Key Takeaways

• Thermal comfort is crucial for women: Nighttime temperature regulation matters across the ovulatory cycle, contraceptive use, and menopause.
• Pepaminto supports balanced sleep: Combines passive and active temperature control for an optimal sleep environment.
• Personalization with women in mind: Variowell is developing temperature settings tailored to women’s needs for better sleep.
• Upcoming Women’s Health feature: Adaptive sleep settings to support women’s hormonal health will launch in 2026.

Why Does Thermal Comfort Matter for Women?

Finding the right thermal comfort during the night can be a challenge for many people, regardless of race or climate zone. For women, however, it may be particularly complex due to natural changes in body temperature across the ovulatory cycle, being most noticeable during sleep or upon waking. Women taking oral contraceptives may experience additional nighttime temperature fluctuations on top of these natural daily variations in nocturnal body temperature.

Thermal comfort during sleep might become an even greater challenge during menopause, a natural stage in female aging marked by the final menstrual period. Throughout the menopausal transition, the prevalence of hot flashes, night sweats, and sleep disturbances rises significantly. Research shows that 36–87% of midlife women experience hot flashes, and 40–60% report sleep problems—both recognized as key menopausal symptoms.

Pepaminto: Smart Sleep Solution with Women in Mind

Pepaminto has been developed to support nighttime comfort by regulating the dissipation of body heat and maintaining a balanced sleep environment. The topper integrates graphite cooling bands that draw excess heat away from the body and thin warming strips that can gently warm specific areas when needed.

These advanced thermal capabilities make the Pepaminto topper an ideal solution for enhancing sleep comfort in women across the ovulatory cycle and throughout their lifespan.

Upcoming: Women’s Health Setting for Pepaminto

Variowell is partnering with leading scientists to develop temperature settings tailored specifically to women’s physiological needs, aiming to improve overall sleep quality and support well-being during the reproductive stage of life and the period following that.

The new Women’s Health setting in Pepaminto can be activated manually or operate independently with minimal user input. When used in combination with the Apple Watch, health data collected during sleep enables effortless, personalized, and adaptive control of Pepaminto’s temperature settings. This innovation marks an important step in empowering women to manage some of the unwanted side effects of hormonal changes—naturally, holistically, and without medication. The feature is planned to be released in 2026.

> Discover Your Personalized Thermal Comfort with Pepaminto

Background: Hot Flashes and Sleep

Hot flashes are one of the most common symptoms of menopause, affecting approximately three out of four women. They can persist for 7–10 years, though for most women they last less than two years. Hot flashes may occur during the day or at night and often begin before the final menstrual period. Episodes typically last one to five minutes and are characterized by sudden sensations of heat, sweating, chills, and sometimes anxiety.

Hot flashes are closely associated with the decline in estrogen levels during menopause. Nocturnal hot flashes also influence the body’s autonomic regulation, temporarily shifting it from a restful state toward alertness. This combination of physiological arousal and physical discomfort often results in awakenings and fragmented sleep.

During a hot flash, both skin temperature and heart rate increase rapidly, often leading to perspiration and, in some cases, dizziness or palpitations. The episode is triggered by a slight rise in core body temperature, prompting blood vessel dilation and increased heat release through the skin. At night, this can cause significant discomfort—soaking sleepwear or bedding and disrupting sleep.

Reference

• Baker FC, Lampio L, Saaresranta T, Polo-Kantola P. Sleep and Sleep Disorders in the Menopausal Transition. Sleep Med Clin. 2018 Sep;13(3):443–456.
• Baker FC, de Zambotti M, Chiappetta L, Nofzinger EA. Effects of forehead cooling and supportive care on menopause-related sleep difficulties, hot flashes and menopausal symptoms: a pilot study. Behav Sleep Med. 2021 Sep-Oct;19(5):615–628.
• Baker FC, Siboza F, Fuller A. Temperature regulation in women: Effects of the menstrual cycle. Temperature (Austin). 2020 Mar 22;7(3):226–262.
• de Zambotti M, Colrain IM, Javitz HS, Baker FC. Magnitude of the impact of hot flashes on sleep in perimenopausal women. Fertil Steril. 2014 Dec;102(6):1708–15.