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Aug 26, 2024 · The prevalence of nighttime overheating is surprisingly high, with studies suggesting that up to 41% of people experience sleep disruptions due to feeling too hot at night. Maintaining an optimal sleep temperature is crucial for quality rest, as our body temperature naturally fluctuates throughout the night, playing a vital role in our sleep-wake cycle.
- Overview
- Why it happens
- Surprising causes of hot sleep
- How to cool down
- Products to try
- The bottom line
You toss. You turn.
You wake up soaked in sweat, and you know you’re in for another fun night of hot sleep.
Research showed that night sweats, otherwise known as being a “hot sleeper,” can affect anywhere from 10% to 41% of people.
In other words, science hasn’t quite figured out how common it is be a hot sleeper.
But it’s safe to say that feeling hot at night isn’t abnormal — although if you’re regularly sweating through PJs and sheets when you sleep, there could be an underlying cause.
Want to know all the reasons you seem to be overheating when you sleep?
In the evening, when your eyes see that it’s dark, a hormone called melatonin is released, according to a small 2001 study.
As well as triggering feelings of tiredness, this causes your body temperature to begin dropping, according to a 2012 research review.
When you finally nod off, your body will continue decreasing its temperature —around 2°F (-1°C) in total —to help promote a good night’s sleep.
And when it’s time to wake, the temperature will begin rising again to its usual level, according to Sleep.org.
Sweating happens to cool your body’s core temperature when it rises above a certain point.
So, what makes your internal temperature rise at night?
The simplest cause is that the temp is hot in your bedroom or you’re using thick bedding or mattresses that are known to retain heat. (Think memory foam designs.)
Of course, having another person or pets in the bed can increase the heat in the room, too.
But night sweats can also have nothing to do with external temperatures and more to do with internal processes.
For example, the hormonal changes that come with menopause or hyperthyroidism can affect the regulatory system that causes a dip in temperature when you’re sleeping.
Metabolism can also play a role.
The likes of eating and exercising too close to your bedtime can amp up your body’s metabolic rate. This disrupts temperature control and sleep quality.
Your room
Firstly, take a look at your bedroom. Do you usually keep the curtains wide open, letting the sun stream in? While letting sunlight in is a normal way to start your day, keeping the curtains shut or blinds down can help keep the room cool, according to the Sleep Foundation. Blackout curtains are particularly great for lowering indoor temperatures. Next up: your bed. Everything from your mattress to your pillows can have an effect on your body temperature. When it comes to sheets and pillowcases, opt for breathable fabrics like: •linen •cotton •bamboo (You can even freeze your pillowcases during the day for an extra dose of cold.) For mattresses, latex is a good option for air circulation. Memory foam, on the other hand, tends to retain heat. If you have a memory foam mattress, don’t despair — you can easily buy cooling pads or sheets to go on top. AC is another obvious way to keep your bedroom on the cool side. Setting your thermostat 60 to 67°F (16 to 19°C) is thought to be best for most people, with 65°F (18°C) being the ideal temperature. Finally, there’s the almighty fan. Although some people find it impossible to sleep with a fan blasting in their ears, others find the noise soothing. Even if you can’t sleep, you can put it on during the day for improved air circulation.
Your routine
What you do before you nod off can have an impact on your internal body temperature. While exercising too close to bedtime can cause your temperature to rise, taking a hot bath or shower can have the opposite effect. When you get out, that body temperature will begin to dip, giving you a good chance of a restful night. Ready to jump into bed? Consider what you’re wearing. Sleeping naked can help your body temperature remain on the low side. If you prefer to be clothed, choose lightweight, breathable fibers like cotton. Of course, if your night sweats are the result of an underlying health condition, you may need medical help. Your doctor can: •prescribe medications •advise you of dietary changes that may help •alter any existing medication dosages if needed
Plenty of people have tried all kinds of things in a bid to cool down at night.
While some hacks may or may not work for you, there are a few products that seem to be universally liked by hot sleepers.
If you’re looking for new bedding, try these bed sheets —they’re designed to wick moisture away from your skin.
There are even cooling blankets that are designed to absorb body heat and reduce the chance of sweat.
Or experiment with a cooling gel pillow with shredded foam for improved airflow.
If you prefer a device that actively makes the room feel cooler, you can opt for a simple (yet powerful) bedside fan or a handily compact AC unit with multiple modes for all your needs.
Although night sweats are less than ideal, they’re your body’s nifty way of cooling itself down.
While there are endless amounts of cooling products to try, it’s worth considering why you’re feeling overly hot at night. It could be something as simple as your diet or exercise routine, or it could be a symptom of a more complex condition.
- Daniel Yetman
- Room temperature and humidity. If you’re feeling too hot during the night, it may be because the temperature of your room is too warm. A 2012 research review found that exposure to heat during the night increases wakefulness and decreases slow-wave sleep and rapid eye movement sleep.
- Bedding and sleepwear. Your bedding acts as an insulator much like the insulation in your home. Thicker bedding tends to trap more heat than thinner bedding and wearing thick sleepwear can also lead to overheating.
- Pre-sleep activities. The activities you perform before bedtime can potentially increase your body temperature and make it more difficult to fall asleep.
- Who sleeps with you. If you sleep with other people or pets, the combined temperature of your bodies can raise the temperature under your bedding and in your room.
Mar 8, 2024 · Reasons You Get So Hot When You Sleep. There are many reasons why people may get hot while sleeping such as the kind of mattress they sleep on, fluctuations in hormones, or other factors related to their health. Identifying the contributing factors to feeling hot at night may help a person address their discomfort.
Causes of night sweats. The most common reasons for night sweats are: menopause symptoms ("hot flushes") anxiety. medicines, such as some antidepressants, steroids and painkillers. low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia) alcohol or drug use. a harmless condition called hyperhidrosis that makes you sweat too much all the time.
Aug 25, 2024 · Taking a cool shower may help lower your temp before going to sleep. 8. You drank caffeine too close to bedtime. We've all likely heard that drinking coffee too late in the day can be ...
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May 12, 2023 · Reason 2: You Have Hyperhidrosis—an Excessive Sweating Disorder. Another possible culprit of getting hot during sleep is a common medical disorder: hyperhidrosis. This is characterised by excessive sweating in the palm of your hands, soles of your feet, back of your knees, or armpits.
