If you find that you tend to get hot when sleeping, there are a few strategies you should keep in mind. One option may be purchasing a mattress designed to regulate sleep temperature; another would be choosing looser bedding materials or opting for cooler sleep environments.
For maximum cooling, the ideal mattress would be a hybrid or innerspring model that contains coils. These promote airflow while creating a responsive feel. Memory foam with gel, graphite or copper will also help dissipate heat away from sleepers.
1. Reticulation
Reticulation refers to any pattern, arrangement, or structure consisting of net-like structures. Reticulation provides metalsmiths with an effective means of creating texture and visual interest to their work by heating the surface of a sheet of metal until its wrinkles start forming; when cool enough to handle, these wrinkles tighten into their distinctive look for a unique appearance.
When it comes to reticulating metal, a gas/compressed air torch with a reducing flame works best (an oxy-acetylene torch is too hot and too small to heat the entire sheet evenly). Care should be taken when monitoring metal temperature as even just minutes of exposure will cause its surface to wrinkle; once this begins happening, move the flame closer and faster as a short stay might cause burn holes through your sheet.
Simply sleep on lower floors in your home or apartment such as the ground floor or basement to reduce sweating in bed on summer nights, when heat tends to rise and make an upstairs bedroom unbearably hot.
2. Phase Change Materials
Have you noticed more mattresses, mattress protectors and sleep pillows being advertised as thermo-regulating? The technology behind this can be found in phase change materials (PCMs).
PCMs can be found everywhere from home insulation to high-end ski jackets to control temperature. When PCMs melt, they absorb and release energy while when solidified they store it for later use. They make for an effective thermal management solution since no electricity or heating source is required to function effectively.
Mattress manufacturers use polyfoam comfort layers containing Phase Change Materials to keep you sleeping cool. Brands like Brooklyn Bedding and Ameena incorporate TitanCool cooling material, while Tempur-Pedic uses its own version, PureCool+; each version of PureCool+ comes permanently wrapped up in proprietary lyocell fabric for an eco-friendly solution.
PCM molecules draw heat energy out of a sleeper’s body and transform it to a cooler temperature, helping reduce core body temperature for deeper sleep. They also decrease sensations of being hot while sleeping and help keep a more consistent temperature throughout the night.
3. Microcoils
Microcoils, smaller and lighter than traditional innerspring coils, make mattresses bouncy while offering more comfort. Furthermore, these microcoils can reduce motion transfer between people sleeping together by absorbing movement between partners without making anyone aware that someone else may be moving during the night.
Microcoils can also help manufacturers increase mattress spring counts while still achieving firmness for consumers, an important consideration. When coupled with pre-compressed honeycomb base coils, they create a hybrid support system combining spring bounce with soft conforming cushioning of foam.
To increase their cooling ability, materials that promote airflow such as copper or graphite metals often come wrapped in non-woven fabric that allows air to circulate more freely, and some brands even add slits and punch holes to increase surface area for airflow. Some mattresses even incorporate high thermal conductivity materials that draw away body heat for improved sleep temperature regulation.
4. Contour Cutting
Luxisleep employs egg crate surface cuts on their Morphiis base foam mattress to increase airflow, increasing heat distribution and ventilation while helping the foam conform to an adjustable base.
Other mattresses use more advanced contour cutting techniques to improve their sleeping surfaces’ ventilation. Traditional memory foam absorbs and retains body heat; however, scientists have developed more breathable foams which do not trap heat as much; typically these new foams feature cooling beads or gel components.
Foams such as latex come equipped with natural pinholes that allow airflow throughout their open-cell structure and facilitate proper temperature regulation during sleep. By adding additional pinholes with horizontal and vertical designs to these mattresses, temperature regulation can be further improved when coupled with cooling covers – this feature has become popular with brands like Leesa and Loom & Leaf that specialize in latex mattresses.
5. Ventilation Grids
Next time you go shopping for a mattress, pay special attention to its cooling features. Overheating in bed can cause considerable discomfort for women who suffer from hot flashes. Casper’s Snow Technology and Purple’s GelFlex Grid both employ innovative cooling features that include an elastic grid that enables airflow while still offering support; Casper uses Snow Technology while Purple’s GelFlex Grid employs GelFlex Grid instead.
A breathable grid works in tandem with the Coanda effect to draw air down towards the ceiling and create natural cross-ventilation, which keeps rooms cooler and more comfortable. If you live in a multifloor house, try placing box fans in each window for additional cooling; additionally rig up a hammock or simple cot for sleeping on the floor — since hot air tends to rise and cause discomfort while sleeping close to it helps you sleep cooler!
6. Cover Fabrics
An ideal mattress starts with breathable fabrics that wick away moisture and heat to provide your body with maximum comfort while sleeping. Mattress manufacturers employ natural and semi-synthetic fabrics with temperature-regulating capabilities like cotton, wool, linen or even new rayon-like filaments known as modal fibers (for instance).
Some mattresses boast specialty cover materials to wick away heat and sweat, like lycra from athletic clothing or yoga pants, to keep the temperature regulated, while other innovative materials, like phase change material (PCM), use cutting-edge materials known to regulate temperatures such as changing between liquid and solid depending on temperature changes.
Many companies aerate their foam layers to enhance airflow. You’ll see this practiced by several brands like Tuft & Needle and Leesa using egg-crate surfaces on their foams for increased surface area for airflow; other companies like Luxisleep perforating latex foam with horizontal and vertical holes to further promote it. GSM (grams per square meter) plays an integral part in how breathable fabric is – higher GSM fabrics tend to be thicker and denser than lower GSM fabrics.
7. Gel Infusions
Traditional memory foam has the reputation for sleeping hot due to its highly conforming, and thus restricted surface airflow properties. Some manufacturers have made memory foam mattresses more breathable by infusing it with gel which dissipates body heat more effectively – this includes both thermal and phase change gel, popular among brands like Nectar and Bear.
Mattress companies utilize various cooling fabrics in their bedding products for maximum airflow and reduced heat retention. When looking for sheets and mattress pads made from lightweight fabrics like Egyptian cotton, Pima cotton, Supima cotton bamboo Tencel or wool it’s worth keeping these features in mind.
Sleep on your side rather than curling into a tummy or back position for maximum sweat evaporation and easier cooling. Or try sleeping like a starfish to increase body surface area and stay even cooler!
8. Cooling Gel
Cooling gel can help lower your sleep temperature by absorbing and dissipating excess heat. It is commonly found in cooling mattresses and pillows; many also include high heat-capacity formulas to absorb more heat before reaching saturation point and then dispersing any extra heat into its surrounding environment. This method provides a means to control your sleeping temperature more effectively for improved restful slumber.
Cooling gel mattresses provide extra ventilation in order to aid sleep cooling. Some gel memory foam designs feature open-cell construction with small openings in its cells for airflow; this makes it easier for cooling gel to do its magic and keep you comfortable.
Cooling gel infusions often come packaged with materials that conduct or transfer heat away from your body, such as copper graphite or titanium. These substances can change from solid to liquid at low temperatures and help regulate your sleep temperature throughout the night.
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