A ‘cool’ bed to catch some sleep

(SWEEPS FEED)- Research points to temperature playing an important role in making sure you get enough z’s each night.

Companies are now taking notice, creating ‘cool’ new products that promise to help you find your best rest.

Allison Taylor struggles with sleep, waking up around two or three every morning, “I noticed I’d get really, really hot at night and I’d wake up kind of sweaty and it was uncomfortable and I wasn’t getting a very good night sleep.”

So, she searched for solutions with the same zest used when she sought out more z’s.

“The ‘as seen on TV” aisle was my best friend,” Taylor said. “Anything gimmicky really caught my eye because I was desperate to try anything.”

She tried a mattress liner that promised to keep her cool. That didn’t work out too well for her, but she says a pillow ended up being a real dream.

“That really has seemed to help quite a bit. It has special fibers inside of it that keep the temperature consistent through the night,” Taylor said.

From a Bed Jet that uses moving air to make things cool, to a mat that covers your pillow and can serve as an ice pack, or entire mattresses infused with cooling gel beads. There are now all kinds of new products hitting the market to make sleep less elusive for people like Taylor who face challenges sleeping each night.

Why does temperature matter so much?

“We really tend to sleep better when we have a cooler bedroom environment,” said Dr. Natalie Dautovich with the National Sleep Foundation.

She says the ideal temperature is around 65 degrees Fahrenheit, no matter what season it is.

Recent research shows temperature is a major regulator to our sleep duration and timing.

“The cool room temperature can help you with falling asleep, but it also can help you stay asleep. Even if you’re not waking up to the point where you realize you are awake, having a warm bedroom environment could disrupt your sleep and prevent you from getting the deep, restorative sleep that you need,” Dautovich said.

Dautovich says there’s not a lot of research on specific products, so it’s tough to say what works and what doesn’t. She points to resources on the Sleep Foundation‘s website to offer tips.

Taylor says her cooling pillow works well for her, enough that she’s now considering buying a cooling mattress too.

“I’ve found the less sleep I get, the crankier I am, the more coffee I need. And it’s just hard to get through the day when you’re running on fumes,” Taylor said.

The Sleep Foundation makes it clear it’s also important for your bedroom to be dark and quiet to lead to the most optimal sleep each night.

A 2014 Sleep Foundation poll of families found 18 percent of children and 35 percent of parents reported difficulty sleeping at least once over the past week due to a temperature issue.