Sleep is vital for good health. It supports your immune system, mood, focus, and physical recovery. Yet millions of Americans struggle to get enough sleep each night. One in four Americans doesn’t get the recommended seven hours of sleep per night. What this essentially means is that roughly 70 million Americans are chronically sleep deprived.
There is a range of environmental and biological factors that can affect sleep quality, from stress to noise pollution. While you may not be able to control every factor, some are within your control. Ahead, we explore common sleep disruptors and how lifestyle changes—like investing in cooling bed sheets—can improve the amount and quality of sleep you get each night.
What Is Sleep Awareness Week?
Yes, National Sleep Awareness Week is really a thing! Organized by the National Sleep Foundation, this annual campaign encourages people to examine their sleep habits and routines. It usually coincides with the March transition to daylight saving time in the U.S.
During Sleep Awareness Week, the National Sleep Foundation shares information on how people have been sleeping over the past year, along with research-based advice on sleep health, common sleep problems, and strategies that support better rest.
It’s impossible to overstate the importance of sleep for health, but you might be wondering what you can actually do to get better sleep. Start by thinking about your sleep environment. Is your bedroom cool, dark, and quiet? Are you spending too much time on screens at night? Is your bedding designed to prevent nighttime overheating?
A few changes to your sleep environment and nighttime routine can go a long way, and we’ll look at that more ahead.
Nighttime Overheating and Sleep Disruption
Your body temperature naturally drops at night, especially in the hours just before bed. This is a normal process that initiates sleep by signaling the brain to release melatonin. If your bedroom or sleep environment is too warm, it can disrupt this process. So can bedding that traps heat.
Overheating is a leading cause of nighttime wakeups. You may not even be aware that you’re waking up, but that doesn’t mean it’s not impacting your sleep quality. Nighttime wakeups can make it difficult to reach deep sleep, the most restorative sleep phase.
If you find yourself tossing and turning or waking up sweaty or sticky in the morning, your sleep environment or bedding could be to blame. Experts recommend setting the thermostat between 60 and 70 degrees to prevent sleep disruptions. If you live in an especially hot region and this isn’t possible, it’s even more important to invest in bedding that wicks away heat and moisture from your body as you sleep.
Tips to Reduce Nighttime Sleep Disruptions
Small adjustments to your environment, habits, and sleep routine can help you fall asleep and stay asleep through the night. Try these changes for better sleep:
- Keep your bedroom cool. Most sleep experts recommend a room temperature between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. A cooler environment reduces the likelihood that your temperature will spike and wake you up during the night.
- Choose breathable bedding. Cooling bed sheets engineered to pull heat and moisture away from your skin can help prevent nighttime overheating and sleep disruptions.
- Limit screens before bed. Phones, tablets, and televisions emit blue light that can interfere with your body’s natural sleep signals. Turn off screens 30-60 minutes before bedtime.
- Follow a consistent sleep schedule. Going to bed and waking up at the same time each day helps regulate your internal clock.
- Avoid heavy meals and alcohol late at night. Large meals can make it harder for your heart rate to slow down enough before bed, while alcohol too close to bed can wake you up during the night.
Try these simple changes to support deeper, more comfortable sleep.
Better Bedding, Better Sleep With SHEEX®
This Sleep Week, treat yourself to better sleep with high-quality bedding designed to prevent overheating. Modeled after top athletic wear, SHEEX® bedding is engineered with cooling technology that wicks away heat and moisture from your skin, to help you sleep more comfortably through the night.
The Ridiculously Soft® lightweight fabrics glide against your skin—no tugging or pulling—to reduce hair breakage and sleep wrinkles. It’s cool, luxurious comfort guaranteed to help you sleep better all year long.
Make the switch to cooling bedding and discover the SHEEX® difference. Start building your complete cooling sleep system with temperature-regulating sheets, cooling pillows, cooling comforters, performance mattress pads, and cooling duvet covers—all available in complementary colors.
