Sleeping on a hot mattress - online mattress reviews

How to Deal With a Hot Mattress

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There are few things that ruin a good night’s sleep the way that a hot mattress can. A sweaty musty bed is the last thing you need when you are trying to catch precious sleep.

Memory foam mattresses are especially known for their tendency to get too warm. Things get worse during the warm season when even sticking one leg out of the blankets doesn’t help. And that’s not even mentioning how terrible and totally unromantic such a mattress can be during sex.

So what do you do when your mattress just can’t stay cool?

Here are some suggestions.

Get a New Mattress

Replacing a Hot mattress

If your current mattress is more than 5-7 years old, age could be the reason why it is getting hot and uncomfortable. Instead of seeking temporary solutions, why not just get a new mattress?

Mattress shopping today is easy. You don’t have to go to a store or even interact with salespeople. You can buy a mattress online, have it delivered to your home in a few days with a generous return period (usually 100 days) and warranty coverage (usually 10 years).

But you need to make sure you buy the right mattress that won’t have the same temperature issues as your old one. See our online mattress reviews to help you find the best mattress for your needs.

While memory foam mattresses have been traditionally regarded as the poorest in temperature control, they’ve come a long way. Modern memory foam mattresses use various technologies such as gel infusion, open cell design and phase change materials to keep heat away.

Today, as long as you buy a quality mattress, most mattress types are on par in terms of staying cool. A quality memory foam mattress will just be as good as a spring or latex mattress.

Regardless of which mattress you buy, check which technology, if any, they are using for temperature control. Are the foam layers open cell? Is there a dedicated cooling layer? Is the cover breathable?

And of course, online mattress reviews from customers can be of great help.

If you just bought a new mattress and it’s sleeping hot, you can usually make a return as long as you are within the trial period (often 100days).

Get a Cooling Pad (Topper)

If you cannot get a new mattress, maybe because of budget constraints or the mattress you have is fairly new, an easier solution is getting a cooling mattress topper.

Also called mattress pads, mattress toppers are used in different ways. There are warming pads (for when the bed is too cold) and comfort pads (to improve mattress comfort). A cooling pad provides a cool sleeping surface.

A cooling pad will usually have special technology or materials that help conduct heat away from the mattress surface.

Cooling pads are 2 to 4 inches thick. If you just want one just for cooling, not for comfort, then a thin 2-inch topper is enough. But if you have an old mattress which could use a bit more plushness, a thicker 3 or 4 inch pad is ideal.

Get Breathable Bedding

If the heating is mild, you can forgo getting a brand new mattress or buying a topper. A change of bedding may be enough to enjoy cooler nights.

Start by changing the mattress cover. Get one that is more breathable, ideally made from soft and airy material like cotton or silk. You can also try changing your sheets and comforter to ones that are cooler and more breathable.

Adjust Your Sleeping Environment

If you don’t want to spend any more money on your bedding, whether it’s getting a new mattress or sheets, you can try making the room itself a bit cooler.

Naturally, our bodies prefer a cool environment to sleep well. So check whether the thermostat is cranked a bit too high. The ideal sleep temperature according to the National Sleep Foundation is between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit.

Get rid of devices such as smartphones and laptops from the bedroom. They tend to emit heat when charging and can make the room uncomfortably warm.

You can also try adding a ceiling or standing fan to your bedroom and see if it helps.

But if your mattress gets really uncomfortably hot and makes you sweat, I recommend buying a new mattress with more effective temperature control.


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