Half the battle of falling (and staying) asleep is feeling cool, according to sleep experts. Even if your central air or AC is cranking, your bedding can contribute to body temperature swings through the night, turning that elusive eight-hour slumber into yet another red-eyed write-off. The answer isn’t sleeping naked (although there are benefits). You need cooling sheets, comforters, mattress toppers, and pillows.
Not all bedding performs the same way. Light, breathable fabrics like bamboo, cotton, and Tencel wick moisture off skin and keep your body temperature in check when you’re ready to check out for the night. These cooling sheets and bedding picks are just what you need if you’re the human embodiment of a Bunsen burner.
Best Cooling Sheets and Bedding for Hot Sleepers
Photo Courtesy of Perfectly Snug
1. The Smart Topper by Perfectly Snug
This temperature-controlling mattress topper is a marvel for hot sleepers. It automatically adjusts to your ideal amount of cooling to keep you in dreamland. Use the Perfectly Snug app to set your preferred overnight temperature plan, as well as schedule your sleep/wake times. The Smart Topper does the rest, providing gentle airflow with tiny built-in fans to maintain your ideal core temp for optimal sleep duration. Stuck with a chilly partner? A dual-zone temperature function controls each side of the bed independently.
HercLéon’s proprietary material—called HercFiber—was sparked by a gross-but-totally-believable stat: Single men under the age of 30 only wash their bedsheets every three months. The miracle ingredients in the brand’s eco-friendly, “self-cleaning” cooling sheets are a combo of textiles (cotton, recycled polyester, bamboo) and metal (copper, silver, zinc), which work to keep you comfortable curb the funk effect. The standard set includes two pillowcases, fitted sheet, and flat sheet—with an optional duvet cover for an added cost.
The Neanderthals were right: Geological science plays its hand in comfortable bedding, as corroborated by this new line from True Temp—which incorporates 37.5 Performance Enhancing Materials made from volcanic sand particles to ensure you never get too hot or cold in bed. The science behind these sheets’ cooling powers lies in active-particle technology. The fabric attracts and removes moisture to prevent heat and humidity buildup while you sleep. Our favorite items include the True Temp sheet set, True Temp pillow, and durable and comfy True Temp blanket (which comes in a weighted version).
4. Takasa Organic + Fairtrade Cool + Crisp Cotton Bed Sheet Set
Rest your warm, weary bones on some of the most breathable cotton between the poles. Takasa’s organic percale fabric uses a traditional one-yarn-over/one-yarn-under weave grid that lends a matte finish and lightweight texture that ensures maximum air circulation and comfort. Plus, the more you wash these durable sheets, the cozier they get. Committed to organic, Fairtrade materials, Takasa’s sourcing practice lets you rest even easier.
Made entirely from Tencel Lyocell—a cellulose-based material spun and woven from eucalyptus wood pulp—this fabric absorbs moisture and jettisons it to the other side, keeping things nice and breezy throughout the night. Pair Sijo’s Eucalyptus Duvet Insert ($195) with the Eucalyptus Duvet Cover ($105)—available in a host of colors from white to forest green.
Rest your noggin on this chill, stretchy pillow concocted from a synthetic down alternative called—reassuringly—Suprelle Cool Night Fiber. As promised, the material resists that cloying warmth while providing firm support to your head and neck. For additional support, try the Therapedic Sleep RX Gel Memory Foam pillow.
If it’s crisp cotton or nothing, Red Land Cotton’s 140-thread-count percale sheets are a win. The cotton is sourced from a family farm in Alabama. We’re especially fond of the Ticking Stripe design; the charcoal and natural striping makes these sheets feel even more luxe by adding some visual interest. Before balking at the lower thread count (yeah, we know, 200 to 500 is the norm), keep in mind this wise old bedding adage: a higher-quality fiber with a lower thread count will be softer and hold up to washing better than the reverse—and provide better breathability.
Contrary to popular belief, hot sleepers can sleep with a comforter, so long as it’s made with the right materials. This comforter’s shell is made of bamboo viscose and filled with bamboo viscose fluff. Superior to recycled plastic or polyester (thanks to bamboo fiber’s ability to regulate temperature more effectively), you can cuddle up without overheating. For even more bang for your bamboo, pair it with the Laguna Sateen Sheet Set ($169).
How can we not geek out on the wild workings behind Sleepletics’ supremely cooling Celliant Performance Sheets? The fabric’s mineral-infused yarns recycle your body heat and reflect it back to you as therapeutic infrared light—an effect which is said to help regulate your body temperature and increase blood flow to muscles for better circulation and faster recovery.
Ash & Fir’s single-ply yarn set isn’t just impressively durable, it’s also lighter (read: cooler) than your average 300-thread-count cotton percale set. A long-staple cotton delivers on comfort (and value, at just $60), and they get softer with every wash. We also love that these sheets are OEKO-TEX certified, meaning they’re free from over 300 harmful chemicals, toxins, and irritants, and the brand uses eco-friendly production methods. Another thoughtful feature: The fitted sheet has tags that say “Long” and “Short” so you get things right on the first try.
