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A heat wave is in the forecast: Experts weigh in on best bedding to keep you cool all night

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There are many cool bedding options out there, but you should know a few things before buying any of them. (Photo: Getty Images)
There are many cool bedding options out there, but you should know a few things before buying any of them. (Photo: Getty Images)

You spend a third of your life in bed, so you might as well make it as comfortable as possible. And when a heat wave is headed your way, comfort means keeping cool.

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Cooling comforters, sheets, pillows and mattress toppers are all the rage — with good reason. Sleep experts say these products help create an ideal sleeping environment, which is no easy feat in hot weather.

“Sleep is an important, integral part to your health regimen,” Bill Fish, a sleep expert and founder of Tuck, an online resource devoted to all things sleep, tells Yahoo Lifestyle. “In the summer season, you don’t want to spend hundreds of dollars on air conditioning, so people are investing more in their sleep products.”

And, staying cool while catching some Z’s is actually pretty important: Hot sleeping affects more than 60 percent of people, according to Buffy Vice President Paul Shaked, who tells us that the average person typically secretes 8 ounces of sweat per night, regardless of the season.

“Research shows the best temperature for sleep is between 60 and 67 degrees, and cooling sheets are becoming more popular as more people are starting to value a good night’s sleep and its effects,” Christopher Sun, founder and CEO of My Sheets Rock tells Yahoo Lifestyle. “So, if you tend to sleep on the warmer side or live in a climate with hot summers, purchasing cooling bed sheets is beneficial for your sleep health and worth the long-term investment.”

If you have a memory foam mattress, cool bedding could be especially crucial for keeping your body temperature down. Fish says the foam material in these mattresses traps body heat, which can cause excessive warmth at night.

Instead, cooling comforters and sheets are the best bet for keeping cool while asleep, Fish says, because mattress toppers are covered in layers of fabric and their cooling effect is limited.

But not all “cooling sheets” do the job well. It’s all dependent on the fabric.

Materials like polyester and nylon are less breathable, Sun says. So when you’re looking for cooling fabrics, it’s best to seek out products made from bamboo, tencel and cotton.

This luxury set includes one flat sheet, one fitted sheet and four pillowcases, all made from winkle-resistant, organic fabric.
$35 at Amazon

“My personal preference is bamboo because of its many benefits for hot sleepers. Bamboo fabric wicks moisture, reduces humidity, and stretches, all while staying extremely soft,” Sun notes (his recommendation is The Regulator Sheet Set). Fish agreed that bamboo is a good cooling fabric, adding that it’s more labor-intensive to create, so may be slightly pricier.

Tuck gets much of its information from customer reviews and evaluations of products, and Fish says that fan-favorite brands include Buffy and Brooklinen.

Made with soft 100% eucalyptus lyocell this comforter is cool to the touch for a comfortable night's sleep.
$225 at Amazon

“Buffy products are always designed to be dually beneficial for people and the earth,” says Shaked, the VP of the company. “We decided on eucalyptus fiber for our current bedding products because of its amazing softness and environmentally friendly characteristics, but also, with our proprietary weave, we've been able to accentuate a cool-to-the-touch feeling and long-lasting breathability.”

As for Brooklinen, Fish says the comforters are Tuck’s editor’s pick for best cooling sheets. “The reason being, they’re cotton-based, which works really well and are cool to the touch,” he explains. “We hear a lot of good things from customers who purchase those.”

OEKO-TEX certified, these eco-friendly sheets are made with a sateen weave and long-staple cotton with 480-thread count for all-night comfort.
$179 at Amazon

Because the sheets or comforters you choose have such a significant effect on your sleep, the majority of these companies offer trial periods. So, you can test out different sets and figure out which you like best, and get your money back on items that don’t meet your needs. Sun recommends giving yourself at least a week to test out new cooling sheets.

Ahead, some more top-rated cool bedding products to help you beat the heat and get your best night of sleep yet.

These silky-soft sheets are one of Amazon's top sellers with more than 216,000 five-star reviews.
$35 at Amazon
This lightweight goose down comforter has a 100% breathable cotton cover for all-season comfort. It also has more than 5,000 five-star ratings.
$50 at Amazon
Made with sleep-expert approved tencel, these sheets are incredibly effective at driving out moisture.
$43 at Amazon
This incredibly soft set of sheets has thermal control that adapts to year-round temperatures.
$125 at Amazon

If you have Amazon Prime, you’ll get free shipping, of course. Not yet a member? No problem. You can sign up for your free 30-day trial here. (And by the way, those without Prime still get free shipping on orders of $25 or more.)

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