Warm summer nights keep many people from sleeping. Bedroom accessories, such as cooling sheets, pillows and toppers, should help. We explain which bed linen and pillows cool particularly well.
The optimal sleeping temperature is between 16 and 19 degrees. In the warm season, however, the room temperature is usually much higher. If the bedroom is too warm, the body temperature cannot drop at night – this causes us to sleep restlessly and sweat. Especially people who live in attic apartments or poorly insulated old buildings do not find it easy to get a restful sleep these days.
This can be quickly remedied with an air conditioner. But these are often expensive and sometimes work quite loudly. If you are looking for a cheaper and quieter solution that does not require any electricity at all, cooling bed linen could be a good alternative. If you invest a little money in a summer set of cooling bed linen, gel pillows and light blankets, you can usually benefit from it for years. Here are a few tips for choosing the right bedroom set for the summer.
1. Cool head despite the heat: Ergonomic cushions
Ergonomic pillows provide relief on hot summer nights. These can not only help – as is initially assumed from the term – against physical complaints such as neck pain, but also against heat. Because conventional pillows are often filled with down or feathers, which absorb heat. Ergonomic pillows, on the other hand – especially newer models – have a cooling gel layer that keeps the body temperature stable and thus acts as an optimal sleeping surface, for example this ergonomic Klubbsporre cushions (see at IKEA). The ergonomic, cooling pillows are made with foam that is not temperature-sensitive.
Alternatively, a cooling gel pad insert use (for example at Amazon), which can be integrated into your own pillow – a much cheaper alternative to a new pillow.
2. Cooling Mattress Pad
Good toppers can ensure a good night’s sleep – some warm in winter, others cool in summer. In the best case, a good mattress topper has two sides, for example from Lambswool and Virgin Wool Procave (see Amazon). One side is lined with a cooling microfiber to help you sleep better when it’s hot. In winter, for example, a flannel fabric on the other side warms you up.
If you’re just looking for something for the summer, you’ve got one Cold foam topper (view at Amazon) well advised. The cold foam ensures good moisture regulation and air circulation. Cold foam mattress toppers are open-pored so that body heat and moisture can be optimally absorbed and passed on.
3. Light linen and silk bedding
The recommendation to wear linen clothing in summer is common: it traps heat and is breathable. The same also applies to Linen bedding (see at Ikea): A particularly fine fabric is just as soft as cotton bed linen and also keeps you nice and cool. Because linen fibers can quickly absorb a lot of moisture, wick it away quickly and are therefore particularly breathable. In addition, bed linen and other textiles made from linen fibers are extremely tear-resistant and therefore very durable.
Bed linen made of pure silk is particularly cooling. This is also very light. However, silk bed linen (view at Amazon) very sensitive and usually quite expensive (from around 200 euros upwards).
The best mattresses from Stiftung Warentest
Not only the right bed accessories are crucial for a good night’s sleep, the right mattress is also important here. Here is a quick overview of the five best models from Stiftung Warentest. You can find more information in our detailed purchase advice.