How Does Your Body Temperature Control the Quality of Your Sleep?
Your core body temperature is the most important determining factor when it comes to sleep quality. A person’s circadian rhythm is closely in tune with their body’s internal temperature. Higher temperatures are associated with active hours and tend to wake our bodies up, while lower temps trigger feelings of relaxation at the end of the day.
If you have ever spent sleepless nights tossing on your mattress due to uncomfortable temperatures, you are not alone. Most people don’t even know that different mattress types can be suited to different climates as well as different types of sleepers.
High body temperatures can interrupt your sleep cycle. Some people’s body temperature naturally runs hotter than others while sleeping. Sleeping too hot can lead to excessive sweating, frequent sleep breaks, and a lot of tossing and turning, ultimately leading to sleep problems, a fatigued, unrested body. If you are a hot sleeper, you are more likely to wake up uncomfortable throughout the night. This sleeplessness is harmful to your physical health and well-being. It’s hard to get a good night’s sleep when you are moving constantly because you are too warm or sleeping next to a partner who is. For these sleepers, a well ventilated or cooling mattress can make a big difference.
Getting a good night’s sleep in a room that is too cold or too hot is extremely tough as well as the temperature of the mattress you are trying to sleep on. The best room temperature for a good night’s sleep is somewhere between 60 and 70 degrees regardless of the season or temperature outside. Sleeping somewhere that is too cold is less common but can worsen body issues like fibromyalgia and arthritis.
Over 50 million Americans have reported that they suffer from sleep disturbances of some kind but fortunately it is still possible to get a good night of sleep even in the hot summer months.
At Mattress Express, we have several mattresses to choose from. Our top picks are made of breathable components, regulate temperature control, are of quality construction and have at least a 10 year expected lifespan. Our selection of cooling mattress options vary from mattresses that are made of gel-infused memory foam like our IFS 14” Chill Series Euphoria and our IFS 12” Chill Series Euphoria, that are literally cold to the touch to ones that allow maximum airflow to minimize heat retention like the Purple Hybrid Premier 3 and the Purple Hybrid Premier 4. All these features will help you get a better and longer night’s sleep. .
How Do Mattress Materials Affect My Sleep Cycle?
The materials your mattress is made of, whether it be foam, latex, innerspring, is a major factor when it comes to your sleeping temperature. The materials used in comfort layers, support cores, and cover fabrics can all play a role also in the heat retaining properties and breathability of the mattress. Therefore, picking a mattress for no matter the climate you live in, you need to lay special emphasis on the materials used, properties of those materials, and how they interact with your body type. Each mattress construction provides a different level of breathability, some varying more than the others.
The best cooling mattresses are not only designed with the most advanced chilling technology to help regulate your body temperature, but they also offer other comfort-enhancing features so that you can comfortably sleep through the night. Upgrading your sleep setup can make a huge difference if you or your sleeping partner are hot sleepers.
A well ventilated mattress can keep your body temperature neutral to protect you from a restless night’s sleep but beware of false marketing language. Unfortunately, false advertising is common when it comes to selling a “cooling” mattress. Some are just a cooling mattress topper or mattress cover with cooling gel and aren’t enough for hot sleepers. It can be hard to know if a mattress is actually going to help you regulate your body temperature. There is also a big difference between a mattress that doesn’t retain heat and a mattress that actively tries to provide cooling relief. Look for mattresses that physically feel cold and/or have breathable designs, making them ideal for hot sleepers who want the best cooling mattress they can find.
What Materials Should Hot Sleepers Look For?
There are a handful of cooling mattresses at Mattress Express like the Purple hybrid collection, IFS Chill Series Euphoria, Instant Comfort Q8 Smart Bed, Instant Comfort Q9 Smart Bed, Posh and Lavish Latex Collection and the IFS Black Glacier. These are just a few of our Mattress Express favorites that actually sleep as cool as they claim to. However, many beds that are marketed as “cooling” might not live up to your expectations. Keep a lookout for phase-changing materials, cooling covers and special cooling tech that goes the extra mile to keep you cool.
Memory Foam
Memory foam is a widely used material for many mattress types. Its wide use is mainly because it fulfills many sleep functions including spine alignment and pressure relief, at an affordable cost.
Memory foam mattresses are known to sleep hotter than latex and springs but are amongst the most affordable and comfortable mattresses on the market today. Generally, higher density, higher quality memory foams provide less breathability than traditional memory foam.
Many memory foam mattress manufacturers have developed specialized open cell memory foams, cooling gel infused memory foams, plant based foam and cooling covers to remedy the material’s heat retention issue. The overall heat complaints come down significantly when heat issues are addressed with such foam types.
Additionally, memory foams can sleep much cooler when mattresses are topped with cooler materials like natural fiber in the top layer.
If memory foam is the mattress material for you, check out Mattress Express’s website for our IFS Chill Series Euphoria line, the IFS Black Glacier or our new Posh and Lavish Hybrid line at the Mattress Express location of your choice.
Innerspring
Innerspring or coil mattresses have metal springs or coil in the core layer. As springs provide a lot of empty space, the air circulation is generally better in innerspring or coil mattresses, making them cooler.
Many innerspring and coil mattresses have layers made of other materials like foam or fiber on the top, which may impact the overall sleeping experience.
This is especially the case when the top layers are made of thick memory or polyurethane foam. Such construction increases sleep comfort, but impacts the temperature construct negatively.
This issue can be rectified by the usage of more breathable materials like gel-infused foam or natural fibers in the top comfort layer that will not retain as much heat as others do.
If Innerspring or hybrid is the mattress style for you, check out Mattress Express’s website for our Eclipse collection or Purple Hybrid line or visit the Mattress Express location of your choice.
The Gel Memory Foam Mattress
Natural Latex Foam
Natural latex is made from sap from the rubber tree. Latex naturally helps you sleep much cooler than other mattress materials due to its temperature neutralizing properties. Latex mattresses have an open-cell structure, so that air doesn’t get trapped and overheat as the body rests. There is built-in breathability to these mattresses. Latex mattresses come in all sizes, as well as toppers if you are not interested in replacing your whole mattress.
Latex mattresses can be your ultimate choice if you need the best temperature neutral mattress. You can pick a latex mattress that is built using more temperature neutral materials like natural fiber in the top layers. Look further for a more breathable quilting layer made up of cotton, bamboo and wool.
The material used to create the mattress cover of the Mattress Express Posh and Lavish collection is Tencel™-faced fabric. It is made up of wood pulp, and with the help of nanotechnology, it is amazingly supple, durable and moisture absorbent. The Posh and Lavish latex comfort layers have pin holes that allow you to sleep even more cooler because of its enhanced breathability.
Newer Technologies
While mattresses have been built using the above materials for ages, some innovators have now come up with the mattresses built up of the same materials with built-in temperature controlled technologies.
The people at Purple found a way to revolutionize the traditional mattress design into something much more durable, supportive and breathable. The Purple Grid is made with a temperature-neutral, hyper-elastic polymer designed specifically for Purple products. The Purple Grid features over 1,400 ventilation chambers for better airflow so when it comes to temperature, the GelFlex material is totally neutral, so you will not sleep too hot or too cold. The Purple Grid also cradles your hips and shoulders in a gentle contour while keeping your spine in proper alignment. The Purple is also designed to hold less heat, last longer and provide a unique flexibility that’s comfortable alone or with an adjustable bed frame.
The Purple Hybrid incorporates the brand’s one-of-a-kind Hyper-Elastic Polymer and pocketed coils into a 12-inch mattress that naturally regulates temperature like no other mattress. There are 3 models to choose from ranging from firm to plush.
What Else Affects a Good Quality Night’s Sleep?
It’s not only the mattress that impacts the heat and chill while sleeping, other sleep accessories like bedsheets, comforters, blankets, and pillows also impact your overall quality of sleep. When you buy your temperature neutral mattress, make sure that you don’t top it up with accessories made of unbreathable materials. You need pillows, sheet sets and mattress protectors that are breathable and won’t trap in heat as well.
Recommended choices at Mattress Express
Temperature-controlled mattresses have become a desired commodity in the mattress world.
Posh and Lavish’s Natural Latex and Purple’s Hyper-Elastic Polymer Grid are the most breathable mattress materials. The gel memory foam in our IFS Chill Series balances the heat retaining properties of standard memory foam to give you a comfortable night of sleep.
No matter which mattress you choose, you now have the information to make an educated decision that best meets your wants and needs.
Check out Mattress Express online or stop by your Mattress Express location of choice.
