I sweat excessively in bed, usually in a cool ventilated bedroom, heavy or light bedclothes make no difference, this also occurs when I sleep anywhere else in other rooms and beds. Why

asks barrypr:

A. Sweating is a natural function of your body and is necessary to regulate your body temperature. You have five million sweat glands on your body - two-thirds of those are on your hands.

How much you sweat is regulated automatically. In about one per cent of people, the nerves are over-stimulated and sweat is produced far greater than needed to keep a constant temperature. This is called hyperhydrosis.

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Q. What happens
A. You may suffer from over-sweating periodically or continuously. It can happen in warm weather, when you feel stressed, or without any apparent reason.

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Q. Is it dangerous
A. It could be a symptom of something dangerous, depending on which type it is.

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When your whole body gets covered in sweat, it usually has an underlying cause. Frequently, it is due to a fever, or to the menopause. It can also be a symptom of a medical condition, such as hyperthyroidism, a psychiatric disorder, HIV, tuberculosis, diabetes or obesity. It can be caused by certain drugs, such as anti-depressants, the Pill and endocrine treatment for malignant diseases.�

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Less seriously, night sweats are a symptom of sleep apnoea. This is a possible cause if you snore, suffer from excessive daytime sleepiness or are overweight.

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Q. What if it's just my hands which sweat
A. The most common form of hyperhydrosis happens in just one or two areas - usually the hands, feet, face or armpits. It usually starts in adolescence and lasts for years. There is no reason for it, and it often triggered by anxiety. If sweating in the armpits or hands is severe, there is a simple operation which destroys the nerve centres which control the sweat glands in these areas.

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NB It's very important to see your GP to work out what might be causing the problem.

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By Sheena Miller