drenching night sweats
(DREN-ching …)
Episodes of excessive sweating that occur during sleep and soak a person’s bedclothes and bed sheets, which may cause the person to wake up. Drenching night sweats that do not go away and occur with other signs and symptoms, such as fever, weight loss, and fatigue, may be a symptom of some types of cancer, including leukemia and lymphoma. Not all people who have drenching night sweats have cancer.