How To Keep Cool At Night - 15 Ways To Beat The Heat

If you’re reading this, I imagine you’re familiar with the frustrating feeling of tossing and turning all night because it’s too hot to sleep.

It’s a feeling I know only too well, as I’m a hot sleeper myself and often struggle to drift off if my bedroom, bed, or body are too warm.

In this article, I’ll be sharing my tips to help make your bedroom feel more like a cool cave than a sweaty sauna. You’ll find some relatively simple and low-cost suggestions that you can implement immediately, and some ideas that require more planning or expense.

There are lots of tips, so I’ve put some of the main ones that I like to use myself in the infographic below in case you don’t want to read the entire article.

1. Have a shower before going to bed

Let’s start with one of the simplest techniques, and one of my personal favourites – have a shower before going to bed.

If you prefer to take a bath, some research with older adults has also shown warm baths to be helpful for sleep. In my own experience, however, a hot bath doesn’t work well before going to sleep as it takes me too long to cool down again.

My partner and my sister are both fans of colder showers at night. Personally, I can’t think of anything worse than a cold shower when my plan is to relax, but they swear by it. A brief, lukewarm shower seems to work best for me.

My view is that this is an area to do your own research and experimenting. If you feel you relax and fall asleep quicker after a warm bath, stick with that. If a cool or lukewarm shower does the trick though, then that’s the one to add to your nightly routine.

Conceptually, having a shower or bath before bedtime may work well for several reasons:

• It might sound counterintuitive when your aim is to cool down, but warm water (or bedding) can increase vasodilation. This means increased blood flow in your extremities like the hands and feet, where heat can escape. It’s one of the main ways your body cools itself in preparation for sleep.
• A lowering body temperature is good for sleep, and we tend to fall asleep when our core body temperature is falling most rapidly.
• It can feel good to freshen up before getting into bed, and the bed can feel cosier when you’re straight out of the shower.

2. Use doors, windows, curtains, blinds and shutters to your advantage

Depending on how hot it is exactly, keeping doors and/or windows open (if you’re at home and feel safe) might be all you need to do to keep the house cooler, especially if it creates a breeze and lets the heat out. This is particularly effective if the air temperature in your home is warmer than the outside temperature, such as when cooking.

However, if you have curtains, blinds, or shutters, it might help to keep them closed when the sun is shining directly onto the windows of that room. This is a trick that many people in hot countries do as it can help reduce how much the sun heats the room up.

If your curtains or blinds are made of a dark colored material, however, they might absorb heat rather than reflect it. So it might help to change them for a light colored material to reflect the sun away from the windows. When I lived in Andalucia in Spain, it amazed me how many buildings, doors, and shutters were painted white. It was all about reflecting the sun, and it worked.

What you keep open or closed, and for what length of time, has to be balanced with your need for natural light and fresh air – especially if you live in a home that is very well sealed with little airflow when all the windows are closed. Venetian blinds can help with the need for daylight because you can adjust them to help reflect some sunlight away from the room, but still let plenty of light in.

As for keeping windows open or closed, the World Health Organisation advises opening windows and shutters during the morning and evening, but keeping them closed during the daytime on the side that the sun is facing.

To quote their article:

At night and early morning when the outside temperature is lower, open all the windows and shutters in your home. During the day, close the windows and shutters (if available), especially those facing the sun during the day.

World Health Organisation

Personally, I think some common sense is needed to decide which windows to keep open or closed, and for how long.

3. Open windows to create a cross breeze in the night

If you didn’t have all the windows open during the day, when the temperature drops in the evening open them to let some (hopefully) cooler air flow through your house and bedroom.

Try to create a cross breeze through your bedroom too. If you have two windows on opposite sides of the room, keeping both open at the same time should create a cross breeze.

If you only have windows on one wall, opening windows in an adjacent room and keeping the doors open to let the breeze flow through might work instead.

If you have an upstairs, attic, or loft, open any windows or hatches up there to allow rising heat to escape.

4. Use a bed cooling system or breathable mattress pad

The photo above shows the app screen of the Eight Sleep Pod 5, which is the bed cooling system I’ve been using for the last few months.

There are many mattresses, toppers, and pads that are marketed as being cooling. Most don’t contain any active cooling technology that requires electricity to work though, and are typically just made with more breathable or moisture-wicking materials.

Even that can help improve the heat buildup under your body though, and the ones that do have active cooling can make a big difference. Take a look at my review of bed cooling systems and pads to find out more.

If you currently sleep on a memory foam mattress or use a memory foam mattress topper, I recommend experimenting with a different surface if you can.

Memory foam is notorious for trapping body heat, so you might find some relief if you change or remove the mattress topper in hot weather, assuming the mattress underneath is still comfortable. If you have a guest bedroom that doesn’t have memory foam on the bed, you could also try that bed to see if it sleeps cooler.

If you’d like to try a more breathable mattress topper or mattress, perhaps consider latex or wool. Latex and wool tend to be more breathable than memory foam or plush toppers that contain polyester fiberfill.

5. Use a fan

In the photo above, I’m using the BedJet 3. You can use the remote control or the app to adjust the fan speed and temperature of the air that flows out of the nozzle.

Fans can work wonders if you don’t mind the feeling of the air flowing over you. There are many different fan options to consider, which will depend on your budget and need for serious cooling.

You can use a normal fan and point it directly at your body, or even experiment with pointing the fan out of the window to blow warm air out of the bedroom. Even a basic and inexpensive desk fan can help a lot in hot weather.

If you have a bigger budget, you could install a ceiling fan above your bed. There are also some high-tech bedroom fans worth considering, such as the Bedjet 3 (see my BedJet 3 review). Another option is the Snooz Breez, which is a powerful smart fan that also doubles as a white noise machine (see my Breez review).

If you use a normal fan, try putting a container of ice right behind the fan. Another simple trick is to fill a couple of plastic drinks bottles with water and freeze them. Then stand them just behind the fan to cool the air it draws in and blows towards you.

Alternatively, just fill pans from the kitchen with ice and let the cool air that rises out of them get blown toward you by the fan. Keep an eye on the humidity levels in the bedroom if you try these fan + ice methods though, as high humidity isn’t ideal for sleep either.

6. Install air conditioning or try a portable unit

It can be very expensive to retrofit air conditioning in your home if it wasn’t originally designed that way. If you do already have air conditioning, just not in the bedroom, try moving your bed temporarily in extreme weather to be closer to the unit.

When I lived in Spain and it would top 100° F for days on end in the summer, I used to cart my mattress to the living room every night, where it was always cooler.

If installing air con in your home is beyond your budget or simply not practical, there are plenty of portable AC units you could try in the bedroom.

A good one will still be a bit of an investment, but it’s much cheaper than installing air con in a home that wasn’t built with it included. You can find them online and in large home improvement stores.

If you’re interested in air conditioning, I recommend doing plenty of research before you invest in it, and be sure that you can get a refund if you buy a portable unit in case it isn’t as effective as you hoped. It’s also important to understand that even a portable air conditioning unit needs proper ventilation, usually through a window.

One helpful overview article I recommend from the US is at Familyhandyman.com. Another good article can be found on the UK website homebuilding.co.uk.

7. Do exercise earlier in the day

Try experimenting with not doing intense exercise in the couple of hours leading up to bedtime if you’re able to do it earlier. It can take a while for your body to return to its normal temperature, which might lead to you feeling too hot in bed.

Personally, if I go to bed at 10 p.m. in the summer, I try to be finishing up in the gym by 7 p.m. at the very latest whenever possible.

To be honest though, if I can’t make it to the gym until later, I still prefer the positive effect of exercise on my sleep, even if I have to go to bed feeling warmer than I’d ideally like to be. So I think this is one to test out for a few days to see if changing your exercise time has any effect.

If it’s a particularly hot day, avoid doing strenuous exercise outdoors if there are health advisories in your local area to do so.

8. Adjust your meals for hot weather

You might find you feel cooler in bed if you don’t eat a very large meal late in the evening. Digesting food raises your body temperature (especially large portions of meat). So it may be better to eat a big lunch and have a lighter meal or snack in the evening.

It might also help to eat cooler food like salads in the evening and avoid having the oven blazing away for long periods of time. If you can’t go without a bigger dinner though, perhaps avoid big steaks on the hottest nights.

On the topic of appliances, you might be able to reduce some heat in the home by keeping electrical appliances switched off if you don’t need to use them (not the fridge or freezer though, which obviously need to be on at all times).

9. Choose cotton or linen bedding

The material you both sleep on and have covering you can make a big difference to how cool you feel at night.

I recommend using bedding made from natural fibers, such as cotton or linen. It might also help to only sleep with a sheet covering you instead of any thicker bedding like duvets or blankets. Put the winter bedding away and keep it light in the summer, if you haven’t done so already.

Investing in high-quality bedding rather than cheap synthetic fabrics like polyester will hopefully mean it lasts longer too, which is also better for the environment.

Having said all that, there are high-quality synthetic bed sheets that are designed to be moisture-wicking as well, so it’s worth doing some research to see what might work best for you.

10. Cool your bedding before going to bed

This idea might sound a bit gimmicky, but I’ve tried it when on holiday in hot countries when I have my own kitchen and it does help. Put your bedsheets in a plastic bag and pop them in the fridge for a while before going to bed. Then take them out and create a little fabric cooling cocoon.

I know it sounds a little odd, but it might help to keep you cool for just long enough to fall asleep. And as tempting as it is to think that freezing the bedding will feel even cooler, I find it can be too cold and irritate the skin.

11. Wear cotton nightwear

Try wearing light cotton nightwear rather than thick pajamas or synthetic materials. If you like the idea of breathable or moisture-wicking synthetic fabric, look for high-quality nightwear. And there’s always the option to sleep in your birthday suit!

12. Keep hydrated

Make sure you keep hydrated during the day and in the evening. Try not to drink alcohol, coffee, or other caffeinated drinks before bed. Keep a drink of water by the bed to sip during the night.

If you’re out in the sun on hot days, make sure you keep well hydrated too. Try your best not to get sunburnt: stick to the shade, wear a hat, and use sunscreen. It’s even harder to fall asleep on a hot night if you’re sunburnt from a long day at the beach.

I know only too well how hard it is to sleep when you spend a bit too long snorkelling on holiday, no matter how many gallons of aloe vera aftersun I slap on afterwards!

13. Allow some space between you and your partner in bed

If you sleep with a partner, keeping some space between you during the night rather than snuggling up may help you keep a bit cooler. Of course, not everyone has a big enough bed to leave lots of space between you, and it’s nice to have a cuddle when you first get into bed.

Even if you don’t, a little space for air to circulate might help rather than being two biological radiators welded together with sweat. If necessary, you could also try using separate bedding rather than sharing one cover if you have different temperature preferences.

And as much as some people might like sleeping with their pet on the bed, they are essentially four-legged hot water bottles. Great in the winter. Not so much in the summer.

14. Use a slatted bed frame

Using a bed frame that has slats rather than a solid divan bed base might help a little with temperature regulation. If you have a memory foam mattress on top of a solid bed base, you might get even more cooling mileage out of changing both.

15. Lower your body temperature before bed

Try to lower your body temperature before you go to bed. A falling body temperature is one of the signals your brain uses to produce more melatonin, which then makes you feel sleepy.

That’s one reason a shower before bed may help – even if it warms you initially, your temperature then starts to fall again when you get out.

It’s also the reason I personally avoid late-night exercise, and try to avoid being in a hot kitchen at night. I have a nightly meditation routine too, and I feel that helps reduce stress, which in turn stops me from feeling hot and bothered.

If your home stays warm but the temperature drops outside at night, getting outside for some fresh air before going to bed might also help. I’m a big fan of having a short (or sometimes long) walk in the evening, especially if I’ve been sat in front of my computer for hours. The cool nighttime air and natural de-stressing effect of walking are a good combo in my experience.

Reader suggestions

There have been some great suggestions from readers in the comments below, so I’ve started a list for future readers to check out. Thank you all for taking the time to share your ideas.

I haven’t added the ones about freezing items rather than cooling them in the fridge because of the risk it might present to some people’s skin.

I’d also be mindful of any ideas that involve adding lots of liquid to the area around the bed. Some research has shown that high humidity can have a negative impact on sleep.

• Cool some socks to wear in the evening.
• Eat a popsicle before going to bed (ideally sugar free).
• Put a cool towel on your head before and when in bed.
• Move your mattress to the floor because heat rises.
• Change your night clothes if you feel too hot.
• Wear as little as possible in bed.
• If you have long hair, tie it up to allow body heat to disperse better.
• If you can, put up a reflective or white shade on the outside walls that get the afternoon sun.
• Put some cold water in a jug or bottle in the fridge. Then put it into a hot water bottle to make a cold water bottle.
• Drape a cold cloth or flannel over a fan pointing at the bed.
• Sleep with your arms and legs stretched out.
• Use Aloe Vera gel to cool and moisturize the skin.
• Put a couple of drops of peppermint essential oil in a spray bottle mixed with cool water. Shake the bottle and mist yourself before going to bed.
• Do the tried and tested trick of turning your pillow and covers over if you overheat.

Further reading

If you’re experiencing a heatwave where you live, I recommend reading the World Health Organisation’s guidance for keeping cool during a heatwave. As well as offering advice for staying safe during the daytime, they also have some ideas for the nighttime.

Your ideas

Do you have any suggestions I haven’t included in this list? Have you tried any of the ideas here and found they did or didn’t work?

I’d love to hear how you cope with hot temperatures and what you think helps keep you cool.