Got Hot Flashes? Looking For The Best Cooling Mattress Pad? I've Got Ya Covered

I'm of a 'certain' age where hot flashes and night sweats are upon me almost every night. Correction - they 'were' upon me until I figured out some things to do to alleviate the nightly misery. So, this HubPages article will hopefully fill you in on some tips to avoid the dreaded night sweats. Or, if you can't avoid them, at least you might be able to get over them quicker!

The North American Menopause Society (who knew?!) says that as many as 75% of perimenopause women suffer hot flashes. Note to readers: A woman is not considered in menopause until 1 full year after the stop of menses. During perimenopause, we might still have periods that are shorter, farther apart, etc.

Anyway, hot flashes and night sweats follow a pattern according to the society. That pattern shows that hot flashes may last 6 months to 2 years (great, just great). For most women, hot flashes peak during the 2 years after menses stop. Sadly, the society reports that hot flashes may continue for as long as 10 years for some women. Who wants to bet that I'm in that section of society?

There are some ways to alleviate the hot flashes and night sweats though. That's why I'm writing this article. So, come along with me and see what I've uncovered to help me get through this challenging period of my life (pun intended).

Edit: I have become so interested in the subject of menopause (or, rather, how to alleviate menopause symptoms) that I've started my own website: HotFlashMattressPad.com. Please come visit my new website and see some other items I've found to help 'hot' ladies live more comfortably.

Since my hot flashes trigger night sweats, my first line of defense in fighting this menopause symptom was to fix up my bedroom so that I was more comfortable. Unfortunately, in my battle against being hot, I was freezing my darling boyfriend out - that's where the light down comforter comes into play.

Anyway, getting back to my mattress pad: I found a fantastic cooling mattress pad on Amazon.com. In reading the reviews, here's what I uncovered:

• Of 987 reviews, 819 people gave the Extra Plush Bamboo Fitted Mattress Topper 5 out of 5 stars on Amazon.com. That's 83% of the people loved the thing. I liked that percentage.
• Many people reported that this particular cooling mattress pad not only had a cooling factor but was very fluffy. They felt like they were sleeping on a cloud. I can second that as I had the exact same experience once I added it to my tempurpedic mattress (which was very hot!). I also have one on my sleep number bed in my guest room - guests love the thing.
• The mattress pad is washable but the manufacturer suggests using a commercial sized machine. Also, as with any cooling bedding, dryer sheets or softener should not be used - these can interfere with the natural cooling properties.
• With deep pocketed sides, these mattress pads will fit even deep mattresses, up to 18". The sides wrap around the bottom of the mattress and hold it very securely in place.
• The mattress pad topper adds about 1" to the top of a mattress so the your sheets should fit on it fine.

There are just 26 one or two-star reviews on Amazon.com. The one-star reviewers complain that the topper was not worth the money; they all still slept too warm. The two-star reviewers find that the mattress pad seems to flatten out rather quickly - within a month or two.

I bought my cooling mattress pad 4 months ago and it is just the best, still. And, I sleep with 4 very warm dogs and a hot boyfriend!

When I first started in with the hot flashes, I took to the internet to find ways to get past these pesky symptoms. Here's some of the things I uncovered:

1. Weight seems to play a part in the hot flash game. Heavier women are more likely to suffer hot flashes. Now, you'd think this fact alone would get me on a diet plan, but, noooooo....I'm stubborn!
2. Black Cohosh is reported to help against menopause symptoms. I tried it - no go for me but others report that it does work.
3. Hormone therapy (progesterone and estrogen) work well in most women. Due to the pretty nasty side effects of hormone therapy, I prefer to go the natural route though.