If you are a hot sleeper, you probably know the feeling. You fall asleep fine, then wake up at 2am tangled in sheets, kicking the doona off, maybe even in a pile of sweat and you're wondering why your bed feels like it is holding onto heat instead of letting it go.
The good news is your night can get better; it is about choosing the right materials, setting up airflow, and thinking differently about how you layer your bed, especially if you sleep with a partner.
Here is what genuinely helps, based on lived experience, and a lot of trial and error.
1. Hot sleepers should avoid polyester at all costs!
If there is one rule hot sleepers should follow, it is this. Avoid polyester in your sheets, doona, mattress topper, and even your pyjamas.
Polyester is a synthetic fibre. It does not breathe well, and it traps heat and moisture against your body instead of letting it escape. That trapped heat is one of the biggest reasons people wake up sweating during the night.
Instead, look for natural, breathable fibres that allow air to circulate.
Better sheet options for hot sleepers
-
Cotton
-
Bamboo
-
Linen
-
Any type of blend from the three
Better quilt options for hot sleepers
-
Cotton
-
Wool
-
Bamboo
-
Any type of blend from the three
These fibres are naturally breathable and moisture-wicking, which means it is much easier to regulate body temperature.Â
This applies to everything that touches your skin. Even the best sheets will not help if you are wearing polyester pyjamas to bed.
(For more in-depth information on quilt materials, you can see our guide here.)
3. Get that air flowing
A cool bed can only do so much if the room itself is warm and still.
Good airflow helps remove excess heat and supports your body’s natural cooling process during sleep.
Simple ways to improve airflow include:
-
Keeping a window openÂ
-
Using a fan to keep air moving
-
Avoiding heavy curtains that trap warm air overnight
Sleep research consistently shows that the optimal sleep temperature is below 18 degrees Celsius. A cooler room helps your core body temperature drop, which is essential for staying asleep.
The National Sleep Foundation recommends a cool, well ventilated bedroom as part of good sleep hygiene, particularly for people who struggle with overheating at night.
Â
4. Use a flat sheet as a temperature control layer
If you are a hot sleeper, a flat sheet can be your best friend.
Sleeping with a flat sheet under your doona gives you options. When the doona feels too warm, you can push it aside and still have a light layer covering you. This helps you stay comfortable without waking fully or feeling exposed.
For those who are extremely hot sleepers, perhaps in summer you can forgo the doona and just stick with a flat sheet.
Â
5. Hot sleepers who have a partner could benefit greatly from separate covers
If you share a bed, your partner’s body heat becomes part of your sleep environment. When you share one doona, that heat has nowhere to go.
Sleeping with separate covers (also known as the Scandinavian sleep method) allows each person to regulate their own temperature without disturbing the other.
In our own experience, this was one of the most effective changes we made as hot sleepers, we tried everything else before this, and this was the change that truly stopped us waking up hot in the night.
Â
If you change one thing, make it your quilt
In my personal experience, of everything you can adjust as a hot sleeper, the single most impactful change is your quilt.
If you are currently sleeping under a polyester doona, changing this should be your top priority. In my own experience, this is the number one reason I struggle to sleep well in hotels. Most hotel quilts are polyester filled, and no matter how nice the sheets are, I almost always wake up hot and restless because the quilt traps heat and does not breathe.
And while you're making the switch, if you sleep with a partner, consider moving to individual quilts for a more tailored approach. Â
If you feel overwhelmed by all the advice out there, start here. Change the quilt, and if you are open to it, sleep with separate covers. In our experience, these two changes alone had a bigger impact than anything else we tried.
Sweet dreams!
