A Guide to Cooling Sheets: How to Choose the Best Set
Learn about what cooling sheets are and why you might need them.
BHG / Nisanova Studio
Bedsheets help protect the mattress and deliver coziness to sleepers throughout the night. Sheet materials vary from satin, cotton, flannel, fleece, and more. Each has its pros and cons, especially when it comes to managing body temperatures in different seasons. Suppose you are prone to night sweats, high internal temperature, or live in a humid climate. In that case, you may need cooling sheets for a good night’s sleep. Here’s everything you need to know to choose the right set for you.
Related: The 17 Best Cooling Sheets of 2023 for a Comfortable Night’s Sleep, According to Testing
What Are Cooling Sheets?
Cooling sheets are made from breathable fabrics, such as bamboo, cotton, or TENCEL?. All are excellent at temperature control. They work by drawing heat away from the body and dispersing it to improve airflow. Most cooling sheets derive their unique properties from the fabric, thread count, and weave.
Natural fibers with a high thread count have a tight construction that retains heat. The optimal thread count for cooling sheets is from 200–400 threads. Sheets with lattice or grid pattern weaves have moisture-absorbing capabilities that boost the outflow of any extra body heat.
There are primarily three different kinds of cooling sheets:
Breathable sheets encourage ventilation and minimize sweating.
Absorbent sheets absorb sweat when you perspire.
Moisture-wicking sheets pull sweat from the skin and channel moisture away from the body to the exterior facing side of the sheets, where sweat evaporates into the air.
Why Do You Need Cooling Sheets?
Cooling sheets can help mitigate night sweats. This heavy sweating can affect anyone, but children, menopausal women, and people with certain illnesses, may find them particularly unbearable. While you can try to lower the room temperature with air conditioning, it is difficult to nail down the perfect temperature for a full night’s rest. Here are some circumstances in which cooling sheets could improve sleep quality throughout the night.
High body temperatures can be triggered by a lot of things. People with hormonal imbalances, naturally hot body temperatures, and health conditions, such as diabetes, hyperthyroidism, cancers, and sleep apnea, could have high internal temps. High body temps can easily disrupt sleep cycles, negatively impact sleep quality, and affect overall health.
Humid climates can trigger more sweating. Seasonal changes in hot summer months may be particularly difficult to overcome without the help of a mattress topper or sheets that draw heat away from the body.
Memory foam mattresses retain heat while you sleep. If replacing it with a different mattress model isn’t an option, cooling sheets can help.
Sleep partners with different temperature preferences can find that one person has a high body temperature and another does not. To reduce fights over fans and the AC, cooling sheets could help.
What Materials Make the Best Cooling Sheets?
Traditional cooling sheets are made from natural materials like cotton or bamboo because they are super absorbent. Synthetic sheets made from microfiber or high-tech performance blends function by wicking away moisture. The most popular materials for cooling sheets include:
Bamboo: This natural fiber ventilates well. Bamboo cooling sheets are also antibacterial, durable, and ultra-soft (especially viscose bamboo sheets). They can absorb 40% more water than cotton because they are more pliable and drape closer to the skin to absorb more sweat. Bamboo sheets are also eco-friendly.
Cotton and cotton blends: Also a natural fiber, cotton is famous for its breathability and absorbency. Cotton transmits heat and absorbs moisture well. It is also durable and affordable compared to other materials. Various options include Percale, Sateen, Pima cotton, Egyptian cotton, or Supima. The major drawbacks of cotton are that it wrinkles easily and its colors fade.
Linen: Linen is a good option if you prefer a textured feel. While not as cool as cotton, linen tends to hold more water and is an excellent choice for light to moderate sweating.
TENCEL? Lyocell: This linen fabric is super soft and breathable—an ideal choice for people who prefer linen sheets. It also has moisture-wicking capabilities and is usually made from trees such as eucalyptus and birch. The main disadvantage of these sheets is that they are costly compared to traditional cotton and linen alternatives.
Microfiber: These affordable sheets are made from a combination of polyester and other synthetic material. They wick moisture well, hold color, and do not wrinkle easily. Some people may not like them because they tend to be clingy.
Natural Silver-Infused: Using metal in bedding and fabrics is nothing new. Recent research shows silver has impressive cooling qualities when woven into a sheet set. These silver-infused sheets feel cooler to the touch compared to their traditional counterparts. They can be costly compared to traditional sheets, but they may be helpful in improving overall sleep quality.
Related: Buying Bed Sheets
Cooling Sheet Alternatives
If you haven’t tried everything at your disposal, then there are a few tricks to try before switching your sheets. Typically 60–75 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal for sleeping. However, if you are a hot sleeper, keep your room temperature between 60–65 degrees to see if that helps. Because heat rises, this may mean sleeping on lower floors in a multi-story house, rather than in the primary bedroom.
Before bed, avoid food and alcohol, which will raise body temperature. Instead, opt for a warm shower before bed. It will lower your core temperature, helping you feel cooler as you fall asleep. A cold cloth around your head or near pulse points, ice packs, or a pair of frozen socks can cool you down before and during bedtime.
Last, you can try to change your environment. Consider changing the direction of your ceiling fan to spin counter-clockwise to blow cool instead of hot air into the room. Keep your windows and doors open to cross-ventilate the room. During the warmer months, keep your blinds shut during the day to keep excess sun and heat out.
Collectively, all these tactics should help lower the air temperature so that you can have a better night’s sleep.
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