Now that summer's finally back in town, the right bedding will help you enjoy it night after night. Even if you're not the kind of person who changes out bed sheets each season, you'll still find this helpful as you defeat overheating in comfort and style.
Changing up your sheets is the easiest way to beat the heat and freshen up your bedroom. Your possibilities are endless: you may want to include one simple upgrade, rather than an entire new set. It all depends on your needs.
Here's our easy guide on how to pick the best sheets for summer. These seven tips will help you feel comfortably fresh while reaching the very best (non-sweaty) version of you:
1. Use light top layers
Regarding bed covers, you should opt for a lightweight cotton duvet cover (with or without the top sheet), especially if you tend to get hotter and sticky in summer.
A cooler night's sleep starts by storing your down comforter along with other dense winterish bedding like flannel sheets and thicker quilts. Try a duvet cover made from cotton, silk, or any other lightweight fabric.
2. Choose lighter colours
It's probably time to refresh your bedding palette, picking out lighter colours this summer. Give your room a breezy makeover with a lightweight bedspread in bright hues like white, light green, cream or sky blue.
Blankets and bedspreads in these colours absorb less heat during the day, so they're nice and cool when you tuck in for the night. If you go for a cooling touch of white, the space will feel lighter and soothing as well.
3. Breathable materials are the way to go
After you put your heavier bed linen away, give a try to sheets, blankets, and pillowcases made from natural materials like cotton or silk. Unlike synthetic fibres, these fabrics are ultra-comfortable, breathe easily and wick moisture away from your body.
Cotton is highly breathable and will effortlessly keep you cool during summer nights. However, not all cotton is the same. This material promotes healthy sleep patterns in the household, especially if you choose pure Egyptian Cotton ™, which happens to be naturally antimicrobial and won't lose its durability over time. The more you wash Egyptian Cotton ™, the softer it gets, always presenting you with a luxury feeling against your skin.
4. Sleep under cooling sheets
Choosing bed sheets for the summer is no easy task. You may think one kind of sheet works wonders all-year-round, but because bed sheets are in direct contact with you as you sleep, they can either keep hot air in or let it escape. In fact, fabric makes all the difference.
Especially in the year's warmest months, you should stick with light fabrics, such as cotton, which is a great option. When you climb into bed, you want a material soft enough to take you from hot summer nights to cold winter ones with ease and comfort.
5. Keep a throw blanket nearby
Because your feet are the farthest away from your heart, they're usually the coldest part of your body. Your bedding may provide the perfect temperature for most of your body, but don't neglect your toes!
A thicker throw blanket over the end of your bed helps in this scenario, keeping your feet warm, besides adding a textured look to your summer bedroom. Then, you'll avoid rolling out of bed to grab an extra blanket or similar out of your closet in the middle of the night.
6. Thread count matters
You might also want to consider the thread count factor when shopping for summer sheets. This refers to the amount of threads that have been woven into each inch of fabric.
Usually, soft and superior-quality materials tend to have a higher thread count, hence the luxurious feel that they have. In this case, 100% Egyptian Cotton ™ is your best option. Woven from long-staple natural fibres, it comes in smooth and durable threads.
Speaking of Egyptian Cotton ™, you may want the matte finish of Percale sheets this summer. They're crisp, durable and cool to the touch, brilliant for hot weather.
7. Other tricks to say cool
There are many home remedies and tricks you can try to sleep deeply. But when it comes to waking up drenched in sweat, the picture changes a bit. Everyone sweats, obviously, and that is usually a sign that our bodies are healthily regulating our internal temperatures. However, sometimes sticking a foot out from under the blankets is not enough.
Rather than using an A/C or a fan, we recommend grabbing an ice pack from the freezer. Use it as a cool compress on your pressure points, such as your forehead, for a few minutes. You can also take a lukewarm shower to bring your body temperature down (not a cold one, because then your body will overcompensate trying to warm you back).
Lastly: stay hydrated, inside and out. Make sure you're drinking plenty of water during the day. Considering that the ideal temperature for sleep is between 15°C and 19°C degrees (60F and 67F), just following these simple ideas will help you cool down.
Comfort is clearly not only measured by the mattress. On that note, a small tweak here and there can actually transform the look and feel of your bed. A duvet cover, a new pair of pillowcases, or even just a new throw can help you sleep soundly through the night all summer long.
