Getting a good night's sleep is essential to taking care of your mental and physical health — and creating the perfect setting is key.
You can find the perfect mattress and use blackout curtains to achieve total darkness, but finding a solution for overheating can be more difficult, particularly during the summer. Fortunately, swapping your current bedding for cooling bedsheets can help, especially during nationwide heatwaves and record-breaking temperatures.
We spoke with various sleep experts and a board certified-doctor to better understand why cooling sheets are imperative to quality sleep.
What are cooling sheets?
Cooling sheets are bedsheets designed to help combat overheating while you sleep. The cooling properties can come from thread count, material or the weight of the fabric.
"Even if you're the best sleeper, sleeping in a 100-degree room will disturb your quality of sleep," clinical psychologist Dr. Joshua Tal says.
Sleep expert and author of “The Mindful Way to a Good Night’s Sleep” Tzivia Gover tells Shop TODAY that cool and dark conditions are optimal for getting high-quality rest. “When thinking of the ideal environment to support sleep, think of creating a sleep cave.”
What should you look for while shopping for cooling bedsheets?
In terms of texture, Dr. Shelby Harris, a licensed clinical psychologist and author of "The Women's Guide to Overcoming Insomnia," explains that something smooth and comfortable is best.
"Higher thread counts are more smooth and comfortable, and they frequently trap less heat," she says. If you don't have a material preference, she advises choosing the option with the highest thread count you can find.
Tal also advises buying sheets that are made with light and breathable materials such as linen, cotton, eucalyptus or bamboo.
Furthermore, "the best cooling sheets are those made of materials that promote airflow — such as cotton and linen, which are light and breathable," says Martin Seeley, sleep expert and CEO at MattressNextDay. "Also, light-colored sheets reflect heat, while darker colors absorb it during the summer months," he says.
Tencel is also a great fabric if you're looking to stay cool and have a good night's sleep. According to Kaily Hanna, senior buyer at Bob’s Discount Furniture, "Tencel fabric has superior moisture management properties aiding in cooler sleeping temperatures helping your body stay cool throughout the night."
Best cooling sheets according to expert advice
Budget-friendly option with wrinkle resistance: LuxClub Bamboo Sheet Set
- Very comfortable
- Affordable
- May wrinkle
Colorways: 37 | Sizes: Twin, twin XL, full, queen, king, California king, split king | Material: Microfiber
“Bamboo is another good choice for many as it is hypoallergenic, eco-friendly and cool to the touch,” Harris explains.
This affordable option from Amazon is made from a bamboo and rayon blend. They’re made to be wrinkle-resistant, moisture-wicking and have almost 136,000 verified five-star ratings.
Super soft bedding that combats night sweats: Nest Bedding Tencel Sheet Set & Pillowcases
- Super soft
- Don't wrinkle
- May be loose
Colorways: Five | Sizes: Twin, twin XL, full, queen, king, California king | Material: Tencel
“Tencel — a fiber derived from eucalyptus trees — has great moisture-wicking abilities and is gaining popularity,” says Harris. While it has a lower thread count, Tencel is still soft to the touch and incredibly beneficial if you deal with night sweats.
Super lightweight and great for sensitive skin: PeachSkinSheets Night Sweats Soft Sheet Set
- Super soft and comfortable
- Great for summer
- May snag easily
Colorways: 24 | Sizes: Twin, twin XL, full, queen, king, California king, split king | Material: Breathable polyester-microfiber
These sheets are made with a polyester-microfiber material that's designed to wick away moisture and increase airflow. They're also lightweight — a characteristic Tal recommends paying attention to when buying cooling sheets — and gentle enough for sensitive skin, according to the brand.
Good for circulation: Cozy Earth Linen Bamboo Sheet Set
- Comfortable
- Breathable
- Mixed reviews on softness
Colorways: Two | Sizes: Twin/twin XL, full, queen, king, California king, split king | Materials: Viscose from bamboo, linen
"I’m a big fan of Cozy Earth for their natural fibers," says Samantha Brown is a New York-based celebrity stylist and author of "Dressing Up: Pip’s Truly Fashionable Tale". Brown says, "In general, I’d avoid any synthetics like polyester blends as the sheets will be less breathable. Organic cotton and bamboo are optimal for cooling as they allow air flow and circulation."
Editor-loved cooling sheets
Affordable and soft: LuxClub Breathable Luxury Bed Sheets
- Affordable
- Comfortable
- Soft
- May be thin
Colorways: 37 | Sizes: Extra deep pocket twin to split king | Material: Microfiber
Commerce editor Vivien Moon refuses to swap these bed sheets out for another set as she says they are the softest and most luxe sheets she's ever slept on. She boasts that these sheets are better than any hotel sheets and plans to buy these sheets for the rest of her life. Moon has recommended these microfiber sheets to multiple friends and swears that if anything ever happens to them, she will just repurchase.
So so soft: Greenleaf Organic Bamboo Bed Sheets
Colorways: 7 | Sizes: King, queen, California king | Material: Organic bamboo viscose
These organic sheets come in a variety of colors and are known to be super soft according to buyers. Associate editor, Kamari Stewart has these sheets and notes, " I run warm at night and these sheets have managed to keep me cool every single night without fail. I also love that I don't have to fight to get them onto my 12-inch thick mattress and there's even some room left in there for them to move around."
Splurge option that helps regulate temperature: Lusome Sleep Temperature Regulating Sheets
- Super soft
- Cooling
- Expensive
Colorways: One | Sizes: Queen and king | Material: Cotton
This set touts the ability to keep you cool all night long with the temperature-regulating technology embedded within its proprietary Xirotex fabrics. According to the brand, it works by regulating temperature before the first sign of perspiration and stops cooling at optimal temperature in order to ensure a better sleep experience.
Shop TODAY SEO writer Jannely Espinal says there’s “magic in these sheets” and calls them the most comfortable sheets she’s sleep on. “I live in a pre-war building where the heater is super warm and wake up drenched in sweat. Lately, I’ve felt fresh and dry since sleeping on my Lusome sheets. Even though I wear long sleeve pajamas, my sheets keep me warm yet cool,” she raves.
How we chose the best cooling sheets
The Shop TODAY team rounded up the best cooling sheets by enlisting the recommendations of experts, including a licensed psychologist, sleep doctor, fabric care scientist and more. We also included two favorite cooling sheets that were tested by our editors as well. Sweet dreams!
Meet the experts
- Tzia Gover is an author and certified dreamwork professional from the Institute for Dream Studies in Charleston, South Carolina.
- Dr. Joshua Tal, Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist with his own private practice in New York City.
- Dr. Shelby Harris, PsyD, DBSM, is a New York-based board-certified doctor who treats a wide variety of sleep disorders like insomnia and narcolepsy.
- Kaily Hanna is a senior buyer at Bob’s Discount Furniture.
- Martin Seeley is a sleep expert and CEO at MattressNextDay.
- Samantha Brown is a New York-based celebrity stylist and author of "Dressing Up: Pip’s Truly Fashionable Tale."
- Sammy Wang is a fabric care senior scientist for Procter & Gamble.
