Keep Cool While You Sleep

If you’re someone who gets hot and sweaty while you sleep, even with the air-conditioning on, then you know how difficult a good night’s rest can be during the summer. Humans can achieve deeper and more restful sleep if they maintain a cooler body temperature at night. Thankfully, there are easy and effective ways you can maintain that cool side of the pillow feeling to reap the benefits of a deeper, more comfortable sleep.

Change your nightly routine

Before you shut your eyes, try incorporating the following steps into your nightly routine.

Wear cotton pajamas
It goes without saying, but wearing a wool onesie to bed in the summer isn’t the best way to stay cool. When you’re picking pajamas, you should opt for loose-fitting cotton materials that allow airflow instead of trapping your body heat—think oversized t-shirts and cotton running shorts.

Cool your pulse points
Freeze a damp hand towel a few hours before bed, and keep it in a plastic bin or on top of a dry towel near your nightstand. Before bed, press it on your neck, wrists, inner ankles, and the tops of your feet where blood vessels are close to the skin’s surface. By exposing these pulse points to a cool compress, you can help regulate and lower your body temperature quickly.

Moisturize with aloe
Bad sunburns call for a generous amount of aloe, but you don’t have to be sunburned to use it! Aloe vera has several skin benefits alongside its cooling properties. Keep a bottle of aloe lotion near your bed, and moisturize before you lie down. You should feel an immediate cooling sensation anywhere you’ve applied it, especially if you’re running a fan.

Sleep in a different position
Everyone has a tried-and-true sleeping position, but for a cooling effect, you should try a starfish or mummy position. Lay on your back, and spread your feet about hip-width apart with your arms at your side or resting gently on your abdomen. Since mattresses absorb body heat, keep your hottest points, such as your stomach, forehead, and underarms, from touching the mattress. Avoid positions that put your extremities close to you, such as the fetal position.

Create a better sleep environment

You don’t necessarily need a new AC unit to create a cool bedroom. Try these easy methods for staying sweat free.

Change your fan’s direction
Pay attention to which direction your ceiling fan blades turn. Your fan’s blades should be turning counterclockwise to lift hot air and force cool air down. To change the direction of your fan, push down on the direction switch on the side of the motor housing.

Use cross ventilation in your room
If you’ve ever had a window and door open in the same room, you’ve probably seen the power of cross ventilation in action. By opening opening entry and exit points for a breeze, air can move faster, creating a cooling effect in the room. Just be sure to use a doorstop to avoid a slamming door in the middle of the night.

Purchase the right bedding

An easy way to stay cool is to use a mattress and bedding with cooling features. From mattress toppers to pillows, there’s a product on the market for any preference and budget.

Cooling mattress pads
There are specific types of mattress toppers that allow you to control the temperature of your mattress. Look for one that has a wide temperature range, a cooling-unit box that can fit under your bedframe, and a control system you can use through a mobile app. This topper from Chilisleep has great reviews!

Cooling pillows
Many brands claim that their pillows stay cold all night, but in reality they only stay cool for a few minutes. Look for pillows with actual cooling technology, such as Outlast, a thermodynamic technology developed by NASA that’s used as a coolant in consumer goods. Additionally, look for easy-to-clean pillows you can machine wash without compromising their cooling abilities. The Slumber Cloud UltraCool Pillow has been lauded by experts for its excellent temperature regulation.