If you’ve ever awakened in the middle of the night in a pool of sweat and discomfort, you know all too well that feeling hot is not at all conducive to a good night’s sleep. In fact, it can be downright disruptive. What you may not know, though, is that your mattress could be public enemy number one when it comes to helping you keep your cool while you sleep.
Below, we’ll explore the many reasons you may sleep hot, the steps you can take to cool down, and whether or not you might be best served by investing in a cooling mattress. Let’s get to it!
Why Do You Get Hot While You Sleep?
There are many factors that can affect how warm you feel while sleeping. As we’ve mentioned above, your mattress can be a massive contributing factor. Choosing the right mattress can make a world of difference to your comfort and coolness while you sleep. These are a few of the other factors that may affect your sleep temperature.
- Your sleep partner. When you sleep with another human being, or even if you have pets that share your bed, you are essentially doubling the amount of body heat trapped between your sheets. This means you’ll get hotter throughout the night as your collective body heat creates an oven-like atmosphere in your bedroom.
- The temperature in your home. While most people love the idea of waking to a home that is comfy and cozy, it’s better to lower the temperature during the hours when you normally sleep. The idea is to reduce the temperature in your bedroom, in all seasons if possible, to help promote a better night’s sleep. Healthline recommends a bedroom temperature of 65 degrees Fahrenheit for optimal sleep. On the other side of the equation, if your room is too cold, it can diminish the quality of your sleep as well, especially if you do not invest in sufficient blankets and such. Additionally, if your feet get too cold while you sleep, it can disrupt your sleep as well.
- Exercising too close to bedtime. When you exercise, it elevates your body’s temperature. Doing so too close to bedtime can make it more difficult to fall asleep or remain asleep. While getting exercise during the day is good for sleep, and can help you wind down easier at night, it’s often better for your sleep quality if it’s done a few hours before you turn in for the evening.
- You have too many blankets. Or the wrong types of blankets. Layers can be great for helping to create insulation without overheating. However, the wrong types of layers can be problematic by trapping warm air close to your body, and not allowing the heat of your body to escape. Look for breathable fabrics when layering to prevent overheating, and consider eliminating a layer if it is a consistent problem for you.
- Hormones. Hormones swing widely from one day to the next, and can bring with them wild cravings, hot flashes, and mood swings in the process. It’s a natural occurrence that can affect your ability to sleep. Women who experience significant sleep interruptions due to hormones may consider consulting with a physician about options to help regulate hormones and minimize night sweats, hot flashes, and similar sleep disruptions.
- Illnesses, medications, and more. If these aren’t enough reasons to cause you to sleep hot, there are some medications, health conditions, illnesses, and other issues that can cause you to have temporary or long-term disruptions to sleep related to excessive heat while you sleep.
As you can see, there are plenty of possible causes for your nighttime warmness. The key is to isolate the specific problem that is causing disruptions to your beauty rest, so you can get a better night’s sleep.
Tips to Stay Cool When You’re a Hot Sleeper
With so many ways to get all hot and bothered in the middle of the night, it’s a good idea to explore a few ways you can keep your cool while you sleep. Fortunately, there are many things you can do before turning in that can have a significant impact on the amount of quality shut-eye you’re able to get at night. That includes the things listed below.
- Turn the thermostat down at night. If you have a programmable thermostat, you can program it to keep your home a few degrees cooler during the hours you sleep, and warmer during the day.
- Check your medications. Some medications, particularly medications that regulate hormones or fight off depression, can cause your body to generate more heat. Consider discussions with your doctor about medication options that may not affect your heat production quite as profoundly.
- Switch your mattress to a cooling mattress. If your mattress is the culprit, or at least a major contributing factor, consider a different mattress. Perhaps one that is known for exceptional breathability and cooling.
- Transition to breathable fibers. Do this for your bedding as well as the clothing, if any, you wear to bed. It can have a substantial impact on how cool you feel, and help you avoid waking up in a pool of your own sweat night after night.
- Invest in a quality fan for your bedroom. A good quality fan can help circulate cool air throughout your room while you sleep, helping you avoid overheating. It might have an added benefit of creating “white noise” to lull you asleep.
- Switch exercise times to earlier in the day. By moving your exercise efforts to a time that’s earlier in the day, you’re providing your body ample time to cool off before it’s time to hit the proverbial hay.
- Shower just prior to going to bed. While this may sound counterintuitive, especially for those of us who love molten lava showers, the truth is that the moisture on your skin after a shower creates an evaporative cooling effect in the moments just before you drift off to sleep. It helps you fall asleep faster. If you’ve applied the other suggestions above, it should help you stay asleep that much longer.
You don’t have to make earth-shattering life changes to have a powerful impact on the quality and quantity of cooling, comforting sleep you get at night. These are just a few of the changes you can make that will help you keep your cool all night long.
Who Should Consider a Cooling Mattress?
One of the tips we mentioned above is to invest in a cooling mattress. And, some people need cooling mattresses more than others. While anyone who is suffering significant sleep disturbances related to overheating may benefit from a cooling mattress, these are the people who have greatest need.
- People who are overweight.If you weigh 200 pounds or more, the odds are good that a cooling mattress can help prevent you from overheating overnight.
- People who suffer from back pain. While this may sound a little odd, the constant tossing and turning related to sleeping hot can stimulate back pain, making it more difficult to manage.
- Or, as mentioned above, people who sleep with their pets. The additional body heat can cause quite a conundrum. Honestly, you may find it much easier to switch your mattress than to convince the other human or pets in your life to sleep elsewhere.
- People who live in warmer climates.If you live in a warm climate where the nighttime temperatures remain uncomfortably warm, you may find the benefits of a cooling mattress to be undeniable.
- People without adequate ventilation or air conditioning.If cool air isn’t moving in your home throughout the night, and air conditioning upgrades are not options, you may wish to consider upgrading to a cooling mattress instead.
Of course, if you’re someone who simply runs hotter than the average bear, then you are going to need a little help keeping your cool while sleeping. This is where cooling mattresses come into the picture, and make great waves to help you get your beauty sleep.
Factors That Make the Best Cooling Mattresses for Hot Sleepers
Finding your perfect match in a cooling mattress doesn’t have to be one great big series of trial and error. The truth is that there are many factors that allow mattresses to help promote a cooler sleep environment, including the following:
- Mattresses that are made with a ventilated or open-cell construction that allows air flow.
- Mattresses that use copper or other metals that conduct heat away from your body.
- Mattresses that use gels that help to absorb the heat, so you’re not keeping it trapped around you.
- Mattresses that are made with natural, breathable fibers.
Depending on the types of materials used in the “comfort layers,” innerspring mattresses can be incredibly breathable and cooling, or they can sleep extremely warm. Memory foam has a tendency to sleep warm because it traps heat close to your body while you sleep.
Natural latex, in contrast, is a poor conductor of heat — which is actually a good thing! Combine that with the fact that latex is highly aerated, so air flows freely, and there are plenty of reasons to consider natural latex when considering a cooling mattress. Finally, natural fibers like wool, cotton, and bamboo are known for their incredible breathability, and their abilities to wick moisture away from the body, making them highly effective choices for mattress toppers and cooling mattress covers.
FAQs on Cooling Mattresses
Below are some questions and answers on cooling mattresses that you may find helpful in making a decision to get one.
Q: Do I need a cooling mattress?
A: It is a possibility that you may need a cooling mattress if you are consistently sleeping hot. Try some of the other steps mentioned above, and if the problem persists, consider changing your mattress.
Q: Does the firmness of my mattress affect how warm I sleep?
A: As surprising as it sounds, it may. Softer beds tend to get warm quickly, and remain warm while you sleep, while those that are firmer take much longer to warm, and do not retain warmth as much as softer, plusher mattresses.
Q: Is all exercise close to bedtime disruptive to sleep?
A:Some people rely on general stretching exercises and meditation to help them prepare for sleep. While vigorous exercise can cause your body to warm up, gentle stretching can help you prepare your body and mind for sleep. Make sure to keep them gentle, however, so you don’t accidently excite your body, which would defeat the purpose.
Q: Why is sleeping cool important?
A:When you become overheated during sleep, it can cause you to wake up. Even worse, if your sheets are soaked from sweat, you may need to change your sheets, or even shower before you can return to sleep, IF you can return to sleep. In other words, being overheated is highly disruptive to a good night’s sleep.
Q: Can a mattress really make a difference?
A:Just as choosing the wrong mattress can ensure that heat is trapped close to your body, choosing the right mattress means that there is sufficient airflow and breathability to prevent heat from becoming trapped near your body, and to wick away moisture, allowing you to sleep uninterrupted – at least by heat.
Latex for Less Mattress for Hot Sleepers
The Latex for Less Latex Mattress offers the overheated non-sleeping public an attractive solution when it comes to getting a soothing, cool, and comfortable night’s sleep. This cooling mattress has a lot to offer, including the following:
- It is made with natural breathable materials including natural latex foam, organic cotton, and natural wool. The natural wool serves as a fire barrier, and helps to regulate your body temperature while you sleep.
- Even better, though, is the commitment Latex for Less makes in your satisfaction by offering you the opportunity to try out mattresses, risk-free, for 120 nights, to make sure this is the right choice for you. Because these mattresses offer two levels of firmness (medium and firm), you can try each side for 60 nights to make sure you have the right support, comfort, and coolness you need for a great night’s sleep.
- Top it off with a 20-year warranty for the mattress itself, and you can see for yourself why this is the mattress of choice for those who want to keep their collective cools while sleeping.
Try it today, and see what a difference this cooling mattress can make for your sleeping temperature.
