It’s estimated that 3 out of every 4 women experience hot flashes and their counterparts, night sweats, as they transition into menopause. While some women have only mild or occasional discomfort, others find them very disruptive. Wearing the right clothes can most definitely help to relieve the discomfort of a hot flash, hot flush or night sweat.
After a hot flash, your body temperature goes back into the normal range. Sweat remains on the skin. Evaporative cooling takes place, usually resulting in chills. While a flush is over in a few minutes, this wet, cold feeling lingers. Clothing and sheets become uncomfortable and embarrassingly damp, interfering with normal activities or preventing you from going back to sleep.
Wicking clothing is made of materials that do not absorb moisture. Instead, they are designed to transport sweat away from your skin and into the outermost surface of the garment. The part of the material next to your skin remains dry and comfortable.
This type of material was originally developed for the sports industry, where aerobic athletes, such as runners and skaters, sweat profusely, even in sub-zero temperatures. Instead of keeping them dry and warm, their clothing was often wet and cold. For cold weather, wicking garments are usually wore as underlayers. Insulating layers go on top, followed by an outer shell, when needed.
Today, there is a wide variety of attractive "technical" clothing available for women in sporting goods stores, dance and fitness boutiques, bicycle shops and online. Read the labels to confirm that it is designed to transport moisture away from the skin. Then, choose anything that fits your taste and lifestyle. Clothing made for runners and bicyclists, as well as all around workout wear is generally a good choice.
It’s sometimes difficult to find wicking garments that are appropriate for a traditional office environment. In that case, select a sleeveless shell to wear under your regular attire. It will not add much bulk or insulation, but will help keep your chest and upper torso dry. Since these are the areas where women tend to feel the most severe flushing and sweating, this one small piece of clothing can offer considerable relief.
There are quite a few choices for wicking menopause sleepwear. You will find pajama sets, capris, shorty pjs, baby dolls, long and short night gowns and a variety of night shirts - all with and without sleeves. While you won’t find the same styles that you see in Victoria’s Secret, the selection improves all the time. Online shopping offers the greatest variety of designs and colors.
Prices for sleepwear begin at around $30 for a top and $50 for a gown or pajama set. This is not too much more than you would pay for good quality regular sleepwear and it is worth every red hot cent.
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