Battling night sweats during the menopause? 5 natural materials to look for in your mattress and bedding

Night sweats can be a common symptom of the menopause — so how do you ensure you don’t wake up feeling clammy or too hot?

Choosing the best mattress and bedding made with the most breathable materials is essential, so you don’t trap the heat and moisture as you sleep.

But what exactly are night sweats? Thought to be brought on by fluctuating oestrogen levels, they affect your body’s internal thermostat, which normally helps to regulate your temperature.

In this feature, we’ll hear from a menopause expert and explore the best breathable materials to sleep in, helping you stay more comfortable if night sweats are disrupting your rest during menopause.

Why do menopausal women experience night sweats?

Menopause expert Niki Woods explains that menopausal night sweats are hot flushes or flashes that happen at night.

“They're a sudden intense heat which causes intense sweating - often so you wake up with damp or wet sleepwear or even bed sheets.”

So, why does it happen? “As our oestrogen and other hormones fluctuate and decline during perimenopause onwards, the hypothalamus (our body's internal thermostat) starts malfunctioning and can wrongly react, making us suddenly very hot and then causing sudden intense sweating as our body tries to cool down.”

In fact, research shows that up to 80% of women who are menopausal experience night sweats or hot flashes.

The natural materials that can help combat night sweats

Good sleep hygiene is especially important during menopause, when symptoms like night sweats can make rest feel impossible.

One simple but effective step is choosing natural materials for your bedding, sleepwear, and mattress.

1. Wool

You may associate wool with oversized (and sometimes scratchy) warm jumpers, but it's surprisingly breathable and helps to wick away moisture.

Choosing wool sheets, duvets, or pillows will help you regulate your temperature throughout the night and manage any moisture from night sweats.

Unlike synthetic fibres, wool can absorb and wick away sweat without feeling damp, which makes it ideal if you’re prone to overheating or night sweats.

In our best duvets guide, we advise, especially for winter duvets, to look for natural materials such as down and wool to help insulate heat without making you sweaty or sticky.

2. Cotton

If you’ve chosen cotton PJs or bedsheets, Woods says that it’s a good choice, especially if you’re suffering from night sweats, as cotton helps “air circulate, while absorbing sweat.”

This is because cotton is lightweight, breathable, and naturally absorbent. The fibres allow air to circulate, helping your body release heat instead of trapping it.

At the same time, cotton can absorb moisture without clinging to your skin, so you’re less likely to wake up feeling damp and uncomfortable.

Another advantage is that cotton is soft and gentle on the skin, so cotton bedding or sleepwear can make a real difference to comfort when hot flashes or sweats strike during the night. Be sure to select the right thread count for keeping cool when choosing cotton sheets.

3. Natural latex

You may want to swap your memory foam mattress for a mattress made with latex, as this natural material is way more breathable, thanks to its open structure.

The open-cell structure of latex mattresses allows air to flow through the material, preventing heat from getting trapped. This is why you’ll see latex mattresses in our best organic mattress guide.

But latex isn't just for your bed. When we reviewed the Saatva Latex pillow, we scored it five stars. Made from a combination of all-natural latex and down-alternative fill, it got top scores for sleepers who run hot as they snooze.

4. Silk

From natural silk PJ’s to silk bed sheets — can the material keep you cool as you sleep?

Yes, it can. Natural silk is lightweight, breathable and helps maintain a cooler feel by pulling heat and perspiration away from the skin.

Silk pillowcases and bedding can also be softer on the skin and give your snooze a more luxurious feel. But don't opt for satin pillowcases, as they can trap heat.

5. Bamboo

There’s a reason why natural bamboo is used in not just bed sheets, but also duvets and pillows, as Woods explains, it's “soft, breathable, and excellent at wicking away sweat.”

In our best pillow guide, the Coop Sleep Goods Original Adjustable Pillow, made from 50% bamboo, gets the top spot, with our reviewer recommending it as a suitable choice for very hot sleepers.

Bamboo duvets are a good option to use year-round, with a temperature-regulating build keeping things cool in summer and warm in winter.

The best type of mattress to combat night sweats

If you’re going through the menopause, you might want to invest in one of the best cooling mattresses. Luckily, they’ve come a long way over the last few years, using smart technology to actively regulate your temperature and adjust it throughout the night.

At the top of our cooling mattress guide is the Bear Elite Hybrid, which has Phase Change Materials (PCM) sewn into its surface, which absorb and release heat through the night. Its Celliant cover also helps with temperature regulation.

Some smart beds use water to regulate temperature, like the Eight Sleep’s Pod 4, which runs a network of water-filled tubes through the mattress cover. These can be cooled or heated anywhere between 55°F and 110°F, letting you set the exact temperature that feels best. Even better, each side of the bed can be controlled separately.