While there are over 34 symptoms of menopause, possibly the most frequent daily complaint by menopausal women are” hot flashes” or”night sweats,” that are a surprising transient sensation of heat or warmth that spreads throughout the body causing inflammation or flushing on the face and upper body. Night sweats are basically hot flashes that occur at night and cause excessive perspiration and distress.
But Why?
This is related to increased activity in the autonomic/sympathetic nervous system and results from declining estrogen production which then causes vasodilatation, a widening of the lumen of blood vessels (lumen being the cavity of a tubular organ, i.e., the lumen of a blood vessel,) which, in turn, causes flushing or hot flashes. While hot flashes during the day can be relieved with air conditioning and/or lovers, night sweats also often bring too little sleep that has a more long term debilitating impact.
While some girls turn to hormonal nutritional supplements, both chemical and natural, many women are hesitant to take nutritional supplements for fear of side impacts and complications. Therefore, choices have come into the market to help provide solutions without using pills. The first reaction that many girls have to night sweats is to kick off the covers and to wear less sleepwear.
The actual solution to night sweats however, is to wear the perfect kind of sleepwear or to use bedding materials that absorb heat. Outlast Technology, has developed a line of bedding materials like mattress pads, sheets and pillow cases that maintain girls comfortable by absorbing body heat when too much is generated, thereby diminishing the quantity of moisture. How can they do so – with space age technology that’s been adapted to your bedroom. Outlast uses textiles with “phase change materials” (PCMs).
PCMs are found in specialty products, such as antiballistic vests, automotive, medical or specific industrial applications, where heat and energy play a role. How do they operate? PCMs interact with the skin’s temperature to provide a buffer against temperature swings by absorbing, storing and releasing heat while the substance changes from solid to liquid and back to solid. This is referred to as a phase shift. Water shifting from solid (ice) to liquid is a good illustration of this phenomenon.
Keep in mind
During these phase changes large quantities of heat are released or consumed. PCMs are microencapsulated to the textiles and are subsequently permanently enclosed and shielded in a protective polymer shell that’s quite durable and made to withstand textile production methods used in fiber, yarn spinning, weaving, knitting, and coating applications. What does this mean for customers, particularly menopausal women? Bedding with PCMs equilibrium temperature, reduce strain, minimize perspiration, reduce chill and actively regulate temperature. They also seem appealing and are extremely comfortable. So the next time night sweats bother you consider purchasing cooling bedding as opposed to taking supplements.