There's nothing better than ending a long, hard day by slipping between the cool sheets and dozing off for a solid night's sleep. Unfortunately, for some people, the rest doesn't last. They're awakened a short time later, hot and sweaty, tangled in half-kicked-off covers.
Can anything be done to solve your problem? What should you do to stay cool?
3 Reasons Why You Get So Hot When You Sleep
Although there are certainly some outlying reasons, most of us get hot when we sleep due to these three underlying causes.
1. Your Bedding Makes You Hot
During the day, our body temperatures rise. At night, they cool.
While you're sleeping it can be 1 to 2 degrees lower than in the daytime. Body temperature starts to fall as bedtime approaches, paving the way for a good night's sleep. Your body also tends to lose heat, which helps you fall and stay asleep.
It's because of this falling body temperature that we tend to sleep under sheets and blankets, and why some of us don hoodies before going to bed. Ironically, this is also one of the reasons we wake up feeling hot later.
When all that heat escapes our bodies, where does it go? Depending on the type of pajamas we wear and the bedding we favor, much of that heat is trapped there with us.
The next thing we know, we're waking up all hot and sweaty.
2. Our Bodies Change
Many of us have built our bedtime routines and habits over the course of many decades.
What happens, though, when our bodies begin to change?
- Pregnancy
- Menopause
- Medications
- Hormone disorders
- Neurological conditions
All these circumstances and more can cause us to begin waking up hot and sweaty in the middle of the night.
When our bodies and life circumstances change, it's important that we change our habits to accommodate the differences.
- Buy lighter bedding
- Sleep in thinner, more breathable pajamas
- Maximize your sleeping space for comfort
These steps can help ensure a better night's sleep, particularly for those who have recently begun to wake up feeling hot.
3. Our Sleeping Space is Not Maximized for Comfort.
In addition to investing in lighter bedding and thinner, more breathable pajamas, it's important that you maximize your entire sleeping space for comfort.
- Adjust your thermostat—If you're able, set your thermostat to 65 degrees for comfortable sleep.
- Position your bed—Think about the way your bed is positioned in the room. Is it in the proper place to enjoy ventilation?
- Invest in fans—A well-placed fan tilted at just the right angle can go a long way toward ensuring a smooth, comfortable night's sleep.
- Stack light layers—Rather than favoring thick, heavy duvets, stack up a few light layers of blankets for easy nighttime adjustments. This will keep you from taking an all-or-nothing approach to your bedding.
- Consider your mattress—Certain mattress materials, while comfortable, may actually be absorbing your body heat and trapping it next to you through the night. Consider investing in a new mattress, perhaps one with cooling technology.
When the time comes to invest in a new mattress that will help keep you cool at night, we're here to help.
Visit Land of Sleep
When it's time for a new mattress, Land of Sleep is here for you! We carry a large selection of mattresses and offer free, same-day delivery and removal of your old mattress. Come discover all we have to offer. Start sleeping better and resting more comfortably as soon as tonight!
