The smell that arises is due to the bacteria that live harmlessly on everyone's body. When the bacteria mix with sweat released from your sweat glands, it can create an unpleasant odor. If you are regularly experiencing night sweats with a bad odor, it may be worth investigating.
Body odor at night rarely tops the list of serious health woes, but it can be embarrassing and disconcerting. Sour body odor when sleeping usually isn't a cause for concern, but the sweating could be a sign of benign hyperhidrosis or a more serious ailment.
It's common to experience some level of body odor while sleeping. Most people only apply antiperspirant or deodorant in the morning, and it wears off throughout the day. Then, after we sleep and sweat through the night, our perspiration causes a foul smell upon waking.
Hair is another place where bacteria like to hide. If you still smell a strong body odor after a shower, consider shaving the hair in your armpits, groin, and chest. The hair's surface is a perfect place for bacteria to call home, and it's harder to eliminate them from the hair than your bare skin.
Heat, sweat, and friction in the crevasses under your breasts, (a.k.a., your “under boob area”) not only make you stink, they make your clothing wet. This area is a breeding ground for itchy rashes and unattractive, red bumps.
The characteristic odor is due to bacterial decomposition of the oily fluid." But there is hope: see a dermatologist for topical antibiotics Dr. Alexiades says, or try a sweet smelling deodorant to mask the problem temporarily.
While you're resting, your armpit bacteria are hard at work pumping out stinky thioalcohols. The human armpit has a lot to offer bacteria. It's moist, it's warm, and it's usually dark. But when the bacteria show up, they can make a stink.
The answer has to do with hormones—specifically, pheromones. “Pheromones are chemicals that animals and humans produce, which change and influence the behavior of another animal or human of the same species,” says Erica Spiegelman, wellness specialist, recovery counselor, and author of The Rewired Life.
Everyone gets bad breath from time to time — especially after eating garlic, onions or other strong foods. But bad breath that doesn't go away (chronic halitosis) could mean you have an oral health issue or a condition that's affecting another part of your body.
Use antiperspirant—yes, under your boobs
While it may seem strange to apply an antiperspirant anywhere other than your underarms, it works, Dr. Hazen says. "Antiperspirant can be used anywhere—on your feet, hands, and even under your bra," she says.
Sweat itself is odorless. Some medical conditions, genetics, being overweight or eating certain foods could make you more susceptible to bad body odor. If you're self-conscious about your body odor, there are things you can try to reduce or mask the unpleasant smell.
Overuse will lead to detergent buildup, which in turn will lead to the development of a sort of mildew-y smell, because the soap combined with your sweat, oils, and dander creates a perfect environment for bacterial growth.
"Eating well — lots of fresh food, including fruits and vegetables and clean protein — really keeps the body fresh and running smoothly, thus providing the perfect substrate for fragrance," she says. She adds that alcohol can have an adverse effect on body odor.
Yes, sometimes people are attracted to other people's special brand of human smell. It sounds weird, but every so often, a chemically compatible match comes along and...you get all caught up in a phenomenon we're calling body-odor attraction.