Menopause and sleep tend to go together as well as oil and water. Hot flashes are difficult enough to suffer through during the day, let alone at night as well. Luckily, there are certain actions you can take to try and improve your sleep while avoiding too much sweat.
The Science
Hot flashes are one of the most common aspects of menopause. They occur in about 85% of women in the U.S. experiencing perimenopause and menopause. The changes in levels of estrogen and progesterone in a woman’s body lead to these uncomfortable hot flashes and night sweats. Estrogen also helps the body use serotonin that lead to sound sleep. When estrogen levels drop, there’s a rise in disrupted sleep.
As if hot flashes weren’t frustrating enough, increased insomnia is also reported in women during peri to post menopause. 61% of women experience insomnia during menopause. Without proper sleep, you’re more likely to feel irritable and less likely to function as well as you normally would during the day. It’s important to make sure your body gets all the sleep it needs as it experiences major changes.
The Solutions
While the ideal room temperature for sleep differs for everyone, it is generally around 68 degrees. Turn the temperature in your bedroom down a few degrees cooler than what you’d normally set it at when you aren’t experiencing night sweats. This way, you’ll be less likely to wake up during the night when experiencing hot flashes.
Sleeping during hot flashes can also be improved by sleeping on a mattress with proper airflow that doesn’t trap body heat. A cooling mattress like the Pod is the perfect option for regulating temperature so you can sleep better while having hot flashes. The Pod features dynamic temperature regulation, cooling down up to 55 degrees Fahrenheit to keep you comfortable in those hot sweaty nights.
The Pod allows you to change the temperature on each side of the bed whenever you feel too hot. You can even set your bed temperature to naturally lower at certain times throughout the night.
Using a comfortable cooling pillow also helps to ensure you don’t wake up in a pool of sweat. Adjustable cool pillows are ideal since you can remove and add layers so you always get the right support.
Trying different solutions like the ones mentioned above and keeping track of the results can be overwhelming. However, a sleep tracker helps you to track how well you slept when using a certain sleep technique. Sleep trackers allow you to see how and when your body temperature changed so you can sleep better during menopause.
While body changes are inevitable in women, sleeping during menopause doesn’t have to feel impossible. Talk to your doctor or consult a sleep specialist if typical fixes for hot flashes while sleeping aren’t effective for you.
