Cooling Down a Memory Foam Mattress

It’s Getting Hot in Here

When it comes to pressure relief, nothing beats a memory foam mattress. It’s easy to see why the comfort and cradling sensation of memory foam mattresses are such a popular sleeping choice for a restful night’s sleep. But because of the density of memory foam mattresses, many people experience body heat buildup. Add in that many of these mattresses are made with temperature reactive foams it’s easy to see why some people sleep warm in these beds. Fortunately, there are some measures you can take to keep you and your mattress cool even the situations of the summer’s heat and even night sweats associated with menopause.

Methods to Keep Cool on Your Current Memory Foam Mattress

One way to keep cool while sleeping on a memory foam mattress is to cool down the bedroom where you sleep. Keep the air in your bedroom circulating and moving across the mattress surface with a ceiling fan to disperse radiant heat. When your bedroom’s temperature is lower it will take your body heat longer to warm up your memory foam mattress.

Despite the fact that memory foam mattresses can be placed on a flat surface, placing them on an elevated bed frame is more ideal for cooler sleeping. This allows maximum airflow around and under the bed. When your memory foam mattress is raised off the floor by using a frame and foundation or closely spaced slated platform bed you allow heat to radiate from the underside of the mattress. This can reduce heat buildup considerably.

Another way to enjoy a cooler night’s sleep on a memory foam mattress is to use a  mattress pad. A pad made with breathable materials places an extra layer between your body and the foam mattress, this helps to reduce the heat trapped between your body and the foam thereby making your sleep surface cooler while increasing your comfort level. Many mattress retailers provide pads and mattress toppers that will increase air flow between you and the mattress surface. More air flow, keeps you cooler at night.

All this cooling off can also be too extreme resulting in an uncomfortable night’s sleep for another reason and that’s pliability. When memory foam mattresses get too cool the material loses its pliability, reducing its capability of molding around your body. The memory foam mattress is also slower at returning to its original shape when it’s in lower temperatures. When this happens you wind up sleeping in a “hole” or body shaped depression in the mattress that stays that way for a long time before bouncing back. Fortunately, this situation is not permanent as memory foam mattresses can return to their original shape when the room’s temperature warms up to a more ambient temperature.

Quick Tips on Purchasing New Sleep Cool Foam

If you are purchasing a new memory foam mattress look for models that promote better air circulation. Ask for a sample of the foam and see if you can blow through it. The more you can blow through it the more air can circulate when your sleeping. Another choice while highly controversial is gel memory foam. Gel can be in the form of gel beads and is even sometimes swirled into the memory foam. Lastly purchasing a coil spring mattress that uses less dense memory foam can give you the comfort of foam but the airflow of a coil spring mattress.

Staying cool on your memory foam mattress is especially important and more difficult during the hot summer months. This is why taking some extra steps before going to bed can make all the difference. Your head, hands and feet are the biggest radiators of heat on your body. By cooling these areas with a cool shower or bath before you go to bed, you’ll have a cooler and more comfortable night’s rest. You could also wipe down your body with a cool wash cloth and hop into bed with out drying yourself, allowing the air to dry you. This will keep you cool long enough to allow you to fall asleep. Splashing cool water on your head, soaking your hands and feet in cold water also are effective ways of cooling your body before you go to bed. Running cold water over your wrists is another method many people use to cool down their body temperature. Your blood stream flows closest to the surface of the body making wrists and the inside of your arm hot spots. Running them under cold water for a minute will cool your blood down, making your whole body cooler. For others, using a damp cloth or towel to wet the face and arms before standing in front of a fan or blowing air while their skin is still damp works quickly and easily.2

If you’re sleeping hot, follow these easy tips for staying cool – you’ll enjoy a better night’s sleep on your memory foam mattress.