Mattresses and Hot Flashes - YouLookFab Forum

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Mattresses and Hot Flashes

JAileen

Veteran

I think we may need a new mattress. I am interested in the memory foam, but am concerned about being too hot, especially with hot flashes. Does anyone have experience, good or bad, in regards to memory foam and hot flashes? An alternative is a memory foam topper for our current mattress. Maybe we shouldn't be considering a memory foam at all?

Any experience you have would be appreciated. I'm kind of in the dark with this type of mattress. But as I've gotten older, getting a good night's sleep has become more elusive.

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18 replies

Latest reply was from JAileen

Anonymous

I've only slept on a memory foam mattress once for a weeks holiday and I did find it hot though the weather was warm at the same time. I did feel definite hot spots where my skin was in direct contact with the bed. I am menopausal to so IKWUM. My mattress at home has a heavy cotton wadded top and cover on it and I don't get overly hot.

suzyq

I have not slept on one but my sis had to give hers away for the reasons your concerned about.

April

Veteran

I've had both memory foam and latex and prefer latex. You can get it in varying degrees of softness and it's all natural (comes from a tree). Memory foam takes a while to stop off-gassing.

I find the memory foam kind of encases you, so that rolling over can be an effort.

One thing that's good about both is that they produce minimal "partner disturbance." Put them on a platform base rather than a spring base and you'll barely feel it when your partner tosses and turns or gets out of bed.

Gaylene

Veteran

We were also debating about this very issue a few years ago but decided against it after spending a week sleeping on the mattress during the trial period. I think people either love this type of mattress or hate it, so, if you decide to try one, I'd make sure that you bought from a company that offered a full refund during a trial period.

We ended up buying a fairly firm regular coil mattress which we use with an organic wool mattress topper and a lightly padded cotton mattress protector. This combination works well for us since it provides the firmness that I need but enough cushioning for my husband's arthritic hip.

We also tried a memory foam mattress topper at one point, but it ended up on the mattress in our guest room because we prefer the wool topper. Our guests keep telling us how well they sleep when they visit so these memory foam toppers obviously work for many people.

MovingFashionForward

Horrendously hot. For coolness opt for pocketed springs and old-fashioned natural fibres like cotton and even wool, over latex, memory foam or any kind of foam. Foam traps air and retains heat. And don't for a moment believe the hype about sheets that allegedly correct that problem: they can't and don't correct the heat problem. I bitterly regret having got rid of my third-hand pocketed spring mattress with horsehair, silk and cashmere. I have had a series of top-of-the-range mattresses since but they have all been far too hot. The worst are the ones with memory foam, latex, and other foams. Avoid like the plague.

Good luck!

Sarah

Anonymous

I love our memory foam topper for comfort. However, and this is big, I was waking up a few times a week very hot and sweaty (sorry if that is TMI). I actually thought I was starting menopause early (43).

Anyway, good news, my mother stayed over for a week to babysit and slept in my room. Her first words to me was the mattress was making her perspire. So, I'm not menopausal but probably need a different topper.

It was a standalone piece from Costco

JAileen

Veteran

Thank you all for sharing your experiences.

A, I was actually considering one of the Costco toppers. But I wake up sweaty several times a night even in winter on our conventional mattress, so maybe I should rethink this!

Sarah, I'm sorry you have had such a miserable experience. But thank you for keeping me from making the same mistake.

Gaylene, do you remember where you got your wool mattress topper? I've also heard of sheepskin mattress toppers, but don't know where I might find them.

April, I'm glad you've had a good experience.

suzyq, thank you for letting me know about your sister.

Diane, I think trying one on vacation would be a good idea. Unfortunately I've never stayed somewhere that had them.

Laura (rhubarbgirl)

(website)

Veteran

We bought a mattress last year and the salesman said that pure memory foam mattresses can be too hot for some people. My DH runs hot so we weren't going to choose one, probably. What we ended up with was a hybrid, which had some memory foam in the middle but 'regular' mattress padding above it. So far it's worked out great.

Gaylene

Veteran

We bought our wool mattress toppers from Shepherd's Dream
http://www.shepherdsdream.ca/p.....ess-mates/

We use a slatted frame(king) and single 6" coil mattresses, with the wool mattress mates on top, and an organic mattress protector that fits over both the coil mattress and mattress mate to hold everything in place. We bought two single coil mattresses and two single mattress mates for our king bed so it is easier handle the mattresses and, more importantly, easier to air out the wool toppers in the sunshine. We find the combination super comfortable--cosy in the winter, yet cool in the summer.

leopardluxe

Veteran

I made the mistake of buying a memory foam mattress. Oh my god, I have never sweated so much in my life. It made my menopausal night sweats 100x worse (and caused lower back pain, which I've never in my life had before, since I am a side or stomach sleeper- these mattresses DO NOT WORK for side or stomach sleepers or if you "run hot" at night). I would wake up drenched and soaked through to the point I had to change out of my pajamas into a fresh set of clothes they were that wet. It was so bad I actually moved that mattress to the guest room and bought a regular high quality Stearns and Foster innerspring. Now I sleep beautifully with only minimal night sweats on occasion and no back pain whatsoever.

I've used memory foam toppers on regular mattresses before and not had as much of a problem. So I'd recommend going that route.

JAileen

Veteran

Laura, thank you for sharing. I run very hot, but only for a few minutes, then I run cold. Repeat endlessly! I'll look into the type you mentioned. BTW, I love rhubarb!

Gaylene, thank you for the link. Our climate is extreme (we got down to 0F at Christmas, yet it gets up to 100F in summer regularly). And in summer we sleep with the windows open (it usually cools down at night here). So the fact that you find the wool comfortable in both summer and winter is very very encouraging. I'll look into it.

Leopardluxe, wow! Thank you for sharing. I do sleep on my side and stomach. I had not heard that before. So that's out. Period. You say the memory toppers were not as much of a problem. Were they still hot? We have a Simmons Beautyrest, but we've had it for years, and I don't flip it as often as I should.

texstyle

(website)

Veteran

Can't stand them - my mom-in-law has one and when we stay at her place we've slept on it and it is HOT. Plus, I don't think the chemicals in the foam are exactly healthy for the hormones.

Have any of you tried Bio-est cream for flashes? Previously I had success with other herbal remedies but now those seem to have stopped working so I've just started trying the Bio-est. I already use progesterone cream and have for many years, but once you hit menopause, the estrogen needs to be added as well I guess. It's too early to know if it will work for me.

JAileen

Veteran

Texstyle, thank you for sharing. If you're in Texas you would know heat, that's for sure!

I was taking HRT, but it caused high blood pressure so I was forced to stop. Hot flashes are awful but a stroke is worse. I don't know anything about the cream. My doctor had me take some herbal stuff but it didn't work.

MsMaven

Veteran

We spent a lot of money for one a few years back and after three years decided to get rid of it. We're not sorry--good money down the drain, but we learned a lesson. My DH runs warm and I run cold--that was only a part of the problem. Ugh--bad memories.

gryffin

Veteran

I have a tempurpedic and love it. I don't have hot flashes and I am always cold so that's my disclaimer. My bff who has not flashes bought the sleep by number bed because she thought it would be cooler. My husband who always is warm though loves this bed. We have the pillows to go with it. I used to wake up all achy on a regular mattress so I love this. But understand I sleep under pounds of blankets, I'm always trying to get warmer. But I love this mattress!!

JAileen

Veteran

MsMaven, thank you for sharing. I'm sorry you had to get rid of your mattress. Expensive lesson.

gryffin, I think our current mattress is similar to a tempurpedic (Simmons Beautyrest?). I loved it when we got it, but it is about 20 years old! I talked to someone the other day who got a sleep number because her husband was such a big guy. I think he outweighed her by nearly 200 pounds!

gryffin

Veteran

the tempurpedic was the original memory foam matteress- with all the nasa advertising. Is that the same as what you had? Now there are lots of different brands but I believe this was the first. My friend like the sleep by numbers, both sides of her bed can be different firmness. But I think it's basically a fancy air mattress but it might be cooloer. Have not slept on it so can't say.

JAileen

Veteran

gryffin, oh no, I'm mistaken. Ours has coils, etc., very conventional. Really great 20 years ago.