Cool Bed Sheets for Hot People (Like Me)

True story.

Recently I was walking into my apartment building and ran into a neighbor. It was a hot day and I was carrying a bag of groceries. After a brief moment of chatting, they asked me — hey, are you crying? No, friend. This is sweat. I was sweating. And apparently I was sweating so profusely, they assumed I was in tears. Yikes!

What I didn’t explain to them, is that I’m in the chapter of life where my body temperature can be unpredictable at best. Maybe you’re here with me, in menopause world.

Whether you’re in menopause or perimenopause, hot flashes and night sweats can be an unpredictable issue.  Being a plus sized woman for most of my life, growing up in the Caribbean and Miami — I thought I knew what it was to be hot and to deal with consistent body heat. But this perimenopausal/menopausal internal heat? It is on another LEVEL, do you hear me?

My perimenopause symptoms began in my early 40’s, and when I had my fibroid procedures, I got kicked into full early menopause. I will sweat anytime, anyplace. But the most bothersome, frustrating hot flashes happen at night, while I’m trying to get some sleep. When my hot flashes became untenable, I knew I had to figure out a better sleep routine. I’ve been doing so much research on improving my health lately, and good sleep habits are essential. I’ve written about my sleep issues before, but the struggles continue.

This year I’ve made several additional steps in working on my sleep habits. Here’s what I’m doing now:

1 – I listen to my body and try to go to bed on the earlier side. For years I tried to be a night owl. Not anymore! I try to be in bed by 10 pm and if I’m tired at 9:30, it’s bedtime.

2 – I try to keep my electronic devices away from my bed. That includes my phone and…