Last checked September 2026 against 12 sources · Editorial policy
Bedding for night sweats: what actually keeps you cool
Breathable bedding for night sweats means light layers you can push off, in a bedroom kept cool: that's the NHS's advice, along with a fan and lightweight clothing. Cooling products help some women. A cooling pillow topper improved sleep in one trial, but no bedding or bed-cooling system has been shown to stop menopause night sweats, and treatment for hot flashes works better.
Breathable sheets, cooling pillows, fans and bed-cooling systems for menopause night sweats: what trials found, and what BedJet, Chilipad and Eight Sleep cost.
Cooling bedding for night sweats: expectation vs reality
What people often expect
“Cooling sheets or a cooling mattress pad will stop my night sweats”
What the evidence shows
Menopause night sweats are hot flushes during sleep, so the heat comes from your body, not the bed. Cooler bedding can make a sweat easier to sleep through, but a 2025 review of 9 trials found cooling bedding didn't measurably change sleep in healthy adults. HRT and some non-hormonal medicines reduce the hot flashes themselves.
What helps night sweats in bed: bedding, pillows and cooling systems
What the NHS advises for night sweats
For hot flushes and night sweats, the NHS advises wearing lightweight clothing, keeping your bedroom cool at night, and taking a cool shower, using a fan or having a cold drink when one starts. It also points out that sweating because the room or your bedding is too hot is normal. Night sweats are when nightclothes and bedding are soaked even though the room is cool.
Cooling sheets for night sweats: what to look for
Sheets are sold as cooling because of the fabric, such as cotton percale, linen, lyocell or synthetic performance knits, or because of how they handle moisture. We found no trials comparing sheet fabrics for menopause night sweats, so choose on practical grounds: light weight, a fabric that dries quickly, and enough sets to change in the night. A thin blanket you can throw off beats one heavy duvet.
Cooling pillows for night sweats: the trial
In a randomized trial of 74 women with hot flushes and insomnia during hormone treatment for breast cancer, a commercial cool pad pillow topper improved sleep efficiency almost twice as much as standard care. Hot flushes fell more in the pillow group too, but that difference wasn't statistically clear. The women were on cancer treatment, so results may differ in natural menopause.
Wrist and handheld cooling devices for night sweats
Wearable cooling is newer. In a 2025 crossover trial of 27 people, including 5 postmenopausal women, a wrist device cooling to 47°F cut severe hot flashes by 46% compared with baseline. A handheld device held to the neck didn't beat a sham device on symptom scores in 40 perimenopausal women, though 12 of 17 women using it felt some relief. A wrist warming and cooling device improved insomnia scores in 39 women; one author worked for Johnson & Johnson.
Bed cooling systems for night sweats: BedJet, Chilipad and Eight Sleep
Active systems cool the bed itself. BedJet blows air under the covers and costs $498; the company says its lowest temperature depends on the bedroom's air and it works best in rooms below 79°F. Chilipad 2.0 circulates water through a mattress layer between 55°F and 115°F, from $1,599 with no subscription. Eight Sleep's Pod 6 cools each side from 55°F to 110°F for $2,899, plus $299 a year for its Autopilot plan.
Learn more →Do cooling mattress pads help night sweats?
We found no published trials of BedJet, Chilipad or Eight Sleep in menopausal women. A 2025 systematic review of 9 randomized trials in healthy adults found that cooling bedding lowered core body temperature in the short term but didn't measurably change how long people slept or how fast they fell asleep, with low or very low certainty. All three brands offer at least 30 nights to try one at home.
When night sweats need more than cooling bedding
Bedding manages the heat; it doesn't treat the cause. HRT is the most effective treatment for hot flashes and night sweats, and CBT, clinical hypnosis, SSRIs or SNRIs, gabapentin and fezolinetant are non-hormonal options. Night sweats also have other causes, including anxiety, some medicines, low blood sugar and alcohol, so soaking sweats in a cool room are worth checking with a doctor.
Learn more →Cooling products for night sweats by the numbers
From the studies on this page
fewer severe hot flashes than at baseline with a wrist cooling device in a 27-person trial
46%
74
$498
9
Most cooling trials are small, and none we found tested a bed-cooling system in menopausal women.
We may earn a commission if you buy through links on this page. It doesn't change what we recommend. How this works →
Bedding and cooling options for night sweats compared
Lightweight, breathable sheets and layers
Good for
Matches NHS advice: light layers and a cool bedroom; cheap to try.Watch
No trials compare sheet fabrics for night sweats.Moisture-wicking cooling sheets
Good for
Made to move moisture off the skin, which helps if you wake up damp.Watch
Cooling claims come from brands, not trials.Our pick: PeachSkinSheets cooling sheet set. A moisture-wicking performance knit sold for night sweats.
Check price on Amazon →Cooling pillow or pillow topper
Good for
Improved sleep efficiency in a randomized trial of 74 women with hot flushes.Watch
Tested in women on breast cancer treatment; the hot flash change wasn't clear.Bedside fan
Good for
NHS-recommended, cheap and quick to use when a sweat starts.Watch
Cools the air around you, not the mattress.Air-based bed cooling (BedJet)
Learn more →Good for
$498; blows air under the covers to dry sweat; 60-day trial.Watch
Check price on Amazon →
Its lowest temperature depends on the room; best below 79°F.Water-based bed cooling (Chilipad, Eight Sleep)
Learn more →Good for
Cools the mattress surface to as low as 55°F.Watch
$1,599 to $2,899, plus $299 a year for Eight Sleep's Autopilot; no menopause trials.Treatment for hot flashes
Learn more →Good for
HRT and non-hormonal medicines reduce night sweats themselves.Watch
Need a prescription.
How to choose bedding for night sweats
- Start with the cheap fixes the NHS recommends: a cool bedroom, a fan and light layers.
- Keep spare sheets and nightclothes by the bed so you can change without fully waking up.
- Check the return window before buying a cooling system: BedJet offers 60 days, Chilipad and Eight Sleep 30 nights.
- Count running costs: Eight Sleep's Autopilot plan is $299 a year, while Chilipad says it has no subscription fees.
- If your bedroom is warmer than 79°F at night, an air-based system like BedJet won't cool enough on its own.
When night sweats need a doctor, not new sheets
Bedding for night sweats: questions women ask
What is the best bedding for night sweats?
Light, breathable layers you can push off, in a cool bedroom, is the NHS's advice. No trial has compared sheet fabrics for menopause night sweats, so choose sheets that are light and dry quickly, and add a fan. A cooling pillow topper improved sleep in one small trial.
Do cooling sheets help with night sweats?
They can make a sweaty night more comfortable, but they don't stop night sweats. A 2025 review of cooling bedding trials in healthy adults found no clear improvement in sleep, and we found no trial of cooling sheets in menopause.
Is BedJet good for hot flashes and night sweats?
BedJet blows air under the covers to dry sweat and costs $498. The company says its cooling depends on the room's temperature and works best below 79°F. It hasn't been tested in a published menopause trial, and it comes with a 60-day trial.
Chilipad or Eight Sleep for night sweats?
Both circulate water through a layer on the mattress. Chilipad 2.0 runs from 55°F to 115°F, from $1,599 with no subscription; Eight Sleep's Pod 6 cools each side from 55°F to 110°F for $2,899, plus $299 a year for Autopilot. Neither has published menopause trials.
Do cooling pillows work for hot flashes?
In one randomized trial of 74 women with hot flushes on breast cancer treatment, a cool pad pillow topper improved sleep efficiency almost twice as much as standard care. The reduction in hot flushes wasn't statistically clear.
Does a fan help night sweats?
The NHS suggests a fan, along with a cool bedroom, light clothing and a cool shower or cold drink when a hot flush starts. A bedside fan cools the air around you quickly and costs far less than a bed-cooling system.
What should I wear to bed with night sweats?
Lightweight clothing is the NHS's advice. Keep a spare set of nightclothes nearby so you can change quickly if you wake up damp.
When should I see a doctor about night sweats?
The NHS says to get checked if you regularly wake up with soaking wet sheets, or if night sweats come with weight loss, a high temperature or a cough. HRT and non-hormonal treatments can reduce menopause night sweats that disrupt your sleep.
Sources
- NHS. Things you can do to help menopause and perimenopause symptoms.
- Marshall-McKenna R, Morrison A, Stirling L, et al. A randomised trial of the cool pad pillow topper versus standard care for sleep disturbance and hot flushes in women on endocrine therapy for breast cancer. Support Care Cancer. 2016;24(4):1821-9.
- Pasquier F, Chauvineau M, Castellini G, et al. Does body cooling facilitated by bedding compared to control condition improve sleep among adults (18-64 years old)? A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Therm Biol. 2025;127:104030.
- The North American Menopause Society. The 2023 nonhormone therapy position statement of The North American Menopause Society. Menopause. 2023;30(6):573-590.
- NHS. Night sweats.
- Uçar N, Shirvani A, Holick MF. Peripheral Thermoregulatory Modulation for Hot Flash Management: Efficacy of Novel Wrist Cooling Device in Cancer Treatment-Induced and Menopausal Vasomotor Symptoms. AACE Endocrinol Diabetes. 2025;12(4):276-285.
- Reid RL, Magee B, Trueman J, et al. Randomized clinical trial of a handheld cooling device (Menopod®) for relief of menopausal vasomotor symptoms. Climacteric. 2015;18(5):743-9.
- Composto J, Leichman ES, Luedtke K, et al. Thermal Comfort Intervention for Hot-flash Related Insomnia Symptoms in Perimenopausal and Postmenopausal-aged Women: An Exploratory Study. Behav Sleep Med. 2021;19(1):38-47.
- BedJet. BedJet 3 Climate Comfort Sleep System product page (checked October 2026).
- BedJet. BedJet 3 product listing, price as listed (checked October 2026).
- Sleepme. Chilipad 2.0 Bed Cooling System product page (checked October 2026).
- Eight Sleep. Pod 6 product page (checked October 2026).
See our editorial policy.
Related guides
BedJet review
BedJet 3 blows air under the covers to dry sweat: $498, 66°F to 109°F, best in rooms under 79°F. What it does …
BedJet vs Chilipad vs Eight Sleep
BedJet blows air ($498); Chilipad 2.0 and Eight Sleep Pod 6 pump water ($1,599 per side, or $2,899 plus Autopi…
Cooling pillows for night sweats
Cooling pillows, pillow toppers and cooling covers for menopause night sweats: the one trial, what a pillow ca…
Pajamas for night sweats
What to wear to bed with menopause night sweats: lightweight, breathable sleepwear, what bamboo fabric really …