It depends on the person, but most health experts agree that the ideal temperature for sleep is around 65 degrees Fahrenheit or 18 degrees Celsius. In the summertime, it can be hard to maintain this chilly temperature in your bedroom, especially if you don’t have an air conditioner or turn off your AC at night to save money on your energy bill. Here are some simple sleep hacks that you can use during the hot summer months to keep cool and minimize sweat while you’re trying to snooze.
10 sleep cooling hacks other than AC
1. Freeze your sheets and pillowcases
An hour or two before you go to bed, toss your sheets and pillowcases in the freezer, and no, they won’t come out stiff as a board. They will stay icy long enough to help you fall asleep without feeling overheated.
Read more: Best Cooling Sheets
2. Also throw your socks in the freezer
Along the same lines as freezing your linens, you can also freeze your socks for cooling relief. Extremities like your fingers, feet and toes are sensitive to temperature changes and play a role in regulating temperature. Keeping your feet cool can help cool down the rest of your body.
3. Use house fans to make your own AC
Fans are much more energy efficient and budget friendly than an air conditioner. They use about 1% of the electricity that AC does. So, take advantage of fans and strategically place them around your room. Try placing a fan next to your bedside with a bowl of ice water in front of it. The ice will create cold air that the fan will blow toward you. Next, face a window fan outwards to blow the hot air from your bedroom outside.
4. Use a wet towel layer
Lay a damp towel on your bed over your sheets to give your body some cooling relief while you fall asleep. I recommend that you lay a dry towel underneath the wet one to avoid soaking your mattress with water, which can damage the foam in your mattress. The towel won’t stay cold for the entire night, but it should stay cool enough that you can drift off to sleep.
5. Don’t sleep in the nude
You may see advice on the internet suggesting that you should sleep in the nude to stay cool. That might work if you sleep cool, but it won’t do much for you if you get sweaty. If you’re hot, it’s beneficial to wear lightweight pajamas (such as cotton) that can wick the moisture away. Otherwise, your body is free to sweat all over your sheets.
6. Use cooling bed linens
If a new mattress is out of your budget, you can opt for cooling sheets or pillows for relief. Search for sheets made with breathable fabric like organic cotton, linen, or bamboo. Bamboo absorbs sweat and helps you stay cool, and organic cotton does a great job of wicking away moisture.
7. Consider a cooling mattress
Many mattresses retain heat, especially beds made with standard memory foam. A mattress with cooling technology can actually make a big difference in how comfortable you sleep. It can either provide extra airflow and breathability or offer an actively cool-to-the-touch sensation that draws heat away from you, like Brooklyn Bedding Aurora.
Watch CNET sleep expert Owen Poole review the best cooling mattresses of 2025.
8. Block out the daytime sun and heat
Blackout curtains can prevent your bedroom from getting too hot during the daytime, especially in the summer. Not only do they keep your bedroom dark, but they also reflect heat, stopping it from entering through the windows, which can also help cut down your electricity bill.
9. Sleep on the first level of your home
The bad news for people in two-story homes or an upper-level apartment is that hot air rises, so the top story of your house will be warmer than the bottom floor. But you can beat the heat a little by sleeping on the bottom story of your home when you need relief.
10. Drink ice water before bed
Drink a significant amount of water before bed to try and counteract the night sweats. Also, avoid alcohol before bedtime as it can promote dehydration, making it more difficult for your body to regulate temperature and keep you cooler.
For more, check out our guide to natural sleep aids, the best way to take a power nap and how to train yourself to be a back sleeper (and why you should). If all else fails, these are our picks for the nest portable AC units.
