How to sleep cooler: bedding and habits for hot sleepers

To sleep cooler, start with bedding that lets heat and moisture escape: breathable cotton or linen sheets, a lighter duvet or several thin layers, and pillows that do not hold warmth. Then look at the room itself and keep it cool, dark and well aired. Most of the difference comes from small, practical changes rather than any single product.

Why some people sleep hot

Your bedding holds a layer of warm air around you. If it does not let that heat and moisture move away, you can end up feeling hot and sticky by the early hours. Room temperature, the weight of your covers and the fabrics against your skin all add up, and some people simply run warmer than others, or than their partner. If you regularly wake up soaked in sweat whatever the bedding, it is worth mentioning to a doctor.

1. Choose breathable sheet fabrics

Weave and fibre matter more than thread count, and very high counts can feel denser and less airy. For more, see percale vs sateen and does thread count matter.

2. Rethink your duvet or covers

• A lighter weight. Many duvets are sold in seasonal weights, and a summer or light weight holds less heat. In the UK and Europe, a lower tog rating means a lighter duvet.
• Layers instead of one heavy duvet. A flat sheet, a light blanket and a thin duvet let you peel off a layer during the night.
• Separate duvets. If you share a bed and one of you runs warmer, two single duvets let each person choose their own weight. This is common in parts of Europe.
• Fill and shell. Natural fills such as down are often described as breathable for their warmth, while some synthetic fills feel warmer at a similar weight. A cotton shell usually breathes better than a polyester one.

3. Choose pillows that do not hold heat

• Solid memory foam can feel warm, because it moulds closely around the head and lets little air through.
• Feather, down and down alternative pillows have more air in the fill and can be plumped to let warmth escape.
• Cotton shells and pillowcases feel less warm than polyester for many people.
• Turning the pillow over during the night gives you a fresher side to lie on.

Products sold as 'cooling' vary widely, and the label does not always explain what is different. Read what the fabric or fill actually is, and treat the word as a description rather than a promise. For how the common fills compare, see down vs feather vs down alternative.

4. Set up the room

• Keep it cool. Typical guidance puts a comfortable bedroom temperature at around 16 to 19°C (60 to 67°F), though personal preference varies.
• Block daytime heat. Close curtains or blinds on sunny sides of the house during the day.
• Air the room in the evening. Open windows once the air outside is cooler, and use a fan to move air across the bed.
• Air the bed in the morning. Pull the covers back for a while before making the bed, so moisture can escape.
• Keep laptops and chargers off the bed. They add warmth under the covers.

5. Habits that help

• Take a lukewarm shower before bed rather than a very hot one, which many people find helps them feel less warm when they get into bed.
• Wear light, loose cotton or linen nightwear, or none.
• Wash bedding regularly. Fresh sheets feel crisper and lighter than ones that have been slept in for a while.

A summer bedding checklist

1. Swap to percale or linen sheets.
2. Use a lighter duvet, or switch to layers.
3. Choose pillows with an airy fill and cotton cases.
4. Keep the room cool, dark and aired.
5. Leave a light blanket at the foot of the bed for cooler early mornings.

For a tidy, hotel style finish with lighter layers, see how to make your bed like a hotel.