If you’ve ever woken up peeling off the covers in the middle of the night, you’re not alone. In the U.S., 14% of adults say they sleep too hot “always” or “most of the time.” This is more than double the number of people who sleep too cold. If this sounds familiar, it might be time to rethink your mattress.
Cooling mattresses are gaining popularity for their ability to regulate body temperature during sleep, promote airflow, dissipate heat, and create a more breathable sleep surface. But what makes a cooling mattress cool? Let’s break down what’s inside, how it works, and what to look for if you’re ready to put the night sweats behind you once and for all.
What is a Cooling Mattress?
When your mattress retains heat, you’ll feel it. You might wake up sweaty, find yourself kicking off the covers, or only sleep for short bursts, and honestly, none of that feels good. Traditional memory foam mattresses are the worst offenders. They’re dense and trap body heat right where you don’t want it.
Cooling mattresses are made to do the opposite. These are constructed with materials like gel-infused memory foam, which helps hot sleepers sleep cool throughout the night. Instead of letting heat build up under your body, cooling mattresses help it escape.
The Science Behind Cooling Mattresses
Your body is smart. It knows when to wind down, and part of that process is lowering your internal temperature. That drop is a signal to your brain that it’s time to sleep. Yet, if the rest of your environment is working against you, your body has to work harder to stay cool, which makes it harder to rest.
Most experts agree that the best temperature range for sleep is between 65 and 68℉, as this helps your body stay cool and comfortable all night. If your mattress is retaining heat, though, your room temperature can only get you so far.
Fortunately, cooling mattresses help pull heat away from your body and out through the mattress by combining different materials, like graphite or phase change materials. It sounds high-tech, but these materials are what make real sleep better.
Types of Mattress Cooling Technology
Not all cooling mattresses are the same. The materials inside determine how well the mattress handles heat and how it feels to sleep on. Here’s a breakdown of some of the most common mattress cooling technologies used to keep you cool.
Gel-Infused Foam
If you love the feel of memory foam but hate how hot it gets, gel-infused foam is a smart upgrade. It’s made by blending a blue swirl of cooling gel into the foam. The gel helps pull heat away from your body while still offering the same contouring and pressure relief you’d expect from traditional foam.
Gel-infused foam gives you the best of both worlds: a mattress that hugs your shape without turning into a sauna by midnight.
Pocketed Coils
Old-school innerspring mattresses rely on a grid of interconnected coils that move as a single unit. They might be bouncy and breathable, but they’re not great at isolating motion or providing support.
Pocketed coils fix that. Each coil is wrapped individually in fabric, allowing it to respond to your body without disturbing the entire bed. The open structure between them also allows for air circulation, keeping heat from getting trapped inside the mattress. When combined with cooling foam or breathable top layers, pocketed coils provide cool and comfortable support.
Copper
When you think of cooling properties that might be inside a mattress, copper might not be the first thing that comes to mind; however, it’s one of the most effective materials for conducting heat. In a mattress, a copper-infused foam absorbs your body heat quickly and then spreads it evenly across the surface, preventing it from building up underneath you. It warms fast, but cools even faster.
A bonus perk of copper is that it’s naturally antimicrobial, keeping your mattress bacteria-free and fresh over time. If you tend to overheat and sweat at night, copper can help regulate your temperature and reduce moisture buildup in the process.
Graphite
Graphite works similarly to copper, but in a slightly different way. This element has high thermal conductivity and naturally fire-retardant properties, making it effective and safe. When you lie down, graphite pulls heat away from warmer areas and redistributes it across the mattress. In other words, rather than cooling in one spot, graphite helps maintain an even temperature all night long, so you’re not flipping your pillow looking for coolness.
Phase Change Materials
Phase Change Materials, or PCMs, respond to shifts in temperature by absorbing heat when they warm up and releasing it when they cool down. That means your mattress can adjust in real time, keeping you in a more comfortable temperature range without you even noticing.
Modern PCMs can store much more heat than traditional materials. In fact, some can hold 5 to 14 times more thermal energy, allowing them to work longer and more efficiently. If you’re looking for a mattress that adapts to you, not the other way around, this is the feature to look for.
Benefits of Cooling Mattresses
Many people shop for a mattress based on how it feels, but how it handles temperature can be just as important. Cooling mattresses come with a slew of benefits, such as:
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Helping you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer
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Supporting deeper sleep cycles, including REM and slow-wave sleep
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Improving energy, mood, and focus throughout the day
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Keeping your sleep temperature stable, even if you share the bed
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Reducing moisture buildup with antimicrobial materials that last longer
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Potentially lowering your energy bill by reducing the need for extreme AC temperatures
What’s the Best Cooling Mattress?
That depends on what kind of sleeper you are. Some people require more support, while others prefer a softer feel. Some sleep solo, others share a bed with a heat-generating partner. The ideal cooling mattress will be one that combines comfort, support, and temperature control in a way that suits your needs.
Not sure where to look? cordaroys’ new hybrid mattress checks every box. It combines the contouring feel of foam with the breathability and structure of pocketed coils, so you don’t have to choose one or the other. When it comes to cooling, this mattress doesn’t stop at just one feature. It uses four: blue phase-change material, copper, graphite, and an airflow-friendly pocketed coil system.
If you’re looking for a mattress that adapts to your body, manages heat, and still feels good to sleep on night after night, cordaroys has your back.
How to Get the Most Out of Your Cooling Mattress
A cooling mattress can do a lot on its own, but pairing it with the right accessories makes it even better. Here are a few simple ways you can maximize the benefits:
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Use breathable bedding like cotton or moisture-wicking sheets
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Keep your room temperature cool, but not freezing
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Try a cooling pillow or mattress pad for added temperature control
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Rotate or flip your mattress occasionally if applicable
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Keep your mattress clean and free of dust buildup for optimal airflow
While the goal is to stay cool, you don’t want to overdo it. Make sure your sleep accessories keep things cozy, too. Our XL Chinchilla Throw Blanket is the perfect layer to add warmth and texture without trapping heat. This ultra-soft, oversized blanket is guaranteed to keep you cozy and fast asleep all night.
Stay Cool All Night Long With cordaroys
If you’re tired of waking up hot and restless, switching to a cooling mattress could be the upgrade you need. Our hybrid mattress was built to keep you cool and comfortable, with four layers of temperature-regulating materials that work together while you sleep. That’s because at cordaroys, we believe it’s what’s on the inside that matters.
Ready to sleep cooler? Try corduroy' s cooling Hybrid Mattress today!
Sources:
Sleep Temperature Linked to Overall Sleep Quality, Wellbeing | Gallup
Best Temperature for Sleep | Sleep Foundation
What is copper in a mattress and does your cooling mattress need it? | Tom's Guide
