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Body Too Hot to Sleep? Check out the Best Cooling Mattress Toppers, Sheets & Pillows for Hot Sleepers

Too hot to sleep? We’ll help you get back on track.

By KJ Callihan
Sep 14, 2023 5:00 AMSep 14, 2023 6:56 PM
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Is your body too hot to sleep? You’re not alone. In fact, studies have shown that up to 41% of all people are hot sleepers. Turns out that the brain can’t regulate body temperature during REM sleep, and allowing the sleeping environment to become too warm (or cold) can disturb slumber during that stage. And while according to research, it helps to set the thermostat for the ideal sleeping temperature of between 66 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit, there are still a few other factors that can complicate the matter.  

Chill out before bed 

Ingesting fried or spicy foods or seasonings like hot peppers, ginger, garlic, onion or black pepper too close to bedtime can warm up the body, making sleep difficult. Aim for light, caffeine-free, non-spicy snacks (if any) within the hours before bedtime.  

Coconut water or chilled water with lemon or lime, cucumbers, celery, melon, or yogurt make nice, cool evening snacks if you must eat something.  

Keep in mind that vigorously exercising or experiencing stress within a few hours of bedtime can keep you awake as well. Stay calm before bed and save the heavy workout for tomorrow morning. 

Monitor meds, hormones, and illnesses 

variety of medicines can make someone feel warmer or even experience night sweats, such as certain pain relievers, antidepressants, antibiotics, blood pressure medications, fever reducers, and zinc supplements. Hormone disorders, hypothyroidism, and menopause are also infamous for causing women to experience the sensation that their body gets hot, as well as daytime and night sweats, while bacterial infections, the flu, anxiety, strep throat, cancers like leukemia, and arthritis are a few health issues that can raise your temperature, too.  

Ask your doctor for alternatives whenever possible and treat potential illnesses ASAP to get your sleep schedule back on track to help solve why your body is too hot to sleep.  

Certain bedding and pajama fabrics can add to an overly warm situation 

Thick, heavy bedding and flannel pjs can easily warm you up beyond your ideal sleep temperature.  

Strip that hot stuff off your bed and replace it with light, airy fabrics like linen, cotton, or bamboo. And don’t forget to wear light, breathable pajamas too -- or sleep in your birthday suit when appropriate for the coolest possible option. 

5 cool ways to get back to sleep 

To create the perfect sleeping space, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends keeping the bedroom as you would imagine a bat cave to be -- cool, quiet and dark.  

1 . To accomplish that, you’ll want to pay attention to window coverings. Do they keep light out until you want it to come in? If not, you may want to consider blackout curtains or a similar option.    

2. Next, assess the noise level in your sleeping quarters. If it’s a bit too loud, consider running a fan or playing a little white or pink noise to drown it out at bedtime.  

Hopefully you can set your own thermostat to the ideal slumber time temps of 66 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit, adjusting as needed to meet your own personal preferences. Once you’ve accomplished those features in your bat cave, you’ll want to take a careful look at your mattress, bedding, and other accessories.    

3. Look at the materials used to create your mattress. Opt for mattresses that incorporate materials like latex, gel beads, graphite or phase change technology instead of traditional memory foam, as it’s known for holding in heat. Beds with features like gel-infused memory foam can also work to integrate cooling properties into the top layers.    

4. Minocasa combines its founders' extensive experience in manufacturing and marketing home products with high-quality, innovative, certified materials, and smart designs to deliver the best sleep experience and the most comfortable, cozy feel to every bedroom. Their mattresses, pillows and bedding are made with high-end materials and manufactured in a responsible and environment-friendly manner. Minocasa hybrid mattress ensures ultimate comfort thanks to gel infused memory foam and an individually wrapped pocket spring system. Effective temperature regulation, advanced pressure relief, CertiPUR-US and OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 certifications all combine to bring the best value product to the market. Free shipping, easy setup and a 10-year limited warranty make it a breeze to join other happy customers in no time. 

This mattress employs a layer of patented gel polymer directly beneath its fabric cover, which not only contours perfectly to your body, but also draws heat away from you, allowing it to dissipate consistently throughout the night. This combination of features provides a uniquely restorative and restful sleep which simultaneously alleviates back and joint pain.  

5. The GhostBed Luxe mattress: Another winning choice in a cooling mattress is the GhostBed Luxe mattress, which offers seven layers of innovative cooling in its thick 13-inch height.  

The GhostBed Luxe integrates these innovative cooling features with its supportive, high-density core and pressure relieving foams to create the optimal sleep setting for hot sleepers, back and side sleepers as well.    

Bedding you may need: If you’re not quite in the market for a mattress, but you need help cooling off, or you just want to combine all the top cooling products, the best cooling mattress topper for hot sleepers you’re likely to find is the GhostBed Memory Foam mattress topper.  

 This mattress topper offers three full inches of cooling gel memory foam as well as targeted comfort zones for spinal alignment, pressure relief, and airflow. It’s also waterproof and comes with a cool-to-the-touch cover and signature elastic bands to hold it securely in place on your mattress.    

Another excellent cooling option, especially for anyone with legs or feet that get hot, is a set of GhostSheets -- particularly the Luxury Supima Cotton and TENCEL Sheet Set for the best cooling sheets and protector.  

These luxury cooling sheets offer a lightweight fabric and breezy, cool feel that is 50% more absorbent than similar popular sheet sets. Eco-friendly, wrinkle resistant, and allergy resistant to boot, GhostSheets are held in place by a two-inch wide elastic band along the perimeter.    

So, if you still feel your body is too hot to sleep after all of this great advice? Check out some of the recommended best cooling mattress toppers, sheets & protectors for hot sleepers offered.  

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