Beat the Heat while enjoying a cozy mattress

Many folks start
thinking of buying a new mattress during the summer heat for the wrong reasons.
They find themselves tossing and turning and blame their mattresses when it is
more a matter of temperature. In the winter it is easy to throw another blanket
on a bed to keep comfortable. In the summer it is just as important to keep
cool to sleep. Good temperature control is key to a good nights rest. Washing
sheets regularly can be useful, and skip the fabric softener. Not only does it
disrupt the flame retardancy of fabrics, but it acts as a wax like coating on
the fibers making them less able to breathe.

A memory foam
mattress is also known to hold heat more. Knowing this characteristic can help
you combat the problem directly. Changing to natural fiber sheets, especially
those, like Bamboo known for its moisture wicking qualities, can help regulate
the temperature inside the bed. A ceiling fan can help from an overhead
perspective. There is also a new invention called a bed fan that directs a
current of air between the sheets. Keeping this fan on will mean that less
energy has to go into cooling the whole house.

If heat is a
major problem, there are some other considerations. Heat rises. So if there is
a basement, setting up temporary sleeping quarters down there can help reduce
heat induced insomnia. This may be why the couch seems to induce sleep so much
more often that the bed. Air mattresses also act as giant heat sinks. In the
winter or an air conditioned room this can be a problem, but with good moisture
wicking sheet this can really help keep a person cool.

Taking a shower
right before going to bed can also work to lower the body's temperature. Don't
make it too cold or the body will fight back with an increased metabolism. Also
let the moisture evaporate as much as possible rather than wrapping up in a
towel. Evaporation is a great body cooling system. This reduced of evaporation
is actually the reason Tempurpedic foam mattresses don't feel as cool. When the
memory foam hugs and supports the body it reduces the tossing and turning that
allows the body to self regulate its temperature.

With the time of
heat waves and hot temps coming remember to stay cool as cool as possible. If
hot nights is the cause of insomnia, no mattress can solve that problem. Once
the temperature moderates, if the insomnia is still affecting a nights rest, a
new bed might be in order.