Best pajamas for night sweats: what fabric to wear and why

Name: Best pajamas for night sweats: what fabric to wear and why
Creator: MenoWoman

No pajamas have been proven to treat menopause night sweats. Light, breathable, moisture-wicking sleepwear may feel more comfortable, and two small studies, one funded by the wool industry, found people fell asleep faster in merino wool than in cotton.

Researched by the MenoWoman team. Edited by Marcela Sat. Updated 7 November 2026. We may earn from links.

See a doctor if night sweats drench your clothes, come with fever, weight loss you cannot explain, or swollen glands, or begin after menopause. Snoring, gasping at night or low mood also need a check.

Can pajamas help with night sweats?

Sleepwear cannot stop a night sweat. It can change how wet, hot or cold you feel afterward.

No trials have tested sleepwear in women with menopause night sweats. The studies that exist are in healthy adults, and they are small.^2,3

Mayo Clinic suggests layers you can remove when you feel warm.⁵ The Menopause Society says cooling techniques have limited evidence as a treatment.⁴ Pajamas are a comfort choice, not a cure.

What fabric to wear for night sweats

Look for two things. Breathability lets heat and moisture escape. Moisture-wicking moves sweat off the skin so it can dry.¹

Cotton breathes and absorbs sweat, but it does not wick well. After a night sweat it can stay damp and leave you chilled.¹

Wool absorbs a lot of moisture and wicks it away, and it breathes.¹ Standard polyester absorbs poorly and can hold sweat against the skin. Treated synthetic fabrics may handle moisture better.¹

Lyocell, bamboo-based fabrics and rayon blends are often sold as cooling. These are brand claims. No sleep trials have tested them.

What the sleepwear studies found

A 2019 study tested 36 healthy adults aged 50 to 70 in a warm room at 30°C. Each slept in cotton, polyester and merino wool sleepwear.³

Overall, fabric made a small difference to how fast people fell asleep. Among those aged 65 and over, sleep came in about 12 minutes in wool, compared with about 27 in cotton and 22 in polyester. Sleep was slightly less broken in wool than in polyester.³

An earlier study of 17 young adults found faster sleep onset in wool than cotton pajamas. The gap was clearest in a cool 17°C room, at about 10 minutes versus 18.²

Wool did not clearly improve total sleep time in that study.² Polyester was tested only as bedding there, not as sleepwear.²

There are limits. Both studies were small and did not include women with night sweats. The first was funded by the wool industry, and the later one had an author from a wool industry body.^2,3

Moisture-wicking sleepwear: practical tips

Choose loose, light pieces that do not cling. Separate tops and bottoms are easier to change than a full set.

Keep a spare set by the bed. Changing out of damp clothes may help you fall back to sleep.

Pair sleepwear with a cool, dark room and a fan.^5,6 Light layers on the bed let you adjust through the night. See our guide to cooling sheets for night sweats.

Avoid heavy fleece or thick synthetic fabrics that hold sweat against the skin.¹ If you get cold after a sweat, a thin wool layer may suit you better than cotton.¹

Comfort varies between people, rooms and climates. Try a fabric for a few weeks before buying more.¹

Products on our list (brand claims)

These appear on our sleep and cooling and clothing pages. Each description is the brand's claim.

Lusomé: wicking pajamas designed for night sweats.
Cool-jams (US): wicking microfiber nightwear for hot sleepers.
Soma Cool Nights (US): lightweight rayon-blend knit pajamas.
Dagsmejan Stay Cool: eucalyptus lyocell sleepwear, claimed to keep you cool and dry.

No published trials have tested these products in women with night sweats. If night sweats are frequent, talk to a doctor about hormone therapy or non-hormonal options.⁴

What it is used for: evidence rated

Option	Evidence	What the research shows
Non-hormonal prescriptions and CBT	Strong evidence	Recommended for hot flashes by The Menopause Society in 2023.⁴
Loose, removable layers	Some evidence	Advised by Mayo Clinic; low risk, but few trials and not a proven treatment.^4,5
Merino wool sleepwear	Weak evidence	Two small, wool-industry-linked studies in healthy adults found faster sleep onset than cotton.^2,3
Cotton sleepwear	Weak evidence	Breathes and absorbs sweat but wicks poorly; showed no sleep benefit in a warm-room study.^1,3
Standard polyester sleepwear	Weak evidence	Absorbs moisture poorly and showed no sleep benefit in a warm-room study.^1,3
Lyocell, bamboo and wicking synthetics	No evidence	Sold as cooling and wicking; no published sleep trials have tested them.

Ratings explained: how we rate. Always talk to a doctor or pharmacist before starting a medicine or supplement.