Between hot flashes, muscle pain and anxiety, menopause can seriously disrupt your sleep quality. According to a 2023 study, a third of women's lives are affected by poor sleep during menopause.
I've seen it first hand as my mom has approached this stage of life and she's always asking for tips on how she can sleep better. Trying and failing to improve her sleep with a standard bedroom fan and magnesium lotions, I've suggested she invests in a top-rated mattress to boost her chance of resting well. To help her find the right one, I've called upon the experts.
As business director at Bed Store, Adrian Brown has heard about the sleep struggles that sleep customers face during menopause. Here he shares his advice on what to look for in a mattress to improve sleep quality during this time. I've also spoken to a medical doctor specializing in obstetrics, synecology and women’s health, Dr. Sarah Jenkins, to get her expertise on how menopause impacts sleep and what your bed can do to help.
How does menopause impact sleep?
Sleep troubles during menopause mainly occur due to the hormonal changes taking place during this time. Dr. Jenkins says hormonal changes have a significant impact on sleep quality. She explains that it is particularly the decline in the hormones progesterone and estrogen that can lead to difficulty regulating body temperature, muscle and joint aches, poor mental health and, therefore, disrupted sleep patterns.
The drop in estrogen levels during menopause affects the hypothalamus, the brain's control center for many bodily functions including temperature regulation, making it harder to maintain a stable body temperature. This causes hot flashes and night sweats.
Estrogen also plays a role in maintaining muscle mass, strength and joint health, and its reduction can lead to increased muscle aches, stiffness and weakness. This can make it harder to get comfortable at night as pain disrupts you sleep.
Additionally, women's mental health often takes a toll during menopausal hormone changes. A drop in progesterone can lead to mood swings, anxiety and irritability, and it also causes a rise in cortisol that increases stress levels.
5 things to look for in a mattress for menopause
The best mattress for menopause will be one that's breathable, cool, supportive and pressure relieving. Here are the key features to consider when shopping for your new bed...
1. Cooling power
Unsurprisingly, cooling is top of the list with hot flashes being a signature symptom of menopause. Brown says: “When shopping for a mattress, prioritise features that enhance both comfort and support. Opt for breathable materials like latex or gel-infused memory foam, which help to regulate temperature and keep you cool throughout the night."
The best cooling mattresses are ones made with moisture-wicking fabrics, breathable structures or specialist cooling technology like Phase Change Materials, copper and graphite infusions or GlacioTex.
Moisture-wicking fabrics will help keep your sleep space as dry as possible even when night sweats hit. Meanwhile, open-cell spring layers in the best hybrid mattresses and airy materials like cotton and wool in organic mattresses boost airflow and prevent heat build-up.
Moreover, cooling fibers in PCM and GlacioTex, and heat-conducting metal filaments, help conduct heat away from your sleeping body and dissipate it through the mattress surface, bolstering temperature regulation when your body needs a helping hand.
Dr Jenkins also highlights the importance of maintaining a well ventilated, cool and clean sleep environment for your best chance at reducing night sweats.
2. Your ideal firmness
Whether you're menopausal or not, mattress firmness is a subject measure that depends on your body weight and favored sleep style. Making sure your body is well supported is all the more important during menopause when declining estrogen depletes muscle and bone density.
Generally, side sleepers benefit from a softer sleep surface, whereas back and stomach sleepers need a firmer, more robust surface for optimal spinal support. The heavier you are, the firmer your mattress should be, too.
Brown advises menopausal women opt for a medium-firm mattress. He says: "This level balances support and comfort, helping to maintain spinal alignment while accommodating changes in body shape and sensitivity."
3. Ample pressure relief
As mentioned above, your joints and muscles can become sensitive to aches and pains during menopause. So, you'll want to make sure they are well-cushioned throughout the night to alleviate as much discomfort as possible. Again, exactly how much pressure relief you require will depend on your body and the way you sleep.
The best memory foam beds and pillow-top mattresses will provide the most pressure relief for lightweight bodies and side sleepers with particularly achy joints. Meanwhile, heavier back and stomach sleepers will be best supported by a responsive, firm sleep surface.
Foam beds are also better at absorbing motion, so your partner will have a better chance of staying asleep even if you're tossing and turning next to them.
4. Durability
Research published in the National Library of Medicine determines menopause lasts seven years on average. So, you'll want a mattress built with premium materials to see you through those years.
Most mattresses should last for up to 10 years, but it's worth noting even the best budget mattresses won't be quite as durable as more luxurious beds due to the lower price point and quality of their materials.
5. Targeted smart features
If you have a big budget to splash, you may want to consider what smart technology featured in the best smart beds can help you through sleepless nights. This is cutting-edge stuff coming with a high price tag to match the luxury sleep experience it delivers.
Eight Sleep's new Hot Flash Mode is some of the most impressive targeted menopause sleep technology we've seen in the smart bed market. With this update, the Eight Sleep Pod 4, Pod 5 and Pod 5 Ultra level up the sleep tech brand's already advanced climate control with rapid cooling feature that counteracts nighttime hot flashes as soon as they materialize.
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