Night sweats can be disconcerting and they are too often responsible for night after night of disrupted sleep. Fortunately you can find relief with a number of cooling devices such as a bed fan or a cooling mattress pad. The trick is finding the right method to help you cool down in a way that will help you feel more comfortable, fit your budget and also keep your bed partner happy.
Night Sweats and Environmental Factors
The truth is that the vast majority of night sweats in women, children and even night sweats in men are caused by a variety of environmental factors. In many cases, sweating while sleeping can be reduced by altering the temperature of your sleeping environment. Before investing in other products or equipment, it’s wise to try sleeping with fewer covers, changing your pajamas for night sweats clothing or turn down the thermostat. If none of these options help, then it’s time to look into other solutions, like a cooling mattress pad.
Cooling Mattress Pads Are Not All The Same
If you do a search for cooling mattress pads you’ll notice that there are a few different types of mattress pads or cooling devices listed under this term. Many cooling mattress pads are really memory foam toppers made with specific materials or with a pad to help keep you from getting too hot while you sleep. Most of these are made for people who get warm at night when they sleep; they’re not specifically meant to provide help for night sweats. While they may help, they may not provide as much night sweats relief as you would like.
A cooling gel mattress pad is another option. This thin gel mat can be used under your fitted sheet or it can easily be moved to a chair or another area. The gel in this pad is designed to cool you when you first get into bed to help you fall asleep and curb early hot flashes and night sweats. It stays cool for up to 60 minutes. The benefits are that it is thin and easy for either one or two people to use, it doesn’t need to be refrigerated and it doesn’t need an energy source so it is also very quiet. The drawback is that it may not cool very well after the first 60 minutes of use.
Then there is the ChiliPad. The ChiliPad is probably the fanciest cooling mattress pad available for treating night sweats and it may be the most effective — of course it is also the most expensive. The ChiliPad is actually a cooling and heating mattress pad that can be heated on one side and cooled on the other simultaneously; this makes it perfect for couples with different temperature needs. This device uses water circulation to cool or warm the mattress and it allows you to use a wireless remote to control the temperature.
The main drawbacks of this product are the price, the light on the unit (too bright) and for some people the slight noise of the unit, which sounds somewhat like a fan. But many people have found this device effective for curbing uncomfortable sweating while sleeping. One argument to offset the price of this device is that you can adjust your thermostat and save money on your utility bill by adjusting the temperature of your mattress pad instead of your home, so the ChiliPad will pay for itself in time. Others have said it is worth the money in return for better, more comfortable sleep. If the light is a concern it can be covered or placed out of view. On the positive side this company has great reviews for customer service.
Finding Help For Night Sweats With Innovative Products
When searching for effective night sweats remedies it is usually best to start with basic changes, but if reducing the room temperature, using night sweats bedding or switching to night sweats sleepwear doesn’t do the trick you may find that you have better success with a chillow, bed fan or a cooling mattress pad. Let’s take a look at the benefits of each:
- Chillow – A chillow is essentially a cooling pillow. By following the manufacturer’s directions you fill the cooling device with water and remove extra air. You can then refrigerate the whole thing for even more cooling power. The chillow is wonderful because it doesn’t have any moving parts and doesn’t create any sound. It is a single person device so your sleeping partner won’t be impacted. Click here to look at Chillows: Chillows
- Bed Fan – Bed fans sit at the end of the bed and blow air between the top and bottom sheet to disperse body heat. It’s a great way to save on air conditioning and they’re relatively inexpensive. The only drawback is that sleeping partners who are not overly cool may find they become chilled, and as a fan they do make some noise, though they are generally fairly quiet. Click here to look at a Bed Fan: Bed Fan
- Cooling Mattress Pad – A cooling mattress pad can help cool your whole body as you sleep. If you’re looking for a complete mattress temperature system, a cooling mattress pad can be a huge benefit. Using a water circulation system, cooling mattress pads can control temperature in 1 degree increments. Providing both cool and warm temperatures, they’re great to use all year round. Higher end models have dual zone controls so you each side of the bed can control their own temperature. Click here to look at cooling mattress pads: Cooling Mattress Pads
The cooling devices above are listed in order of their expense and trying them in this order may be the best way of finding the best method of fighting your night sweats. Keep in mind that a cooling mattress pad, while more expensive, may be more versatile if you get a high end product because it can be used as both a cooling and heating device, so you may find you get more overall use from it.
For some people using a cooling mattress pad can be an effective way to treat night sweats or at least get some relief. With the right equipment you may find that you wake drenched in cold sweats less often and that you are able to achieve a more peaceful and restful sleep.