Night Sweats – Menopause – Hot Flashes – Sleeping hot

Brentwood resident Anne Best took one of the darkest experiences of her life and turned it into a business to help other women make it through the debilitating effects of chemotherapy.

Now a cancer survivor, the mother of four has launched a line of sleepwear especially designed with moisture-wicking technology to keep women comfortable at the height of their night sweats.

"They are soft, silky and lightweight. It just moves really nicely and dries really quickly," she said.

Diagnosed with breast cancer in 2000, she wasn’t quite prepared for the night sweats that came with her treatment. Every night, she woke up feeling clammy and in a puddle of sweat.

Many chemo patients have also found success with the Bedfan when it comes to finding relief from night sweats attributed to chemo and cancer

"I was just desperate for a good night’s sleep. It was very frustrating and exhausting," she said.

That’s when her husband, Kirby Best, suggested she try sleeping in one of his athletic shirts. A former Canadian athlete, he knew of a high-tech fabric that would keep him dry when he was really working up a sweat while skiing.

"It was in the very early days of moisture-wicking technology. It’s now much more commonplace to see a soccer player or Sunday jogger wearing a similar shirt. They all know the benefits of working out in that type of fabric," Anne said.

Anne finally got some sleep in this shirt. But it wasn’t very comfortable or stylish for a lady.

About five years ago, she began to experiment with the fabric, sewing different feminine-style patterns and testing out a variety of colors. The Bests then developed DryDream Sleepwear to distribute what was then just the classic long nightgown.

Since then, business and demand have boomed. Now they offer the nightgowns along with pajamas, camis and men’s style boxer shorts, all with moisture-wicking technology. Many women also mix and match the styles and colors.

And it’s not just those going through cancer treatments who shop online at www.dry dreamssleepwear.com. Some of their customers are also women going through the hot flashes of menopause and those who are pregnant who are also reaping the benefits of a good night’s dry sleep.

"We’re sort of evolving as our customer base takes us at this point. And we’re just launching our own manufacturing facility in Coleman, Ala., where we’ll have much more control over the quality of our products. The sky is the limit. We’re even talking
about medical wear such as patient gowns or scrubs," she said.

Now cancer-free, Anne hasn’t forgotten the battle against breast cancer. Net profits from DryDreams go to support breast cancer research organizations, including the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

"One of the key reasons for starting this was to give back to the medical community. They’re still not at the point where anyone can say that we have a cure for breast cancer. So until that point, we want to support research and treatment development in the community. We want to be a part of the solution," she said.