How to sleep cooler

If you run hot at night, you are not alone. Overheating is one of the most common reasons people wake up and struggle to settle again. The good news is that a few changes to your room, your bedding and your habits can make a real difference to how cool and comfortable you sleep.

Waking up hot has many causes, from the temperature of your room to what you ate, to natural hormonal changes. If yours are new, frequent or troubling, it is worth a chat with your GP. For everyday warmth, though, here is where to start.

Cool the room

The simplest lever is the room itself. Air conditioning lets you set a cooler temperature before bed. Around 18 degrees is often cited as ideal, though the right number is whatever feels comfortable to you. No air con? Fans work well. Try two if you can, one facing out a window to push hot air out, one facing in to circulate cool air. You can boost the incoming fan by setting a frozen bottle of water in front of it. During the day, keep windows closed and curtains drawn to stop the room heating up.

Sleep in and on breathable materials

What you sleep in and on has a big effect on temperature. Breathable fabrics let the moisture your body gives off escape rather than trapping it. Naturally breathable choices include bamboo, cotton, linen and merino. Synthetics like polyester and viscose tend to trap heat, so warmth builds up under the covers with nowhere to go.

Our bamboo bedding and weighted blanket covers are made from bamboo lyocell, which feels cool to the touch, is very breathable, and is moisture-wicking, so if you do get warm, it moves moisture to the surface to dry rather than sitting damp against you. They are OEKO-TEX certified, tested for harmful substances.

Rethink your mattress

Your mattress can trap heat too. Memory foam is known for holding warmth because of how dense it is. More breathable constructions let air move and help you stay cooler.

Try a weighted blanket, even if you run hot

This sounds counterintuitive if you overheat, but it depends entirely on how the blanket is made. We are used to pairing weight with warmth, but they don't have to go together. A Groundd weighted blanket gets its weight from glass beads, which don't trap or hold body heat, under a breathable loose-weave cotton and bamboo lyocell cover. So you get the comforting, grounded feeling of a heavy duvet with a fraction of the warmth.

In the moment

If you wake up hot, cool down quickly: turn on a fan, drop the room temperature, sip cool water, peel off a layer, and take a few slow breaths to help yourself settle back down.