What to wear to bed and more tales from the trenches

When we began to work on pajamas designed for women suffering from night sweats, we didn’t ask fashion designers what to do, we went straight to the source – women.

Here’s what we learned: If you give women a little (or maybe a lot) of wine and start asking questions, you will get more information than you really need to know. This informal focus group was the incubator for CoolRevolution PJs. It was eye-opening, inspiring and a whole lot of fun.    Sure, we had some ideas, but what we really needed was honest insights from women in their 40s to 60s about what they wear to bed, and what they thought of the initial ideas we had. We learned some like sexy, some like cutesy, some like nothing at all.

“Why are you even here?” we asked the nude sleeper in the group.

“You said there would be wine.”

We do love honesty. We let her stay, and learned that even though she sleeps nude, she likes to put on PJs or loungewear after work, then strips it off before getting under the covers. Women have all kinds of routines and are willing to try just about anything if it means a better night’s sleep.

Another participant said she’s tried all kinds of things to fend off night sweats. Cooling pillows (which don’t help much), multiple types of pajamas and even wearing workout wear to bed, which is not at all comfortable. Women really appreciate pajamas with pockets, too, which is often hard to find. Lots of women put on their PJs early in the evening, and to most women, how it looks matters. The simple truth is that if you like how you look in something, you will feel better.

“I put them on as soon as I get home, and I’m walking around the house, going outside, getting the mail,” she said.

Lots of nods on this one. Women want PJs they can feel comfortable in if someone stops by

When it comes to sleep, lots of women are on the struggle bus. When you hit perimenopause – usually in the mid-40s, although it varies – lots of women complain that you go to bed cold, then wake up hot and sweaty. We’re throwing off covers, then scrambling to cover back up. A couple of women said they sweat so much, they’ve had to change PJs in the middle of the night. It’s no wonder so many women are sleep deprived.

All this sweating and change in body temperature means women want PJs that are loose-fitting, thin, soft, silky-feeling fabric, but not actual silk, because that just sticks to your skin when you start to sweat.

Some women want night shirts, others want only pants and T-shirts.

“I don’t like knees touching each other, even in the summer,” one woman said.

No skin-to-skin contact. Got it.

And, others wouldn’t think of putting on pants at night. Some like night shirts, others like shorts. Some like T-shirts, others like camisoles (as long as they aren’t tight).

There were discussions about other things menopausal women need and want such as separate bedrooms, ice packs, fans and more. We talked about pillows and sleep habits and debated about whether it’s best to sleep with or without underwear.

So much information. These ladies were the inspiration that helped us create our designs. While we launched CoolRevolution with four pieces – A T-shirt, tank top, pants and shorts – we have plans for more options and in more colors, so we can help even more women sleep and lounge more comfortably. Keep your ideas and opinions coming. We love to hear from other women facing perimenopause and menopause. Shoot us an email at info@CoolRevolutionPJs.com.