7 Ways to Cool Down at Night If You're a Hot Sleeper

Sleep comfortably through the night without sweating by making changes to your room, bedding, or routine.

Getting a good night's rest doesn't just allow you to wake up feeling refreshed—it's also important for your overall health. But if you often toss and turn throughout the night and wake up feeling overheated, you may be a hot sleeper. There are many reasons night sweats occur, and while it may be due to physiological reasons—like age, hormonal regulation, and natural thermoregulation—there are also some environmental causes. From changing your sleep environment to updating your daily routine, there are a few things you can do to help you sleep more comfortably at night.

Related: What to Do When You Can't Fall Asleep, According to Experts

Why You Sleep Hot

Increased body temperature and perspiration that occurs overnight is called night sweats. "Some causes include infection; changes in hormonal states that can occur during pregnancy, puberty, menopause, or thyroid conditions, anxiety or stress, and low blood sugar," says Marisa Garshick, MD, FAAD, board-certified dermatologist at Medical, Cosmetic, & Surgical Specialists Dermatology. Medications and certain foods, drinks, or other medical conditions can also be the culprit. If you're experiencing excessive sweating overnight, or sweating with additional symptoms, you should check with your doctor to rule out more serious conditions.

What You Can Do: Your Bedroom

Bring down the internal temperature of your bedroom to cool you down as your sleep.

Lower the Thermostat

One of the easiest changes you can make in your room for a better night's sleep is lowering the thermostat. While this may not help people who overheat due to physiological reasons, it can work wonders if the issue is environmental. "A room temperature of around 65 degrees Fahrenheit is optimal for a good night's sleep," says Kevin Queen, the president of Sleepletics.

Run a Fan

In addition to decreasing the thermostat to lower the temperature in your room, you should also consider running a ceiling or box fan. "Keeping your room cool is a great way to improve the quality of your sleep," says Aaron Arkin, president of Evolution Sleep, and director of Insomnia Services for Careica Health. "If the situation permits, open the window, use an oscillating fan or a ceiling fan."

What You Can Do: Your Bed

Certain bedding is made from materials that retain heat and make you more prone to sweating throughout the night. Making changes to your sheets and mattress may help you sleep more comfortably.

Change Your Sheets

Changing your bed sheets to ones with moisture-wicking properties is a good place to start. "Lightweight, breathable materials, such as cotton or linen, or other natural fibers can help keep you cool while sleeping," says Wendy Troxel, PhD, a senior scientist at the RAND Corporation and author of Sharing the Covers: Every Couple's Guide to Better Sleep. In addition to cotton and linen, sheets made from bamboo can also help wick away moisture.

If those don't worth, there are new textile technologies that might. "Celliant sheets absorb body heat and reflect it back as therapeutic infrared light to the body's muscle and tissues," says Queen. This can increase circulation and aid better oxygen flow to your cells. "The result? Better, more comfortable sleep without being overly hot and faster recovery from physical activity, so people wake up energized."

Upgrade Your Mattress

Mattresses made from certain materials are more likely to retain heat and are less breathable. “This includes memory foam mattresses, particularly especially dense ones,” says Troxel. “If you are someone who tends to run hot at night and is experiencing poor sleep quality, it may be a worthwhile investment to invest in a cooling mattress pad or mattress.” Cooling mattresses are also ideal if you share the bed with a partner with different thermoregulation than you, as there are some options that allow for individualized temperature settings.

What You Can Do: Your Routine

Pay attention to the things you do before bed—some parts of your nightly routine may affect how hot you get while you sleep.

Wear Breathable Fabrics

What you wear to bed plays a role in whether or not you overheat while you sleep. "To help reduce feeling hot and sweaty at night, it is important to sleep in a comfortable, cool environment and avoid clothing and bedding that tend to trap heat," says Dr. Garshick. Light, breathable clothing will not only help you feel cooler, but it will help you feel less constricted, as well. Avoid fabrics like silk that generally do not absorb moisture as well as cotton fabrics; they may retain odors after a sweaty night.

Avoid Late-Night Workouts

While it may be tempting to squeeze in a quick workout before bed, it can actually make sleeping less comfortable. "Exercising too close to bedtime can make you hot while you sleep, as well as increase your heart rate," says Arkin. "You want to give yourself about two hours after working out to ensure that your body has cooled off and your heart rate has returned to baseline."

Take a Hot Shower

It may sound counterintuitive, but taking a hot bath or shower before bedtime can support healthy sleep. "It actually causes a drop in core body temperature," says Troxel. "As you step out of the bath or shower, blood rushes to the periphery, causing a drop in core body temperature. Such a drop in core body temperature is one of the primary signals to the brain when sleep onset occurs."