Staying Cool All Night: Choosing the Best Cooling Mattress for Temperature Regulation

Why do people prefer sleeping in a cool space? Body temperature dips at night, and a cooler environment helps lower your temperature so you doze off more easily. Adjusting the room temperature may not be effective enough if you overheat in bed. For greater comfort, seek the best cooling mattress that you can find.

Cooling mattresses are available at different price points. Whether you’re shopping on a budget or money is no object, you can find a quality mattress made of durable materials to help you feel cooler at night.

The Science of Sleep Temperature

Your internal body clock affects your temperature throughout the day, coinciding with your sleep habits. Around bedtime, your body temperature begins to drop. It continues decreasing while you’re asleep, reaching the lowest point around 3 a.m. After that, your body temperature gradually rises until you to start your day. The temperature increase may help you awaken more easily.

You’re hard-wired to be cooler at night than in the daytime, so it can be harder to drift off to sleep or stay asleep if you feel overheated. People who are hot at night may spend more time lying awake in bed. They may not get enough deep, restorative sleep, and they may feel tired the next day.

Keeping your bedroom cool makes your room sleep-friendly, but it’s only one factor affecting body temperature. Some mattress materials trap heat, making you feel overheated, even if the bedroom air is cool. If you sleep hot, choosing the best cooling mattress should help you feel more comfortable in bed, improving your ability to rest well.

Mattress Materials and Cooling Technologies

When you shop for a mattress, you may focus on comfort, cost and durability. It’s also important to consider a mattress’s influence on body temperature, which may impact sleep quality.

Some mattresses are more cooling than others:

·     Memory foam. You may sink into a memory foam mattress, especially if you’re heavy. It’s comfy, provides pressure relief for side sleepers and is excellent at motion isolation, which keeps you from jostling when your partner shifts. But memory foam retains body heat, making it too warm for people who get overheated at night. Fortunately, some memory foam mattresses incorporate cooling advancements, making them more appealing to people who sleep hot.

o  Gel-infused foam mattresses add cooling gel microbeads to memory foam to regulate body temperature. They may feel cool to the touch.

o  Open-cell foam mattresses have tiny openings (cells) within the memory foam, allowing air to flow through the mattress to cool you.

·     Latex. The firm, supportive feel of a natural latex mattress keeps you from sinking in, yet it offers pressure relief for side sleepers. The mattresses are manufactured with tiny holes throughout, allowing for air flow and breathability. They’re cooler than memory foam mattresses and are known for their temperature neutrality.

·     Innerspring. You may have grown up with an innerspring mattress, because supportive coils were once the industry standard. Innerspring mattresses contain a variety of coil shapes and styles. The Sedona Elite has two kinds of coils, for extra comfort and support.

Innerspring mattresses don’t retain heat, because air can flow through the coils, so they offer a cooler sleep experience. Because of their springiness, however, you’ll probably notice when your partner rolls over, compared to memory foam or latex, and they aren’t ideal for side sleepers.

·     Hybrid. You don’t have to choose between memory foam, latex or innerspring with a hybrid mattress, which contains two or more of these materials. A hybrid mattress can meet several needs at once, offering pressure relief, durability, breathability and cooling materials. The Aurora Luxe contains gel memory foam, innerspring coils and layers of cooling materials. The Signature Hybrid combines innerspring coils and foam for comfortable support.

·     Advanced cooling technologies. Some mattresses feature phase-change materials, like GlacioTex, which can absorb heat from your body, keeping you cooler if you sleep hot. Others, including CopperFlex, contain copper particles within memory foam that wick away moisture and provide a cooling effect.

Beyond the Mattress: Enhancing Sleep Climate

You can create a cooler sleep experience with the right bedding and temperature control.

A bedroom that’s between 65 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit may encourage sound sleep. In the summer, put your air conditioning on an energy-efficient setting, so it cycles off when your thermostat reaches the intended temperature. Keep your bedroom door open for greater air flow, which may help keep your utility bills down.

When you shop for sheets, blankets and even pajamas, look for fabrics to keep you cool. Cotton and linen are often ideal choices. Also look for moisture-wicking fabrics and materials that feel cool to the touch. Some pillows and mattress toppers are designed with cooling materials, including gel-infused foam or GlacioTex.

Finding the Right Fit: Factors to Consider

Before you make a purchase, ask yourself:

·     Do the mattress materials meet my sleep preferences? If you prefer soft mattresses, you may want memory foam. But if you overheat at night, rule out options without gel-infused foam or a cooling surface.

·     Is the mattress right for my sleep position? Side sleepers may want latex or memory foam, not innerspring, for pressure relief. If you sleep hot, pick a mattress with cooling properties.

·     Will my weight affect my sleep experience? Heavy sleepers should consider a mattress with cooling technologies, especially if you prefer memory foam. If you sink deeper into the foam because of your weight, the foam can trap more body heat.

·     Can I maintain this mattress’s cooling properties? Find out how durable the mattress is, the best way to care for it and whether its cooling technologies are designed to last as long as the mattress itself.

Conclusion

If you get overheated when you sleep and you’re seeking a new mattress, many specialized products are available to help you sleep cooler. High-quality temperature-regulating mattresses are crafted with durable materials, and many options are cost-effective. When you select the best cooling mattress for your needs, it should provide you with a cooler, more comfortable sleep space for years to come.