True story.
Recently I was walking into my apartment building and ran into a neighbor. It was a hot day and I was carrying a bag of groceries. After a brief moment of chatting, they asked me — hey, are you crying? No, friend. This is sweat. I was sweating. And apparently I was sweating so profusely, they assumed I was in tears. Yikes!
What I didn’t explain to them, is that I’m in the chapter of life where my body temperature can be unpredictable at best. Maybe you’re here with me, in menopause world.
Whether you’re in menopause or perimenopause, hot flashes and night sweats can be an unpredictable issue. Being a plus sized woman for most of my life, growing up in the Caribbean and Miami — I thought I knew what it was to be hot and to deal with consistent body heat. But this perimenopausal/menopausal internal heat? It is on another LEVEL, do you hear me?
My perimenopause symptoms began in my early 40’s, and when I had my fibroid procedures, I got kicked into full early menopause. I will sweat anytime, anyplace. But the most bothersome, frustrating hot flashes happen at night, while I’m trying to get some sleep. When my hot flashes became untenable, I knew I had to figure out a better sleep routine. I’ve been doing so much research on improving my health lately, and good sleep habits are essential. I’ve written about my sleep issues before, but the struggles continue.
This year I’ve made several additional steps in working on my sleep habits. Here’s what I’m doing now:
1 – I listen to my body and try to go to bed on the earlier side. For years I tried to be a night owl. Not anymore! I try to be in bed by 10 pm and if I’m tired at 9:30, it’s bedtime.
2 – I try to keep my electronic devices away from my bed. That includes my phone and my smart watch – I know it tracks your sleep, but it also vibrates, buzzes and dings at all hours of the night and can be disturbing to sleep in my experience. Notice I said I TRY. I am not always successful. I definitely can be a late night phone scroller even when I’m in bed, but I’m trying to pay attention to my circadian rhythms and be better about this.
3 – I recognized some of the issues preventing me getting better sleep, and I addressed them. This year we invested in a firmer mattress, a bed rail, and a sleep sound machine. For my night sweating, new bedding was a must. New sleepwear too, but that’s another post for another time.
There are many kinds of sweat-wicking fabrics out there, but the brands in this post mostly are made of bamboo. Bamboo is generally known for being a sustainable, thermoregulating, sweat-wicking fabric that is breathable and beneficial to anyone who runs hot or is enduring hot flashes. I’m a big fan and I’ve tried quite a few brands of sweat-wicking bedding in my efforts to improve my overall sleep habits.
If you’re looking for bamboo sheets, you can of course head to the bedding section of your local TJ Maxx or HomeGoods, but they can be hit or miss in terms of quality. If you’re looking for bamboo sheet sets that have been tried and tested, let me tell you about my faves!
Sweat-Wicking Sheets I’ve Tried and Tested
Bamblu offers 100% bamboo sheets and duvet covers by a Black-owned brand. Founder Angela Hawkins created the line after her husband’s night sweats became an issue. The sheets I’ve tried are so incredibly buttery soft! They work perfectly for my needs, giving me dry, restful nights.
Cozy Earth earns a place on Oprah’s Favorite Things list almost every year, and with good reason. Their bedding truly feels like luxury and will last through your sweatiest nights. I have the sheets and these aren’t cheap by any measure, but they could be well worth the investment if you’re suffering through hot flashes every night. They also make pajamas, clothes, and now I’m seeing skincare on their site – all very luxe, I’m sure!
Peach Skin Sheets are just as soft as they sound, perfect for autumn and winter, and surprisingly comfortable in the summer as well. So comfortable and cuddly! They use a temperature controlled “SMART fabric” with a 1500 thread count level. They claim to “keep hot sleepers cool and cool sleepers cozy,” and I can testify that their fabric works for my needs! They’ve also got robes that go up to a size 5X and I’m daydreaming about one for Christmas. One note — it’s advised to “only wash PeachSkinSheets with other PeachSkinSheets” to preserve the peachy feel and prevent pilling, so if you’re used to just cramming in a bunch of laundry together, be forewarned.
Soft Surroundings has lovely clothes and accessories, but their bedding is definitely also worth a look. Their selection of throws and blankets are incredibly soft (as the store name would indicate), and I’m here to tell you that their bamboo sheets are phenomenal, durable and silky soft. I also have the Lombardi coverlet and it’s great for winter weather. But it is HUGE – definitely wash alone, nothing else will fit in the washer or dryer with it.
I’m always on the hunt for new bamboo and sweat-wicking sheets and comforters to try, if you have any recommendations please do let me know your picks!
