Why does a child's head sweat a lot?

In medical terminology, excessive sweating of the body, regardless of the specific reasons, is called hyperhidrosis, which literally translates as “excessive sweat.” Increased sweating in the child at night or during daytime may have different reasons. Parents should carefully monitor the child, ensure a comfortable temperature in the bedroom, and if necessary, consult a doctor.

Causes of profuse sweating

The reasons why a child's head sweats when he falls asleep may be related to both his body and external conditions. Not in all cases it is associated with disorders in the body. Next, the most likely factors are considered.

Hormonal disbalance

The child’s body continues to actively develop in the first years of life. In life internal organs takes part and endocrine system, which is responsible for the production of hormones. If disturbances occur (increased or decreased concentration of the hormone) in the synthesis of individual substances, this also manifests itself in severe sweating of the head at night. Here are 2 common reasons:

1. In diabetes mellitus, an insufficient amount of insulin is produced, which causes an increase in sugar (glucose) levels in the blood. As a result, profuse sweating is observed both during sleep and while awake. Along with sweat, there is increased thirst, general weakness of the body and frequent urination.
2. An overactive thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism) also causes the child to sweat both at night and during the day.

If the described symptoms are observed, parents immediately contact an endocrinologist to clarify the reason why the child’s head sweats heavily during sleep.

Disorders of the cardiovascular system

Blood, among other functions, performs the work of normalizing the temperature of the body, limbs, and internal organs. If the heart works too hard, blood flow becomes stronger than usual, resulting in excess heat supply to the body. The onset of the following symptoms may indicate heart pathology:

• dyspnea;
• lethargy and fatigue;
• red face;
• uneven heartbeat (pulse increases and decreases).

In such a case, you should consult a doctor, since it is impossible to diagnose at home.

Infection as a cause of sweating

Infections caused by viruses or bacteria lead to an increase in temperature, which is a normal physiological reaction in children and adults. Infectious pathologies arise not only due to the development of influenza or ARVI - these are also intestinal pathologies, sore throat (caused by streptococci) and other diseases.

Symptoms of the disease directly depend on the characteristics of the disease. So, intestinal infections accompanied by vomiting, problems with feeding, diarrhea and other characteristic symptoms.

Moreover, after treatment in the first 10-15 days, the child also sweats in his sleep, i.e. at first glance, no changes occur. In fact, this is also normal, since the body recovers gradually from the illness. In this sense children's body no different from an adult.

In such cases, a pediatrician is invited to prescribe the correct treatment. In case of exacerbation, treatment with antibiotics is used. And to prevent infections, vaccinations are given.

Room temperature

Parents often try to heat the air in the bedroom too much, which makes sleeping in it uncomfortable. In the evening, the room is ventilated (the child is first cleaned). They are guided by the fact that the temperature during sleep should be no more than 22 degrees.

During the night's rest, the child begins to open up, often wakes up, and cries. If the temperature in the apartment is higher than room temperature, this is the reason that makes the child worry. Therefore, you should not wrap it up too much - otherwise the body will overheat, the head and neck will be wet from sweat.

Rickets: how to recognize it

If your head sweats profusely during your sleep, this may be one of the signs of rickets, a disease associated with improper development of bone tissue due to metabolic disorders. Other signs include:

• decreased appetite;
• stool disorders - constipation or diarrhea;
• sleep disorders;
• deviations in behavior (anxiety, anxiety);
• lethargy, weak muscle tone;
• bloating.

Such signs are the first harbingers of rickets. If you do not consult a doctor and start treatment, the following symptoms will appear:

• bowed legs;
• the pelvis becomes at same;
• the chest is deformed;
• the shape of the skull changes;
• bumps appear on the forehead.

The doctor prescribes appropriate treatment. Adjustments are introduced into the child’s diet - the content of substances containing calcium, phosphorus and vitamin D3 is increased. You should not change your diet on your own - in any case, contacting a pediatrician is mandatory.

Other reasons

If a child’s head sweats during sleep, this phenomenon may be associated with other factors:

1. A down or wool blanket that is too “hot” is used: as a result, the body overheats at night, and natural materials cause an allergic reaction, which manifests itself in the form of itching and redness.
2. If a child has spent a very active day, playing a lot and having fun, his head also sweats in his sleep, which is quite normal.
3. After using medications among side effects severe sweating may also occur; They stop taking the medications for a while, after which the child feels fine.

Thus, it is not in all cases something to worry about if your child's head and neck are sweating. If provided normal temperature in the bedroom and keep an eye on the child, he will quickly return to normal, and the pillow will no longer be wet in the morning.

When should you not worry?

If a child’s head sweats profusely during sleep, and the pillow becomes wet the next morning, parents normalize the temperature in the bedroom and replace the bed linen:

• wool blanket - on bamboo;
• down pillow - to synthetic.

If these measures have given results, and sweating has noticeably decreased, there is no need to worry. In addition, the absence of other symptoms (for example, weakness, increased thirst, heart rate fluctuations) also indicates a high probability that the child has no health problems.

In addition, in some cases the head sweats heavily during sleep due to individual characteristics body. The sweat glands work more actively than normal, which explains the release of moisture. With age, the body rebuilds itself, although some adults also experience problems with severe sweating.

Causes of sweating: table by age

The connection between the reasons why a child’s head sweats during sleep and age characteristics in some cases conditional. For example, against the background of infectious diseases or because of synthetic clothing, bedding, sweating occurs at both one and two years old. However, we can distinguish groups of reasons that most often manifest themselves at a specific age - for example, at one year or when the child gets older.

Tips from experienced mothers: how to avoid excessive sweating

The child's head may begin to actively sweat due to uncomfortable clothing or incorrect temperature conditions. This makes it impossible to sleep normally, leads to a general weakening of the body due to lack of sleep, capricious behavior and other undesirable deviations.

Experienced mothers who have encountered a similar situation give the following recommendations:

1. First of all, temperature plays an important role. The air in the bedroom should not be too dry and hot. Maintain room temperature within 18-22 degrees, and humidity - no higher than 60% (but not less than 50%).
2. To prevent your child from sweating while sleeping, buy clothes only made from cotton and other natural materials.
3. You shouldn't wrap yourself too tightly unless necessary. This prevents him from falling asleep normally.
4. On hot days, it is better to visit swimming pools and cool down in other ways - at such times the risk of overheating is especially dangerous.
5. It is worthwhile to massage regularly: gently stroke your legs, tummy, and arms. As the movements grow, they intensify: one year old child They only stroke, and at an older age the movements become more complicated. Massage increases blood flow, stimulates the heart, and has a beneficial effect on the nervous system and muscles.

If Taken measures do not give results, and the child’s head continues to sweat in his sleep, they seek help from doctors to determine the cause. Self-medication is not recommended, as there is a risk of harming the child’s health.

The famous children's pediatrician Evgeny Olegovich Komarovsky, explaining why a child's head sweats in a dream, gives the following reasons:

1. High temperature in the bedroom.
2. Synthetic bedding.
3. Individual characteristics of the child. Associated with the functioning of the autonomic nervous system. Such physiological characteristics disappear or remain with age, but both are options normal development body.

You should not pay attention to these factors. Only internal disorders in the body cause concern:

• rickets;
• dysfunction of the immune system;
• liver dysfunction;
• illnesses digestive system and etc.

Thus, the fact that a child’s head sweats during sleep does not necessarily indicate internal disorders in the body. Such phenomena are caused by a violation of the temperature regime in the room and thick clothing made from non-natural materials. Parents should pay attention to these conditions and not wrap things up unnecessarily.

Many mothers notice that their child's head sweats during sleep. If this happens infrequently, then there is no need to worry. But when your baby sleeps sweaty almost every night, there's something to think about. There are many reasons why this happens. Some are quite harmless, but there are also pathological ones among them, which it is advisable to identify as early as possible.

Physiological factors

Most often, the reasons why a child’s head sweats a lot, mainly during sleep, are purely physiological and should not cause much concern for parents. It could be:

1. Overheating is a consequence of the habit of most mothers to dress their child warmly so that he does not become overcooled. Although in fact overheating is no less dangerous for a baby than low temperatures. The child must be dressed according to weather conditions. And it’s easy to check how he’s feeling - his nose is always the first to freeze. When you overheat, your head starts to sweat.
2. Overwork. Too big physical activity, after which the baby has already gone to bed, and his body continues to work intensively. Increased metabolism leads to sweating during sleep. The baby cannot yet determine overtiredness on his own, so you need to monitor the daily routine and alternate active games with quiet activities.
3. Down bed. Some still consider it the most natural and suitable for a baby. But down pillows and blankets are strictly contraindicated for small children! They create a greenhouse effect, causing sweating, and often cause an allergic cough that prevents you from sleeping peacefully at night. It is better to buy bedding for your baby with modern, safe, hypoallergenic fillings.
4. Synthetics. But the baby’s pillowcase, sheet and pajamas should only be made from natural fabrics that allow air to pass through and absorb moisture. Synthetics do not allow the skin to “breathe”, and the child begins to sweat heavily during sleep. When buying clothes for a child, you should not rely on tactile sensations- many modern synthetic fabrics very similar to natural ones. Be sure to look at the ingredients listed on the label. Synthetic additives can be no more than 10%.
5. Feeding. It's for infant is real work. To extract milk from mother's breast or a properly selected pacifier, he has to sweat a lot, not only in a figurative sense. This is completely normal. On the contrary, when milk flows too easily, the muscles are not trained, and the child often overeats, since the feeling of fullness is a little delayed, and he manages to drink more milk than the body really needs.

It is quite easy to identify and eliminate such causes. And if sweating during sleep then disappears, it means the child is healthy and there is no reason to see a doctor.

Pathological causes

But sometimes the main reason why a child’s head sweats a lot during sleep is pathological changes in the body, which are important to detect and treat in time:

• high temperature, which the body tries to compensate by increased sweating;
• heart failure, characterized by cold, clammy sweat;
• overactivity of the thyroid gland, leading to accelerated metabolic processes and severe sweating;
• taking certain medications (sweating appears as a side effect).

If the baby has a temperature and sweats for this reason, then everything is more or less clear. But if everything physiological reasons identified and eliminated, but the head still constantly becomes wet when the child sleeps, it is better to consult a doctor and find out why this is happening.

It is better to make sure that there is no pathology than to “overlook” the disease and then undergo a long treatment.

Don't miss rickets!

But if a baby’s head sweats a lot, this may be the first sign of incipient rickets. There is an opinion that only children from low-income families are susceptible to this disease, but this is not true. Any child can get rickets. Its main cause is a critical lack of vitamin D, and it appears as a result of an unbalanced diet (especially if the baby is artificial), insufficient exposure to the sun, and other diseases.

On early stage Rickets is easy to cure, but an advanced disease is practically untreatable and affects not only the general condition, but also the appearance of the child.

Therefore, it is necessary to immediately show the baby to the doctor when, except increased sweating Other symptoms are present during sleep:

Only a doctor can diagnose rickets. Some mothers independently prescribe vitamin D to their baby for prevention, but do not adhere to the recommended dosages at all, believing that vitamins will not cause harm. Such a mistake can lead to extremely negative consequences.

Hypervitaminosis for infants is as dangerous as a lack of vitamins. With an excess of vitamin D, normal calcium metabolism is disrupted and hypercalcemia (salt deposits) occurs, leading to diseases and deformation of the joints and spine, or hypercalceuria - when too much calcium is excreted in the urine, irritating the kidneys and causing their inflammation.

Therefore, you cannot prescribe or give vitamin D to your child on your own! It is already included in most high-quality baby foods and infant formulas.

To prevent rickets, you need to spend more time with your child in the fresh air and do hardening procedures, include them in the diet fresh fruits and vegetables, try to keep it on for at least six months breast milk, and if this is not possible, buy adapted fortified mixtures.

Comfortable sleep

Comfortable sleep for small child is especially important - during sleep, the body actively grows and cleanses itself of waste and toxins accumulated during the day. Not all babies like to go to bed, and if your baby is nervous before bed, the night can become restless, and loud crying will cause him to sweat a lot.

A unique bedtime ritual can be used to avoid this problem and ensure easy falling asleep, which must be organized in such a way that the child likes it and looks forward to it. Here's what it might look like:

• bathe your baby in a warm bath with the addition of herbal decoctions: lemon balm, chamomile, lavender - their aroma promotes relaxation;
• change him into beautiful pajamas made of high-quality natural fabric;
• put your favorite toy to bed together, explaining to it how important it is to have a good rest before tomorrow;
• Talk calmly with an older child about the past day to find out if there are any worries or fears;
• Sing a lullaby to a small child or read a fairy tale (always with a continuation, which he will hear tomorrow before going to bed!).

Such actions repeated day after day will develop a habit, and by a certain time the baby’s body will begin to relax and prepare for sleep.

Before putting your child to bed, be sure to ventilate the room, check the temperature and humidity, and change the lighting to a softer one that promotes relaxation.

These little tricks will save the nervous system of mother and baby. She won't have to put a screaming child to bed with a sweaty head from overexertion, and then wait until he's fast asleep to change him into dry clothes. Normally, a sleeping child should not sweat. And if you still cannot cope with the problem on your own, consult your pediatrician!

In children it is often caused by their hyperactivity, which is caused by high level energy. But for children who lead a sedentary lifestyle and are inactive, this explanation is not suitable. In cases where a child's head sweats excessively during sleep, there can be many reasons.

Often older children and teenagers face the problem of excessive sweating of the head. If such a problem occurs at the very beginning of puberty, then this should be considered as one of the consequences of the change hormonal levels in organism. Excessive sweating of the head is usually accompanied by the hands, feet, and similarly problematic armpits.

There may be other reasons for the glands to work this way. The best way find out them - consult a doctor. For example, increased sweating, called hyperhidrosis, may be due to a feature of the body that is active work sweat glands or is a serious disease. If hyperhidrosis (including when the head sweats during sleep) is accompanied by other signs, for example, fatigue and irritability, then this usually indicates the development of a disease such as hyperthyroidism, which usually causes restless behavior in the child.

Excessive sweating can be a sign diabetes mellitus. But it should be remembered that the onset of diabetes is characterized by other symptoms: excessive thirst, fatigue, frequent urination and

If a child's head sweats in a dream, this may mean heart problems. They may be accompanied by other symptoms such as heavy breathing, excessive breathing and coughing. Experts say this is a cause for concern in children and should be reported to your doctor.

Young mothers are especially worried when the baby has a headache during sleep. This condition may be caused by the development of such dangerous disease like rickets. This is a serious problem that occurs due to a lack of vitamin D. It is caused by improper care for the baby: malnutrition, lack fresh air and sunlight. The result is poor absorption of calcium and phosphorus, improper development of bones and other tissues in the child’s body, as well as the nervous system. Therefore, such a symptom as excessive sweating in a baby must be taken seriously, otherwise there may be health complications in his adult life.

You should not wait until the child's condition worsens. As soon as increased sweating becomes noticeable, you should immediately inform your doctor. The doctor may order a number of tests. They are mainly associated with testing the functions of the endocrine glands. As soon as the cause is established, then (and only!) the doctor will prescribe the correct course of treatment. If your child has a sweaty head while sleeping, this may include using heavy antiperspirants or herbal solutions on the scalp and neck. To avoid some side effects (such as dry skin or allergic reaction), they should only be used as prescribed by a doctor.

If your baby's head sweats at night, this may be caused by simple night terrors, environmental problems, infectious diseases. Fears plague children aged 4 to 12 years. Although they do not pose any danger to the child, parents should seek medical care for him. Exposure to some bacterial and viral infections is accompanied by excessive sweating and fever. In this case, it is important to protect the child’s body from dehydration. Especially if the child has a sore throat or colds. In this case, he needs plenty of fluids and as much comfortable conditions for sleep.

So you have become acquainted with some of the causes of the phenomenon of “excessive sweating of a child’s head” and now you know where to start solving this problem.

If we consider children from 1 to 12 months, then common reasons can be:

• overheat;
• increased activity, for example, while sucking on the breast or pacifier;
• lack of vitamin D.

Also, children of all ages sweat for the following reasons;

• problems with the thyroid gland;
• cardiac disorders;
• ARVI;
• reaction to the medicine.

Very often, problems with sweating occur in children under 4 years of age. And already at the age of 5 this process begins to return to normal.

Young schoolchildren and teenagers may suffer from increased sweating. In this case, first of all, you should pay attention to the hereditary factor, clothing, and only then, if necessary, contact specialists.

A child's head sweats in his sleep - reasons

Below we will look possible reasons of this phenomenon.

How to deal with sweating?

Often, excessive sweating is physiological feature, which is inherited. That is why the following simple steps will help to cope with this problem:

1. maintaining the house temperature within 18-22 degrees;
2. maintaining humidity at 60%;
3. You need to dress your child in things made from natural fabrics that will suit the weather;
4. Do not wear a hat unless necessary.

If the recommendations listed do not help, then you cannot do without a visit to the pediatrician. He will definitely examine the child and prescribe all the necessary examinations. This will help identify the cause of sweating and begin appropriate treatment.

Doctor Komarovsky's opinion

Dr. Komarovsky also did not ignore this problem. He gives his recommendations that help when a child’s head sweats during sleep:

• before going to bed, the child should not be overexcited, which is why it is necessary to minimize strong emotions in the evening;
• After active play, he recommends bathing the child in warm water with the addition of medicinal herbs;
• Give your child more clean water during the day, replacing soda, juices and fruit drinks with it.

Experience of doctors and mothers

Most often, parents of children under one year old experience increased sweating. Before the mother has time to leave the hospital, she notices that the baby’s head becomes wet during sleep. According to most parents, this problem can be solved simply by normalizing the temperature.

Mothers themselves admit that they are afraid of the baby catching a cold and dress him very warmly.

It also affects sweating. Some parents think that this problem should go away quickly enough and therefore begin to worry when it persists in children of 7-8 months. From the experience of mothers, it is clear that even at 3 years of age, sweating does not always improve.

Pediatric doctors have to deal with this problem almost every day. They say that the main thing is not to overheat the child. Also, from autumn to the end of spring, you need to give your child vitamin D. Often these measures are enough to prevent excessive sweating. Sometimes all the child requires treatment and supervision by specialists.

A happy mother, having returned from the maternity hospital with a new baby, joyfully “circles” around her baby. But, noticing that his head is sweating in his sleep, he begins to sound the alarm, since the baby’s body remains dry. Is it possible to consider increased sweating of the baby's head at night? normal occurrence, or does a damp pillow indicate the development of pathology? Let's try to figure out why a child's head sweats during sleep, and what should be done to eliminate this problem?

Why does a child's head sweat while sleeping? What can be called normal

The baby’s nervous system is still imperfect, and this becomes the reason for the unstable functioning of many systems of the small body. Sweat glands continue to develop, and their largest concentration is on the head, so the head produces the most moisture. The following factors can influence increased sweating in infants:

1. Overheat. For some reason, mothers always think that their baby will freeze, and they begin to dress the baby like a “cabbage”, and also cover him with a blanket during sleep. Such overheating leads to disruption of heat exchange and causes the sweat glands to work more actively.
2. Normal temperature and humidity in the room where the baby is is the key to the healthy development of the toddler. To avoid wet pillows in the morning, it is necessary to maintain the air temperature at 18–21 C. As for humidity, it should be within 60%.
3. The presence of an illness accompanied elevated temperature bodies. The body, trying to lower its internal temperature, regulates heat exchange and causes the sweat glands to actively work.

The above reasons for excessive sweating are called natural. It is also considered normal if a child sweats heavily when falling asleep, and this process is expressed as follows:

• wet temples, the back of the head - this is how a small body reacts to lack of sleep;
• the entire head is completely wet - if a child sucks a breast or bottle while falling asleep, he gets tired and the head sweats;
• moist lower part of the head and forehead area - can become moist during physical fatigue (stress).

A child's head sweats during sleep - when to sound the alarm

If a child sweats a lot when falling asleep, then this physiological process cannot always be considered normal. Mom should be on alert, as internal disorders can cause hyperhidrosis in a small body.

The child's head sweats during sleep with rickets

Quite often, especially in premature babies, the cause of a wet pillow is rickets (lack of vitamin D). The absence of this vitamin leads to calcium and phosphorus deficiency. The risk category should include children who are artificial feeding, since budget mixtures are not able to provide the entire microelement composition. Impaired liver and kidney function and intestinal infections can lead to rickets.

In addition to hyperhidrosis, the following symptoms may indicate vitamin D deficiency in a small body:

• hair loss in the back of the head;
• disturbing sleep;
• lack of appetite.

Diabetes mellitus and sweating of the head in a child during sleep

Diabetes mellitus can cause increased sweating of the head, while the rest of the toddler’s body remains dry. Therefore, if there are relatives in the family with this disease, it is better to undergo a full diagnosis to exclude this diagnosis. A characteristic feature of sweating is its presence at any time, including during wakefulness. Associated symptoms of such hyperhidrosis are:

• thirst, the baby constantly asks for breastfeeding or drinking;
• general weakness, minimal activity, loss of interest in the game;
• frequent urination.

In addition to diabetes mellitus, a direct “provocateur” of sweating is a dysfunction of the thyroid gland.

The baby's head sweats during sleep - an indicator of problems with the nervous system

As mentioned above, an imperfect nervous system cannot cope with thermoregulation, which is why the child sweats. But there are also warning signs that parents should pay attention to. These include:

• cutting bad smell sweating;
• moisture may be released in certain areas (one arm, part of the back, only the forehead);
• The secretion from the sweat glands is too thick.

Such symptoms may indicate the presence of a pathology of the nervous system, therefore, if they notice deviations, parents should consult a doctor.

In cases where a wet pillow is a consequence of pathology, allow a specialist to sort out the problem. Contact your pediatrician, who will examine your child and, if necessary, refer you to another doctor.

If the mother is confident in the health of her baby, then the following tips will help get rid of excessive sweating during sleep:

1. Observe the temperature regime in the room where the child sleeps. Be sure to ventilate it twice a day. In winter, when heating dries the air, use special air humidifiers.
2. Up to six months, daily bathing is mandatory. Afterwards you can produce water procedures in one day.
3. Watch your diet. Eliminate salty, sweet, pickled foods. Nutrition must be complete in order to provide the small body with the necessary microelements.
4. Drinking regime. Especially in summer period The child should be given drinks on demand. It is better to drink clean water, natural juices, and weak teas.

Standard physiological hydration skin the child, including on the head, is not a pathological process and does not cause any harm to the baby. Compliance simple rules nutrition, dressing, hygiene, external conditions will help reduce secretion. In the case of wet pillows in the morning, which are accompanied by alarming factors such as loss of appetite, weight, restlessness and others, it is better to see a doctor.