The Best Bedding For Night Sweats: Our Guide to Cooling Fabrics

March 28, 2023 10 min read

If you deal with night sweats, you understand how much it affects your quality of sleep. These episodes of heavy sweating occur while you sleep, and they often cause people to awaken in the middle of the night. While some instances of night sweats are caused by an underlying medical condition, the type of bedding you use can also play a role. This guide will explore which fabric is the best bedding if you are experiencing night sweating, and what types of bedding you should avoid helping you stay cool and comfortable for a good night’s rest.

In This Article

Can certain bedding cause night sweats?
What fabric is best for night sweats?
How do I stop waking up with night sweats?
Is it bad to have night sweats every night?
Final Thoughts on the best bedding For night sweats

Can certain bedding cause night sweats?

Certain types of bedding may exacerbate night sweats and make them worse. Various materials can have a profound effect on your body temperature, particularly materials that are not breathable. If you use heavy bedding that doesn’t allow for good airflow, it will trap your body heat while you slumber. Thick bedding might help you stay nice and cozy on cold winter nights, but it’s not typically breathable or lightweight. For those who suffer from night sweats, selecting the correct type of bedding for night sweats is vital to promote a healthy night of sleep and to boost your general well-being. Without good airflow, it’s very possible that the sheets you use are the cause of occasional (or regular) night sweats.

How bedding affects body temperature

When it comes to your body temperature at night, it’s all about breathability. Heavy sheets like flannel don’t promote good airflow, leaving your body heat to remain trapped under the bed sheets. When your body heat can’t escape, it can easily lead to overheating. If you are a hot sleeper, it’s important to avoid certain types of bedding so you have a better chance of staying cool all night long.

Types of bedding to avoid

There are definitely some types of materials to avoid when you’re looking for the best bedding for hot sleepers. Not only are the fabrics below less cooling, but they may even make you feel warmer! Hot sleepers should avoid these textiles:

Flannel. Most people associate flannel with winter and cold weather because it’s such a thick, warming fabric. But while this material certainly keeps you cozy, hot sleepers should avoid it altogether.
Polyester. This synthetic material is not at all breathable, unlike most natural fabrics. Even if you weren’t a hot sleeper in the past, you’ll likely become one if you decide to use polyester sheets.
Microfiber. Although this material has a soft texture and is highly durable, it’s not ideal for sleepers who run warm at night. The super-tight weave of microfiber traps body heat and prevents good airflow, which in turn makes you feel hot and sweaty.

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Tips for choosing the right bedding

Here are some helpful tips that will make it easier for you to find the best bed sheets for night sweats so you can enjoy a cool night's sleep.

Lightweight. Heavy fabrics can trap warm air, which is the complete opposite of what you want when you’re looking for the most comfortable sheets for hot sleepers. Look for light materials by checking out the thread count (for cotton) or the grams per square inch or GSM (for linen). The lower these numbers are, the lighter the material will be.
Breathability.When you choose loosely woven textiles for your sheets, it allows for good airflow. This is a must-have when you’re thinking about the optimum sheets to keep you nice and cool. The right level of breathability helps sweat evaporate faster, which makes you feel much cooler throughout the night. Just like fabric weight, the less dense the material is, the more breathable it will be, and the better airflow it will have.
In general, a lower thread count can contribute to better breathability because there is more space between the threads. Sheets with higher thread counts (above 400) may have a tighter weave, which can impact breathability.
Absorbency. The best sheet fabric for hot sleepers is extremely absorbent. These types of fabrics soak up moisture like sweat, promoting a much cooler and more comfortable night’s sleep. Make sure your new sheets and other bedding are made of quick-drying fabrics since damp sheets won’t leave you feeling well-rested. Make sure you stay on top of weekly laundering since this bedding will absorb just about everything.
Any fabric that is moisture-wicking and labelled as anti-bacterial will help you remain cool all night.
Always opt for cooling sheets and other bedding made of natural, organic materials like cotton or linen.
Choose sheets and bedding that’s soft and non-irritating to the skin, so you can sleep soundly.
Look for sheets and bedding that has temperature-regulating properties.

What fabric is best for night sweats?

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If you want cool bedding for night sweats, you’ll need to know which types of fabric are best. Let’s look closer at a few of the most common bedding fabrics, and compare various fabric properties to help you find the sheets for hot sleepers. First, the most common fabrics used to make bedding include materials like bamboo, cotton, linen, microfiber, silk, polyester, and flannel, which is typically a thicker and heavier form of cotton. Read on to do some comparison of the properties for a few of these popular bedding fabrics.

Comparison of fabric properties

Here are some popular bedding fabrics and their different pros and cons.

Bamboo

This natural material is exceptionally soft and it’s also eco-friendly and sustainable. Bamboo sheets make a high quality cooling sheets thanks to their breathability and looser weave. These sheets are excellent for people with allergies and sensitive skin, and the thermoregulating properties help to keep you comfortable and cool. This natural material also has moisture-wicking properties to help draw moisture away from the body while you sleep, keeping you nice and cool throughout the night. The disadvantages of bamboo sheets are that they may shrink, and certain bamboo products are prone to wrinkles.

Cotton

When we look at bamboo vs cotton sheets, both are breathable sheets and designed to draw heat away from the body to help you stay cool. Choosing 100 percent organic cotton sheets is the best option since they’re naturally hypoallergenic, too. While cotton can keep you cool, it does tend to hold moisture against the skin, which may increase the risk of overheating. These sheets are soft, durable, and easy to clean but they may shrink in the wash, wrinkle, and wear down faster than bamboo. Percale weave and sateen weave are two different cotton sheets patterns. Egyptian cotton, Pima cotton (long staple cotton) and Supima cotton are superior types of cotton known for their longer fibers and desirable qualities in bedding, including cooling properties.

Linen

This natural fiber is made from flax plants and is a bit rougher than cotton, although it tends to soften up after each wash. Linen natural fibers are bacteria- and moisture-resistant, lightweight, and comfortable. Linen sheets are excellent for both hot summer nights and cool winter evenings. It’s also very durable, sustainable, and easy to care for. Linen sheets are widely regarded as one of the best cooling bed sheets because of theirs temperature regulation properties. While linen sheets are certainly luxurious, they also tend to cost more and can wrinkle quite easily.

Microfiber

These sheets are very popular thanks to their easy maintenance and low-wrinkle properties. Microfiber is a man-made fiber that’s soft to the touch and rarely shrinks, but it’s made from tightly woven polyester so it’s not very breathable. Since microfiber is synthetic, it’s not eco-friendly but is allergy-safe and durable. These sheets are usually affordable and easy to clean, but they’re not very breathable, which means they could make night sweats worse.

Tencel

Tencel, also known as lyocell, is a naturally derived fiber made from wood pulp, often sourced from eucalyptus trees. It has several properties that make it suitable for individuals who tend to sleep hot. Tencel Sheets feel soft, their cooling properties are attributed to its natural moisture-wicking characteristic.

Recommendations for the best fabrics for night sweats

When it comes to dealing with night sweats, you need to make sure that you’re choosing the most cooling material possible. Look for fabrics that are extremely lightweight and breathable, and for materials that will “wick” the moisture away from your skin to help you remain cool and comfortable throughout the night. The best bedding for night sweats should always be lightweight and breathable including materials like 100 percent organic cotton or natural linen. Most natural fabrics are already lighter in weight, and they tend to promote better airflow than synthetic materials.

How do I stop waking up with night sweats?

Waking up with night sweats can leave you feeling fatigued and irritable. Fortunately, there are some things that you can do to help reduce the frequency of night sweats or even eliminate them altogether. Here are some tips regarding lifestyle changes you can make to prevent night sweats, tips to help improve your sleep quality, and suggestions for the best bedding for night sweats.

Lifestyle changes to prevent night sweats

Consider making a few lifestyle changes to prevent night sweats so you wake up feeling rested and ready to take on your day. Here are just some ways that you can adjust your lifestyle to keep night sweats at bay.

Reduce or eliminate your consumption of caffeine and alcohol, since these ingredients are hard on the circulatory system, resulting in night sweats.
Don’t eat spicy or fatty foods close to bedtime and try to reduce your consumption of them altogether since they can raise your body temperature.
Relax each evening with a good book or with some meditation to reduce stress levels.
Begin exercising as often as you can to help regulate your heart rate and lower your body weight.

Tips for improving sleep quality

These tips will not only help to improve your sleep quality, but they may also help to prevent night sweats.

Use a box fan or ceiling fan while you sleep to keep the air circulating so you can stay cool.
Turn up the air conditioning or open some windows in the bedroom at night.
Don’t use heavy bedding like weighted blankets or down comforters that will trap body heat.
Wear lightweight, breathable pyjamas to bed.
Consider adding a cooling gel mattress topper to the mattress to lower your body temperature.

Best bedding for night sweats

These bedding recommendations may help to prevent or reduce the occurrence of night sweats:

Always use breathable, lightweight bedding that encourages airflow.
Materials like organic cotton, linen, or bamboo are all excellent fabrics that help keep the body’s temperature regulated.
Don’t use any bedding made from synthetic materials like polyester and avoid heavyweight bedding like flannel sheets or down blankets.

Is it bad to have night sweats every night?

Waking up to night sweats every night means that you aren’t getting a quality night of restorative sleep. Not only can this make the next day more difficult, but waking up during the night too often can also have a variety of negative impacts on both your physical and mental health and well-being. Humans need proper sleep to feel alert, regulate moods, and support a healthy heart and blood pressure. Some research shows that getting a good night’s sleep can also help to prevent certain types of cancer.

Which underlying medical conditions can cause night sweats?

While some people may just be hot-natured, some cases of night sweats are caused by specific underlying conditions, including:

Women experience pre-menopause or women who are currently in menopause typically experience night sweats and “hot flashes.”
Certain bacterial infections like endocarditis (inflammation of the heart valves) and tuberculosis are some of the most common medical conditions that cause night sweats.
Those with undiagnosed cancer or people who have a fever tend to experience night sweats.
Excessive sweating is common in those with hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).
Rheumatoid arthritis, depression, heart disease, obesity, and sleep apnea may also be underlying medical conditions that can cause night sweats.

When to seek medical attention

The occasional episode of night sweats isn’t likely something to worry about. However, if your night sweats are becoming more frequent or intense, there are some times when seeking the help of a trained medical professional is advisable, such as:

Any night sweats that are accompanied by pain, coughing, nausea, or a fever.
Episodes of night sweats that continue to occur several nights in a row with little to no relief.
Night sweats accompanied by rapid and noticeable weight loss.
Hormonal issues such as menopause that are not currently being treated with hormone therapy.
Night sweat occurrences that have a significant impact on your daily life.

Is it normal to sweat in your sleep every night?

It’s perfectly normal to sweat at night, but it shouldn’t happen every single night unless you have an underlying medical condition. As we sleep, our body temperatures raise naturally, causing us to sweat. Some of the most common causes of night sweats include drinking alcohol before bedtime, sleeping without a fan on or with closed windows, wearing thick or heavy clothing to bed, and using the wrong type of bedding like synthetic or heavyweight sheets and blankets.

What blanket won't make me sweat at night?

Once you understand what causes night sweats and what you can do about it, you’ll know the right steps to take for a cooler and more comfortable night. Remember to choose blankets that are lightweight and breathable to help you remain cool while you slumber. Choose products made of organic materials like cotton or linen for the coolest, most comfortable night of sleep possible. The best bedding for night sweats should be moisture-wicking and promote good airflow so you’re able to stay asleep even as your body temperature fluctuates.

Final Thoughts on the best bedding For night sweats

At Or & Zon, we offer a wide range of comfortable, oeko tex certified cooling bedding for night sweats. Try our organic cotton percale bedding for a crisp, cool feeling every time you head to bed, or explore our range of luxurious stonewashed linen bedding that helps you feel comfortable all night long. The right type of bedding will make all the difference when it comes to night sweats, so explore our high quality sheets to find the perfect options for your sleeping needs.