How to Stay Cool While Sleeping: 7 Expert Tips

If you find yourself tossing and turning at night because you feel too warm, have night sweats, or can’t sleep unless you are in a cool environment, you’ve come to the right place. Temperature plays a crucial role in comfort and sleep quality, and many of us struggle to stay cool while sleeping. So what is a hot sleeper to do?

As luxury, personalized sleep specialists, AirPedic^TM understands how difficult it can be to regulate and optimize your sleep environment for the perfect night’s rest. Of course, the right high-quality mattress and pillow play a pivotal role in both body temperature and body position at rest, but there are other things you can do to help stay cool while sleeping as well.

Read on to discover:

Science-backed strategies for temperature regulation
Expert tips for creating a cooler sleep environment
Sleep product recommendations for better temperature control and cooler air
Simple lifestyle changes for cooler, more comfortable sleep
Common mistakes to avoid for better temperature regulation

The Science Behind Sleep and Temperature

Before exploring solutions, let’s understand how body temperature varies daily and how temperature affects your sleep. Your body’s natural sleep-wake cycle, circadian rhythm, is closely tied to core temperature fluctuation and regulation.

As day turns into night, our core body temperature naturally drops by 1-2 degrees, signaling to the body that it’s time for sleep. Similarly, after a proper period of restful sleep, body temperature increases when it’s time to wake up. However, when the body can’t maintain its optimal cooler sleeping temperature, sleep can be disrupted, throwing off circadian rhythm and interfering with the restorative benefits of restful sleep. We are particularly susceptible to physical discomfort, including being too hot during REM sleep, the dreamful sleep that precedes deep sleep.

Our body can best regulate and maintain temperature during deep sleep, but not if we don’t ever get there! Research shows that poor temperature regulation can decrease REM sleep, lead to more nighttime awakenings, and significantly impact overall sleep quality and next-day alertness.

As daunting as this all sounds, there are ways to minimize sleep disruptions caused by sleeping too hot or poor body temperature regulation. Taking these steps consistently can vastly improve overall sleep quality and overall well-being.

Step 1: Optimize Room Temperature

Although it might sound obvious, it’s important to mention that the first step to staying cool while sleeping is to optimize your room temperature for sleep. Bedroom temperature significantly impacts your body’s ability to maintain ideal sleep conditions – and cooler is definitely better. In fact, the National Sleep Foundation recommends keeping your room at a cool 60-67°F for optimal sleep quality. Your thermostat, or a smart thermometer if you don’t have one, is a valuable tool to monitor room temperature to be sure it’s in the proper range. Here are some tips to help keep it there.

Climate Control Strategies

If you have a furnace or air conditioner, set your thermostat to maintain lower temperatures at night automatically. Ceiling fans are also helpful in promoting air circulation, specifically when rotating counterclockwise to push cool air down (clockwise rotation circulates warm air). You can also consider a portable AC unit or fan for targeted cooling when needed or use a dehumidifier to reduce moisture, which can make the heat feel more intense.

Natural Ways to Cool a Room

Simply opening windows during cooler evening hours helps create natural cross-ventilation, but be sure to close them, as well as blinds and shades, before the day heats up. Blackout curtains and cellular shades are especially helpful to block heat-generating sunlight and insulate your space from temperature swings. You can also create cooler air zones in your home by closing off unused rooms and keeping the lights off and shades down until occupied.

Step 2: Choose Breathable Bedding and Sleepwear

Now that we’ve addressed the room you sleep in, let’s address the body sleeping there. The right fabrics and fit for bedding and sleepwear can dramatically affect how well your body regulates heat during sleep.

Bedding Materials

To keep cool while sleeping, natural lightweight or moisture-wicking fabrics are ideal. For example, lightweight all-cotton sheets with a thread count between 200-400 offer comfort and breathability, while bamboo fabric is naturally moisture-wicking and temperature-regulating. The natural cooling properties of linen and eucalyptus-based fabrics also make them excellent options for warm climates and hot sleepers. In addition to sheets and pillowcases, there are also cooling blankets designed to regulate body temperature in various weights and for varied conditions. Lastly, avoid ill-fitting or too-loose sheets that can wrap or tangle around you and thick or synthetic materials that trap body heat.

Sleepwear Selection

When it comes to sleepwear, natural fabrics like cotton or bamboo offer the same benefits of breathability and moisture-wicking. As with bedding, synthetic or tightly woven fabrics like satin can trap body heat and should be avoided. However, a looser fit for pajamas, or fewer bed clothes in general, is preferred to keep cool while sleeping.

Step 3: Invest in the Best Mattress and Bed Base

Your mattress might just be the most critical factor in your nighttime sleep environment. Even if your room and body are blissfully cool, a hot or uncomfortable mattress can undo all of that bliss in short order. In fact, a traditional memory foam mattress can trap heat, leading to less than restful sleep. Fortunately, cooling mattress material options and technologies are available today, like those offered by AirPedic^TM, that provide better temperature management and, in turn, better quality sleep.

Cooling Mattress Technology

To promote optimal temperature regulation, modern cooling mattresses use advanced technology, including gel-infused foam, breathable cover fabrics, and ventilation channels, to name a few.

Airpedic™ adjustable air beds take cooling technology and sleep comfort to the next level. Our patented Passive Airflow Transfer System helps dissipate body heat while our 6-Chamber Multi-Zone Technology maintains optimal support for your body. By allowing excess warmth to escape downward through the surface and ventilate out the sides, our cooling mattresses are sure to keep you at a comfortable temperature.

The Benefits of an Adjustable Bed Base

An adjustable bed base can improve air circulation by creating space under the mattress and elevating specific areas of the body to allow for better airflow. In addition, the customized positioning it offers adapts to your personal sleep preferences as it reduces pressure points that can trap heat.

Step 4: Incorporate Cooling Bed Accessories

Just like the bedding, sleepwear, and the mattress itself, bed accessories can also impact your sleep temperature. Some pillows and mattress pads, for instance, are made of heavy, non-breathable materials that collect heat or block a cooling mattress from doing its job. Instead, opt for accessories like those from AirPedic^TM that feature cooling technologies or materials such as cooling gels, ventilated designs, and natural materials.

AirPedic^TM offers luxurious, supportive, and cooling pillow options and a thin, breathable organic mattress protector that helps regulate body and bed temperature, prevent heat buildup while sleeping, and allow airflow from the mattress below.

Even more advanced cooling accessory options exist for extremely hot sleep conditions, such as cooling pads with built-in fans, water-circulation systems, and temperature control. However, pairing the right accessories with the right bed, especially a premium adjustable air bed with cooling materials and technology from AirPedic^TM, is the quickest route to optimal sleep-time cooling.

Step 5: Create a Cooling Bedtime Routine

Not only does your pre-bed routine affect your mental relaxation, but it can significantly impact your body temperature and, thus, a comfortable night’s sleep.

Pre-Sleep Cooling Strategies

If you shower before bed, swap steaming hot water for lukewarm to keep your body temperature from rising. You can apply a cool compress or ice pack to your neck and pulse points and use a facial or body mist with cooling ingredients. Relaxation techniques and meditation can also help by slowing heart rate and breathing, allowing natural circadian rhythms to kick in.

Conversely, steer clear of things that make you hotter, especially later in the day. This includes stimulants like caffeine, as well as heavy meals, sugary foods, and alcohol, which can affect body temperature as they are digested and metabolized. It’s also advisable to avoid intense exercise within at least two hours of bedtime, in addition to activities and devices that overstimulate the mind, again due to the effects on our natural biorhythms.

Step 6: Stay Hydrated and Nourished

You might have heard the adage, “You are what you eat.” In many ways, we sleep what we eat as well! Proper hydration and nutrition can help regulate body temperature more effectively.

Keep hydrated by drinking water throughout the day, aiming for at least half your body weight in number of ounces, and reducing intake two hours before bed to minimize nighttime bathroom visits. Adding electrolytes helps maintain hydration, especially in hot weather. Another helpful tip: have a bottle of cool water within an arm’s reach at night.

Hydrating foods and those high in magnesium can help cool and calm the body to promote restful sleep. Some examples are watermelon, cucumber, leafy greens, yogurt, chia seeds, and bananas. And, of course, stay away from hot beverages, spicy foods, heavy carbohydrates and sweets that spike blood sugar within a few hours of bedtime.

Step 7: Adjust Your Sleep Position

It makes sense that sleep position affects how well your body dissipates heat. Think of our natural inclination to curl up when cold to concentrate body heat. Likewise, some positions help dissipate warmth in bed as well.

For example, the “starfish” position, or lying with your limbs spread out as much as possible, is optimal for cooling your body while sleeping since it allows heat to escape rather than build up. Keeping your head elevated and covered below the neck or shoulders is another strategy to stay cool while sleeping, as is changing positions periodically and maintaining adequate space between sleep partners.

Common Cooling Mistakes to Avoid

While trying to stay cool at night, many people inadvertently make choices that can increase body heat, such as using too many pillows or dense mattress protectors that restrict airflow and create heat buildup. Leaving shades open during the day can heat up your sleep space, as can keeping heat-generating electronics too close to the bed.

Additional Tips for Better Temperature Regulation

When possible, do not place your bed where it is exposed to direct sunlight all day or where airflow from fans or air vents is less than optimal. In addition, consider using separate blankets for couples with different temperature preferences or updating window treatments seasonally to account for climatic changes.

Create Your Ideal Sleep Environment

Maintaining the right temperature while sleeping is crucial for quality rest. By implementing these cooling strategies and investing in a premium cooling air mattress, bed accessories, and adjustable bed base from AirPedic^TM, you can create the optimal environment for night after cool night of restful, restorative sleep.