Is your body temperature disrupting your sleep? Are you waking up in the middle of the night drenched in sweat? It might be time to change your sleep routine or opt for breathable bedding.
Here are the 13 most effective hot sleeper solutions you can try out to start enjoying a comfy and cool slumber.
What Is a Hot Sleeper?
A hot sleeper is someone who has trouble falling and staying asleep at night because they feel uncomfortably warm.
There could be several reasons why one might be a hot sleeper. Usually, the cause is an internal factor such as a change in hormones, medications or health issues. Some people also sweat a lot, especially at night, which results in trapped moisture on the sheets and makes it uncomfortable to relax in bed.
However, more often than not it is down to external factors such as humidity, the room’s temperature, or having the wrong kind of mattress or bedding. Another common factor is your sleep routine—for instance, exercising before going to sleep can raise your body temperature enough to disrupt your sleep.
Now that you know what triggers hot sleepers, here are a few suggestions to stop you from overheating in bed.
How to Cool Down in Bed: 13 Hot Sleeper Solutions
1. Shop for cooling bed sheets
The material your bed sheets are made of can make or break your sleep as bedding comes in direct contact with your skin. This means you should avoid sheets that tend to cling to your skin and go for organic, breathable material such as bamboo, cotton or linen. Also, avoid synthetic fabrics or bedding with a high thread count—these fabrics can trap heat and lead to excessive sweating.
What are the best bed sheets for hot sleepers?
Bamboo bed covers are widely regarded as the best sheets for sweaty sleepers—they have superior moisture-wicking abilities that will ensure you wake up cool and refreshed. Plus they are so smooth they won’t stick to the skin and retain heat, giving your body more room to breathe.
Linen is another great material for those who feel hot at night. Made from natural fibres, linen reduces your body temperature and allows the air to circulate thus keeping you cool through the night.
If linen feels a bit rough, you can go for cotton sheets. These cool bed covers can also absorb moisture and contribute to a comfortable sleep. What’s more, cotton sheets tend to cost less than bamboo and linen making this a more budget-friendly option.
2. Cool down with the right mattress
Almost all mattresses on the market today incorporate some kind of cooling technology to help you sleep better. This can range from a layer of gel memory foam designed to absorb heat and moisture to individually-wrapped springs in the core of the mattress that promote airflow.
What is the best mattress for a hot sleeper?
The material the mattress is made of also plays a crucial role. Latex, for example, is naturally cooling and responsive, making latex mattresses a great choice for those who sleep hot. A hybrid bed is another fantastic mattress for hot sleepers since the springs in the core boost air circulation.
Memory foam, on the other hand, is known to retain heat, however, several manufacturers are now pairing memory foam with advanced cooling solutions that dissipate body heat more effectively and help you reach the ideal temperature for deep and restful sleep.
If you already have a mattress that doesn’t do the trick, try combining it with a cooling mattress topper. Most of the best mattress toppers available feature the same temperature-regulating technology as mattresses at half the price of a brand-new bed.
3. Buy a light and breathable doona
If you are feeling hot at night avoid piling layers on top of the bed and go for a light and airy doona instead. As with bedding and nightwear, a quilt made of breathable and organic material is the most practical option. In other words, when shopping for the best quilt for hot sleepers, stick to doonas made of bamboo, organic cotton or feather and down. The last option is particularly recommended for hot sleepers since down insulates heat, although these quilts tend to cost more and are not suitable for people with allergies.
If you are a particularly hot sleeper, you can ditch the doona altogether and use just the quilt cover.
Alternatively, you could try using a weighted blanket. Although most are designed to warm you up and reduce stress, there are some products featuring bamboo covers that can absorb excess moisture and help cool you down.
4. Keep your room cool
People tend to sleep better in dark and cool rooms, so here few tips on how to make your bedroom cooler:
- Invest in dark curtains, shutters or blinds which will stop sunlight from heating up your bedroom during the day.
- Open a window to let some air in. Always keep the room ventilated as fresh air will help you sleep better as well as preserve your mattress.
- Turn on the AC for some time before sleep to ensure that your bedroom is cool enough or consider keeping it on through the night during summer months—maintaining the temperature in your bedroom at a consistent low (ideally between 17 and 19 degrees) should work wonders for your sleep.
5. Choose your pillow wisely
You might not be aware, but a pillow plays an important role in keeping you cool at night. A cooling pillow can instantly reduce the temperature around your neck and shoulders, helping you fall asleep faster and stay asleep for longer.
Pillows that stay cool through the night typically use gel to dissipate heat or an open foam design that promotes airflow. Some models even store heat and release it through the night.
The important thing when choosing a cooling pillow is not to sacrifice comfort. The pillow must provide adequate support for your neck so look for a model that is firm but still contours to your head and neck, promoting proper posture and pressure relief.
Here is our list of carefully selected pillows in Australia to help you narrow down your search.
6. Try using a bed fan
As the name suggests, a bed fan is placed near your bed and is designed to target the mattress and sheets specifically, rather than cool down the entire room. This way you are getting the same benefits as using the AC or a regular fan, but with much lower energy bills.
7. Switch up your sleep routine
There are a couple of changes you can make to your pre-bed routine to ensure you stay cool at night.
- Don’t exercise late at night—Your body temperature increases during physical exercise and it might take you longer to cool down if you work out right before going to sleep.
- Take a cold shower before bed—Showering with cold water can lower your core temperature so you will already be cool and fresh when you hit the sack.
- Stay hydrated throughout the day to lower your body temperature, but avoid drinking too much water late at night—you will find yourself going to the bathroom several times a night, which will disrupt your sleep even more.
8. Wear light and loose pyjamas
Your nightwear should be loose and breathable. This means no long johns or plush pyjamas in bed, particularly during summer months.
The perfect material for pyjamas are linen, cotton, and bamboo—these do not cling to your skin, plus they absorb moisture keeping you both dry and cool. Sadly, most of the pyjamas contain polyester, which is notorious for retaining heat, so you might have to research a bit more to find synthetic-free nightwear.
9. Turn off electronics
The more devices you have turned on in the bedroom, the hotter the room will be. For instance, your laptop alone generates 50 watts of heat—combine that with your partner’s laptop or tablet, mobile phone and TV and you will soon get a figure much higher than that.
10. Put the bed on the ground
Sleeping on the ground may help you cool down, although putting your mattress on the floor is not always the best idea. Instead, you could invest in a lower bed frame—the closer you are to the ground, the cooler you are likely to sleep.
11. Get your feet out
Having your feet out of the cover will help you sleep cooler, science says, as body temperature is actually regulated through pulse points in our toes and ankles.
12. Keep cuddling to a minimum
If you are prone to overheating while sleeping, it’s best to keep some distance in bed between you and your partner. It may not be romantic, but the body heat from another person in bed can make you feel even hotter.
The same goes for children and pets. So send your kids and dogs off to sleep in their own beds and try sleeping on your side of the mattress.
Don’t have a bed for your pooch? Here are some suggestions to make your dog’s downtime comfier.
13. Change your sleeping position
Stretch your legs and arms wide across your bed—this allows your temperature to stay down and increases air circulation around your body.
Final Thoughts
Sleeping hot can be a real issue. Those who feel extremely hot while sleeping often wake up several times a night, which can lead to disrupted sleeping patterns. This, in turn, could result in sleep disorders, such as insomnia, and a negative effect on your mental and physical health.
The good news is that there are ways to cool down in bed—from investing in a cooling mattress to reducing the temperature in your bedroom. These hot sleeper solutions may not prove effective for everyone, but you need to test most of them out to see which ones work for your particular situation.
1. How do hot sleepers cool down?
To cool down before sleeping, try taking a cold shower, drink lots of water, and keep the room well-ventilated and cool. This will lower your core temperature and help you go to sleep faster.
2. What type of bedding is best for hot sleepers?
People who tend to overheat at night should choose light and breathable bedding made of bamboo, cotton or linen. Fleece, flannel and silk might be perfect for hot winter nights but are less than ideal for hot sleepers—nor are polyester covers and sheets with a high thread count.
3. What type of mattress does not get hot?
Latex and hybrid beds are recommended for hot sleepers—latex is naturally breathable due to its open structure, while hybrid mattresses feature springs in the core that encourage airflow and boost breathability.
4. Why do I get hot at night?
There could be several reasons why one might feel hot at night from external factors such as inadequate room temperature and mattress choice to internal factors such as hormones (especially during menopause) or health issues. You should first identify your issue and then test several hot sleeper solutions to see which one works best.
