New research from Eight Sleep Labs
Eight Sleep Labs announced findings from a new scientific study (available now via preprint) showing that the Pod by Eight Sleep reduced nighttime hot flashes by 56%, on average, after one week of use. The research, involving 98 peri- and post-menopausal women across a 14-night protocol, is one of the most comprehensive investigations to date of how overnight temperature regulation impacts hot flashes, sleep quality, menopausal symptoms, and body temperatures during menopause.
Nearly 80% of peri- and postmenopausal women experience hot flashes, with symptoms lasting 7 years on average. These hot flash episodes cause multiple nighttime awakenings, which lead to fragmented and poor sleep quality, followed by next-day exhaustion. While hormone replacement therapy (HRT) remains effective, it doesn’t eliminate all hot flashes. Also, many women cannot or prefer not to use HRT to minimize hot flashes due to contraindications, side effects, or personal preference. This is why non-pharmacological solutions for nighttime hot flashes, like the Pod, are so important.
Eight Sleep conducted a 14-night crossover study with 98 peri- and postmenopausal women, using and not using HRT. Participants slept for one week with the Pod’s temperature control OFF and one week with it ON. Each morning, the women reported the number of nighttime hot flashes they had during the night and their sleep quality. Each week, they filled out their menopausal symptom severity, and also measured their core and skin temperatures during sleep.
Key takeaways
Sleeping on the Pod with temperatures ON resulted in:
- 56% reduction in nighttime hot flashes on average, with nearly one fewer hot flash per night
- 85% of women with fewer nighttime hot flashes vs. Pod OFF
- 10% improvement in sleep quality and 9% decrease in menopausal symptom severity
- physiologically meaningful lower core and skin temperatures throughout the night
Importantly, these benefits were observed regardless of menopausal stage (peri- or post-menopause) and/or HRT use.
Figure: The boxplots depict the percent change in nighttime hot flash frequency from Pod “OFF” to “ON” conditions for peri- and postmenopausal women (orange vs. blue dots, respectively). All participants were grouped by hormone replacement therapy (HRT) use: No HRT vs. HRT. Mean hot flash percent change values (between Pod “OFF” and “ON”) are displayed for each HRT group on the plot. Each data point represents 1 participant’s average percent change in hot flashes from Pod “OFF” to “ON” The box indicates the interquartile range (IQR; 25th and 75th percentiles), with the horizontal line representing the median. The dashed horizontal line at 0% represents no change in HFs between Pod conditions.
New and noteworthy
This study provides the first evidence demonstrating several novel findings, including that:
- Overnight temperature regulation (via the Pod) meaningfully reduces hot flashes in 1 week, without medication or additional lifestyle changes.
- Reducing hot flashes via temperature regulation on the Pod directly improves sleep quality and menopause-related symptoms.
- The Pod likely reduces hot flashes by lowering core and skin temperatures throughout the night.
- The Pod’s temperature regulation can benefit menopausal women regardless of whether or not they are using HRT.
What this research means
This is Eight Sleep Lab’s largest and most comprehensive study to date in menopausal women, examining how the Pod influences nighttime hot flashes, sleep quality, and overnight body temperatures. For the first time ever, we show that the Pod helps women spend more time at lower body temperatures during sleep, which reduces hot flash frequency and improves sleep quality. For women navigating menopause, fewer nighttime hot flashes can mean more stable, higher-quality sleep, and the Pod offers a fantastic, non-pharmacological option for reclaiming more restful nights.
The full manuscript has been submitted for peer review and is available now via preprint.
Interested in learning more about how Eight Sleep supports sleep during menopause? Learn about Eight Sleep’s groundbreaking Hot Flash Mode!
