healthy you [
YOUR HEALTH
No Sweat
Keep your cool through the night, no matter
what your hormones are doing.
BY
LAURA DAILY
Night sweats—that annoying
symptom that surfaces when your
body begins its transition into
menopause. As many as 90 percent
of women will experience the
nighttime equivalent of a hot flash
at some point, robbing them of good
sleep and even good humor. Here
are some ways to turn down your
overnight thermostat.
DOWN THE ROOM
You’ve probably
discovered that a temperature
between 60 and 65 degrees is best
for soothing night sweats. You’ve
probably also discovered it’s
expensive to run central air that
low. So take the advice of Phoenix
resident Michelle Robson, who
founded
E m pow H er.com .
She uses
an air conditioner on wheels that
she can roll into the bedroom.
Models with 5,000 to 7,500 BTUs
of cooling power are plenty for an
average bedroom. Or consider
installing a ceiling fan with a remote
control that you can turn on and rev
up as needed without leaving the
comfort of your bed. Find both
of these items at most home
improvement stores. So that your
spouse doesn’t become a human
Popsicle, invest in a dual-control
electric blanket that he can use to
keep his side of the bed warmer
(check out Scaly’s line of dual-
control electric blankets at
JCPcnney). Robson also suggests
keeping a bottle of Gatorade or
similar electrolyte-replenishing
liquid at your bedside. Take five
or six sips if you wake up to cool
off and replace lost salts.
DOWN THE CLOTHES
Wear loose
fitting, breathable sleepwear. Many
women swear by nightgowns and
pajamas designed to help women
through night sweats. The Cool Sets
line (
coolsets.com
) is made of a
synthetic satin-like microfiber with
a wicking ability, pulling moisture
away from the body. The KN Cool
collection from Karen Neuburger
(
karenneuburgcr.com
) has a 55/45
cotton/poly blend that weaves
multiple layers and fibers together
for a breathable wicking product
to maintain a comfortable body
temperature. All are machine-
washable.
DOWN THE SHEETS
Buy bedding
that, like the sleepwear, is designed
to keep you cool. Wildbleu Bedding
and Sleepwear (
w ildbleu.com
) has
sheet sets with a fabric that takes
moisture away from the skin and
onto the sheet surface where it
evaporates quickly.
DOWN YOUR FOOD
Night sweats
can be triggered by certain foods.
The usual—but not only—suspects:
hot beverages, caffeine, spicy food,
nicotine, alcoholic beverages. If
you’ve had a particularly bad night,
trace back what you ate the night
before and try avoiding it in the
evenings for a while to see if your
night sweats diminish.
DOWN WITH HERBS
Dr. Mary
Jane Minkin, a clinical professor
of obstetrics and gynecology at
Yale University School of Medicine
and author of
A W o m a n ’s G uide to
M enopause a n d P erim enopause
, is a
proponent of the herbal remedy
black cohosh (one good brand is
Remifemin; ask your pharmacist for
others if it’s unavailable). Black
cohosh is sold over the counter at
most major pharmacies and health
food stores. Dr. Minkin suggests
trying 20 milligrams twice a day.
“Out of all the herbals, black
cohosh has a good track record
thanks to German scientists who
have researched the product for
50 years,” she says.
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JULY 2008 BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS
PHOTO: VEER
