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Best Cooling Bed Sheets for Hot Sleepers

    Last Updated
    January 11, 2023
    7
    min read

    Do you tend to sleep hot? Whether it's because of the weather, hot flashes, or your sleeping partner's habit of setting the heat too high, night sweats can feel like a real nightmare.

    Your bedsheets can go a long way toward helping your body stay cool so you can sleep comfortably all night long. Cooling bedsheets are specifically designed to regulate your temperature throughout the night.

    So, what should you look for when shopping for a set of cooling sheets? Read on to find out.

    Purple Bed Sheets

    From soft to cool bed sheets, Purple has sheets for all types of sleepers.

     

    What Is A Cooling Bedsheet?

    Cooling bedsheets are any type of fitted sheet or flat sheet that has cooling properties to help hot sleepers regulate their body temperature. These sheets are made of fabrics with moisture-wicking properties which keep sweaty sleepers from drenching their sheets.

    How Do Cooling Bedsheets Work?

    Cooling sheets aren’t magic. The way they work is simple: they utilize the cooling properties of certain types of fabrics. More breathable sheets are also made possible with a certain thread count range. Finally, a fabric's texture and weave can also mean the difference between cool sheets and sheets that trap body heat.

    Benefits Of Cooling Bedsheets

    Sleeping cool isn't just a matter of comfort. When you don't create the optimal sleep environment in your room, including the perfect temperature, you rob yourself of the chance of getting a deeper sleep and better-quality shut-eye.

    Studies found that staying cool while you sleep is associated with better REM and slow-wave sleep, the stages most associated with feeling refreshed in the morning. Additionally, sleeping in higher temperatures at night is associated with higher levels of stress and lower levels of alertness during the day.

    So, cooling bedsheets are scientifically proven to bring more restful, restorative sleep. If you need to replace your sheets, consider investing in bedding, such as bamboo or cotton, that will keep you cool and comfortable.

    How To Choose A Cooling Bedsheet

    When choosing cooling bedding materials to improve your sleep, you have to consider the following factors:

    Type Of Material

    Bedsheets come in a range of materials, each with varying capacities in terms of air circulation and moisture control. Here are the most common type of bed sheet fabrics out there:

    • Cotton: Cotton is a tried-and-tested natural material that has been around for a long time. It's affordable, durable, and most importantly a highly breathable fabric. Egyptian cotton and Supima cotton are among the high-end types of cotton.
    • Polyester: Made of synthetic materials, polyester sheets are durable, wrinkle-resistant, and have moisture-wicking properties. However, polyester fabric is not very breathable and absorbs grease and oil – making it a poor choice for a sweaty sleeper.
    • Linen: Linen sheets are light, airy, and made of natural fibers. Yet, despite being one of the coolest sheets out there, linen sheets do have a downside: the cheap kinds can be quite stiff and rough to the touch.
    • Silk: Smooth silk sheets will definitely improve your sleep quality with their natural cooling properties. The biggest con to silk? Their steep price.
    • Tencel: Also known as Lyocell, Tencel is a type of rayon made from the pulp of the eucalyptus tree. Being essentially eucalyptus sheets, Tencel sheets have a natural cooling effect. They're also wrinkle-resistant and environmentally friendly to boot.
    • Microfiber: Microfiber fabric is made out of fine synthetic fibers but doesn't have the staining properties of basic polyester. Still, it isn't nearly as breathable as long-staple cotton, making it a no-no for summer months.
    • Bamboo: Bamboo fabric makes for some of the coolest sheets. It has almost all the good qualities of cotton and Tencel, such as being wrinkle-resistant, durable, incredibly breathable, and cool to the touch.

    Weave

    How a fabric is woven can also affect its ability to keep sleepers cool at night.

    Percale cotton sheets are incredibly durable, breathable, and have a crisp feel to them. A percale weave might not be as soft or fluffy as other fabrics, but its crispness actually plays a part in reducing heat retention.

    Sateen sheets, on the other hand, are smooth and silky but retain heat quite well. As such, most people prefer using sateen sheets during colder months.

    Twill fabrics have a tighter weave and are thicker than percale. While they are quite durable, they aren't the most comfortable, as they often have a ribbed pattern.

    Finally, flannel sheets are fuzzy, cozy, and considerably inexpensive. But, like sateen, they're warm and unfit for summer nights. For cooler months, though, flannel is a popular choice.

    Thread Count

    A big part of breathability comes down to thread count. An optimal thread count that strikes the right balance between durability and breathability is often a good indicator of how cool a sheet set can keep sleepers throughout the night.

    Traditionally, experts advised that the higher the thread count, the softer, more luxurious, and higher quality a particular sheet probably is. However, that myth has been debunked in recent years, especially once sheet manufacturers learned to game the system.

    Instead of going for high-thread-count sheets, opt for something in the range of 250 to 400 threads per square inch of fabric.

    5 Reasons Purple’s Cooling Sheets Are The Best Cooling Bedsheets for Hot Sleepers

    We may be a little biased, but we think Purple’s cooling sheets are the very best you can buy – here’s why.

    1. Moisture-Wicking Material

    While the most common or traditional sheet material is cotton, Purple sheets are made of bamboo.

    Bamboo sheets offer a whole host of benefits, especially for hot sleepers. For one, bamboo is naturally moisture-wicking – Purple sheets pull sweat away from your body so it can evaporate. That means the sheets won’t trap your own body heat and force you to sleep in a cocoon of your own sweat.

    2. Naturally Cool

    The natural bamboo fiber in Purple sheets ensures that they always feel soft and cool to the touch. This makes it incredibly soothing for flustered and hot sleepers.

    3. Breathable

    Breathability is essential for staying well-ventilated and cool during the night. Thankfully, Purple bedsheets are extremely breathable.

    These high-tech sheets are scientifically designed to provide the best breathability, softness, and stretchiness for a better night’s sleep than ever before. In fact, Purple sheets are 83% more breathable than top-selling sheets made of Egyptian cotton.

    4. Super Stretchy

    What does stretch have to do with cooling, you ask? This is where your mattress and your bedsheets can work together to help you stay cool.

    Purple bedsheets have been designed specifically for use with the Purple® Mattress – the coolest mattress around. You want to avoid stiff, comfort-blocking sheets that prevent you from benefiting from the uniquely cool Purple Grid™. Since this Hyper-Elastic Polymer material is designed to flex dynamically with your body, your sheets need to be able to flex along with it. And ours can.

    Purple’s stretchy sheets also fit well with other mattress brands. You don’t have to wrestle with a too-tightly woven fitted sheet over your mattress corners. The Purple fitted sheet has a heavy-duty elastic edge that makes it easy to put on your mattress – and remain there — no matter if you toss and turn or sleep on an adjustable bed frame. No more fitted sheet corners coming loose from your mattress!

    5. Easy Returns

    Sometimes, a set of bedsheets just doesn’t have the right fit. If that’s the case, you don’t have to worry about getting a full refund.

    With Purple® Sheets, you have 30 days to try them out. If you decide for any reason that they’re not right for you, you can return them for a refund. They just need to be clean and undamaged.

    The Bottom Line

    There are few things worse than trying to get a comfortable night’s sleep when your bed feels like a furnace. But hot sleepers don’t have to book a flight to the Arctic to guarantee a good night’s sleep. You can sleep smart with Purple’s breathable sheets and cooling pillows to help make your bed more comfortable and set yourself up for snoozing success.

    For the very best results, pair your Purple cooling sheets with a Purple® Mattress for even greater breathability, moisture-wicking, and overall comfort — and a great night’s sleep.

    About the authors

    April Seifert
    Writer

    April has nearly a decade of writing experience, with 3+ years specializing in sleep content. Her work has been covered by sites like BuzzFeed, Entrepreneur, and Money Under 30. She has an M.A. in Magazine, Newspaper, and Online Journalism from Syracuse University and a B.A. in Communication Studies. As a self-proclaimed expert in all things cozy, she sleeps better at night, knowing her writing helps others sleep in comfort, too.