Hot Weather & Your Home: Cooling Mattresses and Appliances That Actually Help 

If you live in Central Texas, you know that summer does not really go away. It stops for a bit in January. When the nights stay close to 80 degrees, people feel like good sleep is hard to get.

Turning the AC down to 65 all night is not the only way to cool your place. There are other ways you can try. Your electric bill will also be happy if you try some of these.

Start Where You Spend Eight Hours: Your Bed

A number of people believe that their sweating upon waking up is caused by the thermostat. In most cases, the truth is that the cause of that feeling is the mattress. The traditional memory foam mattresses keep the heat inside with the help of the body and the skin. When choosing a mattress from a mattress store Killeen TX customers trust, you should choose a mattress that suits the needs of people who sweat when sleeping. Remember to stay on the mattress long enough to see whether it feels cool or warm.

What Makes a Mattress Actually Sleep Cool

However, not all of those “cooling” labels are going to be useful for you. So, here are the things that do matter:

• Coils. Innerspring and coil beds let the air flow through the core. It helps to dissipate the heat.
• Latex. Natural latex is better at letting the air flow than the standard memory foam. So, it keeps less heat.
• Open cell or gel-infused foam. It is a better alternative to the old-style memory foam. However, this can vary from brand to brand.
• Breathable covers. You need to look for the covers made of cotton, Tencel, or phase-change material. They feel cool to the touch.

Look at latex and memory foam to see why latex often keeps you cooler than memory foam.

Your Bedroom Temperature Matters More Than You Think

Your body temperature goes down as you fall asleep. A hot room can stop that from happening. The Sleep Foundation says that the best bedroom temperature for most adults is around 65 degrees Fahrenheit. A few degrees more or less can still be good.

During a Texas summer, it would be expensive keeping the temperature at 65 degree throughout the night. The idea is that your bed and air should cool you. In this case, it would be easy for you to raise the thermostat slightly and have a comfortable sleep.

Devices That Earn Their Keep

Ceiling fans are inexpensive and can lower the temperature by a couple of degrees. For the ceiling fans to work properly during summer, you need to ensure that the blade spins in the opposite direction, blowing the air downwards.

Smart Thermostats. It is possible to program the thermostat to reduce the temperature an hour before sleeping and start increasing the temperature before your alarm goes off.

Dehumidifiers. When air is humid, the environment becomes hotter. A dehumidifier removes humidity from the air and helps in reducing sweat from your body. It increases comfort during nighttime.

Blackout Curtains. Sunlight strikes the west-facing bedrooms during afternoon causing the bedroom to heat up before sleeping. Blackout curtains would come in handy in blocking the sunlight and making the room cool.

Small Swaps That Add Up

You don’t have to change everything right away. Here are some you can try first:

• Buy cotton percale or linen instead of microfiber.
• Get rid of your big heavy comforter and invest in a light quilt or blanket.
• Look for a breathable pillow made of latex or shredded foam. Pick an open cover.
• Take a warm shower, preferably an hour before your bedtime, but even right before sleeping works. No, really, a warm shower! This would cause the core temp of your body to drop after you exit the shower.

Don’t bring hot appliances into your bedroom.

Bottom Line

You don’t have to suffer through a hot night to have a bad night’s sleep. An air flow mattress, smarter bedding choices, and a few small appliances may be the answer without giving you a freezing cold bedroom. If you’re tired of your current mattress, head on over to a mattress store Killeen TX prefers. Test out some cooling products before the next heat wave.

FAQ

Do cooling mattresses really work?

The ones that do. Latex and mixed models work the best since they have to breath.

Does memory foam make you hot?

Regular memory foam retains heat. Anything with gel or open-cell memory foam will be cooler.

Which sheet fabric is best for hot weather?

Cotton percale and linen both allow the air to flow in. They also draw out any humidity, leaving you feeling dry.