When I’m cold, I get a little bit antsy. When I’m hot, I turn into an adult-sized version of my angsty fifth grade self when denied the newest Blink 182 CD. Every time summer rolls around, I wish I’d spent the entire winter researching how to keep your pillow cool. Sweating is uncomfortable for me no matter where I am, but when I’m surrounded from all angles by heavy cotton that soaks it all up and then sticks to me, I become one unhappy sleeper — if I even get to that point at all.
The world is filled with tricks to survive hot summer nights, but not all of them are particularly easy, convenient, or affordable. Some sleeping fans can be hundreds of dollars and freezing a T-shirt at nine PM results in a soggy lukewarm pillowcase by two in the morning. If you’re looking for simple and effortless ways to keep your bed cool all night while you sleep, no matter how warm and stagnant the air is around you, then the answer might lie in a few innovative inventions that have come out over the past few years. Made with the right materials and the right objectives in mind, these simple ways to keep your pillow cool might just stop all the tossing and turning from May to September — or potentially all year round.
1. Surround Yourself In A Cool Mist While You Sleep
Riverock Essential Oil Diffuser, $35, Amazon
People are obsessing over this Riverock essential oil diffuser, which makes an ideal nighttime humidifier for a whole handful of reasons. First of all, the design is small, sleek, and very low, so when placed on your bedside table, it delivers a steady mist of cool air right next to your face. Secondly, it can be used alongside your favorite cooling essential oils — like peppermint or eucalyptus — and thirdly, it lasts a surprisingly long time and has an auto-off feature for your safety. One happy reviewer said, “I like the color changing hues and I like that you can turn them off so that no light is coming through, especially when I use it at bedtime." Other phrases being tossed around include, “best diffuser ever,” “very quiet,” and “My favorite amongst all my others.”
2. Utilize The Power Of Your Freezer
FlexiKold Gel Cold Pack, $15, Amazon
The secret to the FlexiKold gel cold pack is that it uses proprietary gel, which not only molds to your body with a cushioning easy-give texture, but it holds onto the chill significantly longer than other materials. Best of all, it remains in a gel state even when frozen, so you can put this in your freezer all day, slip it into your pillowcase before bed, and enjoy the benefits of a cool pillow all night. It’s got over a thousand rave reviews that say things like, “This baby is made so well it would take a nail to put a hole in it. Stays cold longer and the outer coating is thick. It's a big one, which I wanted and works great for backs and is bendable for necks… Wish I had discovered this baby years ago.”
3. Direct The Air Exactly Where You Want It To Go
IDEA Mini Elefan, $61, Amazon
Bed fans can cost you upwards of $300 dollars, but the IDEA Mini Elefan is just as cooling and innovative. The slinky-like trunk extends and bends any which way, so you can direct airflow underneath your pillow while you sleep. It also has some really epic features, like a USB cable, a dust filter, aroma diffusion, and three different air speeds. Needless to say, people are pretty thrilled: “lets me direct the air exactly where I want it to go,” “Best fan,” and “The ball that floats in the air is a great touch.”
4. Cover Your Pillow In Breathable & Moisture-Wicking Silk
LULUSILK Mulberry Silk Pillowcase, $20, Amazon
Cotton pillowcases not only trap heat, but the oil and moisture from your face, keeping you clammy and uncomfortable all night. The LULUSILK Mulberry silk pillowcase is made entirely from 100 percent natural silk. Not only does it protect your hair and skin with amino acids and natural proteins, but it’s one of the most breathable and cooling materials out there. “Silk absorbs and wicks away moisture, and feels cooler that the ambient temperature. It could be the original wicking material!” says one chill reviewer, and because it comes in 16 relaxing colors and nine different sizes and sets, it fits any bedroom imaginable.
5. When Nothing Else Works, Get The Coolest Pillow Around
Coop Home Goods Queen Memory Foam Pillow, $53, Amazon
With close to a whopping 10,000 reviews, people cannot get enough of the Coop Home Goods queen memory foam pillow. Filled with comfortable yet breathable shredded foam, this pillow is entirely adjustable; you can take foam in or out depending on how fluffy you want it to be. That being said, the entire thing is created to be as hygienic, breathable, and cool as possible. The outer cover is made from a mix of temperature-regulating bamboo rayon and polyester, and the shredded foam offers way more air circulation than other pillows. Best of all, it’s insanely comfortable no matter what position you sleep in, and reviewers all agree. “It does keep me cooler! I am fighting everyone in my household off of it and now know what everyone is getting for Christmas!”
Images: Amazon (6)
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