Temperature is one factor that can ruin a good night’s sleep. About one out of 10 Australians suffer from sleeping hot that led to poor sleep and tiredness the next day. Overheating causes you to wake up in a sweat and further trigger sleep disruptions.
One way to prevent this problem for sleepers is by investing the right type of mattresses available on the market. We’ll cover features and considerations that hot sleepers should know when looking for a new mattress.
Here’s what you should know about the best mattresses for hot sleepers.
Causes of sleeping hot
There are many reasons why a person sleeps hot. The culprit can be the beddings, climate, room temperature, or underlying health conditions yet to be discovered.
Skin-tight mattress layers
If the mattress material is pressed tightly against the skin, it puts a limit to the body’s ability to breathe, thus causing more heat. Airflow is restricted when you dip yourself onto the mattress because it conforms around the body and traps body heat on the material. Loose-fitting mattress layers allow more airflow and cool your body.
Mattress heat retention
Mattresses have different properties that are known to retain heat. For example, memory foams are known to have more heat retention. Construction and design are often the main culprits that lead to hot sleep. Modern designs are now emerging, however, to reduce the amount of heat retention in mattresses.
Type of beddings used
Different material types of sheets, blankets, and pillowcases cannot help even the most breathable mattress in providing airflow. It may not be able to prevent a person from sleeping hot if he or she uses too many blankets or sheets that are known for retaining heat.
Room temperature
The temperature in your bedroom is another factor why you’re sleeping hot. Are you using a fan or AC when you sleep? Do you keep the doors and windows open to allow fresh air to come in? More so, is your room designed to provide better ventilation? Most bedrooms integrate box or exhaust fans to pull outside air in the room.
Health conditions
Sleeping hot can be caused by underlying health conditions. If you persistently have hot flashes and night sweats, you should seek a doctor to find a medical cause. Conditions like multiple sclerosis or Graves’ Disease lead to the fluctuation of the body’s temperature.
Menopause for women
Sleeping hot can be caused by underlying health conditions. If you persistently have hot flashes and night sweats, you should seek a doctor to find a medical cause.
Anxiety and depression
When a person is anxious, they may experience a fluctuation of body temperature similar to hot flashes. Stress and anxiety create cortisol which further complicates sleep.
Hyperthyroidism
The thyroid gland produces the thyroid hormone which helps regulate body temperature. If the thyroid gland produces an excess of the hormone, it will lead to body overheating. Subsequently, a person who suffers from hyperthyroidism also undergoes insomnia.
Medications and pills
Some drugs and antidepressants can lower norepinephrine which causes excessive sweating. Other psychotic drugs that induce restlessness or depression may trigger hot flashes at night. Talk to your doctor about the after-effects of your prescription if it causes you to lose sleep.
Do mattresses affect body temperature?
Mattresses can influence body temperature when you sleep. In a study, different mattress construction and design can induce overheating.
For example, mattress materials like memory foams allow you to sink more, thus causing more heat. Meanwhile, materials like shredded bamboo or feathers allow more airflow.
The texture of mattresses is also a factor that affects body temperature. Softer mattresses may invite more heat because it lets you sink more skin-tight on the layers. Not all soft mattresses trap heat. It’s just one factor and observation when sleeping hot at night. Your weight and beddings may also be the culprits to hotter nights.
On a firmer mattress, you are most likely to sleep cooler because you sleep more on the surface rather than “inside” or surrounded by the mattress. This gives you is more room for air to flow on your skin.
Buying guide to the best mattresses for hot sleepers
Sleeping hot is an issue for many people as it can lead to poor sleep and tiredness. One way to keep yourself cool is to invest in mattresses that can relieve you. There are mattresses to keep you cool, while there are some that trap heat.
Our guide will help you choose the best mattresses for hot sleepers by taking into consideration of the products to help you sleep comfortably at night.
Factors to consider before buying a mattress
In general, you need to be searching for a cooling mattress that allows plenty of airflows. An active cooling mattress incorporates the proper type, material, covers, and more.
Mattress firmness
People tend to sink on a softer mattress and cause heat-trapping contraption when they create a skin-tight impression. While soft mattresses provide pressure relief, it restricts air circulation. Firm mattresses do not conform with the body deeply, and as a result, provide much cooler and spacious airflow.
Mattress heat retention
Some mattresses can trap heat more than others. Soft polyfoams and memory foams are famous for heat retention. Meanwhile, innerspring, steel coils, and latex are known to bring more airflow and better circulation.
Your weight
Your weight can be a factor in buying a cooling mattress. That’s because the heavier you are, the more you retain and emit heat, thus, sleep warmer than most people. Heavier people sink further in the mattress resulting in trapped heat.
Materials and components in mattresses
There are many materials and components used in mattresses, and each of them has an effect on how hot or cool your bed will be.
- Steel coils and springs. Coils and innerspring provide the coolest mattress options because the air circulates around the spaces of the metal parts, thus helping the mattress stay cool.
- Latex. Latex mattresses have perforated holes; therefore, it can promote better air circulation because of the small, open spaces. Synthetic latex components, however, does not give a cooler mattress option, unlike natural latex.
- Foams. Foams are known to give off heat, but recent advancements in technology allow the material to improve airflow. There are lots of foam-based components that help cool a person to sleep. Gel-infused foams absorb heat and give off a cooling effect in return. Polyfoam is the least warm foam because of its low-density properties. Copper and graphite foams are infused materials to improve cooling properties. Memory foams are famous for retaining heat, but improvements like open-cell memory foams provide cooler options because of better air circulation.
Cover
Mattress covers also affect heat retention. Despite having a cooler mattress, covers may add temperature and further promote sleeping hot. Here are mattress covers you need to know:
- Non-quilted covers. Thin covers and have better air circulation properties.
- Quilted covers. Thicker mattress covers which restrict airflow.
- Phase-change covers. In a word, these materials change when a certain body temperature hits the surface of the cover. These components absorb heat then gives off a cooling effect.
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