We all know that a good night’s sleep contributes to success the next day. According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, adults need 7 to 8 hours of sleep, but it is not just about how much you sleep; the quality of your rest is also extremely important. Sadly, many of us don’t get a good night’s sleep, and that could be due, at least in part, to the setup of our bedroom. It’s hard for hot sleepers to maintain a comfortable temperature throughout the night.
So you have been considering switching to bamboo sheets for some time, but are not sure if it will guarantee a cool and comfortable night rest. You may be wondering, “are bamboo sheets cooling?”
Fortunately for sweaty sleepers, bamboo bed sheets are known for keeping you cool throughout the night and helping you wake up refreshed each morning. As a leading bamboo sheets retailer, Bamboo Bed is here to break down the properties of bamboo fabric and express how much you are missing out on with no bamboo sheets in your home.
Do Bamboo Sheets Keep You Cool?
When the body gets too hot and needs to cool down, you start to sweat. Tiny droplets of water roll across the surface of the skin. As these water droplets disperse, they draw heat away from the body, giving you time to cool down naturally.
Suppose you are lying under cotton sheets. Cotton does not absorb sweat from body heat, but traps moisture within the material. However, bamboo sheets are different. Bamboo bedding can reduce the humidity in your bed by up to 50 percent and will cool you down twice as fast as cotton.
Bamboo fibers have thermoregulatory properties, which mean your sheets will keep you warm in the winter, cool in the summer, and comfortable throughout the year. Bamboo sheets absorb moisture from the body and draw it into the fibers of the bedding. Unlike cotton sheets, moisture rises to the surface of the sheets and evaporates.
Since bamboo promotes sweat evaporation, you can stay at an ideal temperature throughout the night. Once the sweating subsides, it reverts to basics: keeping you warm and cozy.
What are the Best Sheets to Sleep Cool?
As a trusted source of information on sheets and bedding, we believe it’s necessary to consider alternative options when choosing the best bed sheets to keep you cool at night, in order to provide you with an unbiased guide. Here are the best sheets known to offer cooling properties:
Lyocell Sheets
Lyocell is made from pulp found in oak or eucalyptus trees. Although it is made from natural materials, it’s a synthetic fiber. Lyocell sheets absorb moisture well, wick sweat away from your body while you sleep, and keep you clean. However, it’s hard to say they are one of the best bed sheets for cool sleeping because of their synthetic nature.
Microfiber Sheets
Microfiber is also a synthetic material, a mix of nylon and polyester. Microfiber sheets also claim to wick away moisture effectively. However, due to its nature as a man-made material, it’s hard to say that microfiber sheets are effective sheets for sweaty sleepers.
Bamboo Sheets
When choosing sheets for cooling off, bamboo sheets should be your primary consideration. They combine not only breathability and comfort while being lightweight, but they are also hypoallergenic, temperature-regulating, moisture-wicking, and durable.
Why Invest in Bamboo Sheets for a Cooler Night?
If you are suffering from night sweats, bamboo bed sheets will solve your problems in no time. We believe we are providing the essential bed sheets for sweaty sleepers. Here is why:
Temperature Sensitive
High-quality bamboo beddings feature infusion technology that regulates temperature all night long. Bamboo sheets do not retain heat; maximizing airflow to keep your body sweat-free.
Moisture Wicking
Cotton sheets are notoriously absorbent, while bamboo fibers wick moisture away from the skin and into the fabric before it evaporates quickly without wetting the sheet. Bamboo sheets can absorb water up to three times its weight.
Hypoallergenic Properties
The natural properties of bamboo sheets disperse body odor and keep bacteria out, regardless of temperature. The bamboo fabric is skin-friendly and prevents the absorption of unpleasant substances such as bacteria and body oils. Bamboo sheets are microbial as they eliminate all insects and keep the sheets fresh.
The Best Bamboo Sheets for Cooler Nights
Now that we have covered why you should invest in bamboo bed sheets for night sweats, let’s take a closer look at the best bamboo bed sheets for cooler nights.
There are 4 types of bamboo fabrics on the market today:
100 Percent Bamboo Lyocell
Bamboo lyocell is very sustainable because the original material is dissolved with a non-toxic solvent. The fiber recycles its water during development, using less material overall while remaining strong and soft.
100 Percent Bamboo Modal
Bamboo modal textiles stretch more than other materials, making them the most delicate and lightest fabrics you can choose from. Although incredibly comfortable and soft, it is often considered too thin for bedding products and is more commonly used for clothing.
100 Percent Bamboo Viscose
Many bamboo sheets are made of viscose. This material is inherently hypoallergenic and thermoregulatory while remaining soft. However, it’s not toxic in itself. The intensive chemical processes used to develop the complete product raise concerns. Of all bamboo fabrics, it is the least sustainable.
Bamboo Linen Fiber
Bamboo linen is mechanically produced without chemicals. It is a very sustainable fabric. However, it easily wrinkles and is not recommended for long-term use as bedding due to its high maintenance requirement.
Are Bamboo Sheets Good for Hot Sleepers?
Bamboo sheets are becoming more and more popular as people switch to this new fabric option. However, did you know that they are a particularly good option for hot sleepers? These are some reasons people consider bamboo sheets to be the best bedding choice.
Moisture Wicking
One benefit of bamboo sheets is that they wick away moisture. So when you sweat while you sleep, moisture is wicked away from your skin. This makes you feel much more comfortable, which can improve sleep quality and prevent moisture-related skin problems such as heat rash. Also, this evaporation offers a cooling effect, ideal on hot nights.
Breathability
While many bed sheets are lightweight, bamboo is also highly breathable, making it a brilliant choice for hot sleepers. This keeps the airflow close to your skin and can help you enjoy less heat as the night progresses. The breathability effect is maximized if you opt for a full blend of bamboo or bamboo silk or cotton rather than a blend with polyester or synthetic fibers.
Microbial
Among the unpleasant side effects of night sweats and being a hot sleeper, even when the sweat dries, is that your bedding can begin to accumulate a naturally musky “body odor.” Although the best way to avert this is to wash your sheets regularly, it's difficult to balance the other time pressures of a busy lifestyle. Bamboo sheets are inherently microbial, which helps keep bugs out and keeps bedding as fresh as possible between washes, which can make sleeping much more comfortable in the warmer months.
Different Types of Night Sweats
The primary reason cooling sheets are available is to provide some level of comfort for people with medical conditions that cause intense sweating and body heat.
Most commonly, postmenopausal women have terrible night sweats. Due to the limitations of medical treatments, one of the easiest options for someone going through menopause is to make some lifestyle changes, such as sleeping with cooling bamboo sheets. Other conditions, like diabetes and an overactive thyroid, cause night sweats, which can cause serious discomfort and disrupt a person’s sleep cycle.
Still, there are a handful of different situations that contribute to night sweats and the need to cool off. Mild reasons you need a coolant like bamboo sheets could be any of the following:
- A humid climate
- Heat retaining mattresses
- Sharing a bed with someone
Ultimately, the intensity of your discomfort will determine the intensity of the coolant you need. So before you commit to any bed sheet, you have to consider the actual level of relief that bamboo sheets offer.
What is Cooler: Cotton or Bamboo?
Organic bamboo yarns create a highly breathable and lightweight fabric that will keep you cool all night long. On average, bamboo bedding is known to maintain body temperature about 3° cooler at night than cotton bedding.
While cotton has traditionally been known to be relatively breathable and lightweight, bamboo beats cotton in its daily cooling properties.
How Are Bamboo Beddings Cooler Than Cotton?
Several benefits come with bamboo, making bamboo sheets cooler than cotton. Perfect for hot sleepers suffering from night sweats and hot flashes, bamboo fiber helps keep the body comfortable and cool in several ways:
Breathability
While the highest quality cotton is lightweight and allows proper airflow, bamboo sheets are even more cooling and breathable. Naturally, cotton sheets retain more heat than bamboo sheets, and the long natural fibers of bamboo sheets offer elements of breathability that shorter cotton threads simply can’t match. The breathability of bamboo keeps bamboo bed sheets cooler than cotton.
Bamboo sheets offer natural breathability with their simple weave pattern and organic materials. Bamboo fibers have millions of micro-interstices that make bamboo sheets much more airy and breathable than any cotton sheet. These micro-gaps keep your body more comfortable and cooler on hot summer nights, allowing more airflow and keeping your body at a comfortable temperature. Instead of allowing your body heat to be trapped in the bedding, the bamboo fibers work to release hot air to keep your body cool.
Hypoallergenic Properties
The inherent antibacterial and hypoallergenic properties of bamboo mean that your bamboo bed sheets repel dust mites, bacteria, and any body odor. Regardless of how humid the weather is, the hypoallergenic properties of bamboo sheets never develop mold or mildew, always keeping your body cool and fresh.
Among the most uncomfortable aspects of a hot sleeper is the amount of sweat produced by traditional bedding and sheets. Even after the sweat has dried, cotton absorbs bacteria and body oils, leaving it feeling dirty and smelling musky. Although the best way to avert this is to regularly wash your bed sheets, the antibacterial and hypoallergenic properties of bamboo sheets offer extra support by preventing bacteria from building up. Bamboo sheets are inherently microbial, which kills all bad bacteria and bugs and keeps your sheets smelling and fresh between washes.
Bamboo Regulates Temperature
Bamboo is naturally thermoregulatory, which means bamboo sheets keep your body warm in the winter and cool in the summer. With regular fabrics like cotton, your body needs to work hard to regulate your core temperature, which it does by sweating. With the bamboo sheets, the thermoregulatory properties of the fibers relieve your body and perfectly regulate your body when warming up and cooling down.
The body’s ability to thermoregulate is a big part of how it regulates sleep. The maximized airflow of the bamboo bed sheets means that the bamboo not only regulates your temperature but also keeps your body cool, dry, and sweat-free. The natural temperature-regulating elements of bamboo are an important factor in keeping bamboo sheets cooler than cotton.
Moisture-Wicking Sheets
While cotton absorbs perspiration and body moisture all night long, bamboo fibers absorb moisture before wicking it away. Cotton is notoriously absorbent; where bamboo fibers are equally attracted and unattracted to water. The bamboo fibers in bamboo sheets wick moisture away from the skin to the fabric, where it quickly evaporates.
Moisture-wicking elements refer to fabrics that can wick moisture away from the body without absorbing moisture into the sheet and getting wet. Rather, moisture evaporates quickly from the fabric, keeping both the sleeper and the sheets dry.
Bamboo sheets can hold water up to three times its weight before absorbing and evaporating it, keeping skin cool, comfortable, and dry. Cotton sheets do not offer moisture-wicking characteristics. When cotton sheets absorb moisture, it remains moist. It is these moisture-absorbing elements that essentially keep bamboo bed sheets cooler than cotton.
Who Should Purchase Cooling Bamboo Sheets?
Bamboo sheets can be a perfect option for anyone struggling with nighttime overheating. Some people choose to use cooling bed sheets seasonally, putting them on the bed during the warmer months and replacing them with a more comfortable option during the winter. While certainly an option, many cooling sheets are comfortable all year round. Combined with a duvet and/or blanket, they keep you warm in winter months with no risk of overheating.
Anyone can enjoy cooling bamboo sheets, but they can be especially good for:
Those who live in humid climates. If you live somewhere warm, cooling bamboo sheets can make you feel more comfortable at night. Also, they can allow you to rely less on your fans or air conditioning.
Individuals who sleep hot. Those who sleep hot all year round will appreciate the added moisture-wicking and breathability of cooling bamboo sheets.
People prone to night sweats. Cooling bamboo sheets is absorbent and breathable, so they don’t leave the sleeper in a puddle of sweat.
Couples with different sleeping temperature preferences. Cooling bamboo sheets can be the ideal solution for couples who prefer different temperatures to sleep in. If one of the partners is too cold, you can simply use an additional blanket.
What is the Ideal Thread Count for Cooling Sheets?
Thread count is the number of threads per square inch of fabric. Fabrics with higher thread counts are generally softer and more durable, so it is no surprise that shoppers sometimes equate higher thread counts with higher quality. However, this is not always the case.
Buyers should beware of thread counts above 600 to 800. Some manufacturers are increasing the thread counts without enhancing the quality by using various construction techniques, e.g. swaddling two strands around one other. While high thread count bed sheets are often of high quality, customers should carefully shop to ensure they know what they are getting for their money. The optimum thread count for bed sheets can also depend on the type of fabric.
For cotton sheets, 400 to 700 is usually the ideal range. However, 300+ thread count sheets are generally heavier, so they may not be as breathable as lower thread count options. Buyers searching for cooling cotton sheets will find the best balance of softness and breathability in a 300-thread-count sheet set.
Linen bedding deviates from this standard. Because they use thicker fibers, linen bed sheets tend to have a much lower thread count. Ideally, linen sheets should have between 80 and 120 thread counts. Linen sheets can also be graded by weight rather than thread count, so you can look for a set between 175 and 190 grams per square meter (GSM).
Bamboo sheets typically have a thread count between 250 and 500. However, due to the nature of bamboo fibers, bamboo sheets do not require a high thread count to provide the many beneficial properties that come with sheets.
In terms of quality, the thread count of bamboo sheets shouldn’t be the litmus test for a quality bamboo sheet. While thread count can be used to measure the quality of cotton textiles, the nature of bamboo fibers is so unique that bamboo sheets do not need to have a high thread count to be top-quality.
No matter the manufacturing process, cotton fibers are much shorter than bamboo fibers. This means that while you can weave more strands of cotton closer together, bamboo fibers are naturally longer, softer, and more durable. A 400-thread-count organic bamboo bedding set is generally equivalent to 1000-thread-count Egyptian cotton fabric.
With a lower thread count, bamboo sheets are inherently much softer than cotton and provide incredible natural moisture wicking that stands the test of time. Due to the elongated nature of the bamboo fibers used to spin the yarn, bamboo bed sheets are lightweight, silky, thermo-regulating, cool, and comfortable.
Invest in High-Quality Coolness with Bamboo Sheets
Finally, the answer to the question “Are bamboo sheets cooling?” is a resounding yes. For a good night’s sleep during the warmer months, bamboo sheets always trump other fabrics, including cotton. Bamboo fabrics offer a unique combination of eco-friendly, hypoallergenic, antibacterial, breathable, thermoregulatory yet incredibly soft sheets.
If you are looking for a comfortable, uninterrupted night’s sleep, look no further than our ultra-soft and refreshing bamboo sheet sets. At Bamboo Bed, we offer high-quality bamboo sheets that are breathable and airy, keeping you cool throughout the night. We are committed to providing ethically sourced, high-quality bedding at the lowest cost. Take a look at our full range of bamboo sheets, pillowcases, duvet covers, comforters, and blankets today.
