Do Cooling Bed Sheets Really Work?
Nothing destroys a good night's sleep like heat or night sweats, except for nightmares. Even with cool air conditioning or cold weather outside, it's not uncommon to feel so hot and uncomfortable under your bed sheets that you can't go back to sleep. Constantly feeling too warm to sleep is a real nightmare for those who habitually get some shut-eye under heavy blankets. There are several reasons for your sleeping hot. As Bear Mattress points out, bedding materials and your sleeping environment count among the most typical, external reasons for your warming up as the hours tick on.
What's more, a study in the journal Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine finds that the high temperature or humidity of the bedroom can result in less sleep time, more awakenings between sleep cycles, and more dramatic shifting between sleep stages. If you have been having terrible sleep nights because of the heat under the sheets with the aircon temperature running below 18.3 degrees Celsius, you might want to try cooling bed sheets. Most memory foam mattresses don't have optimal airflow and absorb your body heat, causing you to feel sweaty and uncomfortable at night. If you throw in some cool bedding, you'll increase your chances of sleeping cool and snug like a bug under the rug, even in warmer months. Here's why.
What makes cooling bed sheets cool
Fabrics, thread counts, and textures are where cooling sheets get their cooling elements from, per Caster. As far as fabrics go, the bedding sheets that have a reputation for being not so breathable are polyester and nylon. Meanwhile, natural fibers such as Tencel, linen, bamboo, cotton, percale, and microfibers win many hearts for their cooling, moisture-wicking qualities that help you sleep well. Both Tencel and linen are natural fibers created with the environment in mind, requiring less energy to produce, wrinkle-resistant, and temperature-regulating. Plus, they are buttery soft and super cool to sleep on. Another natural fiber that's known for its eco-friendliness and durability is bamboo. Sheets made from bamboo are highly ventilating and lightweight. Cotton bed sheets, thanks to their moisture control, are also famed natural products that purportedly keep sleepers dry and comfy in all weather. Percale and microfiber are also great choices of bedding materials for sweaty sleepers.
In terms of thread, higher thread counts translate to higher heat retention. To keep hot sleepers cool, bed drapes should have breathable weaves, with thread counts somewhere in the range of 250 to 300, per Sleepopolis. Texture-wise, bedding materials with a crispy texture or those designed with a grid or lattice pattern can help with moisture wicking and minimize thermal accumulation. Now you've got a rough idea of why cooling bed sheets can boost your sleep experience, let's hear what experts have to say about them.
Are they expert-approved?
Pointing out that cooling sheets are surging in popularity, Christopher Sun, founder and CEO of My Sheets Rock, tells Yahoo! Life that cooling bed sheets are "beneficial for your sleep health" and "worth the long-term investment." Furthermore, psychologist who specializes in sleep disorders Dr. Joshua Tal reveals to New York Magazine that he has a bias toward linen sheets because they're breathable and airy. Finally, psychologist and specialist in behavioral sleep medicine Dr. Shelby Harris adds that she prefers linen sheets over cotton because they are cooler yet pricier. Besides, the crisp, clean look of linen makes the bed look like a cool place to slip into. Setting your temperature between 18.3 and 28 degrees Celsius, sleeping naked or in loose pajamas, and avoiding a large meal or exercise immediately before bedtime are some other solutions to help you sleep cool.
Night sweats are pretty common, but you don't have to put up with all that when you can switch heat-locking fabrics with cooler and eco-friendly alternatives. Cooling bed sheets are designed with extra breathability and moisture-regulating properties in mind to help you keep cool and enjoy uninterrupted sleep throughout the night.