We get tons of email questions about symptoms for different conditions, and some of the most recent are those about menopause and peri-menopause.  There were a number of questions about stopping certain symptoms, specifically night sweats.

I had a bugger of a time with this problem during the peri-menopausal time before my surgery.  I understand and sympathize deeply…trust me.

The physiology behind why this happens is similar to the other symptomatic problems with the transition, as they all stem from an imbalance in hormone activity.

Sweating at night is normal for most people.  It is part of the normal cooling process that the hypothalamus directs as the body undergoes during the restorative phase of life. It is estimated that all people in general can lose up to a pound of sweat slowly during the night and never know it.

However, sweating enough that the bedclothes, sheets, pillow cases and right down to the mattress all become soaked is a different situation all together.

The hypothalamus operates by receiving hormones, in this case estrogen, and the levels of hormones dictate how intelligent the decisions are going to be that the hypothalamus makes.

As we age, the hypothalamus becomes less sensitive to different hormones that it processes.  It may be receiving optimal levels of estrogen, but it doesn’t know it because it isn’t binding to the receptors.  Now the hypothalamus is confused, and sends out the order to try to cool itself.

I used to wake up many, many times a night just soaked to the bone.  I would keep extra bedclothes nearby and I even started sleeping on towels.

This is problematic for a variety of reasons:

– Sweating that much left me dehydrated and irritable in the morning

– Waking that frequently left me short-rested and exhausted

– Keeping a ceiling fan and a floor fan on all night, every night runs up the electricity bill

– Keeping the thermostat as low as I had it made everyone around me freeze

– I spent a fortune on Egyptian cotton sheets I couldn’t even touch at night.

While Hormone Replacement Therapy can help stop this nuisance symptom, it drags along with it some very troubling side effects that throw you from the frying pan directly into the fire.

There are a number of easy and completely natural solutions that women (or men suffering andropause symptoms) should try first.

Supplements are a logical step, but if your problem is only with night sweats and everything else in your world seems to be operating well, then you might just consider investing in some new bed wear.  There are companies that sell some pretty ‘cool’ linens and sleepwear designed with the menopausal woman in mind.

What is neat about these fabrics is that they are engineered to keep the wearer and the bed from being too hot or too cold.  They even have some really effective moisture-wicking fabrics that draw the sweat away from the body so it can evaporate quickly.

I actually have the mattress pad and pillow covers.  I can enjoy my soft, wonderful sheets and the pillow I adore- but without overheating.  It works like a charm and for a couple hundred bucks I have a solution that will last many, many years and I no longer need multiple fans keeping me cool.

I still use the supplements and other natural tools described in the Natural Menopause Guide to help keep the hot flashes away, but this 100% natural and pill-free solution is one of those products that actually makes the bed more comfortable.  And we should all know by now how important the sleeping environment is when trying to get optimum rest.

The guide coming out on Wednesday of this week holds the complete, comprehensive plan that I developed to beat back menopause symptoms and make living “the change” a lot more enjoyable.

Keep an eye on your emails coming up this week and you will be able to see for yourself what all the excitement is about.

To Your Very Best Health,

Julissa Clay

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