Interiors: The Bedding I Use to Overcome Perimenopausal Night Sweats and Discomfort.

There are some affiliate links in this post. They are of no cost to you and I will never recommend a product based on potential earnings. I see the small income from these links as a bonus of writing these blog posts.

I’ve been struggling with sleep for years. I used to sleep well I thought but then I used to drink a lot of alcohol which would switch my brain off a bit (turns out I wasn't getting good sleep, I had just convinced myself I was) but I started really struggling to sleep sometime in 2019 for reasons I won’t go into but once the disturbed sleep habit set in it was so hard to sort it out.

My main issue was struggling to get comfortable. I’d wake up in the middle of the night with a severe ache in my shoulder and arm. Shortly after the night sweats began, even in the depth of winter. Turns out frozen shoulder is a perimenopause symptom.

Anyway, when I moved to the house in 2023, I treated myself to a new linen duvet cover and new bedding. I still struggled to sleep so I obsessed about mattresses for a few months and then took the plunge thinking it would be the answer to my sleep problems. After a disappointment with that not solving the shoulder pain I tried numerous pillows and each one felt like the answer on the first night only for the shoulder pain to come back or some back pain. Sometime among all of this I experimented with different duvets and toppers and my sleep life was still misery - I dreaded going to bed but lacked the funds to sort out another solution.

Until I tried a different combination of bed products on top of the mattress I had bought and I have not stopped chewing people’s ear off as to why they should try some of these products. I’m sleeping so well and wake up in the morning refreshed and rested. So, if you’re menopausal and you are looking for a solution to your night woes, let me help you with your elimination and go straight to the tried and tested products I swear by.

A note here, some of the products I recommend aren’t vegan - I tried but they didn’t work for me so I chose to pick the best quality, meticulously traced wool products I could.

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A Wool Duvet.

Do not delay. A wool duvet will change your life. I will not be without mine and I HATE staying anywhere now that has a synthetic duvet because I toss and turn all night and get so hot. Since buying my wool duvet a year ago I’ve only woken up once because of body temperature and that’s only because I left the heating on through the night on a high temperature by accident.

I have a dust mite allergy (and also allergic to feather bedding) and it was a big selling point for me to have bedding that is hypo allergenic. Wool is naturally antimicrobial and temperature regulating so I find I’m never too hot in summer and also snug in winter.

My duvet is from The Woolroom, we have a factory seconds shop near me and all the wool is sourced from the nearby Chatsworth estate and is all fully traced. Their duvets are the only wool duvets to hold the Allergy UK seal of approval. I went for the medium Deluxe and it’s perfect. I have a wool blanket for the colder snaps and take a hot water bottle to bed in the winter and find the thickness is just fine for all year round use.

I was worried that they felt a bit thinner than what I was used to with a synthetic duvet but wool has a bang for it’s buck and it’s actually so cosy, I love how it feels.

An Earthing Sheet.

I was gifted my earthing sheet when I injured my back and at the time I was in so much pain so was chucking all sorts at it - acupuncture, osteopathy, breathwork, CBD - so while I knew the sheet had helped I hadn't realised the extent in which it seemed to help. When I moved house the sheet stayed packed away until I remembered I had it and got it back on the bed some months ago. All of those things that happened for me the first time happened again and I immediately started sleeping better - deeper with less wake ups and it also seemed to shift a good chunk of the shoulder pain and some weird aches I was getting in my feet.

Since writing my blog post about it I’ve had other companies get in touch asking me to work with them on the affiliate link instead citing that Rowland’s sheets oxidise. I have stuck fast because I am really convinced the sheet is doing something great and because I knew I was writing this post I ordered a volt meter just to check out the claims and just as I thought, the sheet is still working!

An Aeyla pillow.

Do not waste money on other pillows - this is the pillow you need in your life. I have tried so many, I really have, including wool pillows and natural latex pillows. I had high hopes on this one after seeing someone who’s experience and recommendation I really trust said it was the game changer and I clubbed together with my sister and we ordered 4 between us because we were both struggling with neck and shoulder pain. Neither of us have had that pesky shoulder pain since using it and both swear by them. It took a few weeks to get the thickness right by taking out some of the stuffing but it figures - every one of us in unique so we will all need something different.

A Wool Topper.

While my Snoozel Green mattress was too firm for me I was determined to keep it as I like the eco/non toxic credentials and couldn’t afford to buy a mattress with another brand with the same credentials. So I ordered their topper but that didn't help. But then I found a helpful review on their site that raved about the Devon Duvets wool topper and so glad I ordered myself one of these gorgeous clouds of love.

The research I did showed Devon Duvet wool toppers coming out top - mainly because they are a lot thicker than other brands wool toppers. I was prepped for it to smell quite strong so aired it for a few days prior to putting on my bed but oh my word, what a dream it was getting into bed the night I got it on my bed. I absolutely love my wool topper and like with my duvet it does a great job at regulating my temperature.

Linen bedding.

Sorry to say it, but linen bedding is absolutely worth the investment. Cotton might seem like a good idea but it doesn’t wick away moisture in the same way linen does. And polyester mixes are an absolute no no if you’re trying to control night sweats. But I will also go further to say don’t be tempted to try and save money by going with one of the high street brands linen bedding. I did that some years ago and the bedding bunched around me and I got annoyed with it. High quality linen is a completely different ball game - it’s crisp yet soft and it clings to your duvet. It feels amazing and washes well. My set from Bed Threads is all I use and it still looks really good almost 18 months down the line. They don’t do the rust stripe anymore but do have some alternative stripes.

I hope this post was useful for you! Do let me know how you get on in the comments.

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