‘This smart mattress finally sorted out my perimenopausal sleep issues’

As a doctor and someone firmly in the grips of perimenopause, at 41, I know all too well the toll that poor sleep can take on your physical and mental wellbeing. During perimenopause, good sleep is even harder to come by due to fluctuating hormone levels, especially oestrogen, which plays a role in everything from the sleep-wake cycle to maintaining sleep quality and releasing the ‘sleep hormone’ melatonin. And that’s before you’ve added symptoms such as hot flushes and night sweats to the mix.

Being a black woman, I also appreciate the fact that women of colour tend to experience a longer menopause transition – we can experience symptoms for longer – and that (so says a British Menopause Society paper published in 2023) women of colour have shorter sleep duration, we wake more frequently and have less efficient sleep.

So I wasn’t too surprised when my perimenopausal symptoms — insomnia, night sweats and brain fog — began about six months after I turned 40. I also have vivid memories of my mother suffering from poor sleep and hot flushes in her late 40s.

After months of struggling to fall asleep or waking consistently between 2 am and 4 am and not being able to get back to sleep, I realised I urgently needed to sort out my sleep issues. Coincidentally, I had recently started wearing an Oura Ring to monitor my wellbeing (it uses sensors to track your activity, sleep, heart rate and stress levels). My ‘readiness’ (a score that indicates how ready you are for a new day) and sleep scores were consistently hovering in the ‘needs improvement’ zone range, and my performance at work was also affected. I was struggling to find words and recall patient’s faces.

Lack of sleep is particularly problematic given the demands of my job. I run a busy medical aesthetic clinic, offering injectables alongside energy-based devices such as laser treatments, Coolsculpting and radiofrequency microneedling. I have a small team of staff and see a large number of patients daily, therefore being alert and focused at work is fundamental.

That’s why I’m thrilled to share how a biohacking mattress topper — the Eight Sleep Pod Pro Cover Pod 4 — finally brought peace to our shared bed and helped me reclaim my nights.

Enter Eight Sleep Pod: a game-changer for couples with temperature wars

For years, my husband and I have battled over our thermostat and bedding choices. I run hot, especially during the night when those dreaded hormonal fluctuations kick in, while he’s the type who piles on extra blankets even in summer. My night sweats have often left me drenched and uncomfortable, reminding me of my mother’s struggles decades earlier.

We tried everything to make our bed a more hospitable place for both of us: mattress toppers that promised to cool, weighted blankets with cooling claims and even fans designed to blow air under the sheets. Some worked — to a degree — but nothing ever fully addressed our polar opposite needs. That is until we discovered the Eight Sleep Pod Pro Cover Pod 4, £2549.

My husband is very much into his gadgets and spent months researching different sleep aids and mattress-cooling gadgets before he discovered the Eight Sleep.

What is the Eight Sleep Pod like to use?

The Eight Sleep Pod Pro Cover Pod 4 is a smart mattress topper that has dual-zone temperature control. It’s very simple to set up, fits onto your existing mattress like a bed sheet and plugs into a base unit — with dual control systems so that each side of the bed can be controlled separately. That means I can set my side of the bed to a cool 15.5 degrees Celsius, while my husband cranks his up to a cosy 26.7.  Simply sync it with the Eight Sleep app, set the preferred temperatures, and the topper immediately starts working its magic.

What’s especially clever is how the system dynamically adjusts the temperature throughout the night. It uses biometric data, such as your body temperature and heart rate, to keep you at the optimal temperature for restful sleep. For someone like me, who has spent countless nights tossing and turning because of overheating, this feels nothing short of revolutionary.

Tracking sleep like a pro

As a data nerd, I was delighted to pair it with my Oura Ring. Before using the Pod Pro Cover, my Oura data showed frequent wake-ups and a lack of deep sleep. After a week with the topper, my scores skyrocketed. My deep sleep duration increased significantly, and I now wake up feeling genuinely refreshed for the first time in years.

Night sweats no longer leave me drenched and uncomfortable, which means I’m not disrupting my husband’s sleep either. He’s thrilled that we’ve finally found a solution that works for both of us.

My verdict as a data-loving doctor

As a doctor, I’ve always been sceptical of gadgets that promise to ‘biohack’ your health. But this is a well-designed system rooted in the science of sleep. Temperature plays a critical role in regulating your circadian rhythm, which in turn dictates the quality of your sleep.

For all perimenopausal and menopausal women experiencing crippling sleep disturbances or who are having difficulty managing night sweats and hot flashes, the Eight Sleep Pod Pro Cover Pod 4 addresses these issues in a way that feels both effortless and effective.

Is the Eight Sleep Pod worth the money?

This is an investment, no question. But for us, it has been worth every penny. Improved sleep has a ripple effect on every aspect of life — from better focus at work to more energy for exercise and even improved relationships. Let’s be honest, no one is at their best when they’re sleep-deprived! Sleep is very important to my husband and I, both being able to wake well-rested and refreshed has been invaluable to our quality of life and marital wellbeing.

For years, I’ve advised my patients to prioritise their sleep, and now I feel like I’m finally taking my own advice. Investing in a solution that delivers measurable results has been a game-changer for my health and well-being. It’s transformed my nights and, by extension, my days.

The combination of dual-zone temperature control, smart adjustments, and seamless integration with sleep-tracking tools makes this product a standout. And for this perimenopausal doctor, it’s the first time in years that I’ve felt truly rested. For that alone, I’ll happily sing its praises from the rooftops — or at least from my very comfortable, perfectly cooled bed.

The Eight Sleep Pod Pro Cover Pod 4, £2549 is available now.