Sweating After Eating Carbs or Sugar? Here’s Why
Health ConditionsSkin Conditions

Night Sweats After Eating Carbs or Sugar? Here’s Why and How to Find Relief

Night Sweats After Eating Carbs or Sugar? Here’s Why and How to Find Relief
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Updated on August 6, 2025
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Night sweats aren’t pleasant. Sometimes, the cause may be as simple as using a blanket that’s too heavy. Other times, it may be a sign of an underlying illness. If you’re feeling hot at night after eating carbs or sugar in particular, your diet may be why.

How Eating Sugar at Night Can Cause Sweating

Carbohydrates are a type of macronutrient. They includes starches, fiber, and sugar. Carbs are a key source of fuel for your body.

The amount and types of carbs you eat have a direct influence on your blood sugar level. For example, starchy and fibrous complex carbohydrates, like whole grains, legumes, fruits, and vegetables, provide a slower release of sugar into the bloodstream for sustained energy.

On the other hand, the body quickly digests and absorbs simple carbohydrates, like refined or processed grains, sugar, honey, and candy.

 This causes your blood sugar level to quickly spike. In response, your body produces a lot of insulin in an attempt to control your blood sugar level.
In turn, your blood sugar level drops rapidly, perhaps to a level that is too low (hypoglycemia), resulting in a sudden drop in energy, or a “sugar crash.” One side effect of hypoglycemia is sweating.

This can happen to anyone but is more common in people who are taking medications to treat diabetes.

“Sweating after eating is not considered a sign of diabetes,” says Seogeun Hong, MD, a primary care physician practicing in Orange, California. “However, if a patient who takes diabetes medications has sweating, it can be a sign of low blood sugars (hypoglycemia).”

Sweating and feeling hot at night aren’t the only symptoms of hypoglycemia. Other nighttime symptoms include:

  • Having nightmares or crying out
  • Feeling tired the next morning
  • Feeling disoriented when you wake up
  • Irritability

How to Deal With Night Sweats

Because eating sugar- or carb-rich foods before bed can lead to night sweats, stop eating about three hours before bedtime to give your body time to properly digest the food you ate.

You may also want to avoid other foods and beverages that can trigger sweating and disrupt sleep, such as alcohol, caffeine, and spicy foods.

On the other hand, if you have diabetes and are feeling symptoms of hypoglycemia, eating or drinking something sugary, like fruit juice, candy, or glucose tablets, can help stabilize your blood sugar level quickly.

Whether you’re feeling hot after eating carbs or having night sweats for another reason, Dr. Hong says the following tips can also help you stay cool while you snooze:

  • Sleep with a fan
  • Wear loose cotton pajamas
  • Use cotton bed linens
  • Stay hydrated

If you’re experiencing night sweats along with other symptoms like fever, cough, or weight loss, an underlying illness may be to blame, says Steven Reisman, MD, a cardiologist at the New York Cardiac Diagnostic Center in New York City. If this is the case for you, visit your doctor to identify the cause and begin treatment, if necessary.

The Takeaway

  • Eating sugary or high-carb foods at night may cause a quick rise in your blood sugar level followed by a rapid drop, resulting in hypoglycemia and its related symptoms, such as sweating.
  • Avoid eating close to bedtime, ideally stopping three hours before you go to sleep. Be cautious of other sweat-inducing foods and drinks that may further disrupt your sleep, such as alcohol, caffeine, and spicy foods.
  • Lifestyle changes, like using a fan, wearing loose cotton clothing, and staying well hydrated, may also help alleviate night sweats and improve sleep quality.
  • If night sweats are accompanied by symptoms like fever or weight loss, seek medical attention to rule out any serious underlying conditions.
EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
  1. Understanding Carbs. American Diabetes Association.
  2. Carbohydrates. American Heart Association. September 12, 2023.
  3. Sugar Crash Effects and How to Fix Them. Sanford Health. December 19, 2022.
  4. Hypoglycemia. Mayo Clinic. November 18, 2023.
  5. Low Blood Glucose (Hypoglycemia). National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. July 2021.
  6. Is Eating Before Bed Bad for You? Cleveland Clinic. March 23, 2022.
  7. Sweating. MedlinePlus. June 20, 2023.
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Allison Buttarazzi, MD

Allison Buttarazzi, MD

Medical Reviewer
Castle Connolly Top Doctor, Member of American College of Lifestyle Medicine

Allison Buttarazzi, MD, is board-certified in internal medicine and lifestyle medicine, and is a certified health and well-being coach. In her primary care practice, Dr. Buttarazzi focuses on lifestyle medicine to help her patients improve their health and longevity, and her passion is helping patients prevent and reverse chronic diseases (like heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes) by improving their lifestyle habits.

She is a graduate of Tufts University School of Medicine and completed a residency at Maine Medical Center. Diagnosed with celiac disease during medical school, she realized the power of improving one's health through diet and lifestyle habits, which she later incorporated into her practice.

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Mikel Theobald

Author

Mikel Theobald is an Indianapolis-based freelance writer who covers a wide range of topics, including early childhood education, home and family, Olympic sports, nutrition, fitness, and health. Her work has appeared in consumer and professional publications such as HealthDay, AOL, Huffington Post, Livestrong, and others.

Her favorite aspect of health writing is providing information to readers that helps them confidently advocate for their health and well-being. She helps readers sort through the complexities of important topics so they walk away with a deeper understanding of the information.

When she isn’t spending time with her family or meeting a writing deadline, you can often find Theobald volunteering for child advocacy organizations. She is the proud mother of 3 humans, 2 dogs, and 1 cat. She loves good books, live music, and Broadway musicals.

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