Is night sweating due to yin deficiency or yang deficiency?
Dec 09, 2025
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Sun Lianqing
Introduction
According to traditional Chinese medicine, individuals with yin deficiency have insufficient body fluids (yin), which fails to restrain yang qi, leading to the internal generation of deficient fire. During nighttime sleep, this deficient fire steams body fluids, causing them to leak out and resulting in night sweats, often accompanied by symptoms such as dry mouth and throat, heat in the palms and soles, dizziness, and tinnitus. In contrast, individuals with yang deficiency have a lack of yang qi, leading to weakened containment of body fluids. This commonly manifests as spontaneous sweating during the day even without physical activity, accompanied by symptoms such as aversion to cold, cold limbs, and loose stools.
Generally, night sweats are mostly caused by yin deficiency. Yang deficiency typically does not lead to night sweats; instead, it may be associated with spontaneous sweating (sweating during the day without exertion). If in doubt, it is recommended to evaluate the overall symptoms for accurate pattern differentiation. Detailed analysis is as follows:
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), individuals with yin deficiency have insufficient body fluids (yin), which fail to restrain yang qi, leading to internal deficiency fire. During nighttime sleep, this false fire steams body fluids, causing them to leak out and resulting in night sweats. This condition is often accompanied by symptoms such as dry mouth and throat, heat in the palms, soles, and chest, dizziness, and tinnitus.
In contrast, individuals with yang deficiency have weakened yang qi, resulting in reduced ability to retain body fluids. They tend to sweat during the daytime even without physical activity (a condition known as spontaneous sweating), commonly accompanied by aversion to cold, cold limbs, loose stools, and other symptoms. The pathological mechanism is entirely different from that of night sweats, and clinically, it is very rare for yang deficiency to cause night sweats.
Daily recommendations include maintaining regular作息 (daily routines), avoiding late nights to prevent depletion of yin fluids. Individuals with yin deficiency may benefit from consuming nourishing foods such as tremella fungus and lily bulbs. If night sweats occur frequently or are accompanied by other discomforts, prompt medical consultation is advised to identify the underlying cause and avoid improper self-treatment that could worsen symptoms.
