Sweating in Your Sleep? Relax - It's Not Necessarily a Medical Issue

Just because you’re having trouble getting a good night’s sleep—and possibly waking up uncomfortable—it doesn’t mean that you get free rein of WebMD. You might already be a bit concerned (and obviously a bit cranky from a poor night’s sleep), but going straight into the thinking that something’s wrong with you medically might not be the right answer.

Before heading to the doctor because of your night sweats, you might be comforted by the fact that you’re probably not dying, nor doomed to soon learn of an underlying medical issue.

Interestingly enough, your extra nocturnal perspiration—AKA waking up sweaty in the middle of the night—can be sourced back to something as simple as the material composing your mattress or mattress pad.

If at least part of your mattress is designed with memory foam, that body-shaping, pillow of softness that’s always being advertised as the cure to sleep apnea, it actually might be the cause of your sleep sweat. And though that can be a bit disconcerting to hear, finding the culprit to your lack of quality sleep can also be freeing.

Whilst memory foam has been known to work wonders for spine alignment, reducing back pain, and keeping you ache-free, it might also be causing a rise in your body temperature throughout the night - naturally leading to sweating.

Most foam mattresses are highly dense and energy-absorbent, making them wonderfully comfortable, and simultaneously very hot. They often reflect the heat from your body—and they aren’t necessarily designed to disperse that heat anywhere else—sometimes sending it right back to you.

Ways Mattresses Cause Sleep Sweats - and How a Cooling Mattress Can Help

Owners of memory foam mattresses often complain about the heat they experience at night, aggravating their night sweats and preventing them from getting a restful night’s sleep.

To help solve this issue, it might be best to understand the problem at its source. If you have been feeling:

Like your foam mattress is straight out of the Sahara:

A memory foam mattress can get seriously hot, especially if it isn’t equipped with any cooling properties or cooling mattress technology.

You haven’t been transported to the desert—but it may feel like this since memory foam has been proven to absorb heat, and since it isn’t as breathable as a cooling mattress, the heat has nowhere to go but to be reflected right back to your body.

A cool gel mattress, on the other hand (or any other cooling mattress with cool gel technology), can help distribute that heat and keep you cool throughout the night.

Like you’re more dehydrated than ever before:

Night sweats can cause dehydration and typically leave you feeling restless. Since our bodies are wired to sweat to cool themselves down, it’s pretty normal that we sweat when we get too hot. This is typically done when you’re exercising, nervous or in an environment that’s too warm.

However, when you’re simply sleeping, it might be a bit of a mystery as to why you wake up thirsty, sometimes multiple times in the middle of the night.

Yes, feeling parched frequently can be sourced back to a medical condition (please check with your doctor), but there is also a chance it could simply be your synthetic, suffocating memory foam mattress.

The Solution: A King Size Cooling Mattress

Although you may not necessarily need that big of a bed, a cooling mattress, in general, can help lower that temperature while you’re sleeping to get you that rested night’s sleep you’ve been dreaming of.

This solution can work wonders, especially if you’ve already gone to the doctor, have been checked out, and cleared of all possible medical conditions that may cause your night sweats. It’s now time to look into investing in a cooling mattress to solve your problem.

If you’ve been suffering from interrupted sleep throughout the night, you also don’t necessarily have to invest in a whole new mattress—a cooling mattress topper can also be a quick solution to keep you dry throughout the night.

To help you pick out the best cooling mattress, you should look for a few features that will ensure your comfort:

• Make sure you’re looking for a cooling mattress with natural, breathable fibers instead of ones that are made with synthetic material—which can contribute to the problem.

• Perhaps invest in a wool mattress protector along with cool mattress technology. Though you may associate the fabric with keeping you warm, wool can help keep you cool with its breathability and ability to diffuse body heat. Wool has been known to not only absorb moisture but also help regulate body temperature, which can be a huge helper along with your cooling mattress.

• Matter of fact, go all-in with the wool and also invest in wool bedding. Synthetic sheets can counter the cooling mattress technology, putting you right back where you started. Wool mattress protectors or even wool bed linens can keep the air circulating, which can help keep you dry.

If you have concerns about night sweating, it’s always good to schedule an appointment with your doctor. You and your wellbeing are the number one priority.

None of the above should be taken to suggest we discourage you from getting checked and eliminating any possible medical issues before you move on to investing in a mattress or mattress topper with cooling technology.

If you’ve already done the above—then you’re good to go on the investment! Sleep tight and stay cool.