Some mattresses retain body heat which can cause a hot sleep environment. While shopping for a new mattress pay close attention to the types of foams inside the mattresses. Many have temperature regulating features that will help you to sleep cool.

Sleeping Too Hot?

Maintaining a neutral temperature throughout the night is a vital component to deep sleep. The temperature of your bedroom matters, but so does your mattress. According to The National Sleep Foundation, the ideal sleep temperature is 67°F.

After comfort and support, a mattress's heat retention is the most important aspect to consider. Mattresses perform differently depending on the materials they're built from.

Memory Foam and Alternatives

Heat retention was never a huge issue with innerspring mattresses. The innerspring structure generally has plenty of open space to allow airflow to dissipate body heat. The only real factor with innerspring mattresses is the quilt top. Any reputable mattress manufacturer will use a breathable quilt that won't cause issues.

Heat retention became important when memory foam technology revolutionized the industry. The dense nature of memory foam means the material may not be breathable and may not wick away moisture. It also may absorb and retain body heat and may trap body heat rather than dissipating it. These factors can lead to hot, sweaty, restless sleep.

These issues were not well addressed during the early generations of memory foam mattresses. Since then, mattress companies have become aware of this issue and made great strides to combat it. Gel-infused memory foam, temperature regulating quilts, and open-cell memory foam are just a few of the newer technologies.

Still, memory foam tends to retain more heat than innerspring mattresses, with few exceptions. Another alternative to memory foam and innerspring mattresses are latex. Latex shares many of the benefits of memory foam. It's a natural material and tends to feel cooler than memory foam. Latex tends to conduct and dissipate body heat better. It can also be infused with gel to enhance its cooling properties.

All in all, heat retention is something you should be aware of when shopping for a new mattress. Look for cooling comfort layers, the primary support material used, and reviews that mention if a mattress sleeps hot. If you have additional questions, feel free to call 1-800-455-1052. You can speak with one of our friendly mattress experts who will be happy to assist you further.