Quick read: Not everyone in perimenopause wakes up drenched in sweat. I didn’t. I just started waking up...hotter. Pajamas I had always loved suddenly felt too heavy, and I found myself looking for something different to sleep in. Enter my Sunshine Society Silky Sets.
Longer read:
Perimenopause comes with a truly impressive list of possible surprises: a chin hair, itchy inner ears, brain fog, random 3 a.m. wake-ups, suddenly running hotter than you used to, and occasionally walking into a room with absolutely no idea why you’re there.
And apparently mine included becoming very opinionated about pajamas.
I didn’t suddenly start having dramatic night sweats. I just started getting warmer at night and temperatures would make me much more restless. I needed to start cooling down the house earlier so it was 68 by the time I went to bed. Yet, sometimes, I’d still wake up uncomfortable. Pajamas I had worn for years, especially some of my cuter, heavier cotton sets, suddenly felt like too much.
And it turns out I am very much not alone.
Hot flashes and night sweats, known medically as vasomotor symptoms, are the most commonly reported symptoms of the peri/menopause transition. Up to 80% of women experience them at some point, although some women never experience them at all.
Why does perimenopause make some women feel hotter?
There is actual science behind the internal thermostat chaos.
During perimenopause, hormone levels fluctuate, and changes in estrogen are associated with changes in the brain systems involved in regulating body temperature. Researchers are still studying exactly how all of this works, but changes in thermoregulation are well documented during the menopause transition.
In other words, there was a reason I suddenly had very strong feelings about what I wore to bed.
So I changed my pajamas! I started looking for different styles and fabrics simply because what I had been sleeping in wasn’t comfortable anymore. And I kept reaching for my new Sunshine Society sets.
This is not me telling you a silky blend is a magical perimenopause fabric. It isn’t. What feels comfortable at night is personal, and someone dealing with significant night sweats may have completely different preferences.
This is just what worked for me. The Sunshine sets felt cooling. I liked the lightweight, slinky feel. I liked having shorts instead of heavier pajama pants. I liked that they weren’t bulky.
Also, I still wanted cute pajamas
Perimenopause did not suddenly make me want to sleep in sad beige pajamas even if I was going to bed at 9am and cleaning to songs I used to go out.
My personal favorite is Neon Lights, especially the darker fabric. It’s fun, it’s cute, and I'm a fan of color. And, because if I have to wake up during the night wondering why I am suddenly feel approximately 14 degrees warmer than I was five minutes ago, I can at least look cute doing it.
That feels reasonable.
The actual takeaway
Perimenopause looks different for everyone. Some women experience significant hot flashes and night sweats, some notice subtler temperature changes, and some never experience vasomotor symptoms at all.
For me, one of the smaller changes was realizing that the pajamas I had always worn no longer felt right.
So I changed them. Sometimes taking care of yourself in this stage of life is complicated.
Sometimes it’s a mix of hormones, doctors, research and figuring out what the heck your body is doing. Stressing less and making simple changes like these old pajamas are making me hot. I need thinner, silky, cuter ones.
/// Sources:
- The Menopause Society. Perimenopause: Signs and Symptoms of the Menopause Transition.
- The Menopause Society. Hot Flashes and Night Sweats.
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Am I Guaranteed to Get Hot Flashes?
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. The Menopause Years.
- Effects of Menopause on Temperature Regulation. PubMed, 2025.