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Say Goodbye to the Night Sweats and Hello To The Best Cooling Mattress

September 09, 2020

Some of us just run a little bit hotter than others. That can occasionally lead to some discomfort, especially at night. If you’re a hot-natured person, or have personal health factors like menopause that can cause hot flashes and night sweats it may make it more difficult for you to get comfortable enough to fall asleep — which is why finding the best cooling mattress for you is so important. The wrong choice of mattress can sometimes compound your hot-natured tendencies. That’s because some mattresses are simply constructed to be less cool than others. This is an especially common problem with memory foam mattresses, which aren’t always very breathable. Foam actually traps and retains heat from the body, meaning all-foam bedding can exacerbate a hot nature and night sweats.

So, what’s the solution? One important step is to shop for a mattress that’s designed with hot sleepers in mind and assembled to help mediate body temperature. While your new mattress may not solve feeling overheated from health conditions like menopause, or heat from the surrounding environment, it helps keep you more comfortable and rested.

But with so many mattresses on the market, which one should you choose? The Sleep Doctor, Michael Breus, Ph.D and the team at Mattress Advisor worked together to test mattress performance. Each mattress is evaluated on a 14-point scale at the Mattress Advisor lab in Raleigh, NC to bring you data and help you come to the conclusion on which bed is best for you. Here’s the standout mattresses in the cooling category: 

The 9 Best Cooling Mattresses for Hot Sleepers

“The Sleep Circadian Rhythm (your internal biological sleep clock) follows your core body temperature rhythm. As your body gets cooler, you produce melatonin, the key that starts the engine for sleep. So if you already sleep hot you will really want to examine the materials in your mattress for cooler sleep.”

As you seek the best mattress to help dissipate your body heat and keep the night sweats at bay, think about some of the following shopping considerations.

What to Consider When Shopping for the Best Cooling Mattress for You

There are a number of ways in which mattress companies try to provide cooler sleep experiences, including the use of proprietary cooling technologies, heat-mediating materials, and overall mattress design choices.

Cooling Materials in a Mattress

There are a few different materials that can be used to make mattresses run a little bit cooler.

One of the most commonly employed cooling materials is gel, which is often infused into traditional memory foam in order to alleviate its heat-retaining tendencies. That’s because gel absorbs heat from the surrounding materials, meaning the foam doesn’t warm up quite as quickly as it would otherwise; however, this usually isn’t sufficient for mediating body heat all night long. While gel can be somewhat effective, there are better options available for keeping sleepers cool. 

Other mattresses make use of graphite, a naturally occurring form of carbon. Graphite is heat-resistant, and for years it’s been used as a way to draw excessive heat away from computers, machinery, and other kinds of technology. Some mattress manufacturers place it into mattresses for just the same reason.

An even more advanced cooling material is Celliant, a synthetic fiber that absorbs the body’s natural energy and transforms it into an energy source. Proponents of Celliant say that this energy can expedite muscle recovery and also promote healthy body temperature regulation.

“Our bodies emit a low level of energy (i.e., heat). Celliant claims to convert this energy coming off your body, using a combination of special natural heat and energy absorbing materials into a different form of energy allowing for the heat to dissipate, and the person to regulate their body temperature a bit better. The company has 10 clinical trials with 7 published studies. The tech appears to be a combination of natural ingredients, with 88 trace minerals. This is ground into a powder and then put on yarn or other textiles.

Mattress Type

In addition to these cooling materials, it’s also important to consider different mattress types. Some are better suited than others to provide a cool sleeping experience.

Memory Foam

Historically, one of the big complaints against memory foam has been that it tends to run hot. This is something worth keeping in mind as you shop, though it should also be said that many foam bed manufacturers make valiant efforts to help people sleep cooler. Gel foam is a common way of accomplishing this. Additionally, high-density memory foam can be combined with innerspring coils to keep the mattress porous and thus preventing heat retention.

Hybrid

A hybrid mattress is one that combines different materials, ideally to unite the best factors of each. For instance, a hybrid mattress can be made through a combination of innerspring coils, foam, and/or latex. Additional materials, like gel beads, can also be included. The construction of a hybrid mattress provides an optimal way to mediate the hot nature of foam, providing more space between coils to dispel body heat, or by the addition of naturally cooling latex.

Innerspring

Innerspring mattress products are made with individual springs, or coils. There’s space between these coils through which air can pass. This is due to individually pocket coils that create more space internally in the mattress, thus allowing excess heat to have room to be drawn away from the body. Traditional pocket coils also work in a similar fashion, but an interconnected network of coils does not create the same amount of space. By design, innerspring coil systems usually provide a cooler sleep experience. However, innerspring mattresses may often feel too firm due to the metal coils yielding such taut support. If you are looking for support yet do not need the extra firmness look for innersprings with a pillow or euro top, as well as hybrid mattresses that use pocketed coils to help with heat dissipation. 

Latex

Latex is a material that’s generally pretty resistant to temperature change; it has what scientists call a high specific heat, which means it takes a great deal of energy to make latex feel either hotter or colder. This means latex mattresses are usually not very heavily influenced by room temperature or body temperature. Dunlop or Talalay latex are great, eco-friendly options to enjoy a reasonably cool sleep experience. Dunlop latex is created when liquified latex is poured and vulcanized, which is the material molding at high heat. Talalay also utilizes vulcanization but uses flash freezing midway through the heating process to create a softer latex. Both Talalay and Dunlop have tiny holes distributed throughout to help dissipate body heat. 

Mattress Firmness

Believe it or not, the topics of mattress temperature and mattress firmness are closely related. 

For example, say you purchase a softer mattress. Many people like softer mattresses because they help with pressure relief. However, softer mattresses also make it more likely for you to sink deep into the bed, causing much of your body heat to be trapped there with you. This is especially common among memory foam mattresses.

By contrast, you’re more likely to sleep on the surface of a firmer mattress, which means less heat retention and less contact with the mattress material itself. For this reason, firmer mattresses may often feel cooler, though there are certainly exceptions to this rule.

“There are two basic ways to sleep, either “on” a bed or “in” a bed. When your bed is soft, you sink, and you sweat. I usually recommend for hot sleepers, a firmer surface. In addition, I am also looking at their bedding choices, and seasonal bedding changes.”

Learn more about The Sleep Doctor’s top picks for the best firm mattress.

Best Innerspring Mattress: Saatva Classic

Mattress Advisor Cooling Score: 8.5 out of 10

Best Cooling Mattress

The Sleep Doctor verdict is that innerspring mattresses generally work well for preventing body heat from being trapped or absorbed. And one of the top options in this category is the Saatva, comprised of two layers of durable coils with memory foam and a quilted euro pillow top. The mattress is marketed as a luxury bed, comparable to what you’d find in a five-star hotel; certainly in terms of its high-end materials and exquisite craftsmanship, it lives up to that reputation.

The Saatva sleeps cool, and that’s just one reason why it wins the Sleep Doctor stamp of approval. It offers customizable firmness options, including plush, luxury firm, and firm. You can pick the firmness option that best matches your sleeping position. Another benefit to the Saatva classic mattress is that it supports heavyweight sleepers, something its competitors can’t always promise. Finally, Saatva products all come with free white-glove delivery and set up – a small but significant way in which they live up to their “luxury” reputation.

Buy it, Saatva Classic, $1,299 for a Queen, saatva.com

Best for Side Sleepers: Casper Wave Hybrid

Mattress Advisor Cooling Score: 9 out of 10

Best Cooling Mattress

The Casper Wave Hybrid is another example of a mattress that combines different materials to provide body heat mitigation. Specifically, this Casper bed offers contouring memory foam, responsive latex, and robust steel coils. Between the coil system and the temperature-resistant latex, this is a mattress that should help you keep cool all night. 

The Casper Wave Hybrid is also one of the best mattresses for side sleepers. That’s because its foam support layers offer targeted pressure point relief, helping to evenly distribute the weight of your body and keep your sensitive joints from excessive stress. When tested, the Casper Wave Hybrid achieved a nearly perfect score for responsiveness (9.25 out of 10) and spinal alignment (9 out of 10). This mattress responds to movement and while supplying unwavering support. It also adjusts to your movements while still keeping your spine aligned – both crucial factors side sleepers need. Combine all this with free in-home setup and excellent motion transfer, and you can see why this mattress is easy to endorse.

Buy it, Casper Wave Hybrid, $2,595 for a Queen, casper.com

Best Memory Foam Mattress: Puffy

Mattress Advisor Cooling Score: 8 out of 10

Best Cooling Mattress

What about the sleepers who want to sink deep into memory foam comfort layers, but also want to keep cool? Has any mattress company cracked the code and found a way to unite advanced cooling properties with the classic memory foam feel? Consider the Puffy mattress, made with three memory foam layers designed to promote pressure relief and overall comfort and support. But here’s the unique thing about it: Puffy uses two proprietary cooling materials, its Climate Comfort foam and Cooling Cloud foam, to help you stay cool.

The former is a special kind of memory foam that neither contracts nor expands according to temperature variations in the room, called phase change material.  Unlike a lot of foam bed products, it won’t fluctuate in shape, firmness, or stability just because the weather changes. Cooling technology, meanwhile, is a gel-infused, cooling memory foam that helps draw heat away from your body and likened to sleeping on a cloud. Together, they provide a sleep experience that’s easy to recommend.

Buy it, Puffy, $1,150 for a Queen, puffy.com

Best Organic Mattress: ZenHaven

Mattress Advisor Cooling Score: 8.5 out of 10

Best Cooling Mattress

The ZenHaven mattress is made by Saatva, and comes with many of the same bells and whistles — including free white-glove delivery and setup. The distinguishing factor is that it’s made entirely from all-natural latex, a material that resists heat absorption. There’s an organic cotton cover that is naturally breathable and hypoallergenic.

That’s just one aspect of what makes the ZenHaven mattress special. It’s also made with dual-sided firmness, meaning it’s simple enough to choose between a firm mattress surface or a softer one. Tests performed by the Mattress Advisor team also confirm the ZenHaven to offer extraordinary edge support, making it a good fit for seniors; and great motion isolation, making it well-suited for couples.

Buy it, ZenHaven, $2,399 for a Queen, saatva.com

Best for Athletes: Bear Hybrid

Mattress Advisor Cooling Score: 8 out of 10

Best Cooling Mattress

For elite athletes and active people, sleep or recovery is a major focus. Many mattresses are now being made specifically with athletes in mind, and the Bear Hybrid is one of the top contenders. It’s made with a combination of foam and coils, but the real innovation is its use of Celliant fiber.

Celliant is one of the top FDA-approved cooling fabrics that help harness the body’s energy to promote faster recovery times; it also aids in healthy temperature regulation

On top of all that, the Bear Hybrid tests well for spine alignment, overall durability, and responsiveness. Even non-athletes may find much to like here.

Buy it, Bear Hybrid, $1,390 for a Queen, bearmattress.com

Best for Back Sleepers: Helix Midnight Luxe

Mattress Advisor Cooling Score: 9.5 out of 10

The Helix Midnight Luxe is made with innovative cooling technologies, including a special pillow top cover that’s designed to be cool to the touch, even months after the mattress is unboxed. Combine that with contouring foam and robust innerspring coils and you have a mattress that hot sleepers should love. It’s a remarkably cool sleep experience. During testing, it scored a nearly perfect 9.5 out of 10 for cooling.

It also happens to be an ideal fit for people who sleep on their backs. That’s largely a matter of the spine alignment, which is almost unparalleled among other bed-in-a-box mattress products. Back sleepers will find that the Helix Midnight Luxe helps them maintain a straight spine throughout the night, which is crucial for waking up absent any stiffness or creaks.

Buy it, Helix Midnight Luxe, $1,799 for a Queen, helixsleep.com

Best Latex Mattress: GhostBed 

Mattress Advisor Cooling Score: 8.5 out of 10

Best Cooling Mattress

Latex is an optimal choice for hot sleepers; whether you get a synthetic latex or an organic one, you’ll find that it resists heat absorption throughout the night. For those who want to sleep with all-natural materials, organic latex is the best bed. Synthetic latex offers the same cooling properties as organic but is made from chemicals such as petroleum and is available at a lower price point. Ghostbed developed a special latex foam to incorporate the cooling effects of latex without a high price tag. GhostBed’s original mattress is made with a combination of latex and gel memory foam, earning it high marks in its cooling ability.

There’s a lot more to appreciate about the GhostBed, too, like its highly responsive design; its latex foam adapts and adjusts to your movements in the night, which makes it excellent for combination sleepers (those who tend to vary their position, or to toss and turn). And, it’s made with durability in mind: The GhostBed is a product designed to support you for many years to come.

Buy it, GhostBed, $1,095 for a Queen, ghostbed.com

Best Plush Mattress: Brooklyn Aurora

Mattress Advisor Cooling Score: 9.5 out of 10

Best Cooling Mattress

Some sleepers prefer to be hugged to sleep at night in something comforting and plush. The Brooklyn Aurora is a fantastic plush option for those looking for a softer bed. While the plush option is most appealing to side sleepers who need a softer sleeping surface for pressure points, you can choose which firmness level is best for you on a scale of plush to firm. No matter which version of the Brooklyn Aurora you select, you’ll get a cool sleep experience. That’s because this hybrid tops its coil system with copper gel infused foam. This foam layer is infused with beads that help to draw heat away from the body. At higher temperatures, these gel beads actually liquefy, for an additional cooling effect.

Buy it, Brooklyn Aurora, $1,699 for a Queen, brooklynbedding.com

Best Value Mattress: Tuft & Needle Mint

Mattress Advisor Cooling Score: 8.5

Best Cooling Mattress

For shoppers who are on a tighter budget, but still want to enjoy a cool night’s sleep, consider the Tuft & Needle Mint. It’s made with Adaptive Foam technology that’s infused with graphite, the naturally-occurring form of carbon that has proven abilities to wick away heat. Ceramic gel beads are also used to promote sleeping cool, helping draw heat away from the body.

A few additional reasons to make this your next new mattress: It tested as a 9.5 for spine alignment, a nearly perfect score, meaning it should help side sleepers, in particular, maintain a healthy posture. It also delivers solid edge support, scoring an 8.25 during testing. This means the mattress will retain its shape and remain durable as time passes.

Buy it, Tuft & Needle Mint, $995 for a Queen, tuftandneedle.com

How to Choose the Right Cooling Mattress for You

What’s the best way to ensure a cool mattress? Pocketed coils? Cooling gel beads? Graphite, Celliant, or latex?

The truth is, there are a number of ways in which mattress designers can help you stay nice and cool, even if you’re someone who’s normally prone to sleeping a bit warmer. Depending on your budget, sleeping position, and overall mattress preferences, you may be very happy with any of the following Sleep Doctor-recommended products:

Sources

Mayo Clinic Staff. 2017. “Patient Care & Health Information – Diseases & Conditions – Menopause.”  Mayo Clinic, August 17, 2017. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/menopause/symptoms-causes/syc-20353397

The Mattress Nerd. 2020. “Tips to Not Sleep Hot.” Mattress Nerd, July 28, 2020. https://www.mattressnerd.com/sleeping-too-hot/

Science Direct. 1995. “Basic Physics and Measurement in Anaesthesia (Fourth Edition), 1995.” https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/specific-heat-capacity

Harvard Health Publishing. 2020. “What type of mattress is best for people with low back pain?” Harvard Medical School. https://www.health.harvard.edu/pain/what-type-of-mattress-is-best-for-people-with-low-back-pain

Kristeen Cherney, Deborah Weatherspoon, Ph.D, R.N., CRNA. “How to Sleep on Your Side Without Waking Up with a Sore Back or Neck.” Healthline. September 25, 2019. https://www.healthline.com/health/side-sleeper

The post Say Goodbye to the Night Sweats and Hello To The Best Cooling Mattress appeared first on Your Guide to Better Sleep.



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