What Are The Best Clothes To Wear In Bed When It’s Hot?

Sleeping in the heat is never an easy task. Even if you leave a window open, or use an electric fan, on some nights it can literally feel as though you’re sleeping on the surface of the sun, it’s that hot in your bedroom. And while some people might choose to sleep naked in an attempt to cool down, others prefer wearing clothes when they sleep.

If you’re someone who likes wearing nightwear when you sleep, then this article is for you. We look at the best clothes to wear in bed when it’s hot, to help you get a good night’s sleep no matter what the temperature is.

PJs Or Nightdress: What’s Best At Keeping You Cool?

You’d probably presume that when it’s hot, the less you wear in bed the better, but actually this isn’t the case. Sleeping naked results in sweat collecting on the body, but then having nowhere to go. Some of this sweat may be absorbed by your bedding, but for the most part it will stay on your skin. This will often make you sweat more and aside from anything else it’s also really uncomfortable and unpleasant. Trying to get an undisturbed night’s sleep when you’re covered in sweat is pretty much near impossible.

Wearing night clothes can help to absorb any sweat you may produce, which in turn helps to cool you down. Obviously, putting on a layer of clothing is the last thing you’ll feel like doing on a warm night, but if you choose nightwear in the right kind of material you will reap the benefits. So, in terms of whether it’s better to wear pyjamas or a nightdress to bed, it actually doesn’t matter so long as you get the fit and the fabric right, which is what we’re going to come onto next.

What Are The Best Materials For Staying Cool In?

There are two factors you need to consider when choosing the best nightwear to sleep in during spells of hot weather; fit and fabric.

When it comes to fit, it’s best to wear something that’s light and airy and that doesn’t cling to your body. Anything that’s too skin tight will trap sweat and create a warm layer of air between your skin and the material. This can also aggravate existing skin conditions like eczema or cause things like heat rash or acne to occur.

To help keep yourself cool on these warm summer nights look for sleepwear that is made from the following fabrics:

• Bamboo – Due to the structure of the fibres in bamboo, air is able to circulate freely, which helps the body regulate its temperature against the outside temperature. So, not only does this make bamboo an excellent choice when it’s hot, it can also help keep you warm when it’s cold.
• Cotton – Whilst cotton isn’t great at moisture wicking, it is lightweight, breathable, and comfortable to sleep in. Plus, because it is a natural fabric it is unlikely to irritate your skin. However, if you get particularly sweaty at night,  for example if you’re going through the perimenopause or menopause and are experiencing night sweats, then this probably isn’t the best fabric for you.
• Silk – You only have to touch silk and you can feel how cool it is, and the reason for this is because of it’s amazing thermoregulating and breathable qualities. Just like bamboo, it is capable of keeping you warm when it’s cold and cool when it’s hot.
  
• Linen – Linen can absorb up to 20% of its own weight in moisture without feeling cold or damp. It is also hypoallergenic, durable, temperature regulating, and gets softer with every wash.
• Tencel – Tencel is a type of Rayon, a synthetic material made from recycled wood pulp. As a comparison, Tencel is more absorbent than cotton, softer than silk, and cooler than linen.

The general rule of thumb is to look for products that are made from natural fibres and usually that cost a bit more. Cheaper materials are unfortunately much more likely to make you sweat, however you don’t have to spend on the more expensive price tag of silk. Both bamboo and Tencel nightwear offer great cooling properties and at a much more reasonable price.

Other Things You Can Do To Help You Sleep In The Heat

What you wear in bed can make a massive difference to how well you sleep during a heatwave, but there are also other things you can do that will help you cool down.

Here’s what else you can do to reduce the temperature in your bedroom:

• Close the curtains during the day.
• Make sure you drink enough.
• Switch to a lower tog duvet.
• Use bed sheets made from cooling, breathable fabrics.
• Open your loft hatch to let the heat escape – hot air rises!
• Put a bowl of ice cubes in front of your fan.
• Replace your hot water bottle with a cold water bottle .

Creating the perfect temperature in your bedroom is far from easy, but as you can see from the advice above there are some simple things you can do which will help. And what you wear in bed on those hot and sticky nights plays a huge part. The key take home from this is to look for sleepwear made from natural, lightweight fabrics if you want a cool and comfortable night’s sleep.