It’s time to end the taboo talk about something that all women go through as they get older: perimenopause / menopause. It’s an often difficult and uncomfortable time both physically and emotionally for women, that should be discussed more openly. And it’s also totally natural.
As a bedding company, we’re particularly interested in sleep, and ladies, we’re sorry to say that sleep health is majorly impacted during perimenopause / menopause. If you’re having a consistently tough time sleeping in your current bed sheets and wondering “Why am I sweating at night while sleeping?”, it could mean a number of things, but if you’re within a certain age range, it could be the start of perimenopause.
As with any changes to sleep patterns, it’s best to discuss all of your symptoms with your doctor and what options and therapeutics are available to you. While Kitelinens cannot make your hot flashes disappear, our cooling sheets can help you get some cooling relief so you feel less sweaty in your bed sheets at night.
Keep reading to learn more about perimenopause / menopause night sweats and how Kitelinens cooling bed sheets can help.
What is perimenopause?
Perimenopause is the natural transitional time around menopause. For some women, perimenopause can begin as early as their 30s, but most begin to experience it in their early 40s. Perimenopause is marked by changes in menstrual flow and in the length of the cycle, and other physical and emotional symptoms like hot flashes, sleeping problems, vaginal dryness and mood swings.
If you’re wondering how long this hormonal turmoil will last, the bad news is that perimenopause can last 2 to 10 years! On average, women report perimenopause symptoms lasting 3-4 years. The good news is, there are ways to help reduce symptoms and make it a little more manageable.
Symptoms of perimenopause / menopause
The timing and severity of perimenopause / menopause symptoms can be impacted by lifestyle choices and underlying health conditions. According to the Mayo Clinic, menopause begins one to two years earlier in women who smoke versus women who don’t. A family history of early menopause can also affect how early you enter this stage. (Certain cancer treatments and hysterectomies can be a trigger as well.)
Though severity and number of symptoms vary widely, you can expect to experience some or all of these as you go through perimenopause / menopause:
- Decreasing fertility
- Irregular periods
- Mood swings - irritability and depression
- Sleep problems - night sweats and hot flashes
- Loss of bone and increased risk of osteoporosis
- Vaginal dryness and changes in sexual function
- Bladder issues
- Changing cholesterol levels
What many women don’t know is that there actually are two stages to perimenopause sometimes referred to as “early transition” and “late transition.” Generally, cycles can be regular during the early transition, with only sporadic interruptions. As you enter the late transition period, the interruptions extend for longer.
So, what exactly happens inside your body to cause this? The changes many women feel during this time are a result of this gradual decline of estrogen. Estrogen and progestin levels rise and fall throughout perimenopause, causing menstrual cycles to lengthen or shorten. There may be cycles in which you skip ovulation entirely because your ovaries don’t release an egg.
Perimenopause / menopause night sweats
Sleep problems during perimenopause / menopause are often due to hot flashes or night sweats, but sometimes sleep becomes unpredictable even without them. If you’re experiencing disruptive symptoms of perimenopause / menopause, first, talk with your doctor about your options. Hot flashes are common, but intensity, length and frequency vary widely.
Luckily, there are also some environmental and lifestyle changes you can make to help you sleep cooler while going through perimenopausal / menopause night sweats and hot flashes. Kitelinens - bed sheets designed as cooling sheets for menopause - are here to help!
How Kitelinens help perimenopause night sweats with our menopause bed sheets
Need something to help you sleep cooler? Kitelinens menopause sheets / cooling sheets for menopause have you covered. Our breezy bed sheets are designed to help you stay cool during hot flashes and night sweats during menopause. These menopause sheets give you more breathability, less waking up hot and sweaty in bed.
Because of Kitelinens’ hybrid design of our cooling bed sheets, our sheets are excellent for when you’re experiencing night sweats and hot flashes during menopause because they allow you to easily kick one (or both!) legs out from under the sheet. Dual side slits in our sheets help prevent trapped body heat from making it too hot in bed. Just kick one or both feet out for instant cooling relief without making a mess of your sheets. They’re intentionally designed as menopause bed sheets.
At the foot of the bed, our bed sheets are extra long in length and have a deep pocket design that prevents trapped toes giving you the freedom to move around and adjust to a cooler sleeping position. No feeling of being constricted, and no trapped heat in the bed! Only cooling, comfortable bed sheets. That means when you sleep with our bed sheets, you sleep cool and get better rest during perimenopause.
In addition to the unique hybrid design, Kitelinens will help you get cool sleep during perimenopause / menopause thanks to the cooling material used to make them: high-quality, ethically-sourced cotton sateen. Cool cotton sateen is a breathable and lightweight fabric that’s one of the best materials to keep you cool at night while you sleep. When creating sheets meant to act as menopause bed sheets, we excessively researched to ensure we had the right fabric for your perfect cooling menopause sheets.
Other ways to sleep cooler during perimenopause night sweats, along with your menopause bed sheets
In addition to using Kitelinens cooling sheets, there are other things you can do to create a cooler sleep environment, such as:
- Make sure your bedroom is a cool, cave-like environment. As per the Sleep Foundation, doctors recommend keeping the thermostat set between 60 to 67 degrees Fahrenheit for the best temperature.
- Take a cold shower before getting into your Kitelinens menopause bed sheets
- Wear breathable, cotton sleepwear.
- Avoid heat-trapping bedding like wool and flannel (the opposite of menopause bed sheets!)
- Avoid heat-absorbing mattresses and pillow materials like memory foam
- Sleep by a window or fan
We’re confident that once you’ve started using Kitelinens cooling sheets for menopause, along with the additional recommendations provided, you’ll be on your way to having many better nights sleep!