Menopause is a journey that impacts woman differently, yet the conversation around it has long been overlooked. For Cathy, founder of CoolYourSweats, that silence became a spark for change. What began as a personal experience navigating the intensity of sleepless nights transformed into a mission to create supportive solutions for women everywhere. On Menopause Day, we sit down with Cathy to talk about CoolYourSweats and how her work is reshaping the way women are cared for during this stage of life.
What inspired you to start CoolYourSweats?
As with many businesses, CoolYourSweats was founded on an unmet need. I had suffered from terrible menopause-related night sweats for 2+ years, hoping they would go away on their own. I tried cotton and bamboo sleepwear and sheets and was just a miserable, so I used my professional experience in natural building materials to tackle the problem. I knew hemp was a great material for moderating humidity and temperature in buildings, and that it was also made into fabric so I figured it could help me with my own heat and humidity. But, when I looked for hemp sleepwear, there was none to be found. I was actually shocked – it’s such an awesome fabric on so many levels, why wasn’t it being used for sleepwear? That’s when I decided that I could help other women, just like me, who were suffering from sleep-depriving night sweats, and, voila, CoolYourSweats was born. Our mission is to help women sleep better so they wake up refreshed and can get on with their day.
We know night sweats are such a personal struggle—how did your own experience inspire the way you designed your products?
First and foremost is the fabric choice. Our fabric is a light-weight hemp/organic cotton blend. Hemp, because of its amazing moisture-wicking and heat managing properties (as well as being naturally anti-bacterial). But hemp can be quite stiff and rough on its own, so the addition of cotton softens it instantly. And through my research on fabric properties, I discovered that blending hemp with cotton actually makes the fabric a faster moisture wicking fabric than either cotton or hemp on their own.
The second thing I looked at was the style. Our sleepwear solves a problem — sleeping with night sweats. If we want to do that well, we have to consider where the sweatiest parts of our body are. During a night sweat, our glands open under the arms, at the chest, and around the torso – those are the areas where night sweats tend to hit hardest and first, so the neck area is a subtle scoop because the fabric can wick the sweat better around the chest. I chose sleeveless because the heat that is given off during a night sweat can be significant, so sleeves can be too confining for some people, and finally, the nightgown is knee-length because my own experience led me to have burning legs during a hot flash, so I wanted the flexibility of being able to hike the nightgown or pull it down below the thighs when necessary.
Photo provided by CoolYourSweats
What’s been the most joyful or “pinch me” moment so far on your CoolYourSweats journey?
Every time I get a note from a customer thanking me for the sleepwear and telling me how much their sleep has improved because of our sleepwear, my eyes well up. I wanted to make a difference in night sweats sufferers’ lives so they can get their days back, and when I hear our sleepwear is working for them, it renews my purpose.
If a friend came to you saying they wanted to start their own dream business, what advice would you share from your experience?
Starting a business is not for the faint of heart. In some ways, it’s better to not know everything up front about the complexities and ups and downs of running a business – especially a product-based business. But, we only live once, and if you’re truly itching to see what you can accomplish you should do it. Having said that, especially if you’re going at it alone, make sure you surround yourself with your allies and cheerleaders, ask the most qualified people you know for advice on their specific specialty, don’t take “no” from potential customers personally, and test your products or service before you launch asking for honest feedback (best to get it from people who don’t know you. Your friends and family will generally be more biased in your favour).
Photo provided by CoolYourSweats
When it comes to your own nighttime routine, do you have any rituals that help you wind down?
You’ve probably heard it before, but it’s really important – consistency is key. Same bedtime every night. I’m pretty good about that because I get tired really early (I’m usually up around 6am without an alarm clock). Of course, there are nights when it’s impossible to go to bed at your usual time, so I just go with the flow and don’t stress about it.
I don’t keep my phone in my room at night, so I have never had a doom-scrolling habit. I do have some chamomile or mint tea around 8:30 – I’m not sure if it helps with sleep, but it’s a ritual I’ve had for 30 years, and I always read a book before bed, even if it’s for 2 minutes.
With night sweats, the fabrics you sleep in are as important as your routine, so my room is as cold as possible – ideal for me is 15C in the winter (my husband complains he has to wear a toque to bed!), 20C in the summer. Summer: I sleep in my Simone nightgown, 300 thread count cotton sheets, and a linen/cotton duvet cover without the duvet because it’s too hot. Winter, I swap the duvet cover for a summer-weight silk duvet (without the cover) – and even then, sometimes it’s too hot.
