9 Best Cooling Sheets for 2024

What Kind of Bed Sheets Will Keep You Cool?

The types of sheets best for cooling are those made from breathable materials. Materials like cotton, silk, and bamboo are the most popular types of sheets because they’re breathable, thermoregulating, and moisture-wicking. The following list explains these benefits in detail.

• Breathable: Sheets made from breathable materials like cotton foster airflow to keep you cool. These are the best for cooling because they help prevent overheating and sweating.
• Thermoregulating: Some materials, like bamboo, are thermoregulating. Thermoregulating means the fabric can adjust to your body temperature and keep you cool when it’s hot and warm when it’s cold.
• Moisture-wicking: Sheets that are moisture-wicking pull the sweat away from your body, preventing you from becoming overheated.

Breathability, thermoregulation, and moisture-wicking sheets are best for cooling. The reason for this is that they allow the air to circulate, prevent you from sweating, and help you stay cool throughout the night.

What Should You Look For in Cooling Sheets?

Material

Choosing the right set of cooling sheets can be overwhelming due to so many options available. Not only that, some products might not live up to their promises, and different materials deliver different results. 

The options listed below are all great for regulating temperature and moisture wicking:

• Egyptian Cotton: For a long time, Egyptian Cotton has been the gold standard when it comes to bed linen. Egyptian Cotton is high-quality and has a high thread count. Plus, it’s easy to wash and very durable. The downside is that it creases badly.
  

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• Pima Cotton: Similar to Egyptian Cotton, this is mostly grown in the States. Pima is also high-quality and durable with a luxurious feel. The material is also easy to keep clean but needs ironing.
  

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• Supima: Supima is similar to Pima Cotton and is homegrown. Like the others above, Supima is a luxury material.
  

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• Bamboo: The popularity of bamboo is growing every day. This is because bamboo is more sustainable to grow than cotton and produces strong, durable fabric fibers that breathe well.
  

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• Tencel: A fiber made from pulped plants and wood. The fibers are good quality with a silkier feel, but they’re not as durable as good quality cotton.
  

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• Polyester: Traditionally, polyester is not associated with breathability. However, when used to create moisture-wicking items, it can be highly effective at keeping you dry and confident. A big plus is that it does not wrinkle.

Read More:

• Top Rated Bamboo Sheets
  

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• Best Cotton Sheets
  

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Weave

The type of weave that your bed linen has makes a significant difference in breathability.

Percale – A percale weave is what’s known as a plain weave. In other words, it’s constructed by crossing the threads over one other in an “over, under, over, under” pattern. This leads to sheets that are extremely durable as well as breathable—a desirable cooling combo.

Jersey – Contrary to popular belief, jersey is not a particular fabric, but a kind of weave. Jersey-knit sheets can be made from 100 percent cotton or a blend of cotton and polyester. A jersey weave leaves sheets feeling naturally stretchy, even without any added elastic materials. It’s a versatile knit that shouldn’t leave you too cold or too hot.

Sateen – A sateen weave follows a pattern of one yarn under and three or four yarns over. Although it has impressive cooling capabilities, it’s not as accomplished as percale when it comes to beating the heat.

Satin – This type of weave creates a lustrous, shimmery material. Its cooling powers are dependent on the fabric used in the sheets, but if a breathable textile is chosen, a satin weave can keep sleepers reliably chilled out.

Thread Count

When it comes to thread count, you would think that the higher it is, the better it is for you. This is true when it comes to durability and a luxurious feel. However, this is not true when it comes to the breathability of the material.

No matter what the material is made from, the more tightly it is woven, the less it allows air to circulate through it. This can increase heat retention, which is bad news for hot sleepers. That’s why a microfiber sheet, even when made of synthetic material, could be more breathable than an all-natural fiber.

Hold up a piece of microfiber, and you’ll be able to see that there is more space between the fibers. If you’re a hot sleeper, a high-quality cotton duvet cover may seem like an excellent option, but it could be the reason that you’re not sleeping well as well.

When choosing natural fibers, look for a thread count of between 200 and 400 to be on the safe side.

Color

Did you know that the color of your blankets and duvets can also influence how hot your bed is at night? This is because dark colors absorb more heat and light, and light colors reflect them.

When the sun shines directly on your bed, the amount of light, and so heat, absorbed will depend on what coverings you have on your bed. The more they absorb the sun’s rays, the hotter your bed gets.

Consequently, you start your evening at a disadvantage because your bed has been soaking up the sun all day.

Size

What size is your bed? Is it a Single, Double, Queen, or King? Those give you a rough idea of where to start looking, but you should also measure your bed.

Measure the width, length, and height of the bed. This will ensure that your order fits properly.

Who Should Use Cooling Bed Sheets?

People With Night Sweats

Night sweats can leave you exhausted, rather than having a peaceful night’s sleep. These aren’t pleasant, and it may feel embarrassing if you share a bed with a partner.

Read More: Causes of Night Sweats

Women Going Through Menopause

Menopause can come with multiple symptoms, and one of the most common ones is hot flashes. Experiencing hot flashes at night can make it difficult to rest comfortably, which is where cooling sheets could help.

Someone with an Illness or Health Condition

Certain illnesses and health conditions, both chronic and acute, can make sleeping more difficult by raising your internal body temperature and making sleep unpleasant and uncomfortable for you.

People Who Live in Warm Climates

Living in a hot climate is a breeze for some people, but for others, the heat is very bothersome. If you live someplace where it’s usually warmer than it is cool, you’ll understand the importance of cooling sheets.

Even if you don’t live someplace that is consistently warm, cooling sheets can also be a game-changer for the summer season. Mostly, summers are great. Unfortunately, all that consistent sunshine also has a darker side – it can make things hot.

Even though the temperatures drop after the sun has gone down, it’s not always enough to enable you to sleep comfortably.

Who Shouldn’t Use Cooling Bed Sheets?

People Who Run Cold

For those who tend to run cool rather than warm, cooling sheets might be the last thing you need at night. Instead, you might choose sheets that are made from warmer fabrics, like flannel, fleece, or heavier cotton.

If you do run cold, don’t worry. There are lots of perfectly healthy reasons why some people run cooler and some people run warmer, like muscle mass or body fat, for example. People with more muscle mass or body fat tend to run warmer than those with less.

People Who Live in Cooler Climates

Maybe you live someplace up north, in the mountains, or maybe even in the desert where the temperature drops dramatically at night. Wherever you are, if it is cold at night there, you definitely won’t want sheets that keep you even cooler. 

Do keep in mind, though, that even if it is cold outside, you should still aim to keep your thermostat low, somewhere between 60 and 67 degrees since sleeping in a cooler room is better for your sleep quality.

Other Ways to Stay Cool At Night

• Cooling Mattress – Certain mattress materials are more naturally cooling than others, like latex, for example. There are also plenty of mattress manufacturers now making mattresses with an additional cooling gel layer or including some other cooling technology. Read more about the best cooling mattresses for hot sleepers.
  
• Cooling Topper – Mattress toppers are not just a great way to add some extra squish to your bed; they can also help cool you off at night. This is especially useful for those who have a warmer memory foam mattress already and would like to add a cooling layer rather than purchase a whole new mattress. 
• Cooling Pillow – Cooling pillows are an excellent way to keep your whole body cool. After all, much of our temperature regulation happens in the head, so cooling off this area is important. Cooling pillows use a combination of breathable fabrics, like bamboo or cotton, and various cooling technologies like gel or carbon fiber. 
• Fan – This might seem obvious, but adding a ceiling fan or floor fan to your nighttime routine can be a game changer. You can even try hanging a cool, damp sheet or a bucket of ice in front of the fan to cool things off even more. Homemade AC!
• Other Tips – If you sleep hot, there are plenty of other ways to cool down. Try some lightweight pajamas, or you can keep your curtains or blinds closed during the day to keep heat from warming up your room. Even though the temperature drops at night, your room will trap the heat from the day if it is pouring in through the windows. 

Cooling Sheet FAQs

What are cooling sheets?

Cooling sheets are sheets that help keep you cool at night. They can do this with fabric– for example, bamboo and Egyptian cotton are great at keeping things cool. They can also do this with the type of weave– the percale weave is known for its cooling abilities. They can also do this with thread count. Contrary to what you might think, a higher thread count might actually lead to warmer sheets. 

What are the best cooling sheets?

The best cooling sheets will depend on the sleeper’s budget and personal preferences. Generally, you’ll want to look for lightweight or moisture-wicking fabrics, as well as weaves and thread counts that promote cooling.

What’s the best material for cooling sheets?

In general, sheets made from bamboo, Tencel, linen, or cotton with a percale weave will feel the most lightweight, airy, and cool. Do keep in mind, linen sheets tend to need some wearing in, as they might start out a little stiff.