If you are waking up at 3 a.m. drenched in sweat or lying awake with a racing mind, you are definitely not imagining it.
Menopause can turn sleep into a nightly battle, often feeling like your body’s thermostat and your brain’s "off switch" have both malfunctioned.
But can an app really help?
We put Breethe and Calm head-to-head to see which one actually makes a difference for menopause sleep struggles (and why Breethe’s unique approach might surprise you).
Breethe is a totally personalizable and all-in-one partner designed to handle the unglamorous reality of mid-life with professional depth and a sense of humor.
Sleep disturbances are a hallmark of the menopausal transition, affecting between 40% and 60% of women.¹
This is not a simple case of "poor sleep hygiene." The decline in estrogen and progesterone directly impacts the brain’s sleep architecture, often leading to increased cortical hyper-arousal.² This means that even when you do drift off, your brain remains in a state of high alert, making you more prone to waking up at the slightest sound or sensation.
Standard sleep advice, like "avoid caffeine" or "keep the room cool," often falls short because it ignores the psychological and emotional weight of these hormonal shifts.
Vasomotor symptoms (hot flashes and night sweats) are critical drivers of disrupted sleep, but the anxiety about not sleeping often becomes a self-perpetuating cycle.³
This is why emotional support and validation are just as important as a quiet room. You need tools that don't just "relax" you, but actively target the nervous system’s over-activity and the emotional overwhelm that comes with being "wired but tired."
Calm is widely known for its "cinematic" approach to sleep. Its flagship features are high-production Sleep Stories, often narrated by celebrities, and beautiful nature soundscapes.
Recently, Calm introduced its "Midi Mindful Moments" collection, which provides meditations specifically framed around menopause.⁴ It is a polished, educational environment that focuses heavily on passive listening to help you zone out and drift off.
Breethe takes a different, more interactive and clinical-grade approach. While we also offer over 150 sleep stories, Breethe is a totally personalizable and all-in-one solution that focuses on active tools for behavioral change.
Our library contains content specifically made to aid women in menopause, such as Dealing With Menopause, Menopause Hypnotherapy, and Embracing Change. We also offer a specialized Women's Mid-Life Journey and sessions like Wise Woman Journey with Affirmations and Envisioning Your 3rd Act to help you navigate the identity shifts of this "3rd act."
What truly separates the two is Breethe’s use of advanced technology and conversational support.
Our Made4You feature allows you to create customized content created for you instantly on any issue you are facing. If you wake up at 2 a.m. with a specific worry about your health or a family matter, Made4You can generate a session tailored exactly to that stressor.
Additionally, Breethe offers an Emotional Support feature that can talk with you about any menopause issues you are going through, providing a level of interactive care that static apps simply cannot match.
Real-world feedback from Breethe users suggests that a multi-modal approach — combining stories with hypnotherapy — is highly effective for menopausal insomnia.
One user shared that she recently switched from Calm because she found the celebrity stories "nice but repetitive," whereas Breethe’s hypnotherapy tracks actually helped her drop into a deeper state of relaxation.
Another user noted that Breethe feels "like a friend talking to you," which lowered her anxiety baseline throughout the day, leading to better rest at night.
Clinical research supports the effectiveness of the types of tools Breethe provides.
A systematic review published in Psychiatry Psychology and Behavioral Research (2025) found that hypnosis therapy is a highly effective, non-pharmacological intervention for reducing sleep disturbances in menopausal women.⁵
Furthermore, randomized controlled trials of app-based meditation programs have shown significant improvements in pre-sleep arousal and daytime impairment after eight weeks of use.⁶
While Calm has a strong research base for general sleep quality, Breethe’s focus on hypnotherapy and personalized coaching offers a more targeted "clinical" edge for those dealing with chronic mid-life sleep issues.
Breethe may be the better fit if you are looking for more than just a "background sound" to fall asleep to.
Our Menopause Hypnotherapy and Healing Bathtub Meditation are designed to address the physiological discomfort of hot flashes while calming the mind.
Hypnotherapy is particularly effective for menopause because it uses hypnotic suggestion to extend slow-wave sleep and reduce the "bothersomeness" of night sweats.⁷
The role of expert-led content cannot be overstated. Breethe’s tracks are developed by qualified professionals, ensuring that the advice you receive is grounded in therapeutic best practices.
Our supportive, down-to-earth tone — often using humor to acknowledge that "being human is hard" — builds a level of trust and comfort that helps turn wellness from a "chore" into a relief.
For women navigating the complexities of menopause, having an all-in-one partner that offers hypnotherapy, AI coaching, and personalized tracks on demand provides a more versatile and sustainable solution for long-term sleep health.
Because sleep is personal, the best way to choose is through a practical, two-week experiment. Use one app exclusively for seven nights, then switch to the other.
During this trial, track three metrics: how long it takes to fall asleep, how easily you get back to sleep after an awakening, and your overall "restedness" in the morning.
Pay attention to which app’s voice and tone feel more comforting. If you find yourself looking forward to opening Breethe because it feels like a "friend," that is a strong indicator of long-term habit success.
While apps like Breethe and Calm are powerful tools for managing the emotional and psychological aspects of menopause, they cannot treat underlying medical conditions like sleep apnea or restless leg syndrome, which also increase in prevalence after menopause.⁸ It is essential to address both the physical and emotional dimensions of this transition.
If you are experiencing severe, chronic insomnia or if your hot flashes are making sleep impossible despite using these tools, consult a menopause-savvy clinician.
A holistic approach that combines lifestyle changes, evidence-based app support, and medical guidance (such as HRT or non-hormonal options) is often the most effective path.
Breethe is here to be your digital companion in that process, providing the mental and emotional grounding you need to make the most of your rest.
Is Breethe better than Calm for hot flashes? While no app can stop the biological process of a hot flash, Breethe’s focus on Menopause Hypnotherapy and Healing Bathtub Meditation is specifically designed to manage the physical discomfort and the "panic" response that often accompanies night sweats. Research suggests that hypnotic suggestion can reduce the perceived bothersomeness of these symptoms more effectively than general meditation alone.⁵
Can I talk to someone in the app about my menopause symptoms? Yes. Unlike Calm, Breethe offers an Emotional Support feature that acts as an interactive partner. You can talk through the specific menopause issues you are facing and receive grounded, supportive guidance.
How does the Made4You feature help with sleep? Menopause sleep struggles are often tied to specific, daily anxieties. Breethe’s Made4You feature allows you to create custom content created for you instantly. If you are lying awake worrying about a specific work project or family issue, you can generate a personalized track that addresses that exact thought to help you drift off.
Does Breethe have content for the emotional side of menopause? Absolutely. We offer a comprehensive suite of content for the "inner work" of mid-life, including Envisioning Your 3rd Act, Wise Woman Journey with Affirmations, and Embracing Change. These programs are designed to help you navigate the identity shifts and emotional transitions of this stage, not just the physical symptoms.
Can I try Breethe’s menopause tracks for free? Yes. Breethe offers a free trial that gives you full access to our all-in-one library, including the Women's Mid-Life Journey and all our sleep hypnotherapy sessions. This allows you to perform your own "2-week experiment" to see how our tone and tools compare to other apps you may have tried.
Are the menopause programs in Breethe expert-led? Yes. All of Breethe’s content is developed by qualified professionals and world-renowned mindfulness experts. This ensures that your support is clinically grounded and safe, particularly for those dealing with the heightened anxiety or "brain fog" often associated with hormonal shifts.
Try Breethe’s free trial today and explore our expert-designed menopause sleep tracks. Discover why millions of women trust Breethe as their new bedtime best friend.
