my summer sadness I wake up all night because I’m too hot. Nothing makes me more miserable than heat, especially at night. Unfortunately, hot nights are the price I pay for skipping winter here in Southern California, but some people are just hot sleepers no matter the temperature or where they live. Heat can negatively impact sleep quality, which can affect your health, so it’s important to stay cool at night; if you’re not willing to splurge on a cooling mattress, it might be worth considering cooling sheets.
But what makes a cooling film good? What exactly? is A cooling sheet? These sheets typically improve airflow, allowing the body to dissipate heat better than traditional cotton sheets. Linen is a popular choice and is quite breathable, while other materials have moisture-wicking and temperature-regulating properties. After sleeping on almost all sheets for weeks, I’ve come to the conclusion that linen and cotton percale are some of the best cooling sheets. But if you want a softer material (or hate percale like I do), there are other options, too. (All prices are for queen size).
Looking for more bedding? Read our guides to the best cooling mattresses, best pillows, best linen sheets, best sheets, and best mattresses.
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What are cooling sheets?
There is a lot of terminology used in the world of cooling sheets and mattresses. Temperature regulation, air flow, moisture absorption, phase change material. Most of the time, these characteristics are due to the breathability of the sheets. Breathability means that moisture can evaporate better and “temperature regulating” generally means that the sheets are breathable enough to release heat and moisture from the body.
What makes sheets breathable? Cotton, linen and bamboo have great breathability, but not all sheets are created equal, so material alone is not a guarantee. Tissueas in the one-over-one threads of percale versus the three-over-one threads of satin, and weight The thread count of the bedding comes into play. Yarns with higher thread counts are less breathable and tighter weaves will be less breathable as well. The thread within the fabric is also important, as is the degree of twist: a higher twist makes the fabric softer and cooler, while a looser twist is not as soft and can trap heat.
Some companies treat sheets with something called phase change materials, or PCMs, which are substances that absorb and release energy to heat or cool an area. “PCMs create a microclimate,” says Karen Leonas, a professor of textile sciences at the Wilson College of Textiles at North Carolina State University. Excess body heat is absorbed by these materials and then released back into the body when it is cold.
These treatments may increase the price of cooling sheets, but they are not yet very popular and it is difficult to determine how well they have been incorporated into the fabric. “PCMs go through thermal cyclic testing and have been proven to last a long time,” says Leonas. “If it is a surface treatment, there is a chance that some of the microcapsules will be lost due to abrasion.” Parima Ijaz, CEO of Pure Parima agrees, saying these treatments sometimes only last up to 10 washes. There are only a handful of sheets on the market that promote the use of PCM, and our guide focuses on breathable materials and fabrics rather than these treatments. It’s worth noting that PCMs will last much longer on a foam mattress, according to Leonas. If you still sweat at night after switching to cooling sheets, try a cooling mattress.