We’ve all had those miserable, sweaty nights where it feels impossible to get comfortable, let alone sleep. If you constantly toss and turn or wake up drenched, it’s time to rethink your mattress setup—and a cooling mattress is just what you need.
Cooling mattresses use innovative designs and materials to keep you cool and comfortable while you snooze. But how does a cooling mattress actually work, and will it really make a difference? Let’s dive in and explore the science behind mattress cooling, plus tips to enhance your sleep comfort.
The Science Behind Cooling Mattresses
First, let’s talk about why you overheat at night in the first place. Your body temperature naturally drops as you sleep, but if your mattress traps heat, it interferes with this process. Your body releases the heat to cool you off, but then that heat has nowhere to go.
Your mattress and bedding trap that heat, so it heats your body back up, and the cycle starts again. This heat retention leads to poor thermoregulation, which makes it hard to fall into a deep, restful sleep.
Memory foam beds are especially bad about this. While traditional innerspring and hybrid mattresses contain breathable, more loosely packed materials like cotton or wool batting, solid memory foam mattresses consist solely of dense foam layers that hold onto body heat.
That's why modern memory foam cooling mattresses often include features like gel memory foam that pull heat away from your body and disperse it. Some mattresses also combine an advanced cooling material with design elements that promote airflow and dissipate heat instead of trapping it.
For example, Leesa's cooling mattresses, like the Legend Chill Hybrid and Sapira Chill Hybrid, use an open-cell foam structure that allows air to circulate to prevent heat buildup and provide consistent comfort for a good night's sleep—all night long.
How Airflow Affects Body Temperature During Sleep
If you're a naturally hot sleeper, a cooling mattress alone probably won’t solve all your problems. Airflow is a big factor in your sleep environment—you need proper air circulation throughout your entire setup, not just in your mattress itself.
One simple way to increase airflow and heat dissipation is to place your mattress on a slatted base, rather than a solid platform, so it gets ventilation on all sides. While you can put a traditional innerspring mattress on box springs to get the same effect, we don't recommend box springs for memory foam or hybrid mattresses. They're simply too heavy and need a sturdier base.
Lightweight, breathable bedding, like cotton, bamboo, or linen sheets, also wicks away moisture and allows heat to escape rather than cling to you all night. Leesa's Cotton Blend Sheet Set is a great option. It's made of naturally breathable and moisture-wicking cotton and bamboo for a luxuriously soft and cooling feel.
And if you're a super hot sleeper or suffer from hot flashes or night sweats, a bed cooling system is life-changing. These systems use forced air or water cooling to enhance airflow and temperature regulation—some even come with app controls for precise temperature settings.
How Leesa Keeps You Cool
Leesa’s hybrid mattresses take cooling to another level with a combination of naturally breathable fabrics and advanced mattress design for a perfect balance of cool and comfortable. The pocketed coils enhance airflow, and the cooling memory foam layers actively dissipate heat as you sleep.
Gel-infused memory foam is a popular cooling mattress additive, but at Leesa, we prefer to keep things as natural as possible for a healthy sleep environment. So we use a signature hole-punched foam to provide targeted cooling without excessive chemicals.
As you shift positions during the night, this foam pushes warm air out and draws cooler air in for better airflow and heat dissipation. The cotton and Merino wool mattress cover adds another layer of natural temperature regulation, so you sleep cool all night long.
The Benefits of a Cooling Mattress
For hot sleepers and those who experience frequent hot flashes or night sweats, cooling mattresses offer more than just a sweat-free sleep. A cooling mattress keeps your body temperature stable during hot nights—which, in turn, improves your overall sleep quality. You’ll spend more time in deep sleep stages like slow-wave sleep (SWS) and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, where most of your body’s recovery happens.
If you're a hot sleeper, you'll toss and turn less and have fewer sweaty wake-ups. And with a cooling mattress from Leesa, you'll also get better alignment and targeted support. Leesa’s cooling mattresses provide the perfect blend of comfort, support, and pressure relief for your back, hips, and shoulders. You'll fall asleep faster and wake up refreshed, not groggy and overheated.
Tips to Enhance Your Cooling Mattress Experience
While a cooling mattress makes a big impact, there are a few other tricks to keep your sleep environment cool:
Invest in breathable sheets: Natural fibers like cotton or linen are your best bet to keep air flowing through and around your mattress. Opt for lightweight, moisture-wicking sheets to enhance the cooling effect.
Monitor room temperature: Your room should be between 60 and 65°F for optimal sleep. Use fans or air conditioners to keep the environment comfortable, so it's not on your cooling mattress to do all the work.
Use a cooling pillow and mattress protector: If you need extra relief, try a cooling pillow and mattress topper, like Leesa's Ultra Cool Memory Foam Pillow and Ultra Cool Mattress Protector, that complement the cooling properties of your mattress.
Consider a cooling mattress pad: A cooling mattress pad increases your mattress's temperature control and breathability with materials designed to dissipate heat—ideal for hot sleepers.
Stay Cool With a Mattress From Leesa
Cooling mattresses are an effective solution for those who tend to overheat at night. These mattresses promote airflow and use advanced materials like gel-infused foam to provide better temperature regulation and enhance your overall sleep quality.
And if you want the best cooling mattress—without all the harsh chemicals of gel memory foam—give Leesa's mattresses a try. Leesa’s cooling mattresses, like the Legend Chill Hybrid, take that cool feeling even further with breathable fabrics and innovative designs that ensure a sweat-free sleep—naturally.
Take our mattress quiz to find your perfect fit and enjoy the comfort and support of one of the best cooling mattresses available.
FAQs About Cooling Mattresses
Still have questions about cooling mattresses? We have the answers here!
What is a cooling mattress?
A cooling mattress uses intentional designs and cooling materials like gel-infused memory foam, pocket springs, and breathable fabrics to regulate body temperature, disperse heat, and increase airflow during sleep.
Do cooling mattresses really work?
Yes, but their effectiveness depends on the mattress’s design and your sleep environment. Leesa mattresses, for example, combine natural cooling technologies with memory foam and pocket springs for an optimal cooling experience. But for maximum effect, keep your room temperature cooler at night and use breathable bedding made from fabrics that naturally wick away moisture, like cotton or bamboo.
What chemicals are used in cooling mattresses?
Some mattresses use a chemically derived gel memory foam for a cool-to-the-touch sleep surface. However, Leesa relies on natural materials with phase change fibers, like Merino wool and cotton, to create a cooling effect without harmful chemicals.
How can you make a mattress cooler?
If you aren't ready to invest in a cooling mattress, use breathable sheets, a cooling mattress pad, and cooling pillows to enhance the cooling properties of your existing mattress. You can also use a bed cooling system or keep a fan or air conditioner on at night to make sure both your room and mattress stay cool and well-ventilated.ated.
