If you are one of the 2 million American Women who enter menopause every year, chances are, you know the insomnia-inducing, sheet-soaking joys of night sweats. According to the recently released “Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation” (SWAN), hot flashes and night sweats last longer than medical professionals previously thought – anywhere from 4 to 10 years, for the women that have them.
That’s why entrepreneur Alli Truttman developed Wicked Sheets – a new sheet that’s designed to promote good air flow and wick away the large amounts of moisture generated by night sweats. The sheets not only combat the moisture of night sweats, but the smell too, with special copper threads woven into the sheet that neutralize odor, and keep the sheets fresher, longer.
“I’ve suffered from night sweats since I was a child, so I understand the sleep problems that menopausal women face when they enter this phase of life,” Truttman said. “I spent a long time developing this product, and having it independently tested, until we came up with a fabric that can absorb large amounts of sweat, yet still feel dry to the user. It’s an important, non-medical intervention that women can make to help have a much better sleep experience,” she said.
Dr. Diane Pace, the past present of the North American Menopause Society (NAMS) and a NAMS-certified nurse practitioner, concurs.
“Vasomotor symptoms like night flushes/sweats, the most common symptom of menopause, affect almost 80% of menopausal women for 5-7 years,” Pace said. “For women who have symptoms that affect their quality of life, I discuss a variety of options, including hormone therapy. However, some women do not want to start with these options. They ask for non-pharma alternatives that can be tried first. Wicked Sheets are one of the options I recommend. Frequent waking and disrupted sleeping due to flushing and sweating can lead to irritability in the morning…My patients who use the sheets say it helps them have a more restful night’s sleep because they are not as likely to wake up cold and wet,” she added.
Pace also recommends a number of other non-medical interventions that can help menopausal women improve their sleep, including:
- Creating a comfortable sleeping environment that is cool, dark and quiet
- Eliminating “blue lights” from televisions, tablets or phones in the bedroom
- Using the bedroom only for sleep or sex, and not studying, snacking, or planning your next day’s agenda
- Avoiding exercise right before bed
- Avoiding products containing alcohol, nicotine or caffeine
- Avoiding mentally stimulating activities, like catching up on work, within an hour of bedtime
Pace stresses that women with menopause quality of life issues should make the effort to find a Certified Menopause Practitioner, specially trained in diagnosing and treating the special suite of symptoms women experience at this time of life. Women can find a Certified Menopause Practitioner near their residence by going to the NAMS website here.
At the North American Menopause Society Conference this October, Pace will join Dr. Lisa Chism to moderate a panel on how to establish a sexual health specialty in your clinical practice. Wicked Sheets will also be available at the conference’s product fair, to promote this innovative new product to physician’s groups and menopause sufferers.
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Susan Gosselin
Gosselin PR
317-502-1377
susangosselin42@gmail.com
