Achievable Comfort? Cooling Pillow Cases to Help You Beat the Heat

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Is the Thermostat Causing a War in Your Family?

Not everyone in the house can agree on what temperature the thermostat should be set at. And with skyrocketing energy costs, even affluent households are trying to save money on their energy bill. Not to mention that cranking the air conditioning is better for the environment too!

But that leaves one or more family members suffering from poor quality sleep and overheating. Why does heat cause us to sleep worse?

Hot Sleepers Can Suffer From Lack of Sleep

If you're a hot sleeper, chances are you've suffered from insomnia at some point or another. Not being able to cool down enough to fall asleep can be incredibly frustrating, and often leads to tossing and turning all night long.

This lack of quality sleep can then lead to other problems, such as fatigue during the day, trouble concentrating, and mood swings. Nobody wants that. So what can you do?

Hot Sleepers Can Suffer From Lack of Sleep

If you're a hot sleeper, chances are you've suffered from insomnia at some point or another. Not being able to cool down enough to fall asleep can be incredibly frustrating, and often leads to tossing and turning all night long.

This lack of quality sleep can then lead to other problems, such as fatigue during the day, trouble concentrating, and mood swings. Nobody wants that. So what can you do?

The Impact Poor Sleep Quality Has on Health

Getting adequate, high-quality sleep is essential for our health and well-being. When we don't get the sleep we need, it can seriously impact both our physical and mental health in significant ways.

Lack of sleep is what medical doctors call sleep deprivation. Your body is deprived of necessary sleep. Sleep is when all the reconstruction magic happens. Put simply, when you sleep, your body repairs itself from all the wear and tear you experience in a day. 

Not getting that necessary sleep comes with consequences such as high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. You also have an increased risk of accidents when you are sleepy or drowsy. A National Highway Traffic Safety Administration report states that drowsy driving is responsible for 800 deaths and 50,000 injuries yearly. 

While we all need consistent, restful sleep, many factors can prevent this critical rest. One common issue is hot flashes and sweaty nights.

A 2002 study published in The Journal of Family Practice suggests hot sleeping affects 10% to 41% of adults. This disruptive condition not only damages health but also daily functioning. Understanding the causes of hot sleeping can help address this barrier to high-quality sleep.

What Causes Hot Sleeping?

So what is causing all these people to heat up when they sleep? There are lots of potential reasons. Some of them relate to their environment, and others to their health.

For women, that answer is often hormones, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. Fluctuations in some key hormones, especially a drop in estrogen, can cause temperature changes and night sweats.

Both men and women can suffer from hyperthyroidism and obstructive sleep apnea. These conditions affect your body’s hormone balance and can contribute to sleeping hot.

While these health reasons usually require medical intervention to fix, there are some more obvious, quicker-fix possibilities of why you may sleep hot. Like the room is too hot. Maybe it’s the body heat from the person sleeping next to you.

One thing people can overlook when investigating the mystery of night sweats is bedding. The stuff you put on your bed, like sheets, pillowcases, and blankets, act as insulation. They trap the heat and give it right back to you.  

But even when the room is hot, many people sleep more comfortably with some kind of cover. It’s a protective mechanism because although you may start off feeling hot, your body temperature drops as you sleep, according to WebMD. The need for a blanket or sheet over your body is an instinct to keep you warm as that happens. 

Feeling overly warm during sleep can disrupt rest quality. Since body temperature drops at night, bedding that traps heat may make hot sleeping feel worse. Looking at one's sheets, blankets, and pillowcases could be a sensible starting point for improvement.

More breathable bedding materials may help better regulate body temperature. While health conditions could require medical attention, simple bedding upgrades may provide an easy first step toward cooler, better sleep.

How Cotton Traps Body Heat

When your body touches fabric like cotton, the threads quickly absorb body heat, creating a humid and hot microclimate next to your skin. This can give you night sweats and disrupt your sleep.

But with Blissy's cooling pillowcase, you won't have to worry about that! Our cooling pillowcases are temperature regulating, so they actually disperse heat instead of trapping it next to your body like cotton.

What is a Cooling Pillowcase? 

As the name suggests, a cooling pillowcase is designed to help prevent overheating during sleep. The specialized fabrics promote airflow and wick moisture away from your skin. This helps regulate your body temperature throughout the night.

Many cooling pillowcases are made from breathable materials like silk. The ultra-fine weave of these materials allows heat to dissipate while still providing a protective layer. Some pillow covers also contain phase-change materials that absorb and release heat, according to a study in Materials & Design.

You can think of it like moving away from a heat source. The pillowcase itself does not feel cold. Rather, it moves excess warmth and moisture away from your head and neck to maintain a comfortable temperature. The moisture-wicking and ventilation keep you from getting too hot.

Quality cooling pillowcases both feel cool to the touch initially and provide continuous temperature regulation during sleep. This can lead to fewer night sweats and disruptions, allowing you to get deeper, more restful sleep.

What Are Cooling Pillowcases Made Of? 

Silk pillowcases have become a top choice for many looking to stay cool at night. The natural protein fibers of silk have an exceptionally smooth texture that does not absorb body heat easily. This helps silk pillowcases regulate temperature exceptionally well.

Cooling pillowcases also come in other materials like bamboo, cotton, and synthetic blends:

• Bamboo pillowcases are lightweight and breathable but can pill over time
• Cotton pillowcases are known for being natural and airy but not moisture-wicking
• Synthetics like polyester can offer some moisture-wicking but may contain chemicals

The material is an important factor when shopping for an effective cooling pillowcase. In upcoming sections, we’ll explore the benefits of silk pillowcases more in-depth and what to look for in terms of quality. Finding the right cooling material can lead to a more comfortable, sweat-free sleep.

What Should You Look for in a Cooling Pillowcase?

When shopping for a cooling pillowcase, temperature regulation should be the top priority. Scientifically-proven moisture-wicking capabilities are also critical to pull sweat away from skin and allow evaporation, preventing overheating as you sleep.

Mulberry silk is considered one of the best materials for cooling pillowcases. The natural structure of mulberry silk fibers creates an exceptionally smooth surface that does not trap heat easily.

There are other factors that go into making the best overall cooling pillowcase other than these properties, such as softness and comfort.

Besides its ability to keep you cool, mulberry silk is a popular cooling pillow cover because of its extreme softness and luxurious texture. If you're aiming for comfort, mulberry silk is the gold standard. It also is well known for its benefits for hair and skin.

Compare this to materials like cotton that absorb moisture and retain heat close to the skin, leading to night sweats and disrupted sleep. Lower-quality silk blends and types like satin or sateen may not offer the same level of cooling performance as 100% mulberry silk with a tighter weave.

What about thread count? 

Thread count is something you see a lot when it comes to bedding products such as percale pillowcases. Many believe the higher the thread count, the better the quality. However, that may not be the case when it comes to cooling.

If you are shopping for a silk pillowcase, you won't find thread count listed on the package if it is real silk. Instead, look for momme weight. Quality silk pillowcases made from 22-momme weight threads are optimally breathable, allowing warm air and moisture to dissipate.

How Can a Silk Cooling Pillowcase Help?

If you're suffering from sleepless nights and are looking for a way to stay cool all night long, Blissy makes the best silk cooling pillowcase to help keep you cool and feel comfortable. Our cooling pillowcases help regulate your body temperature, giving you the best chance of sleeping through the night!

Moisture-wicking with a cooling effect keeps you cool and dry

Blissy's highly breathable pillowcases are made from 100% mulberry silk and feel cool to the touch. They're the best cooling pillow case available for hot sleepers! Silk is a smart fabric that has natural cooling technology and moisture-wicking technology that helps you stay cool and dry at night.

What is moisture wicking?

Fabrics that wick moisture away from your skin are essential in hot weather. Moisture-wicking fabric is a fabric that is able to pull sweat away from the skin and move it to the outside of the fabric where it can evaporate quickly. This keeps you feeling dry, fresh, and comfortable even when you're sweating.

Double-sided design and simple care instructions

The Blissy cooling pillowcase has a double-sided design so you can use it on either side. That makes both sides the cool side of the pillow!

Our cooling pillowcase is also machine washable—just wash it on the gentle cycle. We recommend avoiding dryer sheets and fabric softener. Air drying the pillow case is the best was to keep its soft and silky feel for years to come.

Get the whole family set up with cooling pillowcases and everyone can enjoy a good night's sleep!

Try Pairing with Cooling Pillows for a More Comfortable Sleep

There are companies out there that make cooling pillows that have gel or other materials inside to help with cooling. Blissy cooling pillowcases can be paired with those cooling pillows for an extra cool, comfortable sleep on hot summer nights.

Blissy is the Best Silk Cooling Pillowcase

Our cooling pillowcases are made of the highest quality silk that is both cooling and comfortable. They are ultra-soft and silky smooth, so they offer even more comfort than other cooling pillowcases.

Made from all-natural mulberry silk

Blissy cooling pillowcases are made from 100% mulberry silk, which is an excellent temperature regulator. Silk is a natural fiber that is cooling in the summer and insulating in the winter, making it ideal for year-round use.

What is mulberry silk? 

Silk is an all-natural fiber. Bombyx mori silkworms, which feed on mulberry leaves, use silk to make their cocoons. Their diet of mulberry leaves results in exceptionally smooth, durable fibers. And the structure of natural protein fibers contain amino acids that give mulberry silk its strength

When woven into pillowcases, the breathability of the tight weave regulates temperature by wicking moisture and encouraging airflow. This natural cooling effect provides an ideal sleeping environment. At the same time, this weave provides health and beauty benefits by preventing moisture from escaping your skin and hair. This means more hydrated, healthier hair and skin.

High-quality mulberry silk, like Blissy, has a momme weight of 22 mm for optimal durability and comfort in a pillowcase. Blissy's 100% mulberry silk offers superior luxury, softness, and cooling compared to lower-grade silk or synthetics.

Other Tips for Feeling Cooler in Bed

If you stay warm even after you've thrown off all blankets and sheets, you're going to need to find some cooling solutions. For example, you may want to get a new pillow with cooling materials inside to help your head and neck stay cool throughout the night.

Energy-efficient cooling

Evaporative coolers (aka swamp coolers) are an energy-efficient eco-friendly solution to cooling down a room by 5° to 15°F. 

So if your family members have broken out sub-zero sleeping bags due to your need to have the thermostat at 59°F, let them raise the thermostat to a more comfortable temperature while you cool your room down with an evaporative cooler.

Watch what you eat in the evening

Your body expends energy digesting food, so don't eat spicy, greasy food too close to bedtime.

Establish a bedtime routine

Your body will look for clues that it’s time to go to sleep. Setting up a bedtime routine, like reading a book 30 minutes before you get in bed, can trigger sleep and help make you drowsy.

Say no to synthetics

Avoid synthetic materials in your pajamas and bedding. These can sometimes trap excess heat. Only use breathable fabric.

If you get a Blissy cooling pillowcase and follow these tips, you'll stay cool and experience better sleep comfort—despite the heat.

The Solution: Get the Best Cooling Pillowcases from Blissy

Here at Blissy, we know a thing or two about cooling pillowcases—because we've dedicated ourselves to perfecting the art of cooling comfort.

Our silk pillow cases are made of the highest quality silk and they feel cool to the touch. They can help regulate your body temperature, so you can sleep comfortably all night long. 

Each one is sold individually, so you can just buy 1 or 2 to start. But you'll be buying them for the whole family once you realize a Blissy silk pillowcases worth it.

So get ready to experience one of the best pillowcases ever—Blissy!