<p>Not to take the fun out of shopping for college freshmen but…does anyone have any advice about sheets or mattress pads that help with night sweats? Not expecting a miracle but just some alleviation. Has anyone purchased a mattress pad mad with CoolMax or Outlast fabric? Would love any ideas. Thanks.</p>
<p>You are using 100% cotton sheets, right? I also like mattress pads with a cotton layer on the top. </p>
<p>Our mattress has a memory foam-like layer on the top, and I think that makes the bed warmer. Comfy…but warm.</p>
<p>Yes, we currently have 100% cotton although one set might have some polyester. The mattress is latex (no springs or coils). We stayed away from the memory foam as most reported that it was “warm.”</p>
<p>bluejay…Thinking out loud here, as your question is one that I have had as well. Any outdoorsman will tell you, cotton is NOT your friend if you want to stay dry. It doesn’t wick away moisture, rather it traps it and keeps the moisture on your skin. The layer closest to your skin should be a wicking layer, generally made of something like silk, or a synthetic material such as micro-fiber or polyester. Now, for sheets…geez, that is a great question, but I would guess the same principals would apply, in that you want the bottom sheet to dry rather quickly, but the idea of wicking means that the moisture is displaced more widely to another piece of quick-drying material. So where would the moisture go…your pajamas? Your skin? Those both don’t sound like places you would want the moisture to travel to either… </p>
<p>That said…I am curious, as well, if there is a manufacturer out there that makes sheets that will make those sweaty sheets feel less wet. The joys of perimenopause…night sweats are the worst!</p>
<p>They certainly make sheets like that: [Moisture</a> Wicking Sheets](<a href=“http://www.coolwickingpjs.com/moisturewickingbedding]Moisture”>http://www.coolwickingpjs.com/moisturewickingbedding). I’m tempted to try a pillowcase, which is where I need it the most.</p>
<p>Booklady…have you heard of the chillow? I am tempted to try that too…</p>
<p>[SoothSoft</a> - The Official Home of Chillow and Canine Cooler](<a href=“http://www.chillow.com/chillow.html]SoothSoft”>http://www.chillow.com/chillow.html)</p>
<p>I saw these at Bed Bath and Beyond the other day – they’re called Sheex.
[SHEEX™</a>; Performance Sheet Set - Bed Bath & Beyond](<a href=“http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?SKU=130039&RN=16&]SHEEX™”>http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?SKU=130039&RN=16&)
They’re pretty pricey but they got good reviews. I haven’t tried them but I’m tempted if they ever go on sale…</p>
<p>I find that anything synthetic/polyester makes it worse. Way worse. I get hotter and sweat more. They might wick the moisture, but they create more flushes that lead to more sweats. Cotton works for me. I get 100% cotton sheets and mattress pad. </p>
<p>I want one of these. However… too much money. [ChiliPad™</a>; Radiant Cooling and Heating Mattress Pad](<a href=“http://www.beyondbeds.com/index.asp?PageAction=Custom&ID=152]ChiliPad™”>ChiliPad Cube Cooling Mattress Pad - Free Shipping)</p>
<p>I don’t have a good suggestion for a mattress pad but what we have found useful in recent years is to not use a top sheet in the summer but to use just a washable loose weave blanket. It’s soft and cuddly but loose enough for air to get through and absorbent for sweaty nights. It gets thrown off and pulled back on as the A/C cycles.
I have the same question as shellz - if the bottom sheet is wicking moisture, where is it going? I know I don’t want it going into mattress, pillows, etc. ,</p>
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<p>Yeah, I was afraid that might be the case.</p>
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<p>I have, but the fact that it’s memory foam (which is very hot) makes me wary.</p>
<p>Memory foam is very very warm. My H has one of those “perfect” memory foam pillows that put your head just so. It spends 90% of it’s life on the floor. Heavy, sweaty, and eventually out the door due to odor.</p>
<p>Back when I had night sweats from menopause and DH had night sweats from lymphoma and its treatment, we found these things useful.</p>
<p>*Lots of pillows. Every time you woke up and the pillow was hot, drop that one on the floor and grab a fresh one from the stack.
*I wore his old t-shirts to sleep in and just pulled it off and grabbed a fresh one when I woke up sweaty.
*Layers: individual light blankets on each side of the bed so we could individually set the desired warmth level. We did share a light cotton sheet.</p>
<p>A note on memory foam: we have a tempurpedic mattress. They make a (ridiculously expensive) mattress cover that really does make the mattress sleep much cooler.</p>
<p>I am very sensitive to polyester or any artificial fabrics, as they make me hot. I can tell if a shirt has even 5% spandex or any other stretch material. I just search out all natural fabric for clothing. </p>
<p>So, for your nightwear, a really light, short nighty or sleep shirt or something similar, but all cotton. As poster above said, keep an extra one handy and change if needed. (This is if you do wear nightwear…)</p>
<p>All cotton, high-quality sheets. I think sateen sheets feel cooler when you get in bed (smoother?). Two pillows each so you can rearrange when one gets hot. Lightweight, loose-weave, all cotton blanket. Cotton mattress pad (mine do not have cotton filling). I have multiples of everything so I can change easily. </p>
<p>I am not hot at night, cold actually, but my H is very warm so we have to keep everything on the cool plan.</p>
<p>I think I will check into silk (or silk like) sheets. Sounds extravagant to me, but might just solve the issue. Cotton just stays damp and I am ready to try a new tact. The silky jammies might be a good idea too. A great excuse for some retail therapy to boot!</p>
<p>This new phase in life is so unpredictable…hot one minute, freezing the next. Tell me it ends soon? ;-)</p>
<p>Thanks for the good conversation here. I will look into the BBB sheetz especially if I can use the 20% off coupon. The pillow thing is big as husband wakes up with the not just the pillow case wet but the pillow soaked too. In my case the hot flash phase has been going on for 5 years plus so don’t hole your breath shellz:(</p>