All of a sudden I’m having sweats almost every night. Has anyone tried nightgowns/pajamas made from wicking fabrics? Do they really help?
| Wicking Nightgowns | Hot Conversation |
August 03, 2010
Social Bookmarks:
Posted in fashion & beauty.
Related posts:
add your responses
59 Responses
Stay in touch with the conversation. Subscribe to the RSS feed for comments on this post.
You must be logged in to post a comment.



Good question. I like pj’s…pants or shorts and shirt. Nightgowns always end up wrapped around my neck. I’d be interested to see if others have used them and their reviews.
I started night sweats during perimenopause and continued for 5 years unitl I got HRT. Sleeping on towels, changing t-shirts three times in the night kind of thing.
My sister got me one of those sweat wicking nightgowns, it is knee length and shaped like a v-neck t-shirt. It works if you are just sweating lightly, the bed will become humid but you stay quite dry. If, like me, you can lose 1/2 lb of water in one night (I’ve weighed myself before and after) then the nightgown won’t save you, although it is less uncomfortable wet than cotton, I often ended up whipping it off and putting a dry tshirt on.
I know, given the right fabic, I could design the perfect menopause nightgown, this wasn’t quite it. If it was fitted under the bust to wick the sweat off my chest, that would have helped a lot, and spagetti straps intead of sleeves. Less is more there. I never wear pj’s so I can’t comment there.
Make sure you ditch any polyester or silk bedcovers. Buying a cotton quilt, instead of the puffy polyester comforter my husband prefers, did almost as much good for night sweats as HRT did.
Also helps A LOT if the room is cool. Last July I visited a friend in Australia (winter there) and his furnace was out of order. Best sleep I’d had in years.
I appreciate your feedback on this, especially the comment about designing the perfect nightgown. When I look at the examples on websites selling wicking nightgowns I always wonder why none of them aren’t fitted under the bust and offer some extra wicking there. The models all look like they are wearing bras or else have boob jobs because they all look fairly perky.
And what’s wrong with pretty and feminine? Something a little flowy. All the ones I’ve seen were similar to mine, basic tshirt shapes, often with LONG SLEEVES. Who designs these things? PJ’s with long pants and long shirts that look like men’s. Pah!
Maybe I need to dig out my sewing machine and start my own business.
I completely agree. Why can’t they look nice but also fit women who have busts? I sew, too. The fact that no one seems to have tried wicking pajamas, or had luck with them, might mean there’s a business opportunity here!
Ok, so I had a look at the competition, there’s quite a few, (including Cool-Jams whose ad pop’s up here on VN frequently) and I found a couple of nightgowns that didn’t look half bad.
first there’s this one, which is at least pretty http://www.serenecomfort.com/SALE-Cool-Sets-Plunge-Nightgown-in-Dreamy-Black-Microfiber-P1338C50.aspx . If you can fit into a size S(6) or M(10), that is. And I don’t know about this “Coolbalance” microfibre stuff, I haven’t tried anything that looks like that that wasn’t like a sauna suit (I used to wear pretty nylon nightgowns all the time back in good old days when I was always freezing)
Then I found these:
http://www.drinights.com/store/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=DSBTG500&Category_Code=Nightgowns
http://www.drinights.com/store/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=DSBTBG750&Category_Code=Nightgowns
and there’s a few other ok looking ones at that website (drinights.com) but what caught my eye about these two was not only the design, but the material – bamboo viscose. I have bamboo underwear I love them. Better than any microfibre.
Of course, if you’re bigger than size 16, I think you are SOL on that website, so there’s still a huge (parden the pun) market out there for the perfect menopause nightgown.
Now I wonder where I can get bamboo by the yard?
Stellaaa, I believed the internet hype and bought bamboo sheets. They were quite expensive, and not at all what they were touted to be. It turns out that bamboo, once processed, is just rayon! And if you’re anything like me, rayon might as well be polyester…it MAKES me sweat!
I find it depends on the finish of the rayon and also the weave. The silkier it is, the hotter, but I find the cottony stuff quite tolerable. I saw the sheets, and have been jonesing after them a bit, now after your comment here, I think I shall take NanaCatherine’s advice and seek out real linen. Never tried that, but linen is usually a really comfortable fabric to wear, if you can stand the wrinkles.
I love my bamboo underwear, (if you could parden another pun) it saved my ass in Thailand last year. MUCH more comfy than my offical “travel underwear” made of some miracle dry-overnight cotton-like microfibre. I think it might make great nightgown material.
Sorry Nancy, posted response for someone else by mistake.
I have no clue as to what type of material would help, but I do know that keeping the room as cold as you can stand it helps. When I was going through menopause, in the winter I would keep the heat at 55 degrees at night, and in the summer, my AC became my best friend. Menopause sucks!!!!
I can’t sleep in the nude, but I would wear as little as I could…..
I’v been having heat flashes forever it seems, so I just wear cotton night shirt,sleveless for the summer, and short sleeve for the winter. I aso removed my featherbed,replaced it with a 3″ poly something or other (compfy). Ceiling fan is on all the time, even in winter. My worst is after getting a shower in the morning. It seems I just sweat for a good half-hour, it just pours off of me. I found that using all cotton towels and face cloths works for me. I have never taken any HRT. I also found that wearing BREEZIES BRA’S are the BEST !!!!! Wearing a simple t-shirt works better than a tank top. The rest of time is cover’s off, cover’s on.
Try the natural substance called “Restored Balance”. It is a natural progesterone. I started trying it after I saw a Documentary on a medical doctor who started suggesting his young patients try the product for monthly cramps and PMS. He later discovered that the product also worked for his menopausal patients as well. I had extremely bad cramps when I had my period. After using the product for 1 month, I did not have the cramps the next month. I have continued to use the product now that I am menopausal. I have suggested the product to several of my friends who have “Hot Flashes” and they have discovered that their “Hot Flashes” go away. So far, I have not experienced any “Hot Flashes” and I am 60 years old.
This is not an advetisement for “Restored Balance”. I am just sharing my experience with the product as well as the experiences of my friends. My friends are also sharing their experiences with their family and friends. No woman should have to go through cramps, PMS, or hot flashes. I believe in using natural substances instead of chemicals.
I tried one of those natural progesterone creams once. It was expensive and that’s all. Never really helped. I have my Rx HRT now. Drug plan pays for it.
Before that I was shelling out $30/month for herbal crap that just barely helped a little with hot flashes and night sweats. Did nothing for the black mood and insomnia.
The estrogen gel and prometrium pill I take now are way WAY more natural substances than the antidepressants and sleeping pills prescribed for that. But my doc actually thought she was doing the least harm not giving me HRT. Thank God my gyno changed her mind on the stuff. I am new woman. One that doesn’t sweat. Or cry all the time.
I’ve recently tried the Cool Jams after discovering a link somewhere from the Vibrant Nation site. I was skeptical, but I must say they really do work. I just ordered some more. (No relationship to Cool Jams, which I believe is cool-jams.com.
It seems my ‘cycling’ comes and goes (much like Lance Armstrong). When I am really struggling with night sweats…my hubby (such a good guy) places a towel with baby powder on my side of the bed. A full size towel. I don’t wear clothing any more to sleep. If I do I wake up drenched with it stuck to me.
Sleeping “au naturale” works for me. I gave up wearing anything years ago and that’s made a big difference in my comfort level when I do “flash.” That and having a fan on my side of the bed, to use as needed, has made getting through menopause much easier.
I think a tear-away nightgown, you know like the pants the basketball players wear, would do me just fine….lol
LOL. Best design idea yet.
The Department Store, Dillards, also used to carry a light weight material nightgown/shirt for night sweats; it was great!
It must be capable of flapping itself creating a cooling breeze all the while sensing one’s body temperature to still itself as the power surge(s) wane.
Have you had your thyroid checked? I agree with you about the cool to colder room and cotton versus polyester, but your case seems extreme and just thought I would mention the thyroid.
Thyroid is fine according to tests.
And I guess my case was extreme, I honestly felt like I had not slept in 5 years, except with the help of a pill, which I very rarely resorted to.
Then my gyno gave me an HRT patch. Within a week, all gone. Depression, insomnia, hot flashes, night sweats, dryness you-know-where, brain fog, what else – I’m sure there’s more – all gone. Ok, maybe not the brain fog
So I know, it wasn’t my thyroid.
What was the name of the patch? I take 2 mg. Estradiol and use Estrace Vaginal creme. I still sweat after showering and wake up hot dry heat at night….
What kind of patch? I take 2 mg Estradiol pills and Estrace Vaginal cream and I still wake up hot (dry heat) like a heating pad.. and hot flashes after showers. I can’t think straight half the time, am dizzy and hair is falling out. All this since i’ve been taking the pills and cream for 2 months! Also still have mood swings too!
The patch I started on was “Estalis 140/50″, changed twice a week. The company name is Novartis (the product may have a different name in the USA, I’m Canadian).
It also comes in a stronger version (250/50) but the weaker patches were already a bit strong for me. I started spotting three days a month and getting hormonal headaches, and my skin never got used to the glue on the patches so I had slight red welts for days after I took them off. But it may be right for you.
At first, I was also using the Estring (a silicone ring with estrogen in it that you leave in the vagina for three months) but when I started spotting, that thing had to come out. Yuk. But the patch alone was enough for the dryness anyway.
I asked the gyno for something a little milder and am now on a gel/pill combo. The gel is called “Estrogel, .75/1.25G Estradiol” and the pill is “Prometrium 100MG, Progesterone, Micronized”. It’s the closest I can get to BHRT and still have the drug plan pay for it, and it works well for me.
I still use the patch once in while for convenience, like when I went on a canoe trip last week.
IANAD, but I notice no form of progesterone in your HRT list. Maybe that’s all you need. You can buy Progesterone cream OTC at health food stores, (although I never found it effective – I NEEDED estrogen).
Yeah Stella…understand your situation…I too am in menopause…I have my fan going on low at night with just a top sheet which at times I have to throw off also…wearing my cotton wide open neck nightie that I need to toss off most nights; in the nude its not that comfortable either…and never can be comfortable no matter what! I with you girl!:) Julia
I hve 3 knee-length nightgowns in 100% cotton; I wear them summer thru fall; they are sleeveless; don’t remember where I got them; wish I could remember; it might have been Victoria Secret catalogue from about 5 years ago; in winter I buy cute, colorful, patterned blouses that just hang, not fitted- either short-sleeve or elbow length in 100% COTTON; i FIND THEM AT Target or K-Mart and are very comfortable to sleep in; then I slip on 100% cotton bottoms. It works for me; hope these ideas help. thanks to all of you for your ideas as well; I like the nightgowns from Cool balance. Shira
Thank you, Shira, for your suggestions on what works for you… I am like a sponge (no pun intended) soaking up all the real life experience from those who have either been there or are there now.. I am just around the corner and I need to be prepared for whatever may come to the best of my human abilities…:-)
There is nothing like old linen sheets. I shop on Ebay for them, and occassionally find them at at lawn sales. My favorites are almost a creamy brown color, very thick. I can no longer tolerate cotton sheets, cotton is way too hot compared to linen. And polyester, yuck, never.
I also bought some antique German made linen nightgowns on Ebay. I wear those all the time. I also have a little hankerchief linen dress I bought last summer that is a very fine linen. Cost me $20. And I wear it as a nightgown.
I also own a cotton blanket which is so many years old I can’t remember were I got it. It’s a very pale pink, and originally a king size so covers my queen bed on all sides. It’s the only thing I can tolerate.
Also, for my husband a couple of small antique quilts on the end of the bed. never ever polyester.
I also make my own eye masks. Have for years. It’s just a little hand sown bag with flax seed in them. Certain people in my household flip lights off and on at will, so I always use the eye masks/bags.
I need a new bed soon. I’ve been shopping for some time. I think I will end up with a soy foam mattress. And pillows. I find my big old puffy down pillows way too hot in the summer. I have even been toying with the idea of making myself some small flax seed pillows.
I know I’m a bit weird.
actually I have such a collection of old linen in my closet. I want to get my sewing machine out, and maybe make some linen pillow cases too. Great thick old linen.
Linen is easy to keep. I wash on gentle, and usually just spread the wet sheet on the bed loosely, and with the overhead fan they dry in minutes. Or alternatively I’ve been known to go to my local park and spread my linen sheets on the grass to dry. Sunshine is natures bleach. That’s why I think in Belgium they used to be called the linen fields.
I just bought cotton sheets because I thought they’d breathe! I dry my sheets like you do, run them through the wash and put them damp on the bed. Had my doubts at first but I LOVE this method.
yes cotton sheets shrink in the dryer. and I don’t want to dry my good linen sheets in the dryer..so sort of devised this method myself. I’m always surprised how quick they dry.
I feel hot in cotton sheets. I’m so accustomed to the linen. Once you get used to it you would never go back to cotton sheets.
Try a Chill Pillow….I’d lend you mine but i still need it!…LOL you can find them i believe at Drugstore.com
Try a Chill Pillow…I’d lend you mine but i need it..LOL…Anyway i believe you can find them at Drugstore.com…Forget the wicking PJ’s
Try the natural substance called “Restored Balance”. It is a natural progesterone made from a yam. I started trying it after I saw a Documentary on a medical doctor who started suggesting his young patients try the product for monthly cramps and PMS. He later discovered that the product also worked for his menopausal patients as well. I had extremely bad cramps when I had my period. After using the product for 1 month, I did not have the cramps the next month. I have continued to use the product now that I am menopausal. I have suggested the product to several of my friends who have “Hot Flashes” and they have discovered that their “Hot Flashes” go away. So far, I have not experienced any “Hot Flashes” and I am 60 years old.
This is not an advetisement for “Restored Balance”. I am just sharing my experience with the product as well as the experiences of my friends. My friends are also sharing their experiences with their family and friends. No woman should have to go through cramps, PMS, or hot flashes. I believe in using natural substances instead of chemicals.
In that perfect nightgown, include a pocket or two. If the gown is perfect, you’ll wear it around the house and need somewhere to put your cell phone, etc.
Yes, I agree – pockets have been added to the design in my head.
My husband calls me the menopause queen since I’m in the midst of the transistion myself, plus I’m an OB/Gyn so I deal with menopausal women all day, so I get a ton of feedback. Many of my patients use HRT to help with menopausal symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats, but others prefer natural methods. Quite a few of my patients use wicking pajamas and I’ve received feedback on many of the brands. Bamboo does not work as well as the micro fibers. Also the wicking pajamas that have a poly feel do not seem to work as well either. The brand most often mentioned in my practice is Cool-jams, I have purchased them myself and have to admit they really do work well and they have cute styles to boot.
Dr. Tina
You will enjoy my website/home based internet business. http://www.4honeybunch2.com It started as a mostly menopause themed business…and has evolved over the years. I am trying a new product by Arbonne (a friend insisted I try this) called Phyto (I think that’s the name). So far so good. All natural. I was using a product from Emerita but my hands and feet got very cold…lordy I just can’t win!!
Some of the synthetics that wick have a “creepy” feel to them. Even some of the fabrics I have used were not as nice as the nightie fabric we finally settled on.
I am working with some new technologies right now. One of the is a towel that gets cold. It uses natural evaporative cooling, and can last for hours depending on humidity and other factors. I work with the inventor of polar fleece, so this stuff is cutting edge. Stay tuned…we hope to have some surprises this fall using this amazing technology. In the meantime, the cooling towels are certainly worth checking out.Leslie
It’s interesting to learn how different women sweat more in different areas of their body. I find it mainly on my torso which is why I’d love a gown that fit under the bust and absorbed moisture there.
Nancy, You must try one of my wicking nightgowns. My company, Haralee.Com makes sleepwear for women experiencing night sweats. Joy is the name of our night gown that is under the bust, thin adjustable straps and just above the knee. On Joy we make the seams to the outside on the bodice as a hip decorative style feature but also as a functional feature for women who have had breast surgeries.
I started my company when breast cancer threw me into menopause with drenching night sweats. I am a circle blog memeber here at VN usually talking about my favorite topic, menopause, but also other msuings. Our company started with 5 styles and we have over 20 now. Every day all day I hear the skeptics and then I hear the amazing converts to bettter sleeping. Every one sweats in different places so a pajama bottom that goes below the knee and a top below the elbow are good for those who pool up in the hinges. I make pillow cases too for those who sweat around the neck and face.
We are made in the USA and portion of every item goes to breast cancer research. Give us a try!
Haralee,
http://www.haralee.com
they all look great Haralee. But I’d love a top that plunges a little deeper. Don’t like the neck lines you feature. Perhaps you can direct me to a PJ set that has a lower cut neck line?
Hi Helen,
You may like the Joy Nightgown or the Debra Nightgown. Another gown or Pajama is the Susan Gown in black and the Barbara Pajamas. They have a loose neckline, doesn’t plunge but is loose.
Thanks for looking!
I ordered the Joy the morning and I’ll report back. I’m also very interested in the fabric CurvesCoverGirl wrote about above from her company discoverytrekking that has silver woven into the fabric to retard odors. I bought my mom an undershirt with this fabric several years ago when she was going on a trip and she loved it.
Mainly I’m looking forward to trying this out for myself to see if it works.
Hi Nancy,
I was out of the office and just saw your order. Thank-you and hopefully you will like Joy. She is my sexiest nightgown. Let me know.
FYI, I have your namesake in a pajama set. Nancy in Rendezvous Blue and Sugar Plum have been good sellers. I had to acknowledge all the wonderful Nancys in my life with a gorgeous pajama set!
Hi NancyG, As someone who is still menstruating and has older sisters who do not recall the details of their menopausal phase of life, I appreciate this site and this thread so much.. I realize I may not suffer from hot flashes but if I do.. I want to be prepared and have options so please do keep us informed as to your experience with the Joy Nightgown.. I wish you luck with it!! Stay cool! (It is supposed to be in the 90′s again today… then again, it IS summer in NYC here..)
Aren’t hotel robes made of wicking fabrics? they remove sweats and dampness quickly without feeling bad.
Last night I slept in my first wicking nightgown and I’m ready to report.
I bought the “Joy” nightgown from Haralee. I picked it because I wanted thin straps (maximize coolness) and something that was a little fitted a under the bust (a place I happen to sweat.) On the website it describes this nightgown as their “sexiest” gown. I’m not feeling particularly sexy as I’m lying in bed sweating. While this gown didn’t make me feel like a sex bomb it does makes me feel pretty (in fact I’m still wearing it as I write this.) It has shape to it which I appreciate. My husband kept saying I looked like I was wearing an evening gown but I think this was out of a sense of shock to see me in something other than a sleeveless cotton sack.
As to the sweating/wicking thing…yes, wearing this nightgown helped. I was still hot but in my cotton nightgown I can wipe moisture off my body, last night I didn’t. Sitting on a leather chair this morning I was able to get up and not have my nightgown cling to the back of my legs because of sweat.
The website says the fabric used is “wicking polyester.” Don’t be put off by that, it has a nice feel. I want to try the Polartec Powder Dry fabric offered on Discovery Trekking. (Sorry, didn’t want to figure out how to insert the trademark symbols.) So, I’ll report back after I check out some other fabrics and styles.
Great News Nancy that you are not waking up in a puddle wearing Joy! Cotton is not a night sweating woman’s friend. The PR that the cotton council did was a great effort but not for sweats. You never see basketball players wearing cotton, and many women sweat about as much as you see the pro players on TV during the night.
Give Leslie’s a try too to add to your sleepwear wardrobe. The truth is you need moree than one so one can go in the washer.
Wishing you coolness.
Thanks Nancy! I am glad it helps!!
PS And if your hubby thinks/suggests you’re wearing an evening gown.. well, that sounds like a swell compliment (esp. coming from a man! ) LOL! When I read that line you wrote it made me smile..
.. I’ve been telling lots of female friends about this site and thread and many reply, “I just wear simple inexpensive cotton nighgowns..”.. I am just grateful that I am open to learning about all the options out there… This site rocks! Obviously, our menopausal expereinces are as varied as we are! I am almost looking forward to it just to see how I get through it…In God’s time, not mine…
I used to be a direct sales rep for a line called Cool Sets & sold tons of the PJ’s via home parties. Unfortunately, the company (new management) eliminated the home party division &’ switched to a more traditional business model. I just checked & they are still in business (www.cool sets.com) & have added the Wicking J label to their offerings. I haven’t sold them for over 2 years, but the PJ’s I acquired back then still work like a charm, are cute & feminine & are still in excellent condition. We sold sheets & pillowcases for awhile (someone elses line) &, although expensive, they worked REALLY well!
My line of sleepwear is similar to Cool Sets and Wicking J but mine are less expensive and made in the USA! And give a portion of ever sale to breast cancer research!!http://www.haralee.com
oh I am so happy to say that I got the big pile of old linen antique sheets out of my linen closet and have been sewing up some wonderful linen pillow cases.
the sheets all were wonderful linen but mostly Euro size for single or 3/4 beds so I had all this fabric.
I’m thrilled, with how they look, how they feel. and how I don’t sweat! I’ve had linen sheets on my bed for years, and don’t know why it never had occurred to me to use up those old linen sheets making pillow cases.
It also fits in with my new or not so new philosophy, of re-use, re-purpose and re-cycle. I’m beyond thrilled.
I have 8 pillow cases so far. I use 6 pillows on my bed at all times. So a full set at least once over. Some are shams, some regular size queen, and one that I folded the fabric the wrong way, which ended up with a great queen size pillow case with an exceptionally long hang on the side. So I sewed some antique lace on that end, and it looks fab on the side of the bed visible as you walk in the room.
I’m also charmed by the little laundry tags either sewn on or stamped on the fabric. I see a # of the sheets came from the same source because the laundry tag is the same #. I made sure and re sewed these on the back corner of each new and recycled piece. I’m sure whatever old ladies I bought these from are equally thrilled to know how much I appreciate there linens brought from Europe, Germany, Russia.
S’pose the wicking quality of chamois would be outweighed by its warmth!
What I’ve done is sewn some lovely “eye-let” fabric to fit King Size Pillows, even though I have a queen-size bed, with a good 2 inch edge around with opening in back centre to be able to stuff the pillow into and easily to remove for laundering. Next, I’m thinking about sewing “eye-let” fabric pillow shams.
I began the “pause” at 50 and managed for l0 years without HRT. I slept under a fan without
sleepware…..”nakey” as my granddaughter calls it….. as often as possible with a sheet only.
I wore comfortable non-binding short light cotton gowns.
Also had a small fan with me at all time — even under my desk at work to kick on when flashes
began. Carried fans in my purse as well. Drank lots of water and spritzed to cool off. Watch foods
that bring up the temps …. monitor what keeps you cooler…more comfy. Take heart …doesn’t
last forever — this too shall pass
Hugs to all fellow flashers…… Sharon
YES!!! High tech moisture-wicking fabrics make a huge difference. Here’s why. Most traditional fabrics (including bamboo) “suck” the sweat inside the fiber, so the fabric does not dry out quickly and you still feel wet. True wicking fabric pulls the moisture “around” the fibers and spread it across the surface so it quickly evaporates. I own a clothing company that specializes in technical fabrics. In addition to a line of “hot flash” nighties, we make a line of pillowcases and towels that do the same thing. As a woman who has experienced night sweats for over 15 years, I tried to think of all the qualities that would contribute to the solution.
One of the problems with wicking fabrics is bacteria. Although most fabric manufacturers put chemical antimicrobials into the cloth, they quickly wash out. This means that the clothing starts to retain odor…not nice! We have our fabric made with Silver, which is permanently bonded to the fiber. Silver is one of the best ways to kill bacteria, and it doesn’t wash out. The special fabric is very stretchy, which makes it even more effective as it has more touch points on the skin.
We make several styles of nighties. To be very honest, the hot-flash pillowcase is my favorite product. I tend to sweat in the neck area, and no nightgown can help. The pillowcase keeps evaporating any moisture so my pillow stays dry, and so do I.
My company is Discovery Trekking Outfitters Ltd. We have won major awards for innovation, and our products have been in dozens of magazine gear reviews. Anyone having suggestions, recommendations or comments are welcome to contact us. Listening to our customers is the only way to truly know “what women want”.
Leslie Hanes
I hadn’t even mentioned the smell, but yes, it gets smelly on one wearing and doesn’t even smell great after washing and I’m not a very smelly sweater usually (unless I have just had the bejeezes scared out of me).
I’m still unconvinced about the high tech fabrics as nightwear. The garment gets soggy anyway, and smelly, and the bed gets humid as hell.
But I’m loving the pillowcase idea.