How to Stay Cool at Night for Sound Sleep

Staying cool at night is often easier said than done. Trying to sleep while it’s too hot can be agonizing, with a lot of tossing and turning keeping you from a sound night’s sleep. Air conditioning requires a lot of energy, with a proportionally high electricity bill to go with it. Here’s how to stay cool at night and sleep soundly without breaking the bank.

Use a Fan, Not an A/C

Using a fan over an A/C will save you much heartache over your electric bill while you stay cool at night. If you’re worried that the fan alone isn’t enough to keep the heat away, a good low tech solution is to place a low bowl or dipped plate filled with ice in front of the fan with the air flow directed at you. As the ice melts, the fan will wick the cool water toward you as a cooling mist. It’s a simple way to stay cool at night without hurting your wallet.

Try a Cooling Gel Pillow

A cooling gel pillow contains layers of a gel that stays cool to the touch, even over time. The gel disperses heat from the head, which is crucial as the head is the hottest part of the body. With a cooling gel pillow, there’s no need to constantly flip the pillow while you’re trying to get comfortable. Cooling gel also doesn’t require refrigeration or electricity to work—it’s just a function of the gel.

Keep the Windows Open

Again, sometimes to stay cool at night, you need to embrace the low-tech option. If the temperature outside is cooler than it is inside your bedroom, keep the window open throughout the night. Make sure you have a screen so no unwanted pests get in to disturb your rest.

Get Creative with Your Sheets

There’s a few neat little tricks you can do with your sheets to stay cool at night. They’re all easy and require little energy and no cash.
You can put your sheets in the freezer for a few hours, creating a refreshing experience for you at night. If you’d like to try this, make sure you put your sheets in a plastic bag before putting them in the freezer. That should keep them dry and prevent the layers from freezing together. Otherwise, your sheets might end up frozen together.

Another is the Egyptian method—soak a sheet or towel in water, then wring out the water or use your washer’s spin cycle so that any excess water is removed. When you go to sleep, cover yourself with the damp fabric (you may want to place a towel under you so your mattress doesn’t get wet) and let the water wick away your body heat.

Select the Right Bedding for Air Circulation

Choosing the right materials and bedding to sleep on can make all the difference for staying cool at night. Heavy bedding materials such as thick blankets and mattress toppers will trap heat, and removing or replacing them with thinner bedding will allow more heat to escape. At the same time, purchasing sheets made of natural cotton or wool will allow heat to escape through ventilation, regulating your body temperature and giving you a much sounder sleep.

Choose the Right Mattress

Sometimes the solution to staying cool at night is the simplest. Selecting a mattress with the right materials can make all the difference for giving you a sounder night’s sleep. Conventional mattresses trap heat in their inorganic fibers and chemicals, keeping you awake longer. Natural cotton and wool mattresses automatically regulate body temperature throughout the night, so you stay cool with little effort. Cotton in particular is breathable and allows for ventilation, keeping heat from getting trapped and disturbing your well-deserved rest.

Selecting a mattress made with natural materials is a long term, low energy solution to staying cool at night. Gardner Mattress can provide you with handmade, organic mattresses that naturally keeps you cool, even on the hottest nights of summer. Call us today or visit one of our showrooms to find out more about Gardner’s commitment to quality mattresses and sound sleep.