Heat and sweat — those are your two biggest nemeses when going through menopause. Hot flashes at night make it impossible to get a good night’s sleep and the bucketfuls of sweat leave the sheets drenched and your skin clammy. 

If you’ve started to experience signs of menopause, it’s time to give your bed a changeover for the sake of your sleep. 

Sleep Deprivation is More Serious Than You Think 

Losing a couple hours of sleep each night may not seem like a big deal but chronic sleep deprivation is a serious matter. In the short term, you experience daytime fatigue, loss of concentration, daytime sleepiness and irritability. 

In the long term, chronic sleep deprivation greatly increases risk of many diseases like Alzheimer's, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, cancer and more. 

Also, lack of sleep can actually worsen your menopause symptoms. Some researchers say that lack of sleep could be a trigger for hot flashes. It also worsens other symptoms like anxiety, mood swings and loss of libido. 

So it’s this vicious cycle. Menopause makes it harder to sleep, lack of sleep makes your menopause more tortuous, which further ruins your sleep, which makes your menopause even worse and on it goes. 

So improving your sleep quality can make your menopause symptoms more bearable. There are lots of things you can do to help you sleep better during menopause like being more active, hydrating adequately and having a bedtime routine. 

Changing your bedding to those that are more breathable, sleep cooler and better at wicking away sweat also helps a lot with sleep quality. Here is the best bedding to help you sleep better during menopause. 

Best Bedding for Menopause

Natural Fiber Linens 

Ditch your synthetic sheets and upgrade to natural or semi-synthetic ones made from bamboo, Tencel, silk, modal or linen. 

These fabrics are much more breathable, meaning they keep you cooler. They also absorb sweat and dissipate it to ensure you don't wake up drenched. Watch out for cotton, though, if you experience serious night sweats. While cotton sheets are cool and moisture-wicking, they don't let go of moisture quickly and can get uncomfortably damp.   

Lightweight Comforter 

Your comforter could be making your night sweats worse. A comforter that’s too thick or not breathable enough will make you overheat and sweat more. 

We recommend switching to a lightweight comforter. Either get an all-season comforter designed to stay cool and cozy throughout the year (like our Jax comforter) or an even lighter summer comforter designed specifically to keep you cool during the warmer months. 

If your budget allows, get a comforter made with natural materials like down and wool. These are excellent at temperature regulation and sweat dissipation. They are a bit pricey though.

You can get a cheaper microfiber comforter, but get one with a cooling cover made from bamboo, cotton or some other natural fabric.   

Cooler Mattress 

Getting a new mattress is a pricey upgrade, but it’s worth it if it improves your sleep. If you have a memory foam mattress, it might make your night sweats and hot flashes worse. That’s because memory foam traps heat. 

Consider replacing it with a latex or hybrid pocket coil mattress. If you really love the feel of memory foam, get a hybrid mattress with a memory foam top layer and a base with pocket coils. The coils provide plenty of ventilation, ensuring the memory foam doesn't get too hot. 

Cooling Mattress Topper/Pad

If a new mattress is beyond your budget or you really like your current mattress, a cooling mattress topper or pad is a cheaper alternative. 

Look for one made with latex, wool, or down. These materials offer the best cooling performance. For something cheaper, get a microfiber pad with a bamboo, cotton, Tencel or some other breathable cover. 

Bed Cooling System

If your hot flashes are really bad, changing your mattress and sheets may not be enough to help you sleep through the night. You need the big guns — a bed cooling system. 

This is like air conditioning but for your bed. Some like BedJet, blow cool air under the sheets while others like Sleepme’s ChiliPad circulate cool water through a mattress pad. You can set your preferred temperature and these systems also have a warming option. 

Change Your Pillow & Pillowcase, Too

Hot flashes occur mostly on the face, neck and chest. So the kind of pillow you have matters when it comes to coping with the challenges of menopause. 

Some pillows, particularly those made from memory foam or microfiber, can get uncomfortably warm, making your hot flashes worse. 

Consider switching to a cooler pillow. If you are on a budget, get a fiber pillow with a cooling pillowcase made from a breathable material like bamboo or silk. Avoid cotton pillowcases if you sweat a lot. 

If you love the plush feel of memory foam, shredded memory foam pillows are cooler than solid foam ones. Pair it with a breathable pillowcase. 

For the best cooling, get a natural pillow made from latex, down, buckwheat or wool.