A mattress selection guide for menopausal women: essential features experts recommend
In the journey towards better sleep during menopause, choosing the right mattress is crucial. Here's what you should look for to ensure a restful night's sleep.
Mattresses that excel in absorbing motion and reducing disturbances, like foam beds, are a good starting point. However, for those experiencing menopause-related sleep issues, focus on mattresses that prioritize temperature regulation, breathability, pressure relief, and medium-firm support.
Key features addressing menopause-related sleep issues include cooling and breathable materials, moisture-wicking fabrics, and cooling fibers. Mattresses with enhanced airflow, such as hybrid designs combining springs with foam, help reduce night sweats and hot flashes by maintaining a cooler sleep environment. The Silentnight Lift Breathe Mattress, with its 1600 Mirapocket® springs, is particularly effective for menopausal night sweats.
Additionally, advanced cooling technologies like PCM (phase change materials), GlacioTex, or heat-conducting metal filaments help dissipate body heat, keeping the mattress surface dry and comfortable during hot flashes.
A medium-firm mattress is generally recommended for menopause due to changes in muscle and bone density. This balance between pressure relief and spinal alignment is crucial during this period. Side sleepers often benefit from softer surfaces, while back and stomach sleepers need firmer support.
Memory foam or pillow-top layers offer joint and muscle pain relief common in menopause while maintaining proper support. These layers prevent excessive sinking or motion transfer.
Durability and edge support are also essential factors. A mattress that maintains its shape and firmness over time prevents sagging, improving long-term comfort. Hybrid mattresses with robust coil systems and foam bases enhance durability and provide consistent support.
In conclusion, the best mattress for menopause is medium-firm, highly breathable with excellent temperature regulation, offers good pressure relief, and is durable. The Silentnight Lift Breathe Mattress is a notable example highly rated for menopausal symptom relief.
Other factors aiding menopausal sleep include maintaining a well-ventilated, cool bedroom environment and using breathable bedding to complement the mattress's cooling properties. A 2023 study found that a third of women's lives are affected by poor sleep during menopause, underscoring the importance of making informed mattress choices.
Dr. Sarah Jenkins, a medical doctor specializing in obstetrics, gynecology, and women's health, explains that hormonal changes during menopause can lead to difficulty regulating body temperature, muscle and joint aches, poor mental health, and disrupted sleep patterns. Adrian Brown, business director at Bed Store, shares advice on what to look for in a mattress to improve sleep quality during menopause.
If you have a larger budget, consider smart technology in high-end mattresses to help with sleepless nights, such as Eight Sleep's Hot Flash Mode for counteracting nighttime hot flashes.
In summary, the best mattress for menopause should be breathable, cool, supportive, and pressure relieving, offering balanced support and comfort for a restful night's sleep.
- For women navigating menopause, it's advisable to focus on mattresses that prioritize breathability, temperature regulation, and pressure relief, as these features can help alleviate menopause-related sleep issues, such as hot flashes and night sweats.
- In addition to choosing the right mattress, investing in cooling bedding and maintaining a well-ventilated, cool bedroom environment can further aid in achieving a restful night's sleep during menopause, as noted in the 2023 study.
