6 Best Cooling Sheets for Night Sweats—Plus the 1 Thing a Doctor Says Hot Sleepers Should Avoid

It’s 3 a.m. and you’re wide awake again, your hair plastered to your face. The problem? Relentless night sweats. Perimenopause and menopause can trigger intense bouts of heat that wake you from your sleep, leaving you overheated and exhausted. That’s why we’ve rounded up the best cooling sheets to help you get the sound sleep your body desperately needs.

Why perimenopause and menopause cause night sweats

Find yourself waking up drenched in sweat? Here’s what’s actually going on. “In perimenopause, estrogen swings wildly, in menopause it stays low and either way, it takes your brain’s thermostat with it,” explains Colleen Ann Murphy, MD, board-certified integrative medicine physician and author of Your Fire Years: The Perimenopause and Menopause Book Your Doctor Never Read.

“The hypothalamus, the part of the brain that manages body temperature, shrinks its comfort zone to almost nothing,” she continues. “A tiny rise in core temperature you’d never have noticed at 35 now gets treated like a house fire. Blood vessels dilate, your heart pounds and every sweat gland you own goes all in to dump heat you didn’t need to dump. Do that night after night and the sleep debt starts wrecking your mood, your focus and your patience.”

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Can cooling sheets help with night sweats?

They’re not a cure-all, but rather one piece of the puzzle to help you keep cool and clock more restful sleep. “They won’t fix the cause, and if you’re drenching the bed regularly, see a menopause-informed clinician, because there are real treatments,” Dr. Murphy says. “But sheets are the fast, cheap, no-prescription move, and they can change how many times you wake up. Sleep is where a lot of the repair happens, so I don’t treat it as a luxury.”

What to look for in cooling sheets—and what to avoid

Dr. Murphy’s advice: “Look for light, breathable fabric that moves air and wicks moisture. Be suspicious of anything that screams ‘cooling’ and won’t tell you what it’s made of.”  What fabrics should you be using? “Bamboo is my number one pick,” Dr. Murphy says. “It feels like cold water. It’s soft, breathable and pulls moisture off the skin. Percale and linen are also good: crisp, airy and they let you breathe.”

The number one thing to avoid if you sleep hot: sateen. “It feels like a five-star hotel and sleeps like a Ziploc bag.”

The 6 best cooling sheets for menopausal night sweats

Not sure where to start? We’ve rounded up the best cooling sheets for hot sleepers at every price point.

Best budget-friendly cooling sheets: California Design Den Natural Organic Cotton Percale Sheets ($74.99 for a queen set)

These crisp, breathable cotton sheets have a matte finish that helps you keep cool when your internal thermostat starts to rise. Bonus: They’re organic and have an anti-slip band on the fitted sheet to keep them firmly in place.

Best jersey cooling sheets: Harbor House Living Cooling Stretch Jersey Sheets ($159.99 for a queen set)

Made from a moisture-wicking nylon blend, this cooling sheet set feels silky-soft and makes it easy for hot sleepers to snooze soundly. 

Best TENCEL™ Lyocell cooling sheets: Buffy Breeze Sheets ($199 for a queen set)

Eucalyptus fibers help with temperature regulation while still being soft to the touch, making them ideal for sensitive skin. Plus these smooth, matte, cooling bed sheets are fully machine washable and dryable for easy care.

Best cooling sheets for deep mattresses: Evergrace Home European Flax Linen Sheets ($229.99 for a queen set)

These pre-washed linen sheets get softer with every use. They’re naturally breathable and don’t trap body heat, making it easier to outsmart night sweats. And their 18” extra-deep pockets can accommodate even thicker mattresses with ease.

Best bamboo cooling sheets: Honeydew Organic Bamboo Sheets ($279.99 for a queen set)

Made from organic bamboo, which is ideal for regulating your body temperature when you start to heat up, these sheets feel cool to the touch and have corner straps to keep the fitted sheet in place.

Best splurge-worthy cooling sheets: Baloo Living Stonewashed Linen Sheets ($450 for a queen set)

Ready for your best night’s sleep yet? These sheets are pre-washed, breathable and help naturally regulate your body temperature while feeling luxurious to the touch. They’re durable (both machine washable and dryable) and backed by Baloo’s Lifetime Quality Guarantee for materials and workmanship.

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Still sweating? Consider a cooling mattress topper

If cooling sheets aren’t enough, there are dual-zone mattress toppers that allow you to set the temperature on your half of the bed without affecting your partner. “They run on different technologies,” Dr. Murphy says. “Water-cooled is basically plumbing your bed. Air-cooled is basically a jet engine. Either way, it comes down to the same thing: Your partner stays warm while you stay cool.”

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While both can get the job done and largely depend on personal preference, Dr. Murphy recommends air-cooled mattress toppers. “Let’s face it, anything filled with water can leak and needs more maintenance than anything filled with air,” she says. “And when air leaks, it’s far less messy.”

One air-based mattress topper to consider: Perfectly Snug The Smart Topper Cooling Mattress Topper, which costs $2,195 for a dual-zone, queen-sized topper.

An investment in better sleep

“Dual-zone systems are a real investment, and so is your relationship,” Dr. Murphy adds. “Put a sleep-deprived, furious woman next to a partner who is also awake because she’s radiating heat like a furnace, add a nightly tug-of-war over the covers and nobody is speaking by Tuesday.” She quips, “None of this is cheap, but all of it is cheaper than the divorce.”