Summer is coming. Those of us who have hot flashes at night are dreading the change in weather. Waking up with your hair stuck to the pillow, or needing an entire change of pajamas is not conducive to a restful night’s sleep.
Hot flashes that occur during menopause are due to changing estrogen and progesterone levels. However, there are several other medical conditions that can also cause hot flashes such as breast cancer treatment or immune disorders.
Mild hot flashes may only cause a sudden feeling of heat and a red flush. However, more severe ones can cause night sweats that drench you and your bedclothes.
While there are medical options that try and balance hormone swings, these ideas below are direct attempts to combat hot flash fatigue from lack of sleep. Links to all these products are at the end of this article.
Cool Pajamas
Pam Stephan from About.com reviewed three brands of wicking sleepwear: Cooljams, Dry Dreams (Drinights) and Wildbleu. She also tried Dreamsacks (Yala Designs), which are made out of bamboo fiber and are naturally wicking and environmentally friendly.
If you search the web, there are even more brands available, such as Haralee and NiteSweatz. Pam liked each of the brands she tried, each for different reasons, so you may need to determine your own personal preference.
Wicking sleepwear claims to work by using high performance fabric that wicks away moisture from your skin to keep you drier. Some of the brands also have men’s pajamas. Prices range from $50 to $100 dollars, though they often have PJs on sale for less.
Cool Sheets
Cool sheets are made from a specially engineered fabric that allows them to absorb heat and moisture, then release it when your body cools down. Many of the companies that sell cool pajamas also sell cool sheets.
Cool sheet pricing sell for $125 a set and up. If your budget is limited, maybe just buying cool pillowcases at about $25 at Wildbleu, or a cool mattress pad for $120 from Cooljams are an option.
Cool Pillows
Temperature regulating pillows are also sold by many of the companies selling cool sheets. The pillows usually sell for about $50.
Or you might want to look into another type of cool pillow. Chillow® is a flat gel pack device that uses new SoothSoft™ Comfort Technology to absorb heat from your head. Chillows slide into the pillowcase on top of the pillow, or you can lay your head directly on them to sleep. They cost about $13 to $25 dollars depending on size, and where you purchase them.
Cool Fans
RejuvenAir® Fan is a small personal fan that has multiple timer options to turn off the fan during the night so you don’t have to. It is quiet at high settings, has an LED display that enables you to see it at night, and can be operated by single finger tap control. The fan sells for about $50.
Brookstone has a bed fan that directs air under the sheets to cool you instead of your whole house. The fan can be directed to just one or both people in bed, and adjusted to the height of your mattress. It also uses a wireless remote. This bed fan costs about $99 dollars depending on where you purchase it.
I don’t know about you, but I'm looking forward to getting one or more of these products to make my nights more comfortable.
Sources:
Menopause. By Mayo Clinic staff. Mayoclinic.com. Retrieved May 5, 2013.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/menopause/DS00119/METHOD=print
Compare Four Brands of Wicking Sleepwear: Make a Smart Choice to Combat Hot Flashes and Night Sweats. Pam Stephan, About.com: Breast Cancer. Retrieved May 5, 2013.
http://breastcancer.about.com/od/clothingtocomfortcope/a/wicking-sleepwe...
Cool jams: http://www.cool-jams.com
Dry Dreams (Drinights): http://www.drinights.com
Wildbleu: http://wildbleu.com
Dreamsacks (Yaladesigns): http://www.yaladesigns.com
Haralee: http://www.haralee.com
Nitesweatz: http://www.nitesweatz.com
Polar Pillow: http://www.polar-pillow.com
Chillow: http://www.coolingmattress.com
RejuvenAir® Fan: http://www.rejuvenairfan.com
Brookstone Bed Fan: http://www.brookstone.com/bed-fan-with-wireless-remote?bkeid=compare%7cm...
Michele is an R.N. freelance writer with a special interest in woman’s healthcare and quality of care issues. Other articles by Michele are at www.helium.com/users/487540/show_articles
Edited by Jody Smith