There’s nothing worse than tossing and turning all night because you’re too hot. Or waking up in the middle of the night drenched in sweat. We want our bed sheets to feel cosy, yet allow our skin to breathe. Many sheets are made using synthetic fabrics, which are sweaty and inefficient at regulating temperature.
This is where cooling bed sheets come in. These sheets are made out of ultra-breathable materials with clever moisture-wicking properties, allowing your body to effectively regulate its temperature all night long.
In this article, learn why it’s so important to remain cool at night and discover the best cooling bed sheets. Plus, find some top tips on other ways to keep cool while you sleep.
Why is Staying Cool Important?
When we sleep at night, all of our bodily functions begin to slow down and our body temperature drops 1-2 degrees. But why?
We sleep better when we’re cooler
According to scientists, cooler bedrooms can help us drift off to sleep quicker and remain asleep. This is because our body’s naturally reduce our temperature at night to trigger the release of the sleep hormone melatonin. Ever experienced that cosy, sleepy feeling when you’re cold? This is why! Sleep experts advise the optimal temperature for your bedroom is between 60-67 degrees fahrenheit.
Supports weight management
It might sound strange, but keeping cool at night can help support weight loss. This is because when our body temperature drops, levels of human growth hormone increase which supports muscle repair. Muscle burns more calories at rest than fat, so increasing our muscle mass is important for weight management.
Another hormone called cortisol, which is linked to appetite, decreases when our body temperature drops at night. This can reduce cravings during the daytime and prevent us from snacking on sugary foods.
Supports the body’s natural temperature cycle
Similarly to our body’s natural sleep and wake cycles, we also have a natural temperature cycle over a 24 hour period. We are coldest in the morning because as we sleep, our body cools down and we enter a resting mode. Whereas in the early evening, we are at our warmest because we have spent the day in a more active state, which generates heat as a by-product. Even small movements and things like digestion and thinking raise our internal temperature.
Prevents night sweats
Waking up clammy and drenched in sweat is not just unpleasant, but also causes severe disruptions to our sleep and can leave us feeling dehydrated the next day. Night sweats also soil your bed sheets, meaning they need washing more frequently, which may not be realistic.
Some bed sheet fabrics are sweatier than others. Generally those that are made out of synthetic fabrics, like polyester, are much less breathable and moisture-wicking. Cooling bed sheets do the opposite and help your body regulate its temperature better to prevent sweating.
It keeps you looking young
Cooling sheets for beds can help you maintain the optimum temperature for sleeping and may just be the secret to maintaining a youthful appearance! Why? Because a drop in body temperature triggers the release of anti-aging hormones, melatonin and growth hormones. These help the body repair and restore itself, which is essential for looking youthful.
What Are Cooling Sheets Made of?
So what are the best bed sheets to keep you cool? This entirely depends on the type of fabric of your bed sheets. As mentioned earlier, some fabrics are more cooling than others. Let’s take a closer look at some bedding fabrics that are the best at regulating body temperature.
Cotton
Cotton is a very breathable fabric as it is woven less tightly than other materials. This means there are more little holes for air to circulate through, resulting in cool feeling sheets and a sweat-free night.
Bamboo
Bamboo sheets are very lightweight and breathable in a similar way to cotton, which makes them another popular choice for cool bed sheets.
Microfibers
Microfibre sheets are extremely lightweight, thanks to the micro-threads they are made from. This means there are lots of tiny holes within the sheets that help wick away heat and moisture.
Natural Silver
Fabrics that are woven with natural silver are a new type of bed sheet on the market that are gaining popularity. Not only does silver feel cool to the touch, it also hosts a whole load of other benefits!
These are due to the fact that silver ions are positively charged, and bacteria are positively charged. When they come into contact, they attach together like a magnet, preventing bacteria from growing. Thanks to these antibacterial properties, your sheets will stay cleaner and smell fresher for longer. As a result, your skin will be healthier too as it is not rubbing against dirty sheets all night.
Silk
Silk is perhaps the best material choice for cool bed sheets, as it helps you effectively regulate your temperature at night by wicking away heat and moisture. But not only are silk bed sheets great for temperature regulation, they are also extra soft and luxurious feeling!
Aeyla’s (previously Mela) Eucalyptus silk sheets provide all the same benefits as traditional silk but are made using 100% sustainably sourced eucalyptus from regenerative forests in Europe. Eucalyptus can absorb 70% more moisture than other fabrics like cotton, helping control those night sweats so you sleep soundly and coolly.
Other Ways to Stay Cool at Night
Environment
If you want your bedroom to remain cool at night, it makes sense to prevent it from heating up in the first place. Keep the sunlight out by keeping blinds or curtains closed - one of the oldest tricks in the book!
Take a shower before you get into bed
If you’ve spent the day feeling hot and sweaty, it’s important to try to cool yourself down as much as possible before getting to bed. This will set you up as best you can for a good, cool night’s sleep. Taking a cold shower before bed might sound daunting, but it is a great way to get your temperature down. Even a warm shower can help, as when you get out, the air around you will feel cooler.
Check your sleeping attire
Wearing pyjamas to bed can keep you warm and prevent your body from effectively regulating its internal temperature. Sleeping naked is ideal as it helps the body wick away heat. If you’d rather the comfort of some sleeping attire, opt for loose-fitting pyjamas that are made out of a breathable fabric such as cotton or silk.
Avoid food and exercise a few hours before bed
Both exercise and eating raise your internal body temperature. If you struggle to keep cool at night, try to keep your workouts to earlier in the day to ensure your body has time to cool down before going to bed. Similarly, heat is a major by-product of the digestive process as energy is required to digest food. As such eating a large, hearty meal requires a lot of energy to digest so will raise your body temperature. Avoid eating big meals close to bedtime if you want to stay cool at night.
Aeyla’s Sheet Sets
If you’re looking for the best cooling bed sheets in the UK, look no further. Aeyla offers a number of different bed sheets that help keep you cool at night that are also sustainable.
Choose from the Eucalyptus silk sheets mentioned earlier, as well as the clean silver collection. These sheets combine cooling cotton with real silver yarn to provide powerful antibacterial properties, helping your sheets stay clean for longer and preventing the clogging of your pores.
Take your pick from Aeyla’s Sheet Set Collection and say goodbye to hot, sweaty nights and waking up with bad skin!