Sleeping hot is all too common for many people. Whether due to the weather, late-night meals, medications, hormones or an overly fluffy comforter, many factors can cause overheating in bed.
The good news is that there are tips, tricks and excellent products to help you sleep cool all night, every night.
Read on for advice from the Sleep Experts®, plus the best bed solutions if you’re a hot sleeper.
What Causes Overheating at Night?
There are many reasons you might be sleeping hot or suffering hot flashes. Here are a few common causes:
1. Hormones: Shifting hormone levels, including decreasing estrogen and progesterone, affect the hypothalamus, the part of your brain that regulates body temperature. As a result, women’s temperature regulation can fluctuate with their menstrual cycle and during perimenopause and menopause, resulting in sleep issues.
2. Exercise: While moderate exercise has been shown to improve sleep quality and manage sleep disorders, the same is not true of high-intensity exercise when done in the evenings. Rigorous, high-intensity exercise, particularly in the hours before bedtime, can disrupt sleep for many reasons. It can cause a surge of endorphins that trigger brain activity to keep you awake and impact your thyroid, affecting stimulating hormones. Exercise also raises your core body temperature, signaling to your body that you should be awake. If you must exercise close to bedtime, stick to gentle exercise, such as walking, yoga or stretching.
3. Health Conditions: Health issues that can trigger night sweats include low blood sugar, thyroid imbalance and infections. And according to the Mayo Clinic, night sweats are a common side effect of medications prescribed to treat depression, diabetes and cancer. If night sweats wake you up frequently, talk to your physician.
4. Lifestyle Choices: Food and alcohol can affect body temperature. Studies have found that daily alcohol consumption significantly increases the risk of temperature issues. Spicy foods and heavy meals can also increase night sweats and hot flashes.
What’s the Optimal Temperature for Sleep?
A 2012 study found that the temperature in your bedroom is one of the most important factors in whether or not you can attain quality sleep.
Scientists have found that when ambient temperature is outside of the ideal zone, sleep can suffer.
So, what’s the perfect temperature for great rest?
“Most of us sleep best when ambient temps are around 65 -70 degrees,” says neurologist and sleep specialist Dr. Chris Winter, host of the podcast “Sleep Unplugged” and the author of “The Sleep Solution: Why Your Sleep is Broken and How to Fix It.” “Cooler temperatures are generally better, but you shouldn't be shivering.”
To keep your sleep space cool, Winter recommends sleeping on a mattress with cooling technology, wearing moisture-wicking sleepwear and choosing bedding made from natural fibers such as cotton, linen or bamboo.
It’s a lot easier to start with a temperature-friendly setup than to make adjustments in the middle of the night while you’re trying to sleep. “It’s easier to kick off a blanket than take off heavy pajamas or get up and turn down the temperature,” Winter explains.
How Can I Stop Myself From Overheating at Night?
There are simple hot sleeper fixes to minimize night sweats, hot flashes and overheating at night.
- Invest in a mattress with cooling technology. Once you have it, optimize its performance by dressing your bed in temperature-controlled bedding and wearing breathable sleepwear. A cooling pillow completes the setup.
- Skip the nightcap. Alcohol is linked with sleep disruptions and can augment temperature discomfort.
- Exercise earlier in the day to avoid getting “revved up” before bed.
- Keep hot electronics, such as your laptop and mobile phone, out of the bed. (Think about how hot your laptop gets!)
- Close curtains on hot days to keep your bedroom cooler by day.
- Bring an ice pack or cold water bottle to bed with you.
- Open your windows or keep the thermostat set on the lower side. In summer, run the air conditioning or fans.
- Invest in a pet bed so that your cats and dogs don’t bring their body heat into your bed.
What Should Hot Sleepers Wear to Bed?
Pajamas can conjure visions of flannel sweat boxes, but cotton, linen, bamboo and performance fabrics are great for keeping you cool while you sleep.
Plenty of companies now create attractive pajamas in moisture-wicking and/or cool fabrics. Textiles touted for temperature control include quick-drying eucalyptus fibers, TransDRY cotton, bamboo blends and surprisingly, merino wool.
“Wool is one of the best fabrics if you sweat at night or anytime because it pulls the moisture away from the body,” says Winter. “Wool is actually quite good at regulating temperature.”
If cooling pajamas aren’t helping, you could try sleeping without any pajamas at all.
The 5 Best Mattresses for Hot Sleepers
No matter your sleep position and preferences on feel, there is a cooling mattress that can help you get your best sleep. Head to your local Mattress Firm to find the best option for you, but here are a few we recommend:
Tempur-Pedic TEMPUR-ProBreeze® Medium Hybrid 12" Mattress
Enjoy all-night cooling and quality sleep with this hybrid bed, made with TEMPUR-Material™ pressure-relieving support and premium innersprings.
Tempur-Pedic TEMPUR-LuxeBreeze® Medium Hybrid 13" Mattress
The new Tempur-LuxeBreeze® mattress feels up to 10 degrees cooler* all night long, thanks to Pure Cool® material, a heat-absorbing zip-off cover and a blend of one-of-a-kind TEMPUR-Material™ and premium innersprings.
Purple RestorePlus™ Cool Touch 13" Hybrid Mattress
Exclusive to Mattress Firm, the Purple RestorePlus™ Cool Touch 13" Hybrid Mattress offers pressure relief, support and cooling thanks to cool-to-the-touch yarn and CoolFlex™ Coils for targeted support.
Serta iSeries® 2.0 Hybrid 1000 12" Medium Mattress
This Mattress Firm exclusive offers support, memory foam and cooling features, including a Max Cold™ Cover and EverCool® Fuze Gel to boost the cooling airflow and keep you comfortable all night long.
Sleepy's By Sealy® Spring Plush Euro Top Mattress
A Good Housekeeping 2025 Best Bedding Award winner, this plush mattress is an exception for anti-sag technology but will also keep you cool overnight thanks to its stretch-knit cooling cover.
*Based on average heat index increase of TEMPUR-LuxeBreeze® compared to TEMPUR-ProAdapt® models measured over an 8-hour period.
What Are the Best Sheets for Hot Sleepers?
Bedding made with natural materials like cotton, bamboo or linen is traditionally the most breathable. Other sleep product reviews also recommend microfiber and silk.
Your personal preference for the feel of certain fabrics will influence your choice.
Linen tends to trap less heat than cotton because of its looser weave, while percale feels cool and crisp to the touch.
Sleepy's Deluxe Cool Stretch Sheet Set
Available in several colors, the Sleepy's Deluxe Cool Stretch Sheet Set offers breathable comfort, thanks to its Egyptian cotton and TENCEL™ Modal blend that helps it wick away moisture and regulate temperature all night long.
What Are the Best Pillows for Hot Sleepers?
Keeping a cool head is another way to help prevent your body from overheating. Similar to bedding, a variety of cooling pillows have hit the market to help with this. Here are a few of the best cooling pillows for hot sleepers:
Sleepy's Deluxe Charcoal Cool Pillow
Available in three lofts to suit every sleep style, this temperature-regulating pillow draws heat away from your head to keep you sleeping cooler night after night.
Tempur-Pedic TEMPUR-Breeze° Pro Pillow
The cool-to-the-touch pillow not only keeps you cool, it’s ideal for pressure relief, meaning you’ll wake up cool and comfortable, day after day.
Feel instantly cool with this firm-feel pillow and 100% cotton cover ideal for all sleep positions.
What if I Can’t Replace My Mattress Right Now?
As your sleep needs evolve, so, too, should your mattress. If you consistently wake up hot, it may be time for a new mattress, and the Sleep Experts® can help you find something within your budget to help you sleep cool, night after night. Until then, consider a cooling mattress topper to reduce the temperature of the surface of your bed. Cooling mattress toppers, which can be made from a variety of materials, can temporarily help draw heat away and get you better rest.
