Opt for natural materials Organic, breathable materials like linen and cotton allow for better air circulation during sleep. This better regulates your body temperature to keep you cool and comfortable, which, in turn, stops you from waking in the middle of the night from the heat.
Linen is a popular choice and is quite breathable, whereas other materials have moisture-wicking and temperature-regulation properties.
Linen: The Most Breathable Fabric for the Hottest Climates
It's the flax-based, breathable linen. Linen also has some of the best moisture-wicking properties of any natural fabric, so it feels cool. It also dries quickly so if you sweat, you'll cool off again quicker.
Wearing lightweight, breathable fabrics like cotton or moisture-wicking materials can help keep you cool. Additionally, the National Sleep Foundation advises keeping your bedroom temperature ideally between 60-67°F (15-19°C), to promote optimal sleep conditions.
Breathable bedding: We recommend 100% cotton sheets or 100% linen sheets to keep you cool at night if you suffer from night sweats or are a year-round hot sleeper. Cotton bed sheets and linen bed sheets are the best materials for breathable bedding as they are temperature regulating and sweat wicking.
Breathable sheets made of natural materials like cotton or linen allow for increased air movement and ventilation, both of which keep you cool and dry while you sleep.
Cotton, silk, and bamboo are all suitable fabrics for sleepwear, with silk pajamas being a popular choice for their luxurious feel and temperature-regulating properties. To ensure a restful night's sleep, it is essential to choose sleepwear made from breathable fabrics that can help regulate body temperature.
Tips for Keeping Cool During Sleep
A cool or lukewarm bath or shower can help with that, suggests Raymann. For most people, the temperature in the bedroom at night should not exceed 72 degrees Fahrenheit, and it should be even lower for people that sleep best in a cool bedroom.
1. Cotton: The Classic Choice. Cotton is known for its breathability and natural ability to wick moisture, making it an excellent choice for sleepwear. Opt for specific types like Pima cotton for a silkier, softer feel.
Polyester is made from plastic fibers. On the upside, it wicks moisture and dries quickly, but it tends to retain bad odors. The breathability varies depending on yarn size and whether it is a knit or weave, but in general, polyester should be avoided in hot weather.
Avoid cotton, silk, and linen, which absorb moisture, and keep the heat close to your body.
If you're struggling to sleep during warm weather, then it's advised to sleep on your side as this will allow more heat to escape from your body. As well as sleeping on your side, try and sleep with your hands and feet outside of the cover as this will also help.
Stick sheets in the freezer.
Stick sheets in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes before bed, ideally in a bag to keep the fridge odour away. This won't keep you cool all night, but it will provide a brief respite from heat and humidity.
Sleeping with covers, tight-fitting pajamas or clothes, and underwear can lead to even more moisture buildup. Wearing underwear keeps that moisture close to your genitals. This allows bacteria and yeast to grow, which can cause infection and other problems.
For skin-friendly sleep fabrics, silk, bamboo, and cotton are top choices. Silk is gentle on skin and naturally hypoallergenic, helping prevent irritation. Bamboo is also hypoallergenic and excellent for sensitive skin, with moisture-wicking properties that keep it cool and dry.
Specifically, sleeping on the side or back is considered more beneficial than sleeping on the stomach. In either of these sleep positions, it's easier to keep your spine supported and balanced, which relieves pressure on the spine and enables your muscles to relax and recover.
lightweight pjs are a must
And be sure to choose some that have been made from breathable materials such as cotton or silk (if you're feeling fancy). Avoid wearing tight or heavy clothing to bed on warm nights because they can restrict airflow and cause you to get even hotter.
Choose light colors: Wearing light colors that reflect the sun's rays rather than absorb them (as dark colors can) helps keep you cool. Look for shirts, shorts, pants and hats in white, tan or khaki.
If you want ample airflow, look for blankets made of natural materials, like cotton, linen, bamboo, or eucalyptus.
For most hot sleepers, bamboo and cotton percale sheets are reliable choices. Linen is excellent if you appreciate a more textured feel and don't mind a bit of natural wrinkling. If you're after a luxury feel, silk provides a cool, smooth surface that's hard to beat.
Different comforter cover materials will come with benefits and drawbacks, but McEwan says the two best materials to look for are typically cotton and bamboo. “They are naturally breathable and moisture-wicking, helping to regulate body temperature,” she explains.
But during a heatwave, the height of summer, or if you've got limited to no access to central air conditioning or an AC unit, nobody wants to be extra warm. The best fabrics for summer blankets to beat the heat are linen and cotton. Linen and cotton are ideal as they are woven from natural fibers.