My Summer’s Sorrow I wake up all night feeling so hot. Nothing makes me miserable like heat, especially at night. Hot nights are unfortunately the price we pay for skipping winter in Southern California, but some people just sleep hot regardless of the temperature or where they live. It’s important to stay cool at night because heat can negatively affect the quality of your sleep, which can have health consequences. If you don’t want to spend money on a cool mattress, you might want to consider cool sheets.
But what makes a good cooling sheet? What exactly is it? ~is Cooling sheets? These sheets generally improve airflow, allowing your body to dissipate heat better than traditional cotton sheets. Linen is a popular choice and is breathable, while other materials have moisture-wicking and temperature-regulating properties. After sleeping on just about every sheet for a few weeks, I’ve concluded that linen and cotton percale are some of the best cooling sheets. But if you want something softer (or, like me, hate percale), there are other options. (All prices are for a queen size.)
Looking for more bedding gear? Check out our guides on the best cooling mattresses, best pillows, best linen sheets, best sheets, and best mattresses.
August 2024 Update: Added Saatva’s Percale Sheet Set as a new selection, added some cooling sheets to Honorable Mentions, and added additional notes on thread counts for all selections.
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What is a cooling sheet?
There are many terms used in the world of cooling sheets and cooling mattresses. Temperature control! Air flow! Moisture release! Phase change materials! In most cases, these characteristics come down to the breathability of the sheet. Breathability means that moisture can evaporate better, and “temperature regulating” generally means that the sheet is breathable enough to allow heat and moisture to escape from your body.
What makes sheets breathable? Cotton, flax, and bamboo are great for breathability, but not all sheets are created equal, so material alone can’t guarantee it. saltyLike the 1:1 yarn of percale and the 3:1 yarn of satin. weight (including thread count) Bedding comes into play. The higher the thread count, the less breathable it is, and the tighter the weave, the less breathable it is. The threads within the fabric are also important, as is the degree of twist. The more twist, the smoother and cooler the fabric feels, but if the twist is loose, it is not smooth and traps heat.
Some companies treat the sheets with what are called phase change materials, or PCMs, which absorb and release energy to heat or cool an area. “PCMs create a microclimate,” says Karen Leonas, a professor of textile science at North Carolina State University’s Wilson College of Textiles. Excess body heat is absorbed by these materials and then released back to the body as it cools.
These treatments may add to the price of cooling sheets, but they’re not yet popular, and it’s hard to judge how well they’re integrated into fabrics. “PCMs have been tested in thermal cycling and have been shown to last a long time,” says Leonas. “If they’re surface treatments, there’s a chance that some of the microcapsules will be lost through wear and tear.” Parima Ijaz, CEO of Pure Parima, agrees, saying these treatments sometimes only last up to 10 washes. There are only a handful of sheets on the market that advertise the use of PCMs, and our guide focuses on breathable materials and weaves rather than the treatments. It’s also worth noting that PCMs last much longer in foam mattresses, according to Leonas. If you’re still sweating at night after switching to cooling sheets, try a cooling mattress instead.
