Sleeping in the Heat: Tips for Restful Summer Nights

By Deluxe Sleep · Published on 1 September 2026

Sleeping in the Heat: Tips for Restful Summer Nights

Summer is here. Temperatures climb during the day, and the nights are getting warmer too. Reaching the ideal bedroom temperature of 16-18° in summer is difficult. Anyone who tends to sweat quickly and heavily suffers particularly under these conditions. So that you can sleep restfully despite the heat, we're giving you valuable, mutually complementary tips for a pleasant sleep environment and better sleep quality.

How our body temperature affects sleep

It is scientifically proven that our sleep-wake rhythm is linked to our core body temperature. This temperature drops from early evening onward, helping us fall asleep, and reaches its low point in the middle of the night (around 3:00 to 4:00 a.m.). While during the day our internal clock regulates our body temperature through sweating or shivering, our ability to do so at night is severely limited. Hot summer nights, or a sleep environment that is generally too warm, therefore keep the body active longer and make it harder to fall asleep. To regulate our body temperature during sleep, we also become active ourselves, for example by pushing the duvet away and turning over in bed. Naturally, this takes a toll on sleep quality, or rather the depth of our sleep.

Do you sweat at night? These tips will help you sleep better in the heat

Summer heat can strongly affect our body temperature, which can have a negative impact on our sleep quality. That is why it is especially important in summer to take steps that create a cool sleep environment.

1. Keep your bedroom cool

To keep your sleep environment pleasantly cool in the evening, it is best to air out the bedroom in the morning, while the outside temperature is still low. During the day you should keep the windows closed, so that warm air doesn't get into the bedroom. Darken your bedroom during the day so the sun can't heat up the room, and at night so you're not woken by the sunrise. To keep mosquitoes from disturbing your sleep, you can fit an insect screen on the window or hang a mosquito net over the bed.

2. Make sure you have a breathable bed system

To sleep better in the heat, an optimal bed system provides valuable support. A bed system consists of several components that are ideally coordinated with one another: one part of the system is the bed frame and insert frame, which lay the foundation for good ventilation beneath the sleeping surface. The bed system further consists of the mattress, duvet, pillows, bed linen and pyjamas. All of these components form the direct sleep environment and should therefore work together particularly well and allow for optimal airflow.

Mattress with a summer side and a winter side

Some mattresses have a summer side and a winter side. The mattress cover on the summer side incorporates cooling, heat-dissipating materials such as hollow fiber, climate fiber or silk. They are breathable, temperature-regulating, and absorb moisture very well, which makes them ideal for hot nights. The winter side of the mattress, on the other hand, uses warming, heat-retaining materials such as sheep's wool or camel hair.

Climate-regulating bed system

If you want a bed system with ideal ventilation, a climate-regulating mattress is a particularly good choice. Unlike mattresses with a summer and winter side, whose surfaces are characterized by cooling or warming materials, climate-regulating mattresses provide an optimal bed climate in a more comprehensive way.

The BICO Clima mattresses, which we carry in our range, create a perfect bed climate and balanced body support with a three-dimensional ventilation system, metal-free synthetic spring technology, and air-permeable comfort foams. The Swisswool layer of the BICO Clima mattress additionally regulates temperature. The BICO Clima mattress is complemented by BICO's patented climate-zone system found in the Clima duvets and pillows.

The Clima duvets keep your sleep temperature within the comfort zone and ensure an optimal sleep temperature. The Clima duvets also absorb the moisture produced by sweating and release it into the room air through membranes – very thin, breathable areas of the duvet. This ensures an optimal moisture balance. Besides the filling material, the amount of filling is decisive for how warm a duvet is: in summer, a duvet with a somewhat lighter filling is a good choice for a pleasantly cool feeling.

Thanks to the patented climate-zone system, the Clima pillows allow for optimal ventilation around the head, since that's where we sweat the most. In summer, ideally use covers that are light and breathable, such as those made of linen, silk or lightweight cotton. If even a "summer duvet" is too warm for you, you can simply use plain linen sheets. These have a cooling effect, are breathable, and help you sleep well in the heat.

Breathable pyjamas

Nightwear is also part of an optimal bed system. In summer, choose breathable, light and cooling materials for your pyjamas, such as linen and silk. Avoid pyjamas made of synthetics, as most synthetic fibers tend to make you sweat more. It's advisable to wear pyjamas even in warmer temperatures, since they absorb sweat that would otherwise end up in your duvet and sheets. Another tip for falling asleep more easily in the heat: put your pyjamas in the freezer briefly before going to bed. The cold fabric lowers your body temperature faster, which makes it easier to fall asleep. The cooling effect is of limited duration, however.

3. Cool your body down a little

To fall asleep well in the evening despite the summer heat, it's a good idea to take a lukewarm shower or a foot bath. The water gently lowers your body temperature. A cold shower would actually have a negative effect on falling asleep, since cold activates the body and reduces your readiness for sleep. Instead of a shower or foot bath, you can also refresh and cool yourself with damp cloths. Place a cool cloth on your forehead, hands or feet and enjoy the cooling effect.

4. Be careful with fans and drafts

Many people who sweat heavily while sleeping like to reach for a fan in summer to cool down. But be careful: fans can dry out the mucous membranes. In addition, the airflow from the device can cause lighter sleep and uncomfortable muscle tension – just like a draft from an open window.

Sleeping better in the heat – the takeaway

In summer, falling asleep is often a little harder for us. This is because our body is busy lowering its temperature and is accordingly active and less ready for sleep. Combine our tips for falling asleep more easily in the heat and enjoy the summer – at night too. If you're looking for a climate-regulating bed system for summer, we're happy to advise you in our showroom in Bischofszell.

Source: This article is based on an article from the BICO sleep blog (bico.ch). The research findings, product developments and test results mentioned in it come from BICO or from the third parties named in each case.