Unsolved Mysteries

Nearly 80% of women battle hot flashes during the menopause transition—and many want nonhormonal relief. One research-backed option is therapist-delivered hypnosis, known to cool hot flashes faster than a TV hypnotist lulling someone into a false confession. But with too few therapists and high costs, access remains limited. So, could self-hypnosis deliver similar results?

“You are getting very sleepy cool”

Researchers from Baylor selected 250 postmenopausal women experiencing hot flashes for a randomized clinical trial pitting self-hypnosis against a sham control. For six weeks, participants pressed play on a 20-minute daily audio recording featuring either hypnotic cooling imagery—think, “you are a serene glacier”—or plain white noise, framed as relaxation. The hypnosis group cut their hot flash scores by a statistically significant 53%, while the sham group still saw a surprisingly solid 41% drop—suggesting white noise and a good placebo pitch can go a long way. At three-month follow-up, the gap widened to 61% vs 41%. (Breast cancer survivors reported the greatest improvement.) Participants also reported less daily interference and stronger overall benefits with real hypnosis. Once the study wrapped, many women kept listening—no reminders needed.

Questions remain

With a demographically narrow sample—mostly White, college-educated women—the study leaves questions about generalizability. Researchers also don’t know how long the benefits last once the mental glacier melts. Larger, more diverse studies to come.

Key takeaways

Self-guided hypnosis meaningfully reduced the frequency and severity of hot flashes while boosting sleep, mood, and overall quality of life. With zero side effects and full compatibility with other treatments, it slides easily into existing care plans. As for the audio, it’s as accessible as your headphones, with a wait time shorter than a podcast ad. The recordings used in the study now live inside the Evia app, developed in collaboration with the study’s lead author. For now, it’s the only clinically backed option—but give it a minute and the app store will be crawling with breathy narrators offering a scenic mental detour through the Arctic.

Grounds for Optimism for Coffee Over Energy Drinks

It’s a dark and cold morning, and you’re in need of a pick-me-up. What to drink?

Most likely, the answer is coffee.

A recent systematic review and meta-analysisexamined the association between caffeinated coffee and energy drink consumption and suicide-related outcomes across multiple observational studies. Higher coffee intake (60 or more cups per month) correlated with lower rates of suicide attempts, adding to prior data linking coffee consumption to reduced risks of diabetes, Parkinson disease, Alzheimer disease, and some cancers. Coffee is … pretty amazing—and steeped in growing evidence.

Energy drinks? They told a different story. Even infrequent consumption (as little as one per month) was associated with higher rates of suicidal ideation and attempts. Importantly, energy drink consumers were younger (<40 years) and had higher baseline mental health risk profiles, raising the possibility that underlying psychiatric illness, sleep disruption, or substance use may partially confound the findings. Still—grounds for concern.

This was not a causal study, but the pattern is striking. Coffee contains not only caffeine but also polyphenols and anti-inflammatory compounds that may have neuroprotective effects. Energy drinks combine caffeine with high-dose sugar, stimulants, and other additives and are often used in the setting of sleep deprivation or mood dysregulation.

So, when you (or your patients) need a boost, calling on a cup of joe may be a better bet than cracking open a can.