Night Sweats? Try Wool

Why Wool Bedding Is a Game-Changer for Women Experiencing Night Sweats and Hot Flashes

Why Night Sweats Happen in the First Place

If you’re waking up drenched in sweat, you’re not alone. Night sweats and hot flashes are infamous symptoms of perimenopause and menopause, often caused by fluctuating estrogen and progesterone levels, which disrupt the body’s ability to regulate temperature. Stress and elevated cortisol can also play a role, triggering heat surges that wake you up in the middle of the night. On top of that, synthetic bedding and poor moisture-wicking fabrics trap heat, making the problem worse. The right bedding can make a huge difference in your quality of sleep—this is where wool comes in.

If you’re in the midst of perimenopause or full-blown menopause, and the idea of wool bedding gives you flashbacks to your grandmother’s scratchy, hand-knit turtleneck—trust me, this is not that kind of wool. Wool as an aid in navigating insomnia, night sweats, and hot flashes is seriously underappreciated, and I want to share why I believe it’s a game-changer.

My Personal Experience with Wool Bedding

I have been sleeping under a wool duvet for years now, and I will never go back to anything else. Goose down is nice, and if, for some reason, I couldn’t have a wool duvet, down would be an acceptable compromise. But it doesn’t come close to the versatility and performance of wool.

Many people assume wool will make them hot and sweaty, worsening night sweats. In reality, wool is one of the most absorbent and breathable materials out there—exponentially more so than cotton, down, silk, or anything synthetic. If you wake up drenched in sweat, wool in your bedding can help mitigate the effects and possibly allow you to get back to sleep faster.

Why Wool Is the Best Choice for Sleep

Wool has several properties that make it superior to other bedding materials:

• Incredible Moisture-Wicking Ability – Wool can absorb up to 30% of its weight in moisture without feeling damp. This means that when you experience a night sweat, wool actively pulls the moisture away from your body, keeping you drier and more comfortable.
• Temperature Regulation – Wool is a natural thermal conductor, insulating in the winter while remaining breathable and cooling in the summer. Sheep evolved to stay comfortable in all weather conditions, and that same ability carries over into wool bedding.
• Antimicrobial & Odor-Resistant – Unlike synthetic materials that trap bacteria and odors, wool is naturally antimicrobial, meaning you won’t wake up with that post-workout sweat smell lingering in your bedding.
• Locally Sourced & Ethically Made – A lot of goose down comes from overseas with little transparency about how it’s sourced or processed. Here in Alberta, we have access to high-quality wool products, including custom wool duvets, pillows, and mattress pads made at Carstairs Woolen Mill.

The Added Benefit of a Weighted Feel

Another unexpected benefit of my wool duvet is its weight—it weighs about five pounds. As someone who has struggled with anxiety most of my life, I’ve found that extra weight helps ground me and keep me calm at night. As I prepare for the hormonal shifts of perimenopause and menopause, I see this feature as another tool in my arsenal for better sleep and overall well-being.

Making the Switch to Wool Bedding

Menopause is rough. The insomnia, the night sweats, the unpredictable rollercoaster of symptoms—it’s exhausting. If you get into the habit of dreading bedtime because you expect another sleepless, sweaty night, it becomes a vicious cycle. Anything you can add to your sleep environment to break that cycle is worth considering.

If you’re curious but not ready to invest in a full wool duvet, start with a pillow or a wool mattress pad and see how it impacts your sleep.

We don’t currently sell wool bedding, but I believe so strongly in getting away from synthetics and letting your skin breathe. Our skin is our largest organ, and how we treat it plays a vital role in our overall health and well-being. If you’re struggling with hot flashes and night sweats, wool bedding is worth a try—it could be the simple, natural solution you’ve been searching for.