Posted: 2024-07-23 14:00:04
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$149 at Casper
Casper Hybrid Pillow with Snow Technology on top of white sheets

Casper Hybrid Pillow with Snow Technology

Favorite cooling pillow

Summertime is already the hottest time of the year, but with record-breaking high temperatures continuing to soar, it sounds like we are in for hotter months ahead. If you are a hot sleeper or struggle to fall asleep when your room is too warm, this could mean more sleepless nights in the future. Thankfully, something as simple as swapping out your bedding can save you the sweat.  

I'm a hot sleeper and over the years I have completely switched out my bedding and bedding accessories for light, cooling alternatives. I found that it has helped with tossing and turning and waking up sweaty, and the editors on my team have done the same. Here's everything that my fellow CNET wellness editors and I use to sleep cool during the night. 

I have written many articles boasting about these sheets from Buffy -- that's how much I love them. For this reason, it won a CNET 2024 Editor's Choice award. I switched out my old sheets for the Buffy Breeze sheets about two years ago, and I haven't looked back. The sheets are made of eucalyptus fibers, so they are naturally light, breathable, moisture-wicking and cool to the touch. They are the softest of any sheets I've tested, and I've tested many cooling sheets over the years (for example, linen I found too scratchy and cotton sateen isn't silky enough).     

Pros:

  • Naturally dyed and plant-based
  • Cool to the touch
  • Can snag these for under $145 during a sale

Cons:

  • Material stains easily 
  • Only 300 thread count

My dogs are often in my bed, so I've found that a duvet cover and a duvet insert are a lot easier to clean than a regular comforter. While I've put some thought into the duvet cover (the color, material, feel, etc.), I didn't consider that the insert should also be carefully chosen. The old duvet insert I was using was making me warm, and I was kicking it off at night. So, I switched to a lighter duvet insert from Avocado. The Down Duvet insert in the lightweight option is the perfect alternative. While I haven't tried the all-season fill option, I consider the lightweight to be comfortable in both the warm and cold months for hot sleepers. It's filled with ethically sourced down and covered in a soft cotton shell. Keep in mind that a little fill does escape, and I find tiny feathers in my hair ever so often. 

Pros:

  • Available in lightweight and all-season options
  • Ethically sourced 650 fill-power down
  • 400-thread-count cotton shell

Cons:

  • A little fill does escape 
  • Spot clean only

I've found that switching to a cooling pillow has made a difference in my nightly routine. Out of all the cooling pillows I have tested, I found the Casper Hybrid Pillow with Snow Technology to be the coolest to the touch. Even with a pillowcase on it (I use a light, eucalyptus pillowcase from Buffy), I can feel the cooling sensation on my face. While it won't stay completely cool on one side the entire night, I will just flip it over.

Pros:

  • Suitable for side, back or combination sleepers
  • Cool-to-the-touch feeling
  • Four layers of foam, fiber and gel with Snow Technology

Cons:

  • Not for those who don't like foam pillows
  • Over $145 for one pillow

While this is the most expensive item on this list, and I understand that this product may not be worth it for all sleepers, I stand by the Eight Sleep Pod 3 Cover being the most effective cooling device on the market. This unique, high-tech mattress cover contains wires and sensors that are connected to a tank of water underneath the bed. Depending on your personal setting on the app, it will either cool or warm you during the night. Plus, it will automatically cool or warm you to maintain the ideal temperature for sleep during all stages. My boyfriend and I can both choose our own settings, and there's even a thermal alarm that makes the bed uncomfortably warm in the morning -- pushing you out to start your day. Out of all the cooling products that I have tested, Eight Sleep is the most effective accessory that keeps me cool all night. 

Pros:

  • Automatically adjusts the temperature to keep you cool all night
  • Tracks your health vitals and sleep
  • If you sleep with a partner, each side is customizable

Cons:

  • It's pricey, with additional subscription costs
  • Makes the mattress firmer, and you can feel the coils at times

The Rest Evercool Cooling Comforter won my top choice for the best overall cooling comforter of 2024. Out of all the comforters that I tested for that list, the one from Rest was extremely cool to the touch, lightweight, moisture-wicking and silky soft. My boyfriend and I use the Scandinavian sleep method, so while I sleep with a duvet, he sleeps with the Rest Evercool comforter. He likes that despite how lightweight it is, he never gets too cold or too hot. However, we aren't the only ones that use this comforter to stay cool at night.     

"I'm a super hot sleeper, and the Rest Evercool Cooling Comforter has helped me sleep better and cooler. I love the silky feel and how this comforter stays cool throughout the night," said Erica Devaney, wellness, home and broadband editorial director. 

Pros:

  • Cool to the touch
  • Silky soft
  • Comes in six colors; three are reversible

Cons:

  • Easily slides off the bed and bedding
  • Doesn't have anchor loops for a duvet cover

If you are looking for a way to stay cool and control your bedhead, silky smooth pillowcases are your way to go. The Spasilk satin pillowcase comes in 14 different colors, and depending on the color you choose, it's made of a combination of silk and polyester, satin or cotton. The pillowcase is soft, shiny and aims to minimize hair frizz and breakage. 

"I use the Spasilk satin pillowcase on my body pillow and can't sleep without it," said wellness editor Anna Gragert. She's a hot sleeper and reaches for this cooling, silky pillowcase for some relief in the middle of the night. "I also love its affordability and should probably get another for my bedhead!" she stated.

Pros:

  • Hypoallergenic, breathable
  • Available in 14 colors 
  • Machine-washable 

Cons:

  • Wrinkles easily
  • Depending on the color, it can be made of silk, polyester satin or cotton

Sleep Number is not new to the cooling game. Its True Temp blanket and True Temp Classic pillow are both cool to the touch and made two separate cooling lists of mine. While its Create Your Perfect Comforter is not targeted specifically at hot sleepers, it's great for those who sleep a bit warm while their partner sleeps hot. Each side is completely customizable.   

"This comforter is a game-changer for people who need personalized comfort at night," said sleep writer Taylor Leamey. She tested the Sleep Number comforter with her partner, who is a hot sleeper. "Over the month [with] the Sleep Number customizable comforter, he hasn't kicked it off once," she said. It's great for others who sleep with a partner who often wakes up tossing and turning, trying to get cool. 

Pros:

  • Each side is customizable by fill and warmth
  • Cozy, 100% cotton cover
  • Box stitching keeps the fill from clumping

Cons:

  • You have to buy each side separately
  • The zipper to join sides can be stiff at the start

The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.

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