Image by Ivan Oboleninov from Pexels
Staying comfortable at night promotes a good night’s sleep. To feel cool and comfortable, you need to maintain the ideal bedroom temperature, which is around 20 - 24 degrees Celsius. Unfortunately, many sleepers experience night sweats since Singapore has a typically tropical climate.
If you’re a hot sleeper, you may have trouble falling asleep, due to night sweats. The good news is that swapping your bed sheets with a more cooling material could help you avoid tossing and turning at night.
There are many cooling sheets available in the market, and one rising in popularity is said to be TENCEL™ bed sheets. In this article, we’ll discuss if this bed sheet material can indeed help you get a more restful sleep.
What Are Cooling Bed Sheets?
To understand how TENCEL™ would qualify as a cooling bed sheet, we must first understand what makes a sheet cooling. Cooling sheets look and function like regular sheets, but they offer more breathability and absorption. Compared to other sheets, they don’t trap heat released by the body and don’t soak up night sweats. In short, they avoid overheating in bed and help maintain a more comfortable temperature, by being made of materials that possess certain properties such as moisture wicking properties. As a result, they can help improve sleep quality.
What Makes Bedding Sheets Cooling?
Some bed sheets are more cooling than others. These are the factors that make them ideal for hot sleepers:
Image by Thread Count
Many believe that a higher bed sheet thread count means better quality. While this may sometimes be the case, this isn’t always true. For instance, when it comes to cooling, higher thread count sheets tend to feel hotter. They have a tighter weave, so they are less airy and trap more heat.
That said, choosing sheets with a lower thread count may be the better choice for hot sleepers. In particular, thread count sheets ranging from 400 - 600 are not only soft and durable but also allow for consistent ventilation while you are sleeping.
Weave Pattern
The weave refers to the method of interlacing the weft and warp in a fabric which affects the feel and breathability of the bed sheets.
There are two most popular weaves: sateen and percale.
Sateen sheets generally have high density, so they are durable and often come with a heavier feel. They are made using a weaving process, which includes the three-over-one-under weave pattern, that makes them cooler than traditional cotton sheets.
On the other hand, percale is a tightly woven fabric, using the one-over-one-under weave pattern, that allows optimal airflow. Besides being soft, lightweight, and breathable, it is crisp and airy, which is why it is great for hot sleepers.
Image by Moisture-Wicking
Sleepers who tend to run hot at night should choose sheets that provide proper airflow, absorb moisture, and draw night sweats away from the body. These are usually cooling sheets, but not all sheets that claim to be cooling are moisture-wicking. So before buying, consider the material.
Some bed sheet materials with moisture-wicking abilities are polyester-cotton blend sheets, bamboo sheets, linen sheets, and TENCEL™ sheets. They are especially beneficial for sleepers who tend to wake up in a sweat as they absorb moisture better and dry faster.
Material
Some bed sheet materials are better cooling than others.
In terms of breathability, sheets made of natural fibers are often considered superior and, therefore, most cooling. This is because they have spaces between fibers that allow airflow.
What Bed Sheet Materials Are the Most Cooling?
Cooling bed sheets are necessary for many. This is especially true for hot sleepers, those in humid climates, and those with limited access to air conditioning.
With many factors like weaves, thread counts, and fabrics, picking the most suitable cooling sheet for your needs can be difficult. To guide you, here’s a bed sheet material comparison of the best bed sheet materials known for their moisture control and breathability:
TENCEL™ Lyocell
Featuring Weavve’s TENCEL™ Deluxe Set Bed Sheets in Mist Grey
TENCEL™ lyocell sheets are made from sustainably grown eucalyptus trees turned into wood pulp and spun into fibers. They are soft, lightweight, temperature-regulating, and moisture-wicking, making them the perfect option for a comfortable sleep.
TENCEL™ bed sheets typically have a thread count of 400 - 600, which makes it soft and durable, and also allows for consistent ventilation while you are sleeping. Even though it may be slightly expensive, it is worth the buy. This is because it helps to make sleepers extremely comfortable and helps to improve the quality of their sleep.
Not only that, but TENCEL™ is environmentally friendly, which appeals to a lot of people, as many people are interested in investing in environmentally friendly products nowadays.
Silk
Silk bed sheets are made of natural protein fiber. They are much-loved because they are breathable, moisture-wicking, and temperature-regulating.
Since they are considered luxurious, silk sheets tend to be more expensive than other options. Caring for them can also be challenging. They require hand washing or a gentle spin cycle to ensure they last for a long time.
Bamboo
Compared to cotton sheets, bamboo bed sheets regulate body temperature better. They are also lightweight and breathable.
To add, these sheets came from bamboo plants. They are considered sustainable and environmentally friendly to produce. However, a raw bamboo pulp must undergo intensive chemical processes before getting turned into yarn.
Cotton
Featuring Weavve’s Cotton Classic Set in Sandshell
Cotton bed sheets are durable, easy to care for, and relatively affordable. Their breathability and smooth surface make them an excellent option for sleepers looking for cooling sheets.
When buying cotton sheets, checking the weave of the fabric matters. As we mentioned earlier, percale sheets are cooler and more lightweight, while sateen sheets can feel heavier and denser.
Linen
Linen sheets are great for keeping sleepers fresher, cooler, and less sweaty at night. They are woven with a hollow core, so they have high air permeability. Also, they can absorb up to 20% of their weight before getting damp.
While linen sheets have many advantages, they have a coarse texture, so they may not be the right option for sleepers who prefer silky smooth bed sheets. They can also be quite expensive. However, many customers say their comfort and quality make them worth every penny.
What Are the Best Cooling Bed Sheets?
The right choice boils down to what you want. But if your primary concern is cooling for a sweat-free night, your best bet is TENCEL™ sheets. Here are the reasons why they are great for hot sleepers:
Cooling
The key to staying cool at night is letting the sweat quickly evaporate when transferred to the sheets. Fortunately, TENCEL™ sheets have a naturally cooling effect. Besides fast evaporation, the natural structure of the fiber helps them be smooth, lightweight, and breathable.
Moisture-Wicking
Featuring Weavve’s Lyocell Deluxe Set in Midnight Blue
TENCEL™ is better at absorbing moisture than other fibers. In fact, it absorbs up to 20% of water, making it a fabric that is not only moisture-wicking but also breathable. It maintains the body’s natural temperature and quickly wicks away sweat, so it’s perfect for sweaty sleepers.
Conclusion
Staying comfortable throughout the night is vital for a good night’s rest. This means maintaining an ideal bedroom temperature.
Since Singapore tends to be humid even at night, paying closer attention to your bed sheet material is important, especially if you wake up sweaty. This is where cooling bed sheets come in, particularly TENCEL™ bed sheets.
To get deeper, cooler sleep, invest in TENCEL™ sheets like ours. At Weavve, we offer high-quality TENCEL™ bed sheets in Singapore and worldwide. Check out how to choose your perfect bed linen and our ultimate bed sheets buying guide to make an excellent purchase!
