence.
DrBenshir adds another possible to the long list of medical conditions that can cause this.
JanBro, you haven't been back. Did you speak to MD? What was the outcome?

Other causes of mild incontinence include BPH and new onset diabetes, which can also cause night sweats. Get a mattress protector with a washable, absorbent pad over top. Contact his doctor and go from there.

1. Make an appointment for him with a Urologist.
2. Get him Depends in his size.
3. Get bed pads either disposable or washable.
4. Clean him every morning.

A nephew had sudden night sweats. It was an early warning for cancer.

My husband was having terrible night sweats and it turned out to be a rare type of Non-Hogkins Lymphoma. Set up an appoinment with you husbands doctor asap, they will do blood tests.

Throw away bed pads bye on Amazon.

Check for bladder infection.happens to my mother-in-law.

The very possibility that it’s incontinence is obviously something he’s not quite ready for and is going to resist so if I were in your place I would put even the discussion in the hands of his doctor. Get him in to see his primary ASAP under the assumption it is night sweats and that’s important to report and investigate, anything that comes on quickly like that is. You should go with him so you can provide feedback as well let them look at his meds, any conditions that might cause sudden onset night sweats as well as sudden onset incontinence like UTI. In the meantime whatever it is a mattress cover, some have a cotton top built in, is in order. Do the research but hold off on pads and chucks, all the things that will say incontinence to him and make him resist until you know what it is and the doctors office suggests this sort of thing.

As an aside for your piece of mind in my experience anyway there is a difference in both the amount and location of wetness. With incontinence especially without underwear for that purpose, the soaking usually concentrates in one area and spreads from there, the top half of his body and that area of his bed remain dry. With night sweats usually a bigger area is less soaked in that if you were to put a towel down and sit on it the towel wouldn’t soak up the wetness as quickly, it doesn’t spread from a particular area it’s evenly wet.

He is probably having incontinence issues. Try using pull-up incontinence briefs at night.

For my MIL it was thyroid related

If you have already fitted a good mattress protector, it’s waterproof and I’ve found that mine leads to more sweating. I’ve been waking up with my nightie very damp, and I’ve now switched to cotton nighties only. The other issues already raised certainly need to be checked, but this can make a small problem worse.

It may be incontinence issues DH is having now, 4 years into AD, which is common. If he's bedwetting, the odor is unmistakable however, vs sweat which has an entirely different odor to it, imo. In any event, it may be time now for incontinence briefs if he's not already wearing them. And if he doesn't fight you tooth & nail over it :( That can be a bad thing, if he fights you on the briefs, b/c you'll be facing a large laundry load every single day, not to mention a wet mattress, etc. Now is the time for a waterproof mattress pad and at least large chuck pads between him & the sheets, whether he's releasing sweat or urine, to sop it up.

Here is a link to an excellent product called Extrasorbs that soak up a LOT of fluid:

https://www.amazon.com/Medline-EXTSB3036A350-Extrasorbs-Disposable-DryPads/dp/B00BL6FUX4/ref=sr_1_7?crid=2BR9XC08H72FA&keywords=medline+extrasorbs+premium+underpads&qid=1646165031&s=industrial&sprefix=medline+extrasorbs%2Cindustrial%2C234&sr=1-7

A doctor's appointment is a good idea, as has been recommended, b/c if it's really night sweats DH is having, that can be caused by a wide variety of things you're best of eliminating asap.

Good luck!

It is possible that they are night sweats and should be reported to his doctor.
Is he wearing absorbent briefs at night? (Depends or another brand? )
If he is not wearing absorbent, disposable or washable underwear at night it might be time to start.
I would say if all the clothing is damp and all the bedding is damp it might be sweat, usually with urine bedding and clothing will be more than damp.
I would switch to a waterproof mattress cover though even if it is sweat that can damage a mattress just as much as urine will.

Night sweats are reportable to a doctor. Can be nothing at all but can indicate heart problems. Do report to doctor this new development.

Night sweats can be brought on by medications or even eating too close to bedtime. I know if I eat anytime closer than about two hours before I go to bed, I get terrible night sweats.

Does he have any new medications?

Schedule a doctors appointment and buy some incontinence briefs for overnight.

This will determine the actual cause of the dampness.

My dad denied any incontinence and it was easily treatable when I brought it to the doctors attention. It was unfortunate that he struggled with "hiding" his incontinence for years when an honest consult cleared it up in a few months.

I know my dad was utterly ashamed of that problem and it was a few really hard conversations about wearing briefs that only he knew about versus wet pants, that was obvious to anyone that saw him.