I recently put Verizon Wireless to the test for 30 days to see what the hype is all about with the nation’s largest cell phone provider. What it proved to me was how much of a substantial difference 5G Ultra Wideband makes, but these fiber-optic-esque speeds come at a premium cost.

That’s probably why I’ve found Verizon MVNOs (Mobile Virtual Network Operators) attractive alternatives for those who still crave an all-you-can-eat data menu, but without being left with a hefty bill at the end. Rather than directly competing with the $70+ per line costs for Verizon’s plans, these MVNOs still tap into Verizon's network to provide cell phone coverage, but at a fraction of the cost.

Interestingly, Verizon actually owns a few of its biggest MVNOs directly — like Visible and Straight Talk — but it also leases tower space to dozens of third-party brands you might not know about. That’s why I’ll break down all the Verizon MVNOs out there, along with who they’re for, so you can choose the service that’s right for you.

Verizon MVNOs: Verizon owned MVNOs

Did you know that Verizon owns and operates many MVNOs under different brands? These are the providers that fall under the Verizon Value portfolio of prepaid brands, which includes carriers like Straight Talk, Visible, TracFone, and more. Here's a quick list of these Verizon-owned MVNOs:

• Verizon Prepaid
• Visible
• Straight Talk Wireless
• Total Wireless
• TracFone
• Walmart Family Mobile
• Simple Mobile
• SafeLink Wireless

Verizon MVNOs: Third-party operators

In addition to Verizon-owned MVNOs, you also have independent third-party MVNOs that basically lease Verizon’s tower space and subsequently offer ultra-affordable rates. They might not use Verizon's towers exclusively for everything, as some of them also use towers from carriers like T-Mobile and AT&T.

But the downside to these third-party operators is that they’re often the first to face data deprioritization. Meaning that when the network experiences heavy congestion during peak times, their speeds are the first to drop.

On the flip side, third-party MVNOs aren't always impacted when Verizon experiences a network outage. Because these independent providers manage their own virtual networks — and often lease tower space from multiple major networks — they can seamlessly route your service to alternative towers while Verizon's primary system is down.

• U.S. Mobile
• Red Pocket Mobile
• Xfinity Mobile
• Spectrum Mobile
• Twigby
• MobileX
• Ting Mobile
• Credo Mobile

The best Verizon MVNOs

As you can see, there are several Verizon MVNOs to choose from. We’ve tested a handful of them, but you’ll want to look at each provider separately to see what financially makes sense, whether service is available in your area, and if they support your current phone.

Here are our picks for the best Verizon MVNOs.

Why choose an MVNO over Verizon?

Frankly, the primary reason to choose an MVNO is price. Verizon’s top-tiered plans are loaded with extra costs to help subsidize phone upgrades, maintain its massive customer service networks, and provide super-fast 5G Ultra Wideband.

The latter is what truly makes Verizon special because none of these MVNOs can match the almost lightning-fast download and upload speeds I got with 5G Ultra Wideband. In fact, I recorded an average of 893 Mbps down in New York City, which explains why its service costs so much.

If you’re not as concerned about synthetic speeds, I know it’s worthwhile to check out a Verizon MVNO. Although it’s worth knowing that some of these MVNOs offer 5G Ultra Wideband on their higher-tiered plans.

I’ve been on Visible for about the last few years now, and the cost savings are unbelievable. I pay a fraction of what I used to with Verizon and still have the same coverage, but with speeds that are slower. I’m perfectly fine with this because I’m still able to watch videos while on the go without huge buffering.

The Tradeoffs

Before making the switch, you need to consider some of the trade-offs that come with a Verizon MVNO. The biggest hurdle pertains to new device discounts, which are how Verizon offers its signature free phone promotions. While some Verizon MVNOs do sell hardware, you won’t find nearly the same generous subsidies or trade-in values with them.

Secondly, there’s data throttling, which slows your speeds during peak hours when there’s heavy network traffic. Unless you sign up with a Verizon MVNO that specifically includes premium data, you’re at the mercy of Verizon's network prioritization. I’ve seen this happen countless times with my Visible service at concerts, where the data slows to a crawl due to the sheer amount of congestion.

Finally, there’s customer support. If you run into issues, you usually can’t walk into a physical store to meet face-to-face with a representative. Instead, everything is handled online or over the phone — which I can attest can be incredibly annoying when phone activations go wrong or take too long.

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• I tested the new AI photo Clean Up on iOS 27 vs iOS 26 — and it's shockingly better
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• iPhone Ultra and MacBook Ultra teased in iOS 27 and macOS 27 — here's what we know so far

The mattress market has changed drastically over the past decade, with innovations specifically within the mattress-in-a-box and smart bed sector challenging what we thought we could ever expect from our beds. A mattress that can stop your snoring, anyone?

That means that if you haven’t bought a mattress within the past eight or so years, the landscape could seem a little confusing.

But we — a team of mattress reviewers who have tested 120+ mattresses across every category to bring you our guide to the best mattress you can buy online — are on hand to help cut through the noise and the marketing jargon.

If you’re mattress shopping this month's mattress sales, these are the four main types of beds you can buy and who they might be best for.

• Saatva: save up to $400 on luxury mattresses
• Bear: 40% off our favorite cooling mattress with code TOMS40
• Helix Sleep: 27% off mattresses for all sleep styles with code TOMS27
• DreamCloud Mattress: Up to 60% off luxury hybrids
• Nectar Mattress: Up to 50% off + up to 66% off bundles
• Brooklyn Bedding: 30% off sitewide
• Tempur-Pedic: 30% off closeout luxury mattresses
• Siena: Budget mattresses from just $99

Memory foam: The ‘body-hugging’ mattress

A memory foam mattress is a mattress made entirely of viscoelastic polyurethane, more commonly known as memory foam.

Once warmed by body heat, the best memory foam mattresses offer soothing body contouring support and excellent pressure relief by molding to the shape of your body as you sleep.

This sink-in support of all-foam beds gives them their ‘hug’ sleep feel, which makes them an excellent option for those who sleep on their sides and require extra pressure relief across the hips and shoulders.

That makes them a popular choice among those with joint pain, too. After testing it, we found that the Nectar Premier Memory Foam mattress offers a keen blend of body cradling comfort and support, with the lighter-weight side sleeping member of our testing panel finding it most comfortable.

Another excellent example of an all-foam bed offering the typical ‘hug’ you can expect from some memory foam mattresses is the Zinus Green Tea mattress, a bed that our tester likened to a Tempur-Pedic mattress, thanks to its cushioned feel.

Pros:

• Excellent pressure relief
• Absorbs motion very well, which is ideal for couples
• Best for side sleepers and those with joint pain

Cons:

• Cheaper foams can sleep warm. However, modern foams often use gel or charcoal infusions as well as open cell-foam structures to combat the traditional heat trap issues.

Hybrid: The best of all mattress worlds

The best hybrid mattresses are a sophisticated mix of pocketed coils and layers of memory foam, resulting in a blend of a responsive sleep feel and plenty of body cradling comfort.

This blend of comfort and support makes them best for practically every type of sleeper, but especially those who like to change sleep positions easily during the night, as well as those who favor a luxury hotel aesthetic.

While traditional innerspring mattresses rely on interconnected coils (which give them that bouncy, trampoline-like sleep feel), many modern-day hybrid mattresses use individually pocketed coils. That allows them to provide body contouring support, reinforced support around the perimeter and superior motion isolation.

Although it is technically a luxury innerspring hybrid, the Saatva Classic mattress is the best example of what a hybrid mattress can offer, with its dual-coil support system for support and durability, soothing foam layers for pressure relief and outstanding performance across all key metrics, including temperature regulation.

While we’d say it’s worth every cent, the Saatva is a little pricey (around $1,800 for a queen, depending on Saatva mattress sales), but the DreamCloud Classic mattress is an excellent cheaper alternative. You won’t get the customizable firmness or height options you’d get with the Saatva, but you will get a great mid-range option that will suit most sleepers.

Pros:

• Combines the support of sturdy innerspring and the soothing pressure relief of a memory foam mattress
• Best for all sleepers, especially combination sleepers

Cons:

• Due to their more complex construction, hybrid mattresses tend to be more expensive than memory foam mattresses
• The inclusion of coils can make them more responsive (bouncy) than memory foam
• Also heavier than all-foam mattresses

Latex: The greener mattress

Natural latex mattresses are made from the sap of rubber trees, while other latex mattresses are crafted from synthetic latex. Both types are antimicrobial and hypoallergenic, which means that they repel dust mites, mold and bacteria.

Latex mattresses offer a relatively firm and responsive sleep feel (no memory foam ‘hug’ here), making them best suited to combination sleepers who like to shift positions without feeling trapped.

As our lead tester noted in her Nolah Natural 11 mattress review, the Nolah does this beautifully, offering excellent ease of movement. Like the best organic mattresses on the market, latex mattresses boast naturally cooling properties, which make them a safe option for hot sleepers, as well as eco-conscious shoppers.

A mattress of this calibre doesn’t have to cost a fortune, as evidenced in our Avocado Green mattress review. As a mid-range organic bed, our tester was impressed by its blend of temperature regulation, sturdy support and PETA approval.

Pros:

• Incredibly durable — can last 15+ years if well looked after
• Naturally cooling
• Naturally antimicrobial and hypoallergenic
• Best for eco conscious shoppers and hot sleepers

Cons:

• Expect a distinct bouncy feel that doesn't contour like memory foam
• More expensive than other bed types, but last longer too

Innerspring: The traditional mattress

Traditional innerspring mattresses employ the classic design of a network of interconnected metal coils, which is usually topped with a thin layer of fiber or foam. This structure gives them a trampoline effect, which — as its moniker indicates — results in a bouncy sleep feel.

This open structure makes them light, breathable and easy to move around on. Their simple construction means they’re often pretty cheap. As such, they’re best for back and stomach sleepers who prefer to sleep on top of their mattress as opposed to sinking into it.

However, they aren’t very durable, and a spring protruding through a thin layer of foam is a sure-fire sign that it’s ready to be replaced. If you’ve ever wondered why no one really bounces on their bed anymore, it’s because innerspring mattresses are being phased out in favor of the hybrid mattress.

Pros:

• Very breathable
• Easy to move around on
• Cheap
• Best for back or stomach sleepers who prefer a firm sleep feel and maximum airflow

Cons:

• They offer the poorest motion isolation out of the four mattress types
• Issues with durability

What’s changed since you last shopped?

While the mattress-in-a-box market started out as something of an oddity, the pandemic accelerated the shift to buying mattresses primarily online. Now, hundreds of thousands of the best mattresses in a box are compressed, rolled and packaged up for delivery on our doorstep every year.

This new method of mattress shopping comes with its unique set of pros, cons and challenges. On the plus side, mattress-in-a-box manufacturers save on brick-and-mortar stores, and this saving trickles down to the consumer. That means you can buy mattresses more cheaply.

The cons include often being unable to try your mattress in store before you buy, although longer sleep trials mean you can often return or change it if it’s not quite right. Buying a mattress-in-a-box online can also take approximately 24-48 hours to fully inflate, as well as ‘off gassing’ after being opened, which is the release of VOCs into the air.

Of course, you can still buy mattresses in store and not all mattresses bought online are compressed before shipping. Saatva still prefers to deliver their mattresses traditionally flat before setting them up in your room of choice.

There are also Saatva viewing rooms dotted around the country, in case you would prefer to try before you buy. Compared to eight years ago, memory foam, hybrid and latex mattresses are the most common types of mattresses bought today.

A mattress is quite the investment, but your purchase can really pay off if the mattress you choose is built to last. However, as beds come in a variety of designs and prices, it can be tricky to figure out how long a mattress should last.

That's why we've created this comprehensive guide to mattress lifespans, exploring how long you can expect your mattress to last based on its type and price tier. In this breakdown, you'll find the life expectancies of the best mattresses and most popular designs – including memory foam, hybrids, and the classic innerspring – and how their price tags can influence their durability.

Using this guide, you'll not only be able to tell how long your current mattress has left but also how long a prospective mattress will last when you're browsing this month's mattress sales. Here's a look at how long every type of mattress should last, plus the key feature that guarantees long-lasting quality.

• Saatva: save up to $400 on luxury mattresses
• Bear: 40% off our favorite cooling mattress with code TOMS40
• Helix Sleep: 27% off mattresses for all sleep styles with code TOMS27
• DreamCloud Mattress: Up to 60% off luxury hybrids
• Nectar Mattress: up to 50% off + up to 66% off bundles
• Brooklyn Bedding: 30% off sitewide
• Tempur-Pedic: 30% off closeout luxury mattresses
• Siena: Budget mattresses from just $99

Key takeaways: at a glance

How long a mattress lasts by type

1. Innerspring

Let's begin with the humble innerspring, a classic spring mattress that we're all familiar with and likely grew up sleeping on. An innerspring mattress is made up of a supportive coil base and an outer comfort layer of padding, a simple design that makes the beds inexpensive, bouncy, and supportive.

However, an innerspring is the mattress type with the shortest lifespan. Its materials, particularly its springs and relatively thin comfort layer, can wear out easily. Worn-out springs can diminish support through sagging and cause that annoying mattress creak. Meanwhile, a thin padded layer can make the feel of the coils more noticeable.

The quick-to-deteriorate materials reduce life expectancy of an innerspring mattress to five to eight years.

2. Memory foam

Memory foam was invented by NASA in the 1960's, but memory foam beds didn't become popular until the 21st century. Thanks to its body-cradling pressure relief, memory foam is found in most mattresses, with the best memory foam mattresses usurping classic innerspring as the best cheap mattress.

While an all-foam bed lacks easily-worn-out springs, memory foam can slowly lose its elasticity (the ability to spring back after pressing down on it) and start to sag after repeated use. However, you should aim to upgrade your all-foam bed every 10 years, and you may even have to replace your memory foam mattress after eight years if it came with a budget price tag.

Overall, a memory foam mattresses should be replaced every eight to 10 years, with most memory foam beds lasting for a decade before deterioration.

3. Hybrid

While memory foam mattresses offer body-molding comfort, innerspring beds offer support, breathability, and a responsive bounce. That's why, over the past decade, we've seen the emergence of hybrid mattresses: a bed that combines foam and spring layers.

Because they offer "the best of both worlds", hybrid mattresses tend to cost more than their innerspring and all-foam counterparts. However, that doesn't mean they last forever – in fact, you can expect even the best hybrid mattresses (luxury ones included) to last no more than 10 years – as their springs can lose tension, just like the ones found in your classic innerspring.

The lifespan of your hybrid depends heavily on the quality of the springs or coils it uses, but most will last around seven to 10 years.

4. Latex

While the 10-year rule applies to most mattress types, latex mattresses are outliers. Latex is found in the best organic mattresses on the market, which tend to be luxury buys as latex is more expensive than standard foams. However it has a lot of natural benefits: it's cooling, supportive, hypoallergenic, sustainable and (most importantly) durable.

The premium, long-lasting quality of latex means organic mattresses tend to last around 15 years on average. However, if the latex mattress is made entirely of latex foam and no springs, it can last up to 20 years (yep, it's that durable).

How long a mattress lasts by price

1. Budget

Budget mattresses are any beds that are sold under $400 for a queen. We're seeing more and more high-quality budget mattresses, but you can't expect the same durability as offered by premium or even mid-range designs.

For instance, a budget memory foam mattress may not hit the 10-year mark if its foam layers aren't as dense as higher-priced models. They also lack the level of temperature regulation found in mid-range and luxury memory foam beds, leading to heat and moisture build-up over time.

Budget hybrid mattresses are also more likely to fall at the lower end of the 7-10 year life expectancy range, as their coils and springs are less likely to withstand a decade's worth of concentrated body weight.

2. Mid-range

The best mattresses under $1000 for a queen are often worth buying, with some of the most popular and reputable mattress brands offering good-quality mid-range beds.

As for durability, mid-range mattresses can differ from model to model, so it's best to check the materials. For instance, we found that the hybrid-designed DreamCloud Classic Mattress outperformed its mid-range price tag and offered luxury-level quality, mostly due to its coils being individually-wrapped in fabric to prevent coils from rubbing against each other.

Of course, if you spot any red flags that tell you to replace your mattress, then you should immediately do so. Otherwise, if you have a mid-range bed, it's best to follow the 10-year replacement rule.

3. Luxury

The best luxury mattresses cost over $1,000 for a queen, and they justify the price by using premium, long-lasting materials. For example, we voted the Saatva Classic Mattress to be the best bed in the world, and that's due in part to its durability.

Despite being a hybrid mattress, its coils are more resistant to wear and tear as they're made from industrial-strength 13-gauge tempered steel for "maximum durability" meaning it can most likely last a decade's worth of repeated use.

Plus, the majority of latex mattresses are luxury, so if you're put off by the high prices of an organic mattresses, you should know that they pay for themselves with their natural durability.

Most luxury mattresses should last at least 10 years, with some organic mattresses lasting up to 20 years.

The one sign that your mattress is built to last

Most mattresses today come with mattress warranties, which guarantee that a bed will be replaced, refunded, or repaired if there's a manufacturing issue. Not only do warranties cover a wide range of problems (from loose seams to broken coils), they also provide a pretty good indicator of how long a mattress will last.

For example, a standard warranty lasts 10 years, and this length is found in both luxury and budget mattresses. However, many reputable and premium brands, such as DreamCloud and Saatva, offer lifetime warranties. While a mattress of any quality is unlikely to last a lifetime, a long warranty (anything over 20 years) is clear sign that a mattress is built to last.

Sleep is vital to heart health and minimal increases in sleep duration can lower your risk of a cardiovascular event by 10%, new research suggests.

"Even modest improvements in sleep hygiene have yielded measurable benefits in blood pressure control, heart rate variability, and overall cardiovascular resilience," explains Dr. Daniel Cham, physician.

But here's the key — while isolated gains in sleep can help protect against stroke and heart attack, the biggest benefits might occur when you combine just 11 minutes more sleep with small, positive changes to activity levels and diet.

We asked the experts, Dr. Cham and Dr. John La Puma, why sleep plays such a strong role in heart health and how to tackle the moderate lifestyle changes that can have a big impact on your wellbeing.

Key take-aways: Study at a glance

• Increasing sleep by 11 minutes, combined with 4.5 minutes more exercise and 1/4 cup of vegetables a day, decreases your risk of a cardiovascular event by 10%, new research shows.
• These modest changes across different behaviors are typically more achievable than a big upheaval in one area.
• Good diet and exercise both contribute to better sleep, meaning changes in one area can boost another.
• Sleep duration isn't everything, however, as doctors cite benefit of sleep regularity and strong circadian rhythms.

• Read more: This is the longevity focused metric in your sleep score that can indicate how well you’re ageing — experts explain why and how to improve yours

How good sleep impacts your heart health

Sleep, particularly deep sleep, is when our body resets and repairs itself. And as Dr. Cham explains, missing out on this restorative phase leads to more than just excessive yawning the next day.

"Poor sleep quality can increase blood pressure, contribute to arrhythmias, and exacerbate metabolic stress," he says, "all of which elevate the risk for heart disease."

Dr. John La Puma, Board-Certified Internist and author of Indoor Epidemic, explains this is in part because your circadian rhythm acts at the "heart's time table."

This internal clock behind our sleep-wake cycle dictates hormone changes including melatonin suppression and cortisol release.

"Heart attacks and sudden cardiac deaths peaking in the first three hours after waking, when stress hormones surge," he says.

A 2025 study found just three nights of poor sleep can increase your risk of heart disease, making long-term sleep deprivation a major health concern — and not just a risk for your heart.

"It contributes to insulin resistance, setting the stage for diabetes. It promotes inflammation throughout the body, accelerating aging and increasing cardiovascular risk," Dr. La Puma explains.

For this reason, he emphasizes the importance of sleep regularity; going to bed and waking up at the same time every night.

"A landmark study of over 60,000 adults followed for nearly 8 years found that sleep regularity was a stronger predictor of mortality than total hours slept," he says. "People with regular sleep schedules have a 34% lower risk of heart disease and a 19% lower risk of overall mortality."

Small changes can have noticeable results

The study analyzed the data of 53,242 people in the UK Biobank, assessing the impact of three core behaviors on cardiovascular health. Those behaviors are: sleep duration, moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVGS), and diet quality (DQ).

Researchers found that small improvements in each behavior combined could have a more notable positive impact on heart health than big achievements in one area.

The study noted that just 11 minutes more sleep, when combined with increased exercise and a healthier diet, could have a similar impact to regularly achieving 30 minutes more sleep (assuming a low sleep rate in the first place.)

Even better, the researchers describe these habits as "uniquely interdependent." In other words, more exercise results in better sleep which leads to better eating (and vice versa.)

This is a mindset supported by Dr. La Puma, who explains that more sleep isn't always the answer.

"Fewer than seven hours [sleep] erodes resilience, while more than eight hours increases cardiovascular risk and accelerates cognitive decline by about 12 percent. The sweet spot for most adults is between seven and eight hours," he explains.

How to get 11 minutes more sleep a night

While the researchers behind the study are keen to emphasize small changes for overall improvement, tackling your sleep, physical activity and diet can seem like an overwhelming prospect.

So here's some good news: it's easy to target two birds with one stone.

Exercising for better sleep and healthy eating for better sleep allow you to focus on one habit (either movement or diet) while having a knock on effect on another (in this case, sleep.)

For Dr. La Puma, even small habit switches can improve circadian function and lead to better sleep and heart health..

"Morning light and evening darkness are the anchors of [circadian] rhythm. Protect them, and you protect the foundation of your longevity," he says, recommending amber lighting in the evening to help your body prepare for sleep.

He also suggests screen limits, advising you put your phone down at least 60 minutes before bed (and charging your phone in a different room, to eliminate temptation.)

Many things go into getting a good night’s rest — including getting enough deep sleep. While “deep” and “quality” sleep might sound interchangeable, deep sleep is actually one of the four sleep stages, and it’s arguably the most important stage of non-REM (NREM) sleep.

Deep sleep is famed for being the most restorative stage of stage and where important repair and recovery processes take place. But now that you know how important it is, are you aware of how much you actually require?

We asked Roger Washington, MD, FAAFP, a family medicine physician, sleep therapist, and the founder of the Sleep To Live Well Foundation, to help us unpack the basics of deep sleep. Ahead, you’ll discover the distinct role it plays and how much deep sleep you need each night, depending on your age.

What is deep sleep?

Also known as slow wave sleep or N3 sleep, deep sleep is the third and final non-REM sleep stage before transitioning to rapid-eye movement (REM) sleep. In this phase of sleep, “the brain disengages from external sensing, learning, and problem-solving and shifts fully toward internal repair and recalibration,” says Dr. Washington.

A lot of important work for your physical and mental health occurs during this sleep stage. In this stage, Dr. Washington says that:

• Growth hormone secretion peaks
• Immune signaling is recalibrated
• Inflammatory tone is reduced
• Muscles, connective tissue, and metabolic systems are repaired
• Cellular electrical and sensory thresholds are reset, which improve clarity, emotional stability, and stress tolerance the following day

How much deep sleep do you need?

The amount of deep sleep we need changes by age, as well as other personalized factors like health conditions. Dr. Washington advises not getting tripped up over the precise numbers, though.

“These figures support what I’ve observed in my practice: healthy sleepers tend to fall within these ranges when their total sleep time and timing are adequate,” he says. Nonetheless, “they are not strict targets for each night.”

With that in mind, here’s a rundown of the average amount of sleep you need according to your age group:

Babies (4 months to 2 years)

According to Dr. Washington, typical deep sleep during this age range is 90 to 150 minutes per night.

“Babies spend a much larger share of sleep in deep sleep because growth hormone release, immune development, and neural wiring dominate physiology at this stage,” he says. “This elevated need persists through the first two years of life and then gradually declines as growth velocity slows.”

Children (3 to 12 years)

Dr. Washington says that toddlers and children in this age bracket typically require 60 to 120 minutes of deep sleep each night.

“Children continue to require substantial deep sleep to support physical growth, immune maturation, and brain development,” he says.

As long as children are able to get enough sleep time spent asleep — which is 10 to 13 hours (for children ages 3 to 5) and 9 to 12 hours (for children ages 6 to 12), per the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) — Dr. Washington says that deep sleep is usually abundant. However, he says that total deep sleep falls when bedtimes are delayed, even though the body still prioritizes it early in the night.

Teenagers (13 to 18 years)

According to Dr. Washington, teens get an average of 60 to 90 minutes per night.

“Adolescents need deep sleep to support hormonal regulation, musculoskeletal growth, and emotional development,” he says. “However, delayed circadian timing combined with early school schedules often shortens total sleep, reducing the absolute amount of deep sleep obtained.”

With packed schedules, teens may find it challenging to get the 8 to 10 hours of total sleep recommended by the AASM.

Young adults (18 to 25 years)

Perhaps surprisingly, adults up to the age of 25 often need the same amount of deep sleep as teenagers, which again is 60 to 90 minutes per night.

Curious as to why this is? “Although legally considered adults, brain maturation — particularly in males — continues into the mid-20s,” Dr. Washington explains. “Sleep patterns during this period often resemble late adolescence, and deep sleep commonly remains toward the upper end of the adult range.”

Adults (26 to 64 years)

Per Dr. Washington, adults aged 26 through 64 years old require less deep sleep than teens and young adults, with average ranges clocking in at 45 to 90 minutes per night.

But just because most adults require less deep sleep than younger demographics doesn’t mean that it’s any less important to get. “In adulthood, deep sleep supports physical repair, immune function, metabolic regulation, and emotional stability,” says Dr. Washington.

And while you might get less, “the biological need for deep sleep does not disappear.” Rather, adults tend to “lose the conditions that allow it to extend.”

He adds that the amount of deep sleep you get varies widely on factors like stress, mental load, sleep timing, and sleep debt (i.e., getting less sleep than you actually need — which, for most adults, is 7 to 9 hours per night).

Older adults (65+)

Older adults get the least amount of deep sleep across all age groups. Per Dr. Washington, those 65 and older log an average of 30 to 60 minutes of deep sleep each night.

“Older adults tend to experience lighter, more fragmented sleep, which reduces deep-sleep time,” he says. “This reflects changes in sleep regulation rather than a reduced biological need.”

While older adults may struggle to get the same quality shuteye they once did in their earlier years, Dr. Washington says that deeper sleep can improve with consistent timing and sufficient sleep opportunity.

Signs you’re not getting enough deep sleep

According to Dr. Washington, there are many signs that indicate you’re not getting enough deep, restorative sleep. These include:

• Needing an alarm clock to wake up
• Dependence on caffeine or stimulants
• Irritability or emotional volatility
• Carbohydrate and sugar cravings
• Afternoon brain fog
• Feeling tired but wired at night

“These patterns are often misattributed to stress, personality, or aging,” says Dr. Washington, “but more often, they reflect sleep debt and circadian misalignment.”

In a perfect world, we’d all get enough deep sleep (and total sleep) to allow us to feel and function our best. However, Dr. Washington advises against trying to “hack” your way to get more deep sleep — and especially against losing sleep over your numbers if you track your ZZZ’s with wearables. “Deep sleep is not generated by effort,” he says. “It lengthens naturally as alignment improves.”

With this in mind, he instead encourages better rest and alignment by:

• Respecting circadian timing with light exposure, food timing, and physical activity
• Winding down the day free from a heavy mental load
• Addressing unresolved stress or trauma that keeps you vigilant at night

“When alignment improves, deep sleep extends naturally,” Dr. Washington concludes.

If you try out these methods and nothing still works, it could be time to discuss your options — be it a sleep study, therapy, or medical intervention — with a health professional.

Adjusting the thermostat before bed is a tricky balance. Too warm and you'll wake up sweating (and out of pocket.) Too cold and you might find aching muscles and sore joints ruin your morning.

While a cooler bedroom supports your circadian rhythms, warmer temperatures are better for tight, sore muscles. And as you get older, a balmier room might be necessary to achieve the restful sleep you need.

The right temperature is an important component of good sleep so I asked the experts how you can get it right, particularly if you're over 65.

Here's what pain specialists Jen Uschold and Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum advised — plus their top tips for creating the cozy comfort your sleep deserves.

Choosing a bedroom temperature for pain relief

The optimal bedroom temperature for good sleep is typically on the cooler side, to accommodate the natural drop in your core temperature as your body prepares for sleep.

Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum, pain expert and author, recommends a temperature of “60 to 67°F” (16 to 20 °C) for younger adults and advises to aim for the warmer end of this spectrum if you’re experiencing pain.

“Generally, a room temperature of around 19 degrees is recommended,” adds Jen Uschold, pain specialist and Physical Therapist working with MattressNextDay. “The brain needs a slight drop in core temperature to initiate sleep, but if the environment is too cold, the nervous system works harder to maintain warmth.”

And as we’re bracing our way through repeated cold snaps, she notes you shouldn’t let the room drop below 64°F (or 18°C.)

Why is a warmer bedroom better for pain relief?

Not only is it harder to drift off when you're shivering, cold weather can cause you to experience increased pain, particularly when you're lying still in bed.

“When it is colder, and we are not moving as much as we usually do, there is less blood flow throughout our bodies," explains Uschold. "The cold may increase the experience of pain; however, this does not indicate additional strain to the tissues. It is more about the sensitivity of the nerves and nervous system due to reduced blood flow.”

Uschold notes that you can become more “temperature sensitive” when you’re in pain. What’s normally a cool bedroom might feel uncomfortably cold.

“A colder room draws energy out of the muscles and increases the tendency for muscle tightness and pain,” adds Dr. Teitelbaum. “So, for those with chronic pain, it makes sense to keep the room a little bit on the warmer side of this range.”

Why bedroom temperature matters more as you get older

“In those over 65 years old, the research suggests that the optimal room temperature for sleep quality is 68 to 77°,” says Dr. Teitelbaum.

A 2023 survey found that, overall, older adults tend to benefit from a room slightly warmer than the typical average.

Not only does a warm room benefit tight muscles, it might also help seniors enjoy higher quality sleep — something that can be hard to come by when you're over 65.

“As we age, changes in circulation, muscle mass, and metabolism can mean that many people over 65 may feel colder than they did in earlier life,” notes Uschold.

With a lack of sleep can also come increased pain, as Dr. Teitelbaum explains.

“It is important for people to know that sleep quality is critical for pain relief," he says, "and poor sleep has been shown to significantly cause pain as well.”

He notes that warmer bedrooms can encourage deep sleep in older adults, a sleep phase during which the body undergoes major recovery and tissue repair.

“Much, if not most, pain in this country is caused by muscle shortening,” says Dr. Teitelbaum. “Just like it takes more energy to stretch a coiled spring than for the spring to contract, muscles that don't have enough energy get stuck in the shortened position and hurt.”

Finding the perfect temperature

“Temperature needs are never determined by age alone,” says Uschold. “Health history, movement and exercise during the day, medication, stress levels, living environment, and overall well-being can all influence how warm or cold someone feels.”

Both experts recommend experimenting within the recommended temperature range to find the ideal bedroom feel.

And it's not all about the thermostat, as clever material choices can help you create the warmth you need.

"Your skin warms," says Teitelbaum, "but your core temperatures can drop."

How to create a warmer bedroom (without overheating)

Use a heating pad

“For localized pain which is only there when you wake up, the heating pad on the low setting (on a timer to go on 2 hours before waking) works very nicely,” advises Dr. Teitelbaum.

Heating pads use only a small amount of electricity, so they’re a good way to keep warm in bed without bumping up your heating costs.

Dr. Teitelbaum also notes that if you go to sleep in pain, a heating pad at bedtime can offer targeted comfort (although he adds you need to keep the temperature low, to avoid burns.)

Switch to wool bedding

For widespread body pain, Dr. Teitelbaum recommends ditching the heating bad for a different approach.

“Using wool sheets on your bed, and even wool long underwear during the day, markedly decreases pain," says Dr. Teitelbaum. "If you can't get wool, then cotton.”

He explains you want warmth and moisture wicking, to prevent sweat sticking to the skin. "Waking up cold and wet does not help pain."

Heat the bed, not the room

While you might be tempted to crank up the heat, a more effective solution might be to concentrate on the bed. It’s better for your bills and means you’re less likely to wake up sweating at 5 a.m.

Alongside warm bedding, you could try placing a hot water bottle at the foot of the bed.

A mattress topper or a weighted blanket can also act as insulation. This adds another layer to your bed to keep the warmth in. Please note, we don't recommend weighted blankets to those with limited mobility.

If you’re over 65, you might have noticed that, despite keeping the same sleep habits, you've started to feel more tired. But do you need more sleep than younger adults or are your sleep patterns just adjusting?

As you age, the amount of sleep you need doesn't necessarily change but your sleep cycle does. Sleep grows lighter and more fragmented so quality becomes a priority and you might need to spend more time in bed to achieve the rest your body requires.

Getting the right amount of sleep has many advantages as you age, including aiding longevity — as well as keeping memory loss, dementia and other health conditions at bay.

We asked the sleep experts how your sleep changes as you age, why sleep is important and how to get the best quality sleep when you're over 65.

How much sleep do over 65s need?

Studies show that those over 65 need the same amount of sleep as younger adults, which is 7-9 hours a night. Of course, this differs from person to person, and if you have an existing sleep disorder or condition, you may need more.

However, while age doesn't necessitate more sleep, changes in sleep consistency might mean you struggle to reach seven hours, says Neurologist Dr. Lynette Gogol.

“The key nuance is that older adults often need more opportunity for sleep, meaning more time in bed, to achieve that amount because sleep becomes lighter and more fragmented with age,” Dr. Gogol advises.

She explains that if you feel more tired or unable to keep your eyes open before bed, it's because those aged 65+ often get less efficient sleep. "This is why you may wake more frequently, nap more during the day, and still feel unrefreshed,” she says.

How does this differ from how much sleep other people need?

Children need the most sleep of any age group but as you grow, that need starts to decrease and remains consistent. Adults under 65 have the same sleep requirements as older generations.

“Compared with younger adults, who typically need seven to nine hours of sleep, older adults may experience changes in their sleep patterns rather than a reduced need for sleep,” says Lisa Artis, sleep expert and deputy CEO of the Sleep Charity.

She adds that teenagers and children require more sleep due to growth and development, but older adults still need “enough restorative sleep to support memory, mood, and overall health.”

However, as those over 65 typically experience worse sleep quality and efficiency, you may need more sleep — or more time in bed — than younger adults, children or teenagers.

Why do over 65s need 7-8 hours of sleep a night?

Getting enough sleep is important at any age but as our experts explain, when you're over 65 those hours of rest come with some added advantages.

1. To consolidate memory

Research shows that all stages of sleep are important for memory consolidation.

Artis explains that during sleep, the brain processes and stores important information while clearing out unnecessary details.

“This helps support learning, recall, and cognitive function," she says. "Without enough quality sleep, memory and concentration can be affected more noticeably in later life.”

Dr. Gogol adds that in older adults, memory consolidation can become less efficient. “The sleep stages most closely linked to certain types of memory — deep non-REM or slow wave sleep — tend to decline with age,” she says.

This is “one reason why protecting sleep quality, not just time in bed, becomes especially important after age 65,” notes Dr. Gogol.

2. To reduce the risk of dementia and other health conditions

Studies show that a lack of good quality sleep can be linked to dementia, as early as your 50s.

Artis explains this is because during sleep, especially deep sleep, the brain "clears waste products, including proteins linked to dementia, and reduces inflammation.”

When you aren't getting that sleep, your brain lacks opportunities to remove this waste.

She also notes that good sleep supports; “heart health, blood sugar regulation, and emotional wellbeing," while long-term sleep deprivation has been linked to "an increased risk of conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, depression, and cognitive decline.”

3. To keep the circadian rhythm regular

Our internal body clock dictates when we feel sleepy and when we naturally wake up — getting enough sleep can keep your circadian rhythms regulated.

“A stable sleep routine supports the release of hormones such as melatonin, which signals to the body when it is time to sleep,” explains Artis.

However, she goes on to say that in older age, this rhythm can "become weaker", and emphasizes that ensuring regular sleep and wake times, along with exposure to daylight, is especially important for maintaining healthy sleep patterns in those aged over 65.

4. Improves mental and physical health

As we age, we’re more prone to picking up viruses, while our bones become weaker. Luckily, getting enough sleep is a natural antidote.

“Sleep supports the immune system, helps with muscle repair, plus pain management, and improves balance and coordination, which can reduce the risk of falls,” explains Artis. “It also plays a key role in emotional regulation, helping to protect mental wellbeing and quality of life.”

Sleep tips for over 65s

If you find it difficult to get 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night, Dr. Gogol explains that healthy sleep after 65 is less about forcing earlier bedtimes and more about strengthening rhythm and reducing fragmentation.

So, how can you achieve this?

“Anchor sleep to a consistent wake time, prioritize morning light exposure, and stay physically active during the day, ideally outdoors, to support circadian timing,” advises Dr. Gogol.

Sleep hygiene impacts how you sleep, too, with the expert advising you to keep your sleep environment “dark, cool, and quiet, and limit time in bed to when you are truly sleepy.”

Common sleep disorders such as sleep apnea or restless legs can also cause havoc on your sleep quality, and we recommend speaking to a healthcare professional if you think these factors are affecting your rest.

“Use cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia as first-line care,” says Dr. Gogol, but always talk to your doctor if you're worried about how your lack of sleep is affecting your waking life.

Things you should avoid? “Alcohol as a sleep aid, late afternoon naps, and long-term reliance on sleep medications,” warns Dr. Gogol.

The basic proposition of an e-bike is simple: a motor assists you by complementing your pedaling power. But those motors vary not only by design, but also by location and general purpose. Before you buy an e-bike, it helps to know what the different types of motors are — and being honest about how much e-assistance you really need for your riding style and purposes.

Here’s a basic rundown of the different types of e-bike classes, motors, and drive systems that will dictate how fast you can go. Once you understand the technical aspects of these systems, and you determine what type of riding you’ll do most often, the amount of e-assistance you need will become clear, and will make buying one of the best electric bikes a lot easier.

E-bike classes

Before you decide which e-bike motor and e-assistance level you need for your new bike, it’s important to understand the three classes of e-bike.

Class 1 e-bikes offer a maximum assist speed of 20mph, and they include pedal assist features only.

Class 2 e-bikes offer a maximum assist speed of 20mph too, but they include both a pedal assist option and a throttle. You can use the throttle to activate the motor without pedaling.

Class 3 e-bikes offer a maximum assist speed of 28mph, and they include pedal assist, with the option for a throttle. Most Class 3 e-bikes do come with throttles. Keep in mind that many regions have tight restrictions on Class 3 e-bikes.

You should also know that some e-bikes can be adjusted between class 1, 2, and 3 by changing settings within the computer that controls the motor. If you’re after pure speed, a class 3 e-bike may serve you well, but you’ll want to check into any regional regulations that may limit the usefulness of your e-bike.

What style of riding you’ll do most often

That, of course, begs the question of whether you really need that ‘pure speed.’ For most riders, class 1 or class 2 e-bikes offer more than sufficient speed and power. Class 3 e-bikes do have very strong use cases too, but they come with a bigger learning curve and are often overkill for most riders.

Let’s start at the top: Class 3 e-bikes are great if you cover very long distances on your rides and want to shorten your time on the bike. They’re also wonderful if you need to keep up with automobile traffic. Performance road riders will also appreciate a class 3 e-bike if they want to keep up with the fast group ride or do a big day on the bike over long miles.

Just remember that 28mph is quite a lot of speed for a bicycle, and the learning curve here is quite high. With that much speed, you’ll want to work on your bicycle handling skills quite a lot and ensure you understand what that type of speed feels like in an emergency situation — say, under hard emergency braking.

Class 2 and Class 1 e-bikes offer the same max speed (20 mph), so the decision here is whether or not you want a throttle. If you’re after simplicity and the terrain on which you’ll be commuting is fairly flat or otherwise not challenging, a class 1 e-bike is sufficient. It’s also best for beginners.

A Class 2 e-bike is ideal for commuters, especially within cities or other areas with lots of stop lights or stop signs. The throttle helps you get started from a dead stop more easily, which is super handy when you’re at a stop light with traffic behind you. It’s also great if you have a medium to long commute and just need a break from pedaling. This is the most appropriate e-bike class for the vast majority of riders.

Hub motors versus mid-drive motors

Let’s get a bit more granular about speed now. E-bike motors deliver those various levels of speed, and there are different designs that deliver power in certain ways that may impact your ride.

There are two general types of e-bike motor types: a hub motor and a mid-drive motor.

A hub motor is built into the bike’s rear wheel (or less often, into the front wheel), while a mid-drive motor is integrated into the bicycle frame, at the bottom bracket shell between the cranks. Hub motors tend to deliver more power more quickly. Power generated from hub motors transfers directly to the wheel.

A mid-drive motor’s produced power must travel through the drivetrain to the rear wheel. Losses along the way are natural. However, mountain bikers and road cyclists, as well as other performance cyclists, usually choose the less powerful mid-drive motor. That’s because the mid-drive motor’s weight is concentrated low and centered on the bicycle, which improves handling. It’s also not ‘rotational’ weight like a hub drive motor. Rotational weight has an outsized impact on handling too.

So generally speaking, a hub drive motor will deliver more power, but it comes with performance drawbacks. If you’re sticking to commuting on-road, a hub drive motor is best for you. If responsive handling matters more to your riding style, like mountain bikers and road cyclists, a mid drive motor will serve you better, despite the lower power production.

Hub motors: direct drive versus geared

If you want to get even more particular about speed, efficiency, and ride quality when it comes to your hub motor, you can choose between direct drive hub motors and geared hub motors.

Geared hub motors, unsurprisingly, have gears within the hub shell that help drive the power to your bike. These planetary gears spin at a faster rate than the wheel, essentially multiplying the amount of power produced. But the really cool benefit is drag-free coasting. When the bike coasts, an internal clutch system can disengage the gears completely, so you coast with no resistance.

A direct drive motor uses a magnet and stator system, eliminating gears altogether. When the motor is engaged, the stator gets ‘charged’, causing the magnets to spin. That produces the forward propulsion. It’s a much simpler system, but it comes with a drawback: those magnets create drag, even when the stator is not energized. So you’re fighting that drag even if you’re not using the assist features.

But direct drive motors come with an advantage borne from that very magnetic disadvantage:

Regenerative braking is possible due to the drag produced by the spinning magnets. The bike essentially slows down automatically, which helps control your speed and may even extend the life of your brake pads. It feels like the brakes are lightly “on” while you’re riding. And, they'll provide a bit of charge back to your bike's battery, extending your range by a little.

Of course, if you don’t want that kind of drag and prefer to maintain your top speed, the geared motor will be most appropriate for you. The geared drive system will also improve overall battery life, which may be a concern for you if you’re riding long distances.

How much speed do you really need?

For the vast majority of riders, a class 1 or class 2 e-bike with a max assist speed of 20mph will be more than sufficient. The use cases for a class 3 e-bike with 28mph max speed are fewer. If you’re traveling long distances and want to shorten your commuting time, a class 3 e-bike may be the best choice. Just be sure to check local regulations to ensure you can use your bike legally along your route.

Once you’ve determined how and where you’ll be riding most often, the choice between hub motors and mid-drive motors becomes clear. While mid-drive motors don’t produce quite as much power quite as quickly, their placement within the frame — low and centered — vastly improves handling. Mountain bikers and performance road bikers will want to choose a mid-drive motor.

Commuters, a hub drive motor is likely your best bet for quick and stout power assist. They offer a reasonable top speed, and the addition of a throttle on class 2 e-bikes makes them especially appropriate for e-bike riders spending lots of time stopping and going, stopping and going.

More from Tom's Guide

• Best electric bikes
• I rode this electric bike 40 miles through every borough in New York City — 5 things I learned
• I just spent a week with Brompton's latest folding bike — here's what I like and what I don’t

Women are struggling to sleep and the problem only gets worse with age. From recovering after childbirth to early signs of perimenopause to coping postmenopause, each decade in a women’s life presents unique sleep challenges.

With hormone fluctuations the driving force behind most of these disruptions, and the menopause the biggest change your sleep is likely to undergo, fixing your rest is rarely as simple as 'getting to bed early.'

However, there's good news: we’ve never been better equipped to deal with the sleep challenges women experience with age. Continued research and developing technology are helping us fight back against everything from night sweats to period insomnia.

We’ve spoken to experts in menopause and women's sleep, as well as women who have actually lived through these changes, to learn what you can expect from your sleep as you age — and what you can do about it.

Key highlights

• Hormonal shifts cause women's sleep to decline with age
• Pregnancy often causes upheaval in sleep patterns for women in their 30s
• Poor sleep is an early indicator of perimenopause for women in their 40s
• Menopause, typically occurring around age 50, has a long-term impact on sleep health

How women’s sleep changes by age

"Hormones and how they interact in women influence mood, metabolism, and hot flashes,” explains Dr. Andrea Matsumura, Sleep Medicine Physician at Sleep Goddess MD. “But they also directly shape your sleep architecture and the way your brain cycles through the stages of sleep.”

“Progesterone helps you drift into sleep. When it dips, so does your ability to fall asleep," says Dr. Matsumura. "Estrogen helps you stay asleep, supports temperature regulation, and helps potentiate REM sleep, and testosterone supports slow-wave (deep) sleep.”

It’s a system Dr. Sherry McAllister, President of the Foundation for Chiropractic Progress describes as the ‘internal pharmacy' (alongside serotonin and cortisol.) These hormones are also responsible for the rapid decline women's sleep undergoes with age.

“Studies consistently find that women have a higher prevalence of insomnia and trouble sleeping than men," says Mike Wakeman, researcher, pharmacist and the brains behind Evera Nutrition. “Whereas in women these hormones swing widely across life stages and menstrual cycle and then decline sharply, in men, testosterone declines steadily and slowly and tends to cause fewer abrupt sleep disruptions.”

How your sleep changes in your 30s

• Hormone fluctuations during your menstrual cycle can result in changeable sleep
• Pregnancy causes a major upheaval in sleep quality
• Post-pregnancy you might experience lighter sleep and new pains

While women in their 30s are less likely to undergo the more radical sleep changes resulting from perimenopause and menopause, hormonal fluctuations at this age can still harm sleep quality.

“Progesterone drops sharply before menstruation resulting in lighter and more fragmented sleep, while reduction in estrogen results in changes in sleep depth,” says Wakeman. As a result, your sleep needs can cycle through several different iterations during one menstrual period.

Research also suggests that women in their 30s are likely to experience changes in their monthly cycle, including irregularity and heavy bleeding. While in your 20s you could predict and prepare for your period, you might find it harder to take control in your 30s, causing your sleep to suffer.

Your 30s might also bring an unwelcome tendency to wake up at 3am with a head full of racing thoughts. Wakeman explains this is because at this age, you're more “reactive to the stress hormone cortisol,” which makes it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep.

It doesn't help that women in their 30s often undergo major lifestyle changes, including buying a home and relationship changes that might exacerbate stress and lead to a feeling Wakeman describes as “tired but wired.” Then, of course, there are children, with the average age for first-time mother’s in the US steadily rising.

“Pregnancy and the period following it can, for obvious reasons, result in fragmented and lighter sleep and difficulty returning to sleep once awake,” says Wakeman. There's the foot pain, the lower back pain, the never-ending trips to the toilet...

Plus, while you could once sleep through an earthquake, you now jolt awake at the slightest sounds. “[Pregnancy] can cause the sleep architecture to change significantly, causing the brain to be hyper-vigilant,” explains Wakeman.

Nearing the end of this decade, women are also increasingly likely to start perimenopause, with sleep disruptions an early indicator (although this most often occurs in your 40s.) Wakeman notes that managing perimenopause symptoms requires a different approach, so if you suspect this is the cause of your poor sleep, speak to a healthcare professional.

"Between the big bump and back pain, I really struggled to sleep"

“While pregnant, between the big bump, constantly waking up and back pain, I really struggled to sleep,” says Lauren Tanner, a new mom in her early 30s. “A V pillow massively helped me get comfy and relieve leg and back pressure, and I wouldn’t have been without it.”

She explains that although before pregnancy she slept "amazingly", post-pregnancy she’s struggled to regain her quality eight hours. “My son isn’t a great sleeper and so sleep is regularly interrupted,” she says. While a nightlight, white noise machine and duvet have come a long way to help her son’s sleep problems, she still has issues.

“Sleep for me is often a struggle and I still rarely sleep through,” she says, but notes upgrading her sleep setup has helped. “We've just invested in a duvet and pillows which are a lighter tog and more breathable fabric, plus a softer mattress, and my sleep is massively improved. I rarely wake up too hot or uncomfortable from aches .”

She’s also found it necessary to rethink her evenings — no more late-night-crash-outs of her 20s. “I’ve tried to actively wind down before bed with a more relaxing bedtime routine and better quality sleepwear so that I’m comfy and relaxed, ready for sleep,” she explains.

How to sleep better in your 30s and fight back against disrupted nights and period insomnia

Your life can undergo some pretty big changes in your 30s, particularly if you’re among the growing women choosing to have children within this decade. Developing strong sleep hygiene can help you enjoy better sleep whatever life (or your toddler) is throwing at you:

• Build a relaxing routine: Adopting healthy habits now can help you maintain good sleep hygiene in the coming decades. “Incorporating activities like deep breathing, meditation, or gentle stretching before bed can promote relaxation,” advises Dr. Matsumura, particularly if you're experiencing painful periods.
• Commit to a bedtime (you and your kids): “Trying to adhere to a consistent bedtime and wake time for both mother and baby can be helpful,” says Wakeman, “as can strategic napping no later than 3pm.”
• Upgrade your bed: Still using that mattress from your twenties? It’s time for an upgrade that will actually support your body. “Both the material and level of support are important components to keep in mind when choosing the best mattress for you,” notes Dr. McAllister.
• Try calming supplements: Wakeman recommends supplements such as Deep Sleep by Evera to ease pre-bed anxiety. “The amino acid theanine has also been shown to help reduce stress levels,” he advises. (Pregnant and breastfeeding women should speak to a healthcare professional before using supplements.)
• If you suspect perimenopause, speak to a doctor: Wakeman explains that perimenopause requires “a different approach to managing problems” than other hormonal changes in your 30s, and recommends contacting your doctor for personal advice.

How your sleep changes in your 40s

• This is the age at which perimenopause is most likely to start
• Lower estrogen and progesterone levels can result in lighter, more fragmented sleep
• Hot flashes and night sweats can also become prominent

The biggest sleep challenge most women will undergo in their 40s is perimenopause, which typically starts in the mid-40s. The perimenopause can last anywhere from several months to a decade, during which production of estrogen and progesterone starts to decrease

“During perimenopause, many women experience difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking too early,” explains Dr. Mastumura. “As estrogen and progesterone levels decline during perimenopause and menopause, it disrupts the body’s natural sleep regulation.”

She notes that due to these hormonal changes, many women experience “fragmented, lighter sleep overall.” So although you’re going to bed and waking up at the usual time, a lack of deep sleep means you feel exhausted during the day.

Just when you think you’ve settled into a new routine, Wakeman notes fluctuating estrogen levels can also disrupt REM sleep, leading to “an unpredictability in sleep from month to month.” Despite your best efforts, you might feel like you’re playing a game of ‘keep up’ with your eight hours.

Another major change resulting from perimenopause is night sweats, meaning even though your 30s were characterized by cozy nights, you now wake up sweating most mornings. Dr. McAllister explains that "sudden surges of heat" can be the result of declining estrogen levels, as the hormone “supports our body’s ability to regulate temperature."

Women in their 40s might also find the racing thoughts of their 30s are increasing and accompanied by low moods, a phenomenon Dr. Matsumura explains can result from varying hormone levels. “These are known contributors to insomnia or disrupted sleep,” she adds.

She also warns that physical changes like snoring and restless legs can be caused by your changing hormones. You might find sleep in this decade is an entirely different beast to the problems you’ve dealt with previously, particularly as you edge closer to the menopause.

"I was waking up drenched at night"

Perimenopause typically occurs at age 47 but for some women, these hormonal changes start earlier. Camilla Sharman, Homes Writer at Tom's Guide, began experiencing menopause symptoms in her late 30s and early 40s.

“I was waking up drenched at night, but didn’t know what was causing it,” she explains. “After several trips to my GP and blood tests, I was diagnosed with an early perimenopause.”

Alongside night sweats, Sharman found her sleep routine disrupted by busy thoughts. “I found my mind racing, even after a busy, active day,” she says.

Now in her 50s, Sharman has found ways to limit the impact of menopause on her sleep. As well as HRT, she's adopted lifestyle changes to boost her sleep hygiene. “That means no caffeine in the evening, limiting my screen time, and ensuring I’ve had fresh air during the day,” she says. “Cotton nightwear and a light duvet also help keep me cool and limits those ghastly night sweats.”

How to sleep better in your 40s and fight back against anxiety and night sweats

As you enter perimenopause, you might find your previously reliable sleep hacks have stopped working and you’re left groggy, sleep deprived and looking for solutions:

• Keep a consistent sleep schedule: “Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day to help regulate your circadian rhythm, even when hormones are pulling you off track,” says Dr. Matsumura.
• Prioritize calm evenings: Perimenopause can cause or exacerbate anxiety and depression, both known sleep saboteurs. “Gentle yoga, deep breathing, or progressive muscle relaxation can help reduce nighttime anxiety,” says Dr. Matsumura.
• Create a sleep sanctuary: The Gender Sleep Gap partly results from hormone differences, but women often feel social, domestic and work pressures leave their sleep overlooked. “Avoid doom-scrolling or work emails at least an hour before sleep," says Dr. Matsumura, while Wakeman advises reserving your bedroom for sleep and intimacy.
• Choose your sheets wisely: “The sheets matter more than most give thought to, as temperature, moisture control, and tactile softness can add to a better night's rest,” says Dr. McAllister. She recommends breathable fabrics such as organic cotton and linen.
• Don’t let bad sleep catch you out: Dr. McAllister advises “proactively preparing your nighttime ecosystem as your body changes.” If you suspect you’re about to enter perimenopause, work on establishing good sleep hygiene and upgrading your sleep setup (even a new pair of cooler pajamas might help.)

How your sleep changes in your 50s

• Most women undergo the menopause during their 50s
• This brings major hormonal changes potentially resulting in disrupted sleep, night sweats and sleep apnea
• Postmenopause sleep disruptors include hot sleeping and joint pain

Menopause is a major hormonal change and as a result, you can expect some significant changes to your sleep. Menopause occurs following a decline in hormone production (typically natural but sometimes triggered via surgical intervention), with 51 the average age of menopause for women in the U.S.

“The menopause transition creates a convergence of physiological changes and lifestyle stressors, making sleep disturbances extremely common,” says Dr. Matsumura, listing difficulty falling asleep, early morning waking, and less restorative sleep among common side effects.

“Hormonal fluctuations affect the areas of the brain that regulate sleep,” she explains. As a result, your usual sleep patterns have flown out the window. Dr. Matsumura adds that progesterone has “naturally calming and sleep-promoting properties" and as your body lowers production levels, your sleep suffers the burnt of it.

Meanwhile, you might find those night sweats from your 40s are hanging around — or even getting worse. “Lower estrogen increases the likelihood of hot flashes and night sweats,” explains Dr. Matsumura.

Additionally, Dr. Mastsumura notes that lower estrogen levels can result in “mood changes.” Women experiencing the menopause are at a higher risk for depression and, relatedly, insomnia symptoms are common factors in depression.

Menopause also increases the risk factor for obstructive sleep apnea, as hormone changes make you susceptible to the collapsed airways behind apnea episodes. If your partner hasn’t pointed out your snoring, you might notice you’ve started to wake up with a dry mouth and brain fog — two common symptoms of sleep apnea.

While hormone issues are still at play postmenopause, women in this age bracket might also find themselves subject to the general sleep disruptions associated with aging. Fresh aches and pains start disrupting your morning and, as Wakeman notes, the menopause is associated with osteoporosis.

Postmenopausal women also report a higher tendency to sleep disruption than premenopausal women, with night sweats and hot flashes potentially lasting for many years following the menopause.

"I was exhausted. I couldn't function during the day and ‘sleeping’ was misery"

“Sleeping had never been a problem for me,” says Cathy Rust, founder of CoolYourSweats menopause sleepwear, “but then, a few months after my official day of menopause [in her mid-50s] I started getting night sweats.”

Cathy describes these hot nights as “mild” at first and predictable, but they gradually worsened and soon she was waking up “every few minutes” to throw her covers off and pull them back on. “I was exhausted." she says. "I couldn't function during the day and ‘sleeping’ was misery.”

To manage night sweats, she tried breathable bedding materials such as cotton and bamboo, but ended up taking the more extreme route of founding her own cooling nightwear company, CoolYourSweats.

Combating night sweats also required a few lifestyle changes, including switching alcohol for herbal tea before bed. “Wearing the nightgown, using better bed linens and avoiding certain triggers helped me get my sleep back,” Rust says.

How to sleep better in your 50s and fight back against hot flashes and joint pain

“During menopause, sleep is less about passive recovery and more about active regulation of the 'internal pharmacy' of the body,” says Dr. McAllister, author of Adjusted Reality. “Our ‘internal pharmacy’ is impacted if we do not have proper sleep hygiene. For women that are facing menopause, this is of particular importance.”

So good sleep is important to maintaining comfort during the menopause but sleeping while menopausal can feel like an uphill battle.

However, we’ve never been better placed to cope with the sleep rollercoaster that is the menopause:

• Adjust your sleep position: “The best sleeping position is on your side as it promotes the ‘rest and digest’ side of our parasympathetic nervous system. It also aids in keeping our spine supported and reduces the heat retention that can wake us up at night,” says Dr. McAllister. It’s also the best position for limiting sleep apnea.
• Cool Down Your Environment: “Lower your bedroom temperature to around 60–67°F,” says Dr. Matsumura. “Use moisture-wicking sheets and consider a fan or cooling mattress pad to reduce night sweats.”
• Keep to a sleep schedule: As your body goes through big changes, emphasizing consistency can help you maintain better sleep quality. “Stick to a consistent bedtime and wake time even on weekends,” says Dr. Matsumura. “This helps train your body’s internal clock and improves sleep efficiency.”
• Limit wine and caffeine: While a glass of wine might be all you want after a long day of unpredictable hormones, Dr. Matsumura warns alcohol “disrupts deeper stages of sleep later in the night.” She also recommends steering clear of caffeine, especially in the afternoon, as it “can worsen insomnia symptoms.”
• Use supplements to manage symptoms: Dr. Matsumura advises sorting your sleep hygiene before turning to supplements but recommends melatonin, magnesium and L-theanine. Wakeman notes that “botanical sources of estrogen known as phytoestrogens” can also help reduce night sweats.
• Support your joints: Back sleeping and side sleeping can both help reduce pressure build up at the joints. “Slightly bend your knees, use a small pillow between your knees and gently hug a pillow to stop you from rolling onto your stomach,” Dr McAllister advises.
• Control stress: Yes, easier said than done but Wakeman notes controlling outside stressors can help offset the impact of biological stressors. As well as calming supplements, he recommends “addressing any nutrient deficiencies” (and fruit and vegetables can help you sleep.)
• Educate yourself: “An understanding of hormones and the part they play in menopause explains why sleep is so critical during this transition time,” says Dr. McAllister. Familiarizing yourself with the typical impact of menopause can help you prepare for sleep changes — and everything that comes after.

When to speak to a doctor about changes to your sleep

Hormone changes are an inevitable, and lifelong, occurrence for biological women and inevitably they will impact your sleep. While not always easy to manage — as anyone who has experienced a hot flash will warn you — ongoing research into women’s health means we’re consistently finding new ways to help you sleep better at any age.

This includes cooling fabrics, comfortable bedrooms and education around sleep hygiene. However, in some situations, we recommend seeking support from a doctor.

Wakeman, a pharmacist, advises consulting a healthcare professional if you’ve been experiencing sleep problems for three months, you’re sleeping less than six hours most nights, or waking early (3am-5am) and unable to fall back to sleep.

He also recommends speaking to a doctor if sleep issues are interfering with your memory, safety or mood, including worsening anxiety of depression, as well as for physical symptoms such as joint pain after menopause, an urge to move at night, and frequent night sweats.

How to optimize your bedroom for better sleep, whatever your age

Taking control of your bedroom environment supports consistently healthy sleep. We recommend an optimal bedroom temperature of 65 to 70°F (or 68 to 77°F for older adults) year-round, while dim lights before bed and a dark room indicate to your internal clock that it’s time to sleep.

Quiet is also necessary to minimize sleep disruptions but not always easy to achieve. A pair of sleep ear buds can block out external noise, while white noise machines can potentially mask even loud sounds.

We recommend replacing your mattress roughly every seven years, to prevent sagging and ensure you have the best mattress for your current needs. Dr. McAllister recommends a medium firmness mattress, for the right combination of muscle support and comfort. “The key to choosing the right mattress is to avoid one that causes you to sink, as this adds pressure to your pelvis and can irritate both your hips and lower back,” advised Dr. McAllister, on creating an optimal bedroom environment aged 65+.

Dr. McAllister also recommends paying close attention to your pillow, as the best pillow for you will prevent neck strain. “Whichever type of pillow you choose, opt for a cooling cover that will help regulate temperature and have some contour, especially if sleeping on your side.”

Meet the experts

I don't know about you, but when I've reached Friday and I'm running on empty, it seems intuitive to spend the weekend 'catching up' on sleep.

However, I've just discovered that my lazy Saturday and Sunday mornings are doing my overall sleep health no favors.

And according to a massive new study, skipping these weekend lie-ins could not only boost my sleep quality every night, it could potentially add years to my lifespan too.

It takes a lot to get me up early on the weekend, so I wanted to better understand why oversleeping on Saturdays and Sundays is something I really need to stop.

Here Dr. Jordan Burns D.C., a sleep expert for Amerisleep, gives me the hard truth I need to hear...

• Read more: 'This 60-minute sleep rule ended my nighttime anxiety' — a doctor explains how it can help you fall asleep in under 5 minutes too

What is the 7:1 sleep rule and why can it add years to your life?

The 7:1 sleep rule was coined by researchers behind a study from Vitality and The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), and is based on analysis of sleep data from over 47 million people.

The researchers found that getting at least seven hours of sleep, and going to bed within a one hour window every night, could improve life expectancy by 24%.

This confirms the importance of getting seven hours of sleep a night, and it emphasizes the necessity of timing. When you go to bed might be just as important as how long you sleep for.

It's estimated that only 10% of people stick to this sleep pattern. And sleeping in at the weekend like me could prevent you from meeting these vital sleep goals.

Why is oversleeping at the weekend ruining your healthy sleep?

The researchers advise going to bed within the same one hour window at least five nights a week. For example, going to bed between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m., Monday to Friday.

Surely getting more sleep on the weekend is a good thing, as it allows you to navigate the sleep debt you've racked up during the week? Well, that's what I've always told myself.

As I've now discovered, 'catching up on sleep' is a band aid at best and a myth at worst.

“‘Catching up on sleep’ over the weekend may seem harmless, but it can actually contribute to feelings of fatigue, rather than alleviating them," explains Dr. Burns.

Here's why...

It disrupts your circadian rhythms

Your sleep cycle takes cues from its surroundings to help you drift off.

For example, a dark room, a bed that's only used for sleeping (which is why bedrotting is bad for your sleep), and a cool bedroom that's the perfect temperature for sleeping, All of these indicate to your brain that it's time to release melatonin, the sleepy hormone.

Timing is another big cue; your body clock learns when you go to sleep and recognizes the need to kickstart the wind down process.

"Your body clock is happiest when it’s kept on a consistent schedule," explains Dr. Burns. "Sleeping in on the weekends disrupts your body’s natural sleep-wake cycle."

"By sleeping in several hours later than usual on a Saturday and Sunday, you’re essentially giving yourself a mild case of jet lag," says Dr. Burns.

Known as social jet lag, this is when your weekend sleep schedule and your weekday sleep schedule are several hours apart — essentially in different time zones.

Your body doesn't recognize the time zone it's in, so can't cue up your wind down (melatonin release).

It masks other sleep problems

It's easy to assume that because you have the weekend to catch up, you're getting the quality sleep you need.

However the only thing that's happening here is that your sleep is coming in two big lumps rather than being evenly divided throughout the week.

Dr. Burns also explains that excessive oversleeping might be misrepresenting your sleep health.

"Sleeping in can also be a way of covering up the problem rather than addressing it," says the Sleep Health Expert at Eachnight.

Just because you're well rested at the weekends doesn't mean you aren't experiencing the effects of sleep deprivation during the week, including mood swings, memory issues and slower reaction times.

"If you find yourself needing to sleep in for hours on end, it’s probably a sign that your regular weekday routine isn’t providing you with enough quality sleep in the first place" he adds.

Left unaddressed, this can become long term sleep deprivation. (If you suspect you're experiencing sleep deprivation, we recommend speaking to a healthcare professional.)

It will make you more tired on Monday

Sleeping in on a Sunday morning makes it harder to fall asleep on Sunday night, which means you start the week already looking forward to 'catching up' on rest the coming weekend. It's a cycle I find myself in a lot.

Dr. Burns describes the result as "groggy and sluggish mornings throughout the week."

For me, it has become a snake eating its own tail: I'm tired so I sleep in, which makes me more tired, which means I want to sleep in even more. My body clock never has a chance to regulate itself.

The sleep switch to make instead

I have to admit, I consider sleeping in at the weekends to be a treat and I'm always unwilling to get out of bed early on a Saturday or Sunday morning.

It feels like a well-earned reward after a busy week and I've long believed it's the best way to set myself up for the week ahead.

However, if oversleeping at the weekend is the reason why I spend the start of the week battling fatigue, I might be willing to make a change.

"Rather than trying to catch up on sleep over the weekend, it’s better to stick as closely as possible to your regular wake-up time and work on improving your sleep habits during the week," advises Dr. Burns.

And it's not just because sleep experts are all weirdos who enjoy early mornings.

"[Regular wake-up times] will help your body regulate your energy levels naturally, so you feel more alert and awake throughout the day rather than just stuck in a cycle of fatigue,” explains Dr. Burns.

And yes, this applies even if you enjoy a late night on Friday and Saturday. An early alarm is the best way to get your sleep back on track after a party.

What to do instead of oversleeping at the weekend

While I recognize the importance of waking up at my normal time on the weekend, it's going to take a minute to get used to this new normal. Here are some tips on how to follow the 7:1 sleep rule...

1. Take quick naps

"Let me preface this with I do love a good nap," says Lauri Leadley, Founder & President at Valley Sleep Center.

"A short nap here and there can have positive effects on your health such as improved memory and alertness, psychological, and health benefits."

This can help you overcome some of that fatigue that's plaguing your weekend, without sabotaging your body clock.

"But keep it to 20 minutes, 40, max," warns Leadley.

(There goes my plan to enjoy an two hour Saturday morning nap.)

2. Use a sunrise alarm clock

If you spend all weekend feeling groggy, it might not be the time you woke up but which sleep stage was disrupted.

We cycle through three key sleep stages throughout the night: light sleep, REM sleep and deep sleep. It's best to wake up during light sleep, when we're more alert and will typically enter the day fresher.

However, if your alarm blares you awake during deep sleep, you'll often struggle to shake off the groggy, overtired feeling of sleep inertia.

A sunrise alarm clock gently flood the room with light to induce a natural wake up, gradually rousing you from light sleep, rather than blaring you out of deep sleep.

3. Have an active morning

Saturday sleep inertia can be a compelling reason to roll over and fall back to sleep, particularly if you started the morning with a doomscroll in bed.

But if you want to shake off that fatigue, it's best to get up.

Start the day by splashing your face with cold water and taking a cup of coffee outside, where you can enjoy the energizing effect of natural daylight.

Engage in some light stretching to warm up the core and get your body moving. By the end, you should be feeling ready to take on the day.

And if none of that has helped, you can always enjoy a brief nap.

As the new year arrives, many of us are thinking of self improvement. How can we be at our best in 2026? Whether you're learning a new language or finally mastering high school algebra, there's one aspect of learning that requires a laidback approach: sleep.

“Sleep contributes directly to critical cognitive functions, such as learning and memory,” explains Dr. Rebecca Robbins, Sleep Scientist and Sleep Expert to Oura Ring.

“Sleep really is a magic elixir — if we're not getting enough sleep, we're not going to be at our best physically, emotionally or mentally,” elaborates Sam Sadighi, Certified Sleep Practitioner at Easy Sleep Solutions.

Research suggests that both REM (rapid eye movement) and NREM (non-rapid eye movement) stages in the sleep cycle are essential to memory consolidation. So if you want to ensure all those hours of cramming really stay in your brain, go to sleep.

Can sleep help you learn?

We'll keep it simple: yes, sleep can help you learn. From languages to hands-on skills to budgeting, your brain commits things to memory as you rest.

A 2024 systematic review of sleep and learning described sleep as a "fundamental factor for the consolidation, processing and functioning of memory and learning."

“Essentially, while we're asleep, our brain 'pressure washes' itself," explains Sadighi. "Without this deep clean every night, the messages within our brain don't work as effectively, meaning we're more forgetful and just not as sharp, as the messages get caught up in the debris that would have been cleared away.”

Research suggests that the non-rapid eye movement (NREM) stages of sleep are good at preparing the brain for learning, while deep sleep helps strengthen memory and rapid-eye-movement sleep (REM), the most active stage, can help with problem solving.

Sleep also improves willpower and decision making, so a good night's rest helps you stick to your goals and resolutions — you're more likely to reach for your textbook over your phone.

Sleep and creativity

Studies also suggest that there's a creative sweet spot between wakefulness and sleep, sometimes referred to as the 'hypnagogic' state. In this state, your brain is relaxed, you're only just conscious and your mind is free to explore.

So if you're struggling to ignite your creative spark (will 2026 be the year you write that novel?) it might be best to go to sleep.

Sleep and memory

“Research suggests that REM sleep in particular is associated with memory consolidation," explains Dr. Robbins. REM sleep is the most active sleep stage and we spend roughly 25% of the night experiencing REM sleep.

"One study found that participants who receive intensive training in foreign languages demonstrate an increase in next night REM sleep, and further, that learning outcomes were correlated with the percent increase in REM,” she elaborates.

“The processes underlying these observations could include replaying events learned from the day during REM sleep," says Dr. Robbins, "as some research in animals suggests." (Relatedly, REM sleep also is when most dreaming occurs.)

"Performance testing after a new task is markedly improved after sleep as compared to testing before sleep," Dr. Robbins notes.

"Therefore, it is possible that we take in new memories during the day. These memories are then rehearsed and replayed during sleep, contributing to next day sleep-dependent gains."

For anyone interested in learning and performance, Dr. Robbins suggests that sleep is "essential."

Can you learn in your sleep?

So sleep can help you retain the things you've learned and prime your brain for knowledge but can we cut out the middle man — can you learn new information as you sleep?

Unfortunately, no. Listening to the Spanish Dictionary while you snooze won't give you a whole new grasp on your donde estas. Or at least, you won’t remember it when you wake up.

However, don’t throw away your beginner’s Español tape just yet. Research suggests listening to word pairing as you sleep not only reinforces information you already know, but can introduce new words to your vocabulary.

This is thought to be linked to sleep spindles, a type of brain activity observed during NREM sleep. Researchers observed increased spindle activity when sleeping participants were presented information they'd been taught that day, resulting in better recall the following morning.

But you'll still need to do the heavy lifting yourself — you can't learn when to use "Soy" or "Estoy" as you nap.

Napping and learning

“We're more likely to remember things if we have learnt them close to bedtime, as while we are asleep we consolidate the information and form the neural pathways so that we can retrieve the information when we need it,” explains Sadighi.

However, delaying your studying until bedtime might leave you too alert to drift off. The solution? Napping.

Following a bout of intense studying with a nap (we recommend keeping your naps to 20 minutes or 90 minutes) might commit the information to memory while leaving your brain primed for more learning in the afternoon.

How to get more sleep and improve your learning

So a good night's sleep can help you learn new information, retain the information you've learned and even spark creativity. That means it's time to ditch those all night cram sessions and prioritize rest.

But is getting better sleep as simple as learning a new skill?

“Anyone interested in improving their sleep and their learning, memory, and performance, could focus on a few simple things," advises Dr. Robbins.

"First, there is no exception to the rule; we do need to spend the time sleeping. The recommended sleep duration for teenagers is 8 to 10 hours and the recommended duration for adults is 7 to 9 hours of sleep," says Dr. Robbins.

"If you are far from these goals, inch toward them by adding 15 minutes to your sleep schedule each night until you are in the recommended duration."

"Second, pick a time that you can wake up and fall asleep as many nights of the week as possible and do your best to not vary this schedule by more than 1 hour. Maintaining a consistent bedtime routine will allow you to fall asleep faster and wake up more refreshed."

"Third, make time for a relaxing bedtime ritual. Fill the 15-30 minutes before bedtime with soothing activities, such as reading a book, taking a warm shower, and doing breathing or relaxation exercises, like the 4-7-8 technique.”

Sadighi also has advice for anyone tackling a new skill at home: make space for it. She recommends using your bed for sleep only, so your brain understands that's what it's for. "Studying or worrying wants to be done elsewhere if possible.”

How a lack of sleep can prevent learning

When learning a new skill, particularly in a classroom situation, the temptation is often to prioritize taking in information ahead of anything else. See: cramming before a test.

But this might actually hinder your learning.

“When you don’t sleep enough, your ability to focus, absorb new material, and remember things later takes a hit. It’s like trying to study with a foggy brain — nothing really sticks," says Dr. Leah Kaylor, sleep expert and author of If Sleep Were a Drug.

Poor sleep can reduce your ability to learn the next day by 40% (News in Health), while irregular sleep has been linked to poor grades in high school students.

“Sleep helps strengthen the connections, which is key for long-term memory. Without it, your brain has a harder time holding onto both old and new memories,” explains Dr. Kaylor.

“Sleep deprivation doesn’t just make you tired — it can make you forgetful, slow down your thinking, and reduce how much you’re able to learn and retain.”

It’s the most wonderful time of the year but the hectic build-up to Christmas and New Year can mean we don’t get as much sleep as we’d perhaps like.

Coupled with months of busy weeks and worn out weekends, you might be ending the year with an accumulated long-term sleep debt and a feeling that you're never fully rested. When you're craving a sleep catch-up, the holiday break seems the optimum time to make up for all that lost snooze.

But will holiday naps chip away at your sleep debt? We’ve spoken with a sleep science expert and a sleep psychologist to find if you can 'catch-up' on sleep, plus how to feel energized without ruining your sleep schedule.

What is sleep debt

“Sleep debt is the gap between how much sleep you need and how much sleep you get,” explains Dr. Nicola Cann, sleep psychologist. “In the short-term, sleep debt is very common and it’s usually not a problem. Most people occasionally have a poor night of sleep, feel awful the next day, and then recover fully after a couple of nights of good sleep.”

But sleep debt becomes a problem when it evolves into a chronic issue. “If you’re regularly not getting enough sleep on week nights and trying to catch up at weekends,” Dr. Cann adds, “these disruptions to regular sleep times can prevent the body from returning to its normal rhythm, allowing sleep debt to potentially accumulate across weeks or months.”

The consequences of this long-term sleep deprivation can include mood swings, stress, a weakened immune system and trouble concentrating.

Can you really catch up on lost sleep?

We asked two experts if it's possible to catch up on missed sleep and they were divided, although both agreed that a few lazy mornings will have little impact on long-term sleep deprivation.

“While it is possible to partially repay sleep debt with extra sleep, especially after short-term deprivation, full recovery from chronic or severe sleep debt is rare,” explains Dr. Michael Breus, sleep science expert and clinical psychologist.

However, Dr. Cann believes lost sleep simply cannot be repaid in a meaningful way. “We don’t get the same benefits from catch up sleep as we do from regular sleep," she says. "This is because our brains behave differently when we’re sleep deprived.”

During a night of good sleep, we move through different sleep stages. This promotes optimal functioning, recovery and health.

But when we try to catch up on sleep, Dr. Cann explains, our brains prioritize the sleep stages we've missed. She describes this as the "rebound effect."

"These unpredictable patterns of sleep stages are not good news for our sleep quality and overall sleep health,” says Dr. Cann.

The issue with catching up on lost sleep

While catching up on missed snooze by oversleeping sounds like a good idea in theory, in reality, sleeping for longer can cause more issues than it solves.

“When you shift your sleep schedule, you disrupt your circadian rhythm and your sleep drive, and this affects your entire sleep-wake cycle,” Dr. Cann explains. “This can lead to more difficulty falling asleep, more nighttime awakenings, and ongoing sleep problems rather than resolution.”

Even an early night, often thought of as a healthy sleep habit, can actually lead to more disruption is its impacts your sleep schedule.

In addition, she explains that trying hard to catch up on sleep can increase the pressure we put on ourselves to sleep better. “And this increased pressure to sleep rarely leads to a good night’s rest.”

Dr. Breus agrees and adds: “Using weekends or holidays to catch up often leads to irregular sleep schedules, which can disrupt your body’s circadian rhythms and worsen sleep quality over time.”

This phenomenon is often known as social jet lag; when your weekend sleep schedule and your weekday sleep schedule might as well be in different time zones. The result is groggy sleep inertia, similar to traveling around the world.

Four alternatives to catching up on lost sleep

These expert recommended alternatives can help you regain some energy when you’re feeling sleep deprived, and best of all, they’re likely to be much more effective than squeezing in sleep catch-up sessions.

Avoid accumulating sleep debt

The best alternative to 'catching up' on sleep is to avoid sleep debt in the first place, says Dr. Cann.

“Consistently getting enough sleep throughout the year, and sleeping at regular times, will keep your sleep schedule aligned with your circadian rhythm,” she says.

“This will help you to fall asleep and wake up more easily all year round. Plus, you’re not going to spend your holidays feeling tired and focusing on sleeping more when you should be having fun.”

Daytime naps

“Napping is useful for those times when you know sleep debt is unavoidable,” says Dr. Cann. Daytime naps can help you to feel less tired, more alert and lift your mood.

However, she advises following some rules: “The key is to keep your naps short (ideally under 30 minutes), and early in the day (before 3pm) so that they don’t interfere with nighttime sleep.”

Keep to regular sleep and wake times

Sticking to a regular sleep schedule might not give you an immediate boost but it will help you feel more rested on an ongoing basic.

“I would say that maintaining a consistent sleep routine is the best strategy for optimal cognitive, metabolic and emotional wellbeing,” says Dr. Breus.

That means going to sleep and waking up around a similar time, even on weekends and holidays.

Try banking sleep instead

When you know your sleep is going to be impaired — due to travel or a stressful event, for example — you can occasionally bank your sleep. This is when you get some extra shut eye to prepare for a period of sleep loss.

“A sensible alternative to catch up sleep is banking sleep,” says Dr. Cann. “This involves getting more sleep ahead of a time when you know your sleep will be restricted. That way you can still get enough sleep without experiencing sleep deprivation and all of the negative effects that come with it.”

But it’s essential that this doesn’t become something you rely on. Regularly 'sleep banking' will quickly disrupt your body clock, potentially leading to missed sleep in the future, starting the cycle all over again.

Many hours of data analysis later, we've just launched our brand new mattress testing methodology here on the Tom's Guide Sleep Team, and retested every inch of our five best mattresses of the year.

Part of this methodology is our refined temperature tests which we use to assess whether promised cooling mattresses can actually help you keep cool at night.

Our new thermal imaging camera test has allowed us to capture much more accurate temperature data, meaning we've reviewed and updated our best cooling mattress guide.

After careful consideration of data and mattress constructions, we've noticed one feature that most of the best performing cooling beds have in common: a hybrid build.

What is a hybrid mattress?

The meeting point between traditional innerspring mattresses and all-foam mattresses, a hybrid mattress combines layers of memory foam with a coil lattice to offer the best of both worlds: cushioning from foams and sturdy support from coils.

In our testing we’ve found the main benefits of a hybrid mattress construction to be increased breathability, responsive sleep surface, robust support and durability. You can find the top of the crop in our best hybrid mattress guide.

Ways a hybrid mattress helps you keep cool

So, we know what a hybrid mattress is and that they tend to stay cool through the night, but how do they achieve this climate control? Let's dig in...

1. More air flows through coils

There are many different types of mattress coils but most of the best quality hybrids are built with pocketed coils. This means the cylindrical metal springs are individually wrapped in fabric and then glued or sewn together to form a layer.

What does this have to do with temperature, you ask? Well, since there are small crevices between the individually-encased coils, air is able to circulate through the centre of the bed; whereas it would get trapped in dense foams.

More free flowing air means heat doesn’t get trapped in the mattress, which equals a cooler sleep surface and better temperature regulation.

Out of the top five mattresses we've tested under our new methodology, two were memory foam: the Nectar Premier mattress and the Siena Signature mattress.

In our temperature tests, these two beds increased by 8.1°F and 9.8°F respectively when we lay on the bed. By comparison, the hybrid Saatva Classic only increased by 6.3°F and the hybrid DreamCloud Classic rose by 7.3°F over the course of 15 minutes.

2. Double the cooling

In the premium hybrid beds we’ve tested, airy coil layers are paired with specialist cooling foams and materials like phase change material (PCM), copper and GlacioTex (more on these below), which means extra cooling power alongside breathable coils.

However, foam beds would need more specialist (read, expensive) cooling technology to combat the heat-trapping nature of foams.

The foam Nectar Premier showed a much slower cooling rate than the hybrid mattresses in our temperature tests. It shed 0.9°F per minute after our tester left the bed. For comparison, the Bear Elite Hybrid — rated as the best cooling mattress of the year — doubled this, throwing out an average 1.82°F degrees per minute.

3. Smaller layers of foam

Foam can trap heat, especially thick layers of it. Dense foam layers absorb and retain body heat, limiting airflow and preventing heat from escaping throughout the night.

However, in a hybrid mattress there tends to be thinner layers of foam and less foam incorporated throughout the bed overall (it makes up part of the mattress rather than the full thing).

By reducing the amount of foam, there’s more room for air circulation within the mattress, which allows heat to dissipate more easily. This design also makes it possible to include more breathable materials — think coils, latex and specialized cooling fabrics — that help regulate temperature. As a result, mattresses with less foam typically feel cooler and more comfortable for hot sleepers.

What to look for in a cooling hybrid mattress

Phase change material

Phase Change Materials (PCM) is a substance that can adsorb and release heat as it changes state from a solid to a liquid state.

When sewn into the top layer of mattresses, it absorbs excess body heat when you get warm during the night, holds it, and then releases back to your body when you cool down.

This active heat regulation makes sure you remain at an optimal temperature for sleeping through the night so you can catch undisturbed ZZZs.

PCM is a popular specialist cooling material used in many top-rated cooling beds including the Bear Elite Hybrid and Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Luxe Hybrid mattress.

GlacioTex cover

A GlacioTex mattress cover can provide a cool-to-the-touch sleep surface. It is made with a blend of polyester, polyethylene and fibers with high thermal conductivity.

These fibers can quickly draw excess heat away from the body and dissipate it through the mattress surface.

The Brooklyn Bedding CopperFlex Pro Hybrid mattress features a GlacioTex cover that is noticeably cool when you lay on it.

Copper or graphite infused foam

Copper and graphite foams have metal filaments infused into them to improve temperature regulation.

These foams utilise the high thermal conductivity of copper and graphite to draw heat away from your sleeping body, and disperse it out of the mattress to prevent heat spots forming. This helps keep your body temperature neutral so you can sleep peacefully.

Welcome to our brand-new mattress methodology. Here you’ll find everything you need to know about how we test and score mattresses at Tom's Guide.

Our methodology is anchored by seven robust tests designed to capture objective, verifiable lab data on the four most critical performance areas of a mattress: pressure relief, temperature regulation, motion isolation and edge support.

We class them as of critical importance because together they have the biggest impact on your sleep comfort.

We've also devised a new series of surveys to get granular subjective feedback from our panel of expert testers on each mattress they review. This feedback is vital because it tells us what the data can't – what each mattress actually feels like to sleep on in real-life.

In addition, we've devised a new scoring rubric to assess value for money on multiple levels, because getting a good mattress at a good price is important to all of us.

Once all of that information is recorded, verified and analyzed, we use it to score each mattress out of 5. Those overall scores inform our product rankings and our recommendations for the best mattresses to buy in 2025.

Here's an in-depth look at our full mattress testing process...

How we rate the firmness of a mattress

Mattress firmness is typically measured on a scale from 1 (softest) to 10 (firmest). However, there isn't a universally accepted measurement for firmness, and a firm mattress from one manufacturer won't necessarily feel the same as a firm mattress from another.

We use our own 10-point scale to measure firmness, and we compare our findings to the manufacturer's classification to give you a better indication of how firm you may find a mattress.

How we test pressure relief

A mattress with good pressure relief distributes your weight evenly and contours your body to prevent pressure points from forming. It's one of the crowning features of the Saatva Classic (see our Saatva Classic mattress review for the test results), the top-rated option in our best hybrid mattress guide.

Pressure relief is directly tied to how comfortable you'll feel when sleeping on a mattress, and the amount of pressure relief you'll feel depends on your body weight, sleeping position, and the type of mattress you're lying on.

Spinal support is the other vital part of pressure relief – a mattress that keeps your spine aligned when you're lying down is crucial for preventing tension in your lower back. That's why our new pressure relief tests include spinal alignment analysis.

Weighted indentation and recovery test

Taking place in our sleep lab, this controlled test shows how a much a mattress sinks when a concentrated weight is placed on top of it, and how quickly it returns to its original height after the weight is removed. This test helps us record two key metrics:

Indentation depth: We place a 25kg weight (a third of the average adult body weight in America) in the area where a sleeper’s shoulders would usually go and record how far the mattress sinks (in inches) underneath the weight after 5 minutes — this is the Indentation Depth (ID).

Minimal sinkage means the mattress might push back too much against your body, leading to pressure points. Too much sinkage, where you keep sinking through the mattress without meeting any support layers, will cause misalignment of your spine and cause sore points.

Recovery time: We remove the weight after five minutes to calculate the Recovery Time (RT). This is how long it takes in seconds for the mattress to bounce back to its original height.

The faster the recovery, the more responsive the mattress, and the easier it is to move around on. A slow recovery time isn't necessarily bad, but it does indicate that you might feel more 'stuck' in the mattress when changing position.

Spinal alignment assessment

What you might find super soft and cozy, someone else might find unsupportive and painful. For example, the best mattresses for heavy people have much firmer support than an average mattress and would likely lack the pressure relief needed for light weight sleepers.

When testing mattresses for pressure relief, we use a diverse testing panel made up of experts with varying body types and sleep preferences, including side, back and stomach sleepers.

Each tester lies on the mattress for 10 minutes in every sleeping position (spending 10 minutes on their side, 10 minutes on their back, and so on), so that we can perform the following two tests:

Spinal alignment analysis: With Tester A lying on the mattress, Tester B then uses a laser level and tripod to observe the lying tester's spine as they lie in each sleeping position.

We can then more easily see if the mattress is keeping Tester A's spine in a neutral, straight line or if it is causing hamocking (sinking too deep) or bowing (arching unnaturally).

After 10 minutes, if the line is slanted, showing a curvature, this could indicate inadequate support.

Pressure relief subjective feedback

After lying in each position for 10 minutes, Tester A fills out a standardized survey answering key questions about their experience of pressure relief on the mattress.

This includes answering questions about excess strain, and any felt pressure points or pain. We then ask them to award the mattress a score for how well it relieved any felt pressure.

Tester A and Tester B then switch roles, before we move onto the next pair of testers in our expert panel.

Combining both the subjective and objective score, we’re then able to award the mattress an overall score out of 5 for pressure relief.

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How we test motion isolation

Motion isolation refers to how much movement travels across a mattress and how much motion is absorbed by the bed. The best memory foam mattresses we've tested excel at motion isolation because memory foam (originally developed by NASA) quickly absorbs high levels of impact and residual motion transfer.

Hybrid, late and traditional innerspring mattresses usually have higher levels of motion transfer because they are bouncier, springier beds by design. The upside is that these mattresses are much easier to move around, and are therefore better for sex.

The downside is that because they allow more motion to transfer from one side of the bed to the other, you will be more disturbed by your partner's movements on a hybrid, latex or innerspring mattress compared to a memory foam bed. However, some hybrid mattresses, like the Saatva Classic, are very good at motion isolation.

Motion isolation is an essential consideration, especially if you’re trying to find the best mattress for couples — it can be the difference between great sleep quality and a restless night full of disturbances.

The Siena Signature mattress has the most impressive motion isolation we’ve tested yet, withe mattress earning an impressive 4.5 out of 5.

These are the motion isolation tests we perform in our Sleep Product Testing Lab...

Slam ball and accelerometer test

While subjective feedback from our testing panel is an essential component of determining how well a mattress isolates motion, we've also devised an objective test to accurately compare the performance of mattresses we test.

To do this, we place a scientific accelerometer on one side of the mattress and drop a 5kg slam ball onto the other side.

We then record two key measurements:

Initial Impact Absorption (IIA): This records the maximum acceleration of the mattress caused by the dropped ball (measured in m/s²). A lower spike means the mattress absorbed more motion instantly. A higher spike means less motion was absorbed.

Motion Dampening Speed (MDS): This measures the time (in seconds) it takes for the movement of the mattress to return to a stable, near-zero level. A shorter MDS means the mattress quickly deadens residual bounce. A longer MDS means residual motion is transferred for longer.

We then use this data to award an objective score for motion isolation. A higher IIA and MDS means that the mattress will isolate motion less effectively. So you might have a more disturbed night's sleep on this type of bed if you co-sleep with a restless partner, child or pet.

It doesn’t always lead to nighttime disturbances, however. Even though the DreamCloud Classic review found the mattress to transfer a lot of motion, it didn’t disturb our lead tester’s sleep.

Motion isolation co-sleeper test

In this part of our motion isolation test we ditch the 5kg slam ball and bring in our expert panel of mattress testers, as well as incorporating real-life feedback from the 3-week home testing period.

In our sleep lab, two testers lie on the mattress and manually perform movements classed as low, moderate and high force to replicate real-life scenarios.

For example, low force might be adjusting an arm or leg, while high force would be getting in and out of bed in a rush.

During this, the non-moving tester provides feedback on how much movement they can feel and how much they think it would disturb their rest.

The two testers then swap roles, repeating the test and at the end, fill out a survey about their experiences, scoring their perception of the mattress’ motion isolation.

In general, we expect even the best hybrid mattresses to perform slightly worse than memory foam beds, simply because of their construction — coils are much more responsive than foams.

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How we test temperature regulation

Sleeping hot can be the result of a range of causes, both environmental and physical, and overheating often leads to disrupted sleep.

A mattress with good temperature regulation prevents heat build-up and dispels excess warmth to retain a neutral, or even cool, sleep environment.

The best cooling mattresses will offer active or passive cooling (or both), to ensure hot flashes, night sweats and warm summers don't ruin your sleep.

Heat absorption and dissipation test

Before the test takes place, we use a thermal imaging camera to record the temperature at six key points on the mattress: each of the four corners, the geometric center of the mattress and the geometric center of the tester's body (the hotspot.)

We also maintain a room temperature of approximately 66°F (the ideal temperature for sleeping) and measure the temperature and humidity throughout the testing period.

The objective thermal imaging test is divided into two parts, over the course of a 30 minute testing period.

The initial testing phase measures how much heat the mattress absorbs when a person is on the bed. Our tester rests on the right side of the mattress for 15 minutes and, using the thermal camera, we measure the temperature at the six data points every minute.

This section measures the passive cooling; how well the mattress prevents heat build-up. The key metric is the MTI or Maximum Temperature Increase — the peak temperature the bed reaches.

Breathable mattresses are typically good in this area and prevent heat building up. During our Saatva Classic Mattress review, we were impressed with how this innerspring hybrid used multiple coil layers to ensure consistent air flow and an even feel.

The secondary phase measures how quickly the mattress sheds (dissipates) heat once our tester has left the bed. We use our thermal camera to record the temperature at the data points once a minute, for 15 minutes.

This provides a Cooling Rate (CR), demonstrating how much heat the mattress offloads per minute. Mattresses with integrated cooling tech (such as PCM) often have quicker cooling rates, ensuring even a large heat build-up is quickly dissipated — we observed this during our Bear Elite Hybrid Mattress review.

Active cooling tends to be the realm of smart mattresses with integrated cooling materials. Nowadays, the best luxury mattresses are often infused with cooling upgrades such as PCM, GlacioTex, or graphite bands.

Passive cooling often results from a mattress with good airflow. The best passive cooling we've tested so far comes from the Saatva Classic mattress, which earned a 4.5 out of 5 score in our temperature regulation tests. This is typically found in hybrids, and tends to be a weak point of low-cost beds.

Temperature regulation subjective feedback

During our at-home testing period our reviewer keeps detailed notes on the mattresses thermal performance. This includes how it feels when first climbing into bed, any heat-related sleep disruption, and the mattress temperature in the morning.

We also note important external factors, including the temperature in the room, the bedding used and any lifestyle changes that might impact your body temperature.

In addition to our lead tester, a series of secondary testers with different body types and sleep needs will use the bed for at least 15 minutes and provide details on their thermal experience.

Our subjective and objective tests are assessed in our scoring rubric to create an overall score out of 5. This helps us understand the temperature regulation for both chronic hot sleepers and those who experience sporadic warm nights.

A mattress with poor temperature regulation will allow heat to build, resulting in sweaty mornings or disrupted sleep.

Average to good temperature regulation means while your bed might not feel cool, it should rarely get hot. However, you might find on some occasions (heat waves, during illness, after a late meal, etc.) that your bed gets warm.

The mattresses that ace our temperature regulation should remain cool under most circumstances.

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How we test edge support

A supportive edge maximizes the sleep surface of a mattress, giving couples space to get comfortable. Good edge support is also necessary to sit securely on the side of the mattress and it offers a stable base to press against when getting in and out of bed.

It also means you can sleep close to the side without worrying you'll roll off (the best mattresses for side sleepers will have strong edges, allowing for the starfishing that often occurs in this position.)

Body type and mobility level can impact how you experience edge support, which is why we combine our subjective testing with objective measurements.

Weighted edge support test

We take a two-pronged approach to objective edge support testing, measuring support when sitting and lying on the mattress.

Sinkage: We place a 25kg weight in a standardized spot on one side of the mattress at a time, measuring 3" from the edge. Using a laser pen aimed at the surface of the mattress, we then measure the total sinkage of the weight into the bed after five minutes.

We then remove the weight and time the recovery; how long it takes for the materials to bounce-back. We repeat this test at the foot of the bed.

25kg is roughly equal to one-third the weight of the average American (84kg) and this concentrated pressure simulates a person sitting on the edge of a mattress.

A mattress with good edge support will typically show comparable sinkage at the perimeter of the mattress to the center, indicating you can sit anywhere on the bed.

We also shouldn't struggle to balance the weight — while the soft foams of the Zinus do have their benefits in terms of pressure relief, the trade off was the weight often slid off the side during our Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam Mattress review.

Effective sleeping area test

The big roll-off: To begin, we measure the width of our tester's hips. The tester then lies on the right hand side of the mattress, with their outer hip 12 inches from the edge. The tester moves gradually closer to the edge of the mattress, pausing between each movement.

When the tester feels they are no longer comfortably supported, they alert a secondary tester, who measures the distance from the left edge of the bed to the inner hip. This is used to find the effective sleep surface.

Lying on the edge of a mattress results in a wider weight distribution, which is why we use the secondary roll-off test to understand sleeping support.

Some mattress excel in one area of edge support over the other. For example, the Nectar Premier Memory Foam Mattress has dense foams to keep you supported when lying on the side but the softer comfort layers make sitting on the edge less secure.

These two objective tests are scored using our testing rubric and combined to create an overall objective view of edge support in a mattress.

Subjective edge support feedback

Using the mattress at home offers long-term insight into how edge support performs. During the review phase, our tester will naturally sit, lie and push against the side of the mattress.

In addition to our lead tester, we ask a review panel consisting of people from different weight brackets and with different mobility requirements to test out the edge support and complete feedback surveys.

The best firm mattresses typically excel at edge support and it's an area where hybrid mattresses tend to perform better than all-foam.

However, edge support is crucial to ensuring comfort when lying on a bed, which is why we expect passable edge support from all the beds in our guide to the best mattresses in a box.

Passable edge support means that while you can sit and lie close to edge without feeling like you'll fall, you might not feel comfortable in this position for an extended period of time.

The mattresses that excel here often have either a very firm build (such as the Plank Firm) or additional side support features (like the foam railings of the Saatva Classic.)

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How we assess value for money

Our scoring rubric for value for money takes a specific set of criteria into account. This starts with the build quality (handcrafted versus machine-assembled) and finish, and the quality of the materials used to make it.

The mattresses that score well here are handmade, finished to an excellent standard, and are packed with premium natural and organic materials. Some or all of these materials will have special certifications such as GOTS. There will be little to no off-gassing either.

Mattresses that score low here are machine assembled, lack even basic certifications such as certiPUR-US foam, have a pungent off-gassing smell, and poor build quality.

Expert analysis of the build quality, materials and construction of the mattress also give us a thorough indication of durability and longevity. In other words, how long we expect this mattress to last – a crucial consideration when assessing longterm value for money.

We also consider the price of the mattress versus its performance in our testing, how that price of the mattress compares to rivals, and whether it's regularly discounted or always sold at full price.

The last component of our value for money scoring rubric is benefits: the sleep trial, type and length of warranty, and the type of shipping the mattress comes with. Mattresses with generous sleep trials of 100 nights or more, 15+ year warranties, and free shipping to your door score well here.

The best are those mattresses that come with a year's trial, so you can test the bed at home through every season, a lifetime warranty, and free White Glove Delivery (free installation of your new mattress and removal of your old bed).

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How we score mattresses

A new methodology calls for a new mattress scoring system. We’ve devised all-new scoring rubrics for pressure relief, temperature regulation, motion isolation, edge support, and value for money.

Every mattress we test under our new methodology is scored out of 5 in each of these areas, so the maximum score a mattress can earn is 25 out of 25.

So far, only one mattress has come close to a perfect score and that’s the Saatva Classic with a score of 24 out of 25.

When then convert that score out of 25 into an overall star rating as follows:

How a mattress performs in our tests, and how we score the mattress, has a huge impact on our overall mattress rankings.

Only the top-performing options are selected for our various buyer’s guides, with the absolute cream of the crop ranked in our main best mattress guide.

Tencel has quickly become a buzzworld in the mattress world — and for good reason. But what is it exactly and what are its benefits?

Known for its cool-to-touch feel and eco-friendly origins, Tencel fabric is showing up in some of the best cooling mattresses we’ve tested this year. As mattress brands continue to experiment with new methods of ensuring that you can sleep comfortably cool, Tencel stands out as a natural way to banish hot sweaty nights.

If you’re someone prone to overheat during sleep, a mattress or bedding set featuring Tencel can make all the difference. To help you make a more informed buying decision, this explainer will look into the science behind cooling Tencel while also listing some alternatives for you to consider. Let’s start with the basics...

What is Tencel fabric?

First things first, Tencel is actually a brand name. It comes in two main fiber-forms: Tencel Lyocell and Tencel Modal. While both fibers are ethically made from wood cellulose, they serve slightly different purposes.

Tencel Modal fibers are stretchy and soft, making them ideal for clothing such as activewear, loungewear and even wound dressings. Tencel Lyocell fibers, on the other hand, offer greater strength, softness and breathability — qualities that are ideal when it comes to manufacturing mattresses and bedding.

Tencel (or lyocell when not using the brand name) is a essentially a semi-synthetic fabric derived from wood pulp — usually eucalyptus, oak, birch or bamboo.

This means that while it is made from natural raw materials, it still requires some human intervention to turn it into its final form.

Manufacturers use a chemical process to dissolve wood pulp, extract the cellulose, spin it into fibers and finally weave it into the soft silky threads that go into our bedding and mattresses.

How does Tencel fabric keep you cool?

Tencel is primarily known for its natural ability to keep sleepers cool and dry throughout the night, thanks to its breathability and moisture-wicking properties.

The fibers are highly absorbent, drawing sweat away from your skin and dispersing it across the fabric. This helps prevent that sticky, overheated feeling that often disrupts sleep.

Thanks to its open-fiber structure, Tencel promotes better airflow — meaning it does not trap body heat like some synthetic fabrics do. The result is a cool-to-the-touch sleep surface, at a comfortable temperature to doze off.

This is really important since maintaining the right temperature is a crucial part of your sleep hygiene, which regulates your circadian rhythm — the body's internal clock. And this simply translates to better sleep quality.

What are the other benefits of Tencel?

Beyond its cooling benefits, Tencel is often praised for being sustainably sourced, super soft and durable which is why many mattress and bedding manufacturers favor it.

As an eco-friendly material made from wood pulp, it's a natural fit for the best organic mattresses, to enhance breathability and coolness.

Tencel is most often woven in a luxurious sateen weave, giving mattresses a smooth silky finish that looks as premium as it feels. This elegant finish, comparable to silk, is also why you'll often find it in the best luxury mattresses in the market.

What's more, in addition to having a premium look and feel, Tencel is also hypoallergenic. This means it can repel bacteria, dust mites, skin cells and bed bugs which can build up in your mattress when you sleep on it night after night without thorough deep cleaning.

Tencel mattresses and bedding products are less susceptible to allergens, making them ideal for people with sensitive skin, allergies and respiratory issues such as asthma.

A good example is the hypollergenic Sijo Airyweight Eucalyptus Mattress Protector, one of the picks in our best mattress protectors guide. It's made using lightweight and breathable Tencel Lyocell fibers derived, as the name suggests, from eucalyptus trees.

According to the brand, the breathable waterproof protector is also asthma and allergy certified, staying true to the hypoallergenic nature of Tencel fabric.

What mattresses and bedding use Tencel?

Some of the best mattresses and bedding we've slept on this year from top brands including Saatva and Helix feature Tencel. These include...

• Helix Midnight Luxe mattress
• Leesa Original mattress 
• Sijo AiryWeight Eucalyptus Mattress Protector
• Zinus Tencel waterproof mattress protector at Zinus
• REST Evercool Cooling Comforter at Amazon

Tencel alternatives to consider

Tencel is one of many cooling materials in the mattress and bedding arena. Here are popular alternatives used by manufacturers to bring sleepers cooling relief...

Wool

Wool is one of the most underrated materials you'll find in a mattress — and a solid alternative to Tencel. It is also naturally breathable, hypoallergenic and free from harmful chemicals.

Its naturally wavy fibers allow air to circulate freely, helping to wick away heat and moisture for a cooler, fresher night's sleep.

A good example is the Birch Natural Mattress which has a temperature-regulating wool layer— a boon for hot sleepers who prefer a more organic bed composition.

Phase change materials

Phase change material (PCM) is a substance that can absorb and release heat as it changes state from a solid to a liquid state.

In mattresses it acts like a heat reservoir. It absorbs excess body heat when you get warm during the night, holds it, and then releases it back to your body when you cool down.

You can usually find PCM fabric incorporated into the comfort layer or the top cover of mattresses, providing a cool-to-the-touch feel while actively enhancing the temperature regulation, more so than organic materials.

Copper and graphite

Copper and graphite are metals with high thermal conductivity, which means they are good at dispersing heat.

Copper and graphite ribbons are often woven into dense mattress foams to combat their tendency to trap heat, something that happens with even the best memory foam mattresses. The metals draw heat away from the body and out of the mattress surface.

Bamboo

Bamboo is increasingly becoming a more popular choice in crafting bedding including luscious sheets, breathable cooling covers in pillows like our top recommendation in the guide, the Coop Original Adjustable and more.

It is smooth and silky soft, cool-to-the-touch, hypoallergenic and great for anyone who prefers low-maintenance lightweight bedding.

Organic cotton

This classic organic fiber is still in a popular go-to material that you'll find in many mattresses, pillows, comforters and weighted blankets.

It is regarded as the one fabric which can be used all-year round, thanks to its excellent breathability, moisture-wicking properties and durability.

In fact, the Coop Sleep Goods Percale Cotton sheet set review reports how it earned a whopping 5 out of 5 for temperature regulation. Our tester was also impressed by how it became softer with each wash, signaling that it's made to last a long time.

Tom's Guide reviews and buying guides are rooted in rigorous review processes and our bedsheet recommendations are no exception. Just like our guide to the best mattresses for all sleepers, this involves a combination of both subjective and objective testing.

First, we select the most popular bed sheets on the market based on extensive research, hand picking offerings from leading bedding brands such as Coop Sleep Goods and Brooklinen, ensuring our selection spans all budgets and sleep needs.

Our team of bedding and sleep experts then put the bed sheets to test with one goal in mind: to find bedding sets that feel as good as they look on the bed. We do this by carefully assessing factors such as fit, feel and durability, as well as the temperature regulation of the material and ease of maintenance.

Here's a closer look at our bed sheet testing methodology:

Our approach to testing bed sheets

Our testing process begins by measuring the dimensions of the sheet to see if it matches the brand specifications. We always advise against using bedding without washing them first. Once this is done, we re-measure the sheets and check for any shrinkage.

It's only once these two crucial steps are complete that we get into the actual hands-on use — sleeping on the sheets for a week, paying attention to the comfort, feel and breathability. Going by the fact that we should change our bed sheets every one to two weeks, sleeping on a sheet set for a week also gives us the time to wash it twice (before and after 7 days) to check for any wear and tear, color fading or pilling.

Finally, we weigh the overall experience and ease of maintenance to assess the value for money. Each parameter is scored on scale from 1-5, with 5 being the highest rating.

How we collect bed sheet testing data

• In-house bed sheet testing
• User reviews across retailer websites
• Bedding manufacturers

Let's take a closer look at each parameter:

Bed sheet performance rating

We use a score system of 1-5 to evaluate bed sheet performance:

1: Poor
2: Unsatisfactory
3: Satisfactory
4: Good
5: Outstanding

The final score awarded to a bed sheet set is calculated by finding the mean score across the following areas of performance:

1. How they feel

Look is subjective but comfort is universal. How it feels is a primary factor which helps us determine the quality of a bedsheet.

Depending on the type of fabric and thread count (the sum of horizontal and vertical threads in one square inch of fabric) we check if the quality matches the claims made by the brand.

We sleep on it for 7 days which helps us understand how soft they feel against our skin, note any changes after the first wash and over time during the testing period.

2. How they fit

Based on the size opted for, we check if the sheet set correctly fits our bed without having too much fabric left to be tucked in or being too short for the mattress.

Our tester tries changing sleeping positions to check if it stays securely in place or if it bunches up or slips off easily during the night. A very slippery bedsheet will shift too much beneath you which can feel uncomfortable when trying to sleep.

3. Temperature regulation

Top quality bedsheets are often made from plant-derived fibers like cotton and hemp, which are known for their breathability and moisture-wicking properties. On the other hand, those crafted using synthetic materials can lead to overheating and sweating, a recipe for sleep disaster.

We assess the temperature regulation of a bed sheet based on user experience. This is subjective and also dependent on other factors like room temperature, season and the type of mattress.

Our tester report if they experience any discomfort, overheating or nightsweats during the 7-day testing period, as well as noting the season, temperature of the bedroom and any other lifestyle factors that could elevate their temperature at night.

4. Durability

We wash the bed sheets twice, as per the manufacturers specifications: once before and once after our one-week testing period. This helps us determine any shrinkage or size changes, color fading or pilling.

We also do a tug test by gently pulling at the seams to asses the stitching strength. We check for any noticeable thinning or wear and tear after the wash cycles. A cheap bedsheet with a low thread count can thin out fast, which means having to replace them frequently.

5. Ease of care

We also score a bed sheet set for how easy it is to care for. If a bed sheet set looks and feels great on the bed but requires specialist cleaning, we'll tell you. In this section, we examining care labels; how hot can you wash your bed sheets at, are they tumble dryer friendly and how wrinkled are they post wash and dry?

A bed sheet set will get a full score of 5 out 5 stars for being machine-washable on a cool cycle with a normal mild detergent, tumble dryer friendly and relatively wrinkle-free for low maintenance care. We also remeasure the sheets post wash and dry to assess for any shrinkage.

It's true, we're a generation of poor sleepers. Research shows 57% of Americans say they would feel better if they got more sleep and, unsurprisingly, many people are turning to tech to find solutions to their sleep challenges.

Among the gadgets and gizmos promising to help a world of poor sleepers, there are top-rated sunrise alarm clocks, bougie smart beds and, what we're here to discuss, sleep earbuds.

Sleek and discreet, the best sleep earbuds sit comfortably in your ears overnight, blocking out ambient sound and replacing it with soothing audio tracks. Who said lullabies are just for kids?

With some models costing upwards of $200, you're probably wondering whether sleep earbuds are a worthwhile investment. Can they really help you sleep that well? The short answer is yes, and we'll delve into why below...

What are sleep earbuds?

Sleep earbuds are small, wireless earbuds designed specifically for use during sleep. They typically have the following features: exceptional comfort, noise cancellation and low volume.

Made with soft silicone or memory foam to prevent irritation while sleeping, these earbuds are specially designed to nestle flush in your ears overnight. This means they'll be comfortable whether you sleep on your side, back or front.

Many come with built-in sleep-friendly audio so you can use them phone-free, though you can usually connect them via Bluetooth too.

Some, like the Ozlo Sleepbuds, even come with biometric sensors that detect user movement and respiration to determine when you've fallen asleep. Plus they have a personal alarm feature that wakes you up gently without disrupting your partner.

3 ways sleep earbuds can help you fall asleep fast

From calming your mind to blocking out noise, there are several ways sleep earbuds can help you fall asleep fast and stay asleep through the night…

1. They mask disrupting noise

Whether you're struggling to sleep next to a snoring partner, living on a busy street or trying to sleep on planes or trains, a trusty pair of sleep earbuds can mean the difference between you drifting off peacefully or spending hours tossing and turning.

Through passive noise isolation and active noise cancellation, sleep earbuds are built to block out ambient noise and replace it with calming sleep sounds.

A quieter environment helps your brain stay in deep sleep, which is a more restorative stage of sleep. Even brief noises during the night can interrupt your sleep cycles or cause micro-awakenings that you may not remember but which have a negative impact on your overall sleep quality.

2. They play soothing audio

While non-digital sleep earbuds like the silicone Loop Quiet 2 Earplugs can successfully block out noise, tech-enhanced sleep earbuds will do that while also playing sleep-enhancing audio.

Many specialized sleep earbuds have built-in sounds like white noise, nature sounds, or AI-adapted soundscapes, which play directly from the earbuds without needing a phone. But you can link them to your phone via Bluetooth too to play a sleep playlist of your choice. Binaural beats, anyone?

Research shows 38% of Americans can’t sleep in silence. Hence, specialized sleep earbuds can help many sleepers drift off peacefully. They are especially useful if you share a bed and you and your partner have different nighttime noise preferences, or when you're trying to sleep on long flights.

3. They encourage a wind-down routine

Establishing a consistent nighttime routine trains your body to recognize sleep cues. In turn, it will know it is time to wind down for bed and produce sleepy hormones.

Your bedtime routine can include calming activities like stretching or reading, or simply slipping in some earbuds and playing calming music.

If you're particularly anxious or stressed, you could play meditations, breathing exercises or bedtime stories to quell racing thoughts.

The point is, if you consistently use sleep earbuds at bedtime, your body will associate the sounds and feeling with rest and you'll hopefully find it easier to fall asleep fast.

How much do sleep earbuds cost?

Like most sleep tech, sleep earbuds come at different price points. There are affordable options as well as more premium models, with features that reflect the cost. Budget sleep earbuds can be found on Amazon for around $30. These typically include basic built-in speakers and Bluetooth connectivity, but will have reduced sound quality and comfort compared to more splashy models.

On the higher end, you can find premium sleep earbuds priced around $200 to $350. These often include features like active noise cancellation, long battery life and in some cases, sleep tracking through connected apps.

3 of the best sleep earbuds to shop today

Missed out on your precious eight hours of sleep? Put down the coffee and pick up your workout bag — creatine supplements might be the best way to beat fatigue, research suggests.

Creatine is a compound that occurs naturally in the body and assists the muscles with the production of energy.

It can also be found in certain protein-rich food, while creatine supplements are popular with athletes.

But recent online chatter has praised creatine for its supposed ability to undo 21 hours of sleep deprivation. And scientists suggest it's not as far-fetched a claim as it might first appear.

What is the impact of creatine on fatigue?

Creatine studies often focus on the long-term influence of the supplement but recent research has shone a light on the immediate impact of taking a high dose of creatine.

In a 2024 study, sleep deprived participants were offered a single high dose (35g) of creatine or a placebo. During the course of the following night, they engaged in cognitive tests to measure performance, alongside MRI scans to understand chemical response.

Those who had taken creatine showed improved cognitive performance and processing speed, with scans suggesting creatine could help maintain chemical levels in the brain. These benefits were observed for nine hours, peaking at four hours after creatine consumption.

Doctors suggest that taking a single high dose of creatine can potentially reverse the influence of fatigue, allowing you to maintain cognitive performance even after a bad night's sleep.

And there's growing interest in the short-term benefits of creatine.

A 2018 review found that creatine could improve short-term memory and reasoning, with a benefit for stressed individuals. A further 2024 review concluded that creatine can benefit cognitive function, particularly memory, attention time and the ability to process information.

A 2023 study similarly suggested that creatine can help boost memory and lessen fatigue, while results indicate creatine could potentially ease anxiety and depression (both common symptoms of sleep deprivation.)

How to use creatine to fight fatigue

While creatine for muscle energy is typically taken in small doses, research suggests that when using the supplement to fight fatigue, you need to up the dosage.

Those looking to feel more alert after a bad night's sleep should take between 25g and 35g of creatine a day, based on the 2024 study.

And drawing from the same research, the impact of creatine is best felt four hours after ingestion — so we recommend incorporating creatine into your morning routine.

But that doesn't mean creatine is an easy way to supercharge your brain. Scientists best observed the benefits of creatine among those experiencing sleep deprivation. A double dose of creatine on a regular day is unlikely to have any impact on your memory or reaction times.

So save your creatine for after a sleepless night or, for example, when you know an upcoming deadline will leave you running on fumes.

And the best method to fight fatigue is still to get a good night's sleep — we don't recommend skipping rest on purpose and compensating with creatine.

Creatine is largely regarded a safe supplement, but potential side effects include bloating (some Reddit users note digestive discomfort.) If you plan on introducing creatine to your diet, or upping your intake, consult with your doctor first.

Other methods to fight fatigue after a bad night's sleep

Even with the best sleep hacks to help you drift off — everything from finger breathing to drunken monkeys — and a solid and simple sleep routine, some nights you just can't avoid bad snooze.

On the mornings you wake up feeling as if you only just climbed into bed, these methods can help you stay awake... and maybe even stay alert.

1. Stay hydrated

Listen, if you've been up all night you've probably abandoned your coffee mug for a bucket. But while caffeine can help you feel alert, be sure to alternate your cappuccinos with cups of water.

Dehydration increases fatigue and while caffeine does hydrate you, water is still the best way to top up your fluid levels.

And if you're relying on coffee to wake you up, we recommend cutting it out after lunch. Caffeine can stay in your system many hours after digestion, meaning even though you feel bone tired, this stimulant can keep you alert.

2. Get sunlight

Light regulates our circadian rhythms — morning sun tells the body to produce cortisol, helping us wake up, while darkness encourages melatonin production, making us fall asleep.

If you're struggling to kickstart your morning, try taking your breakfast outside, or sipping your coffee in a spot of sunshine.

And top up your sunlight levels during the day by getting out at lunch. An early evening stroll is another way to improve your sleep (something we'll dive into below.)

3. Get active

While it's tempting to abandon good habits when you're feeling tired, rather than bed rotting and binge watching, it's better to get active.

Exercise can improve energy levels and oxygen circulation, so you feel more alert. If you've slept poorly, you probably want to avoid a vigorous gym session but an evening walk, light jog or yoga session can give you energy without tiring you out.

And as another benefit, exercise can help you sleep. By staying active during the day, you're more likely to drift off at night. In contrast, a day spent lying in bed is likely to make it harder to fall asleep.

You won't find any six-inch mattresses among our guide to this year's best mattresses, as this thin build rarely offers the support an adult body needs. However, that doesn't mean we can rule out six-inch mattresses altogether.

There are a few scenarios in which a slim profile mattress might be just right, particularly if you want a good bed for a small space, or if you're after thin, firm comfort similar to Japanese floor mattresses.

One of the main advantages to choosing a six-inch mattress is price: cutting down height often means cutting down costs. But it can also mean cutting out comfort. Below we'll explore who should and shouldn't buy a six-inch mattress (plus why mattress sales are a better way to find good sleep for less.)

What is a 6-inch mattress?

A six-inch mattress is a mattress that, once fully expanded, measures six inches from the base to the top cover. Six-inch mattresses are thin for an adult bed — they can be a good option for children — but the basic builds are often budget-friendly options.

Six-inch mattresses are often simple, as the slim profile means there's little room for multiple types of foams, springs or specialist features.

And due to their small stature, six-inch mattresses often lack cushioning. They don't have the thick comfort layers that are needed to provide a plush feel.

For that reason, most six-inch mattresses sit at the harder end of the mattress firmness scale. This firm feel tends to best suit back and stomach sleepers. However, a six-inch bed won't necessarily excel at support; high quality materials are needed to prevent sagging.

Why does mattress thickness matter?

We measure standard mattress thickness as between eight and 12 inches. Any taller than that and we tend to be in the realm of luxury mattresses. Any thinner and we're looking at budget beds or super-thick mattress toppers.

The height of a bed does influence the overall feel of the mattress. Typically, thinner builds have a firmer feel while taller mattresses, which can encompass more cushioning, tend to have a softer finish.

Thickness also impacts how much weight a mattress can hold. The best mattresses for heavy people are generally taller builds that incorporate more support layers.

Height can also influence price (although a thinner bed isn't always a cheaper one.) If you're on a budget, opting for an eight or 10-inch mattress can help you save — but it's important not to sacrifice support to save money.

3 reasons to buy a 6-inch mattress

We rarely recommend six-inch tall mattresses; in our experience, eight inches is the minimum height an adult needs for both comfort and support.

But there are a handful of occasions in which a six-inch mattress can prove suitable — these are the three reasons you might want a six-inch bed.

1. You're shopping for a child or teen

Kids needs plenty of good quality sleep to help them learn and grow but while we recommend investing in a high quality mattress for children, you don't necessarily need a thick mattress.

We mentioned above that thinner mattresses often lack the height to hold up an adult body. Children and teens don't have the same support needs, which means you can focus on choosing quality materials, rather than spending your money on extra inches.

For example, the Helix Kids mattress is available in a six or eight-inch build, while the BB Kids mattress from Brooklyn Bedding measures six inches.

On a similar note, kids also benefit from a firm or medium-firm mattress, to support their spinal development. So you want to steer clear of plush mattresses anyway.

2. You want similar comfort to a Japanese floor mattress

Thinner mattresses tend to have a firmer feel (less padding to create cushioning) which means they're sometimes compared to thin, hard Japanese floor mattress or shikibuton.

Traditional Japanese floor mattresses are designed to be rolled up and stored, which is a convenience you won't get with six-inch mattresses.

However, the slim build and low profile of six-inch mattresses does often emulate the minimal padding and firm support of a Japanese style-bed.

If it's the minimalist design and basic comfort of a shikibuton you're emulating, a six-inch mattress can be a good starting place. But we recommend seeking out a mattress made with high-quality materials, to ensure you're getting the support you need.

Alternatively, check out our Plank Firm mattress review for a bed with a similar firm, flat feel to a Japanese floor mattress, plus the increased durability of a taller bed.

3. You need a mattress for an RV (or a spare room)

If you think you sleep best on the open road, you'll understand the importance of choosing the right mattress for your RV.

RV mattresses tend to be small and light; anything else will dominate the space and weigh down your vehicle. A six-inch mattress, like the RV MobilePlush Mattress from PlushBeds, nails the brief.

Six inch mattresses can also be good for spare rooms, particularly if your guest bed is in a multipurpose room and you don't want to overwhelm the space.

In both these scenarios there's one important detail to note: the mattress won't be used that often.

As anyone who's snoozed on the couch can attest, the human body can put up with a few night's rest in less-than-ideal conditions. It's when you regularly sleep on a mattress that can't support your body that your back will start to protest.

What to look for in a 6-inch mattress?

If you fall into one of the above categories (or you don't but you still want a six-inch bed) these are the features to look for to ensure your six-inch mattress contains as much comfort as possible in its slim profile.

✅ High quality materials: A good quality build makes all the difference in a six-inch mattress. Look for beds made using dense foams (or latex foams) and reinforced springs.

✅ Support layers: Six-inch mattresses don't have the height for multiple layers so the ones they do have need to provide plenty of support. Make sure there's either a sprung base or a base layer of durable foams.

✅ A reliable brand name: Many six-inch mattresses are budget options from little known brands. We recommend closely reading any mattress reviews before buying a bed, to better understand the quality and feel.

Who should avoid a 6-inch mattress?

We don't recommend six-inch mattresses for most adults, outside the specific circumstances outlined above. But there are some sleepers who should avoid six-inch beds altogether:

❌ Side sleepers: The best mattresses for side sleepers must offer pressure relief and this is often achieved through cushioning at the shoulders and hips. Realistically, a six-inch mattress doesn't have room for enough cushioning.

❌ Heavier people: For those with a larger build, when you lie on a six-inch mattress it often feels like sinking straight through to the floor. Slim builds like six- and eight-inch mattresses rarely support heavy people.

❌ Bed sharers: A six-inch mattress might cause some relationship woes for bed sharers, as these thin mattresses can't comfortably support the weight of two people and often lack the cushioning needed to successfully absorb motion — you might feel every time your partner shifts about.

Where to buy a 6-inch mattress?

Few of the best mattresses in a box are available in six-inch builds, so if you're looking for a high quality thin mattress, you might need to head to specialist retailers (particularly if you're after an RV mattress size.)

Otherwise, the best place to find a six-inch mattress is through retailers such as Amazon and Walmart. Although keep in mind these beds can be very cheap but often lack quality.

If it's a kid's mattress you need, many of our favorite sleep brands have expanded into children's bedding in recent years, meaning you get the sleep know-how of an experienced mattress brand, squeezed into a kid-friendly package.

3 best 6-inch mattresses to shop today

The space beneath your bed is an enticing area to hide unneeded items but this 'out of sight, out of mind' storage solution might be bad news for your sleep health... as well as turning your room into a haven for bed bugs.

Because let's be honest, when something goes under your bed, how often do you get it out? This forgotten clutter is a magnet for dust and dust mites, and all kinds of creepy crawlies.

Storing things under the bed also makes it harder to keep your mattress clean, particularly if bulky items are preventing air circulation. And if you've invested in one of this year's best mattresses, you don't want your long-discarded socks to be the reason it needs replacing...

• Read more: 3 bedroom items you should clean weekly to spot early signs of bed bugs

5 things to remove from under your bed....

"Clear away clutter such as newspapers, cardboard boxes, or laundry piles, which provide hiding spots [for pests]" advises Adham Perriseau, Licensed Pest Management Professional & Eco Solutions Specialist at Dr. Killigan’s Natural Pest Control Products.

Here's how to get started...

1. Linens and fabrics

Textiles don't show the dust as much as plastic and smooth surfaces, but if you've ever experienced the dust explosion of shaking out a forgotten blanket, you'll know looks can be deceiving.

Dust settles into the surface of fabrics, which is why even clean-looking sheets and clothing can be ground zero for dust mites.

“The fewer places dust has to land, the fewer spots dust mites have to breed,” explained Nigel Bearman, managing director at Daily Poppins, when we asked him how to remove dust from your bedroom.

The dark folds of fabrics also provide a convenient hiding place for bed bugs. Bed bugs like the dark and the cluttered under-space of your bed is the perfect place for bed bugs to call home. And once bed bugs have moved in, they're hard to get out.

So next time you go to kick last week's socks under the bed, remember that the few seconds it takes to put them away can save you a lot of hassle down the line.

2. Cardboard or paper

Okay, so you're not going to keep fabrics tucked under the bed anymore. Surely storing them in a cardboard box is a sensible solution?

Unfortunately, no. Some pests, including silverfish and certain moths, actually consider paper a food source, meaning your cardboard storage isn't quite the critter deterrent you hoped it was.

And while it's not their favorite dinner, cockroaches have also been known to nibble on cardboard.

3. Electronics

Let's take a quick break from creepy crawlies to discuss another hazard of uncovered under the bed storage: old tech.

Left under the bed, electronics will start to gather dust (and can even attract dust at a high rate, due to the static electricity.)

This is bad news for your electronics, as the build of dust can impair their performance. But it also poses a risk to your wellbeing; dusty electronics can become a fire risk.

4. Bulky items

“Ventilation is key when it comes to keeping your bed a fresh sleeping environment," advises George Sfintescu from specialist bed manufacturer Get Laid Beds.

Big, bulky items kept under the bed prevent air from moving freely through the mattress. This can cause moisture from sweat to become trapped in the materials, potentially leading to mattress mold.

Bulky items also make it harder to vacuum under the mattress, once again leading to a build up of dust and dust mites.

5. Shoes

If you're used to getting home and kicking your shoes under the bed, we suggest you find another storage solution.

For a start, research from the University of Arizona found regularly worn shoes collect an average of 421,000 units of bacteria. That's a lot of bacteria to have hanging around your bed.

And if you're storing out-of-season shoes under your bed, they contain numerous crooks and crannies for dust (and dust mites) to lurk... as well as even more appealing dark places for bed bugs to hide in.

How to keep your mattress clean

Cleaning your mattress can both extend the life of your bed and create a healthier sleep environment. While we do recommend occasionally deep cleaning your mattress, upkeep doesn't have to be difficult, just frequent:

• Wash your sheets roughly once a week
• Let your mattress breathe by regularly leaving it uncovered
• Invest in a mattress protector or mattress encasement
• Clean spills as soon as they occur
• Regularly vacuum your bed, including the mattress, bed frame, and space around and beneath the bed
• If you are storing items under the bed, place them in sealed plastic containers and regularly dust the containers

By regularly following the above steps, you can keep your mattress in good condition for longer (and hopefully avoid the nightmare of getting rid of bed bugs.)

Side sleeping is regarded as the best sleep position by experts and is the most popular sleep position worldwide, according to a study of over 660 people.

However, side sleepers tend to need more cushioning in their beds to reduce pressure buildup in the shoulders, hips and knees. This means the best mattresses for side sleepers are softer ones with plenty of foam layers — and more foam can mean more heat.

Without specialized cooling adaptations, memory foam in mattresses acts like a sponge, absorbing heat and moisture from the air and your body, which can make the bed feel stuffy and leave you sweltering on warm nights.

But worry not, hot side sleepers; there are several features to look out for that can help you find a cooling and comfortable bed in the mattress sales.

I'm a predominant side sleeper myself and have tested many of the best mattresses in both the Tom's Guide sleep studio and a warm attic bedroom over the past year. Here, I'll be sharing my top tips for finding the right cooling mattress for your sleep position...

What mattresses are ideal for side sleepers?

Sleeping on your side requires the right balance between cushioning around your shoulders, hips and knees and support for your back.

Many of our side-sleeping mattress testers like ultra-plush beds you sink into rather than lie on top of, while others prefer a medium-firm bed that contours around joints in contact with the mattress but is responsive enough to keep the spine aligned (which is ideal).

Ultimately, your body weight will influence exactly how firm your mattress should be and how much cushioning you need. Lighter people will find softer mattresses supportive enough, while heavier side sleepers will need a firmer surface to avoid spinal dips that lead to back pain.

Generally, soft and medium-firm beds, or pillow-top mattresses, are best for side sleepers. But these mattresses come with lots of foams and other cushioning materials, throwing a curveball in front of temperature regulation.

4 things to look for in a cooling mattress for side sleepers

The best cooling mattresses for side sleepers feature materials and designs geared towards improving breathability, moisture absorption and heat dissipation. Here's what to look for when shopping for your new bed…

1. Hybrid designs

Hybrid mattresses are generally more temperature balancing than memory foam mattresses as the airy spring layers allow air to circulate through the mattress, cooling it down. On the other hand, foams act like a sponge, trapping heat and moisture.

The good news is that unlike full innerspring beds, hybrids still have foam layers offering plenty of pressure relief for side sleepers, with a good balance of support from responsive coils too.

2. Cooling covers

With temperature regulation problems being a common sleep disruptor, the world of cooling mattress technology is quickly evolving. Mattress manufactures have started using innovative fabrics to help cool down the surface of beds while you sleep on them.

Phase Change Material (PCM), GlacioTex and Tencel are three examples of such technology. These materials are embedded into mattress covers and combined with cooling fibers that can dissipate heat from the mattress surface, absorb moisture or improve breathability, providing a cool-to-the-touch sleep surface.

3. Gel-infused foams

Gel-foam mattresses incorporate tiny polymer gel beads or particles within the foam to improve temperature regulation and keep sleepers cooler. Similar to the cooling cover fabrics above, these gel beads absorb and disperse body heat through the night.

This means that they can prevent foam from trapping heat and create a cooler sleeping surface compared to traditional memory foam. In short, they can create a dreamy bed for side sleepers, but gel-foam alone may not provide enough cooling power for you; look out for mattresses that combine gel-foam with other cooling tech.

4. Copper or graphite foams

If you think back to high school chemistry class, you'll remember copper and graphite are metals with high thermal conductivity. This means they easily absorb heat, making them great mattress components.

Manufacturers often infuse copper and graphite ribbons into mattress foams to aid temperature regulation. These ribbons conduct heat away from your sleeping body and disperses it across the mattress surface to prevent hot spots forming in your bed.

Examples of mattresses with copper infusions include our favorite cooling option, the Bear Elite Hybrid Mattress, and the more affordable Brooklyn Bedding CopperFlex Pro Hybrid Mattress. Examples of mattress with graphite include the ultra cooling and supportive Zoma Boost Mattress and the Glacier Apex Hybrid Mattress that we tested recently.

A Murphy bed is a convenient, space-saving solution for people living in small homes or studio apartments. These nifty beds can be folded away vertically when not in use, so it’s essential to choose a mattress that both fits your Murphy bed and holds its shape when tucked away in storage.

But while many of the best mattresses we've tested can be used in a Murphy bed frame, it's not quite as simple as choosing a standard bed in a box.

Whether you’re looking for a mattress for a college student to fit modest accommodation, or your bedroom doubles as a creative space and a Murphy bed will provide more square footage to work, we’re here to help you determine what to consider when choosing a Murphy bed mattress.

What is a Murphy bed?

A Murphy bed is a bed that’s hinged on one end so you can fold the frame and mattress up against the well when not in use. It’s also called a pull-down bed, wall bed or fold-down bed.

Most Murphy beds are hinged vertically, but this space-saving solution also comes in horizontal form (with a hinges lengthwise along the bed) for narrow rooms or lower ceilings.

The biggest benefit of the Murphy bed is, of course, their ability to free up space. They can easily transform a bedroom or studio into a multi-use room.

However, Murphy beds come with a few disadvantages. They tend to be more expensive than traditional beds, may require professional installation and aren’t suitable for all room layouts.

Do Murphy beds need special mattresses?

Most standard mattresses in a box are suitable for a Murphy bed. However, while you don’t need a specialty model, some brands do offer mattresses created specifically for use with this unusual bed frame.

These mattresses are designed to withstand the unique requirements of a Murphy bed, including retaining their shape even when placed in upright storage.

Still, you should be able to use a mattress from your favorite brand — with a few caveats in mind. When choosing a mattress for a Murphy bed, there are some features you need to consider to ensure your mattress fits the frame and stays comfortable even after time in vertical storage.

What to consider when choosing a Murphy bed mattress

Buying a mattress for a Murphy bed? Here’s everything you need to know before you start browsing to help you find a Murphy bed mattress that meets your needs.

1. Mattress material

Memory foam is often considered the best mattress material for Murphy beds, as the contouring foams mold to the frame when in upright storage, before springing back into place when the bed is flat.

While a spring mattress isn’t necessarily out of the picture for Murphy bed use, more structured and firm coil mattresses can be damaged by upright storage.

You’ll also want to steer clear of most mattresses with pillow tops (or Euro tops.) These padded layers can add extra height to your mattress and pose difficulty when folding the bed.

2. Weight and size

Most Murphy beds can comfortably house a mattress that’s eight to 12 inches tall (though a handful have a maximum mattress height of 10 inches, so be sure to review product specs before purchasing.)

While it may be enticing to purchase a thicker mattress for aesthetic appeal, a mattress that’s too tall (such as 14 inches) can ultimately prevent you from folding your Murphy bed, defeating its purpose.

It’s also wise for Murphy bed users to purchase a lightweight mattress. A lighter mattress will be easier to fold down and fold up, while a heavy mattress will be harder to lift when moving the bed into upright storage.

Purchasing a mattress with a smaller profile and lighter weight shouldn't compromise comfort. A bed within these specs should still be supportive without hampering storage.

3. Comfort and support

It’s important to choose a mattress that meets your unique sleep needs. Stomach and back sleepers will want a firmer mattress to help keep their hips and low back in alignment, while side sleepers require a mattress with greater contouring to help prevent shoulder pain.

If you’re a hot sleeper, mattresses with ventilated foam or cooling covers can help you sleep comfortably, while couples who bed share will want to opt for a mattress with good motion isolation to help absorb movement.

Since Murphy bed mattresses are typically on the thinner side, you’ll want to look for support features like dense foam layers, reinforced edges or coils.

These features will help keep your spine in alignment as you sleep, make it easier to sit on the bed to get dressed or tie your shoes, and add to the overall durability of the mattress.

4. Mattress warranty

Warranties often contain fine print that many of us skip over, but you’ll want to read your mattress warranty carefully if you plan on using it in a Murphy bed.

That’s because using certain types of mattresses in a Murphy bed frame can actually void the warranty, so it’s important to do your homework before buying. Always put your mattress on a suitable bed base.

Where to buy a mattress for a Murphy bed?

The good news is that there are plenty of options for purchasing a Murphy bed mattress both in-store or online, allowing you to shop around for the perfect fit.

Some retailers specialize in Murphy beds and sell accompanying mattresses, but traditional sleep brands are getting in on the action, with options like the luxury Murphy Bed from Saatva. Third-party retailers such as Amazon, Wayfair and Home Depot also sell Murphy bed mattresses.

Murphy bed mattresses come at a variety of price points depending on your budget, though you can always expect to pay more for a specialty mattress designed specifically for Murphy bed use (as opposed to buying a traditional mattress for your frame).

No matter which brand or retailer you choose to buy from, be sure to look for a Murphy bed mattress with a warranty and sleep trial period. This provides protection from manufacturer’s defects (or a bed that just isn't right.) Keep in mind it can take 30-90 days to get used to a new mattress, so it’s important to give yourself time to adjust.

While mattress toppers typically consist of a single layer of foam, we're now seeing plenty of innovations being made to these bed boosters — from pillow-top designs to high-tech cooling covers.

And now there's new material that's recently taken the mattress topper by storm: the microcoil.

You can find microcoils in toppers from some of the most popular sleep brands in the US, Saatva and Helix included, and they're all vying for a place in our guide to 2025's best mattress toppers.

But what are microcoils and why are they appearing in so many mattress toppers (and even in some of this year's top mattresses) these days?

Here, we'll take a look at these innovative components, their pros and cons, and where you can buy a bed topper or mattress that uses microcoils in this month's mattress sales.

What are microcoils?

Microcoils are small coils typically made from steel. They are like regular mattress coils, only shorter and typically used in mattress toppers, which are much thinner than mattresses and need smaller components.

While mattress coils are around six inches tall on average, microcoils are usually around one inch (or even less) in height. Mattress toppers that use microcoils typically have two or three layers, and they use the tier of microcoils as a middle layer in triple-layered toppers or as a base layer in dual-layered toppers.

Why are microcoils used in mattress toppers?

Mattress coils in general have a lot of benefits. Their open design enables airflow for breathable comfort, while their durable steel build provides zoned support.

However, as they're usually six inches or more in height, coils haven't always been used in bed toppers as these mattress enhancers are thin (usually around two to four inches) so aren't tall enough to contain full size coils.

And that's where microcoils come in, to bring the benefits of coils without the height and finally allowing mattress toppers to utilize the humble coil's supportive pressure relief.

Are microcoils used in mattresses?

While microcoils are mostly used in bed toppers due to their small height, they can also be used in mattresses in conjunction with larger coils. The addition of a microcoil layer can enhance both the comfort and support you'll get from a top-quality hybrid mattress.

For instance, the Saatva RX mattress (which is currently #1 in our best mattress for back pain guide) uses a one-inch microcoil layer for flexibility and enhanced back support.

Where can you buy a microcoil mattress topper?

Microcoil mattress toppers are available at many top mattress brands. They're particularly prominent at 3Z Brands (parent company of Helix, Nolah, and Brooklyn Bedding), which manufactures its own microcoils at its factory in Arizona.

Saatva also utilizes the benefits of the microcoil, with its Micro-Coil Mattress Topper featuring a one-inch recycled steel microcoil layer.

The pros and cons of microcoils

Before shopping for a microcoil mattress topper, it's good to acknowledge both the pros and cons first. Weighing their benefits and drawbacks will help you to know how to choose the right mattress topper for your budget, sleep position, and body type, so here's a breakdown...

What are the benefits of microcoils?

Minimal height isn't the only unique selling point that microcoils have. They're also more flexible and responsive than traditional mattress coils, which is why they're also used in mattresses as well as bed toppers. Like most coils, they can boost air circulation for a cooler sleep and are often used in toppers that are billed as cooling.

They also function as a transition layer between comfort and support layers, and can also provide zoned support (this means that it provides extra support in regions that need it, such as the lower back, to prevent aches and pains) and body-cradling comfort.

What are the drawbacks of microcoils?

A microcoils are a recent, premium innovation in the world of mattress toppers, they're mainly found in mattress toppers with a luxury price tag. That means microcoil mattress toppers are generally more expensive than toppers with more traditional fills such as memory foam or latex.

Plus, as with all coils, microcoils are not immune to deterioration from everyday wear and tear, which can cause creaking and shorten the mattress topper's lifespan.

Adjustable bed bases have many benefits, from silencing snoring to alleviating aches and pains. If you're thinking of investing in an adjustable frame you'll need a mattress to match, and the cozy cushioning of an all-foam bed might sound just right — but can you put a memory foam mattress on an adjustable bed?

For the most part, yes. Memory foam mattresses typically have plenty of flex, allowing them to move with the bed frame whenever you make an adjustment.

There are likely to be some exceptions to the rule, but if you're enticed by one of the best memory foam mattresses we've tested, it should be a good fit for your adjustable bed. Below we'll explore what to look for (and what to avoid.)

What is a memory foam mattress?

Memory foam mattresses have become one of the most popular bed types, thanks to their cushioned feel and typically excellent pressure relief. Using multiple layers of foam to blend support with comfort, you'll find several all-foam models in our guide to the best mattresses we've tested

Known for their durability and affordability, memory foam mattresses are available in everything from a quicksand-soft feel to a hard and unyielding finish. This means that if you want the perfect memory foam mattress for your adjustable bed, you should have ample choice.

What is an adjustable bed base?

An adjustable bed is a bed frame that can be lifted and lowered in certain areas, to adjust the angle you're lying at. Many adjustable bed frames feature both head and leg elevation (meaning both the top section and bottom section of the frame can be moved) but some only have head elevation.

Adjustable beds are often popular with those who experience back or joint pain, as the head and feet elevation of zero gravity positioning can help reduce aches.

Sleeping with a raised head and neck can also alleviate snoring and symptoms of sleep apnea. It's also a more comfortable position for reading or watching TV in bed.

What to look for in a memory foam mattress for an adjustable bed base

As most memory foam mattresses can be used with adjustable bases, you're able to focus on your sleep needs when finding the right mattress for you. These are the three areas worth prioritizing when searching for a memory foam mattress for an adjustable bed.

1. The right firmness level

Mattress firmness refers to the overall feel of the mattress, and while we often associate foam with its cushioning powers, all-foam beds come in every feel, from the marshmallow-soft to the ultra-hard.

You can use a memory foam mattress of almost any firmness level on an adjustable bed base — although some very firm models might not be compatible, for reasons we'll cover below — which allows you to opt for the feel that best suits your needs.

The best mattresses for side sleepers often have a medium to medium-firm feel, to cushion the shoulders, while the best mattresses for stomach sleepers typically use a firm build to enhance support.

One thing to note is the flat base of an adjustable bed can make your mattress feel firmer — keep that in mind when choosing the perfect feel for you.

2. Ample support

Adjustable bed bases are a popular choice for people experiencing reoccurring back pain. To ensure your memory foam mattress isn't worsening your back pain, it needs to have plenty of support in the central third.

The best mattresses for back pain often have enhanced lumbar support, a feature most commonly found in hybrid mattresses. However, memory foam mattresses with a dense and sturdy base can still offer the support you need.

3. Pressure relief

If you're choosing an adjustable bed frame to help alleviate joint pain, you should consider a mattress with plenty of pressure relief. Luckily, this is an area where memory foam mattresses tend to shine.

The thick cushioning of memory foam mattresses can evenly distribute weight where your body presses into the bed, preventing pressure from building up. This is particularly important for side sleepers (who need cushioning at the shoulder and hips), but back and side sleepers will also appreciate some relief for their joints and back.

Are there any memory foam mattresses you can't use an on adjustable bed?

There are some mattress types that can't be used with adjustable bed bases but few of them are all-foam (continuous coil mattresses are the main type to avoid.)

However, if you do plan on using your memory foam mattress with an adjustable base, it's worth checking compatibility. Using a mattress on the wrong bed frame can void the mattress warranty, preventing you from receiving a refund if the mattress is faulty.

These are the most common reasons why a memory foam mattress might not be compatible with an adjustable bed frame.

1. It's too tall

Mattresses with a depth taller than 14 inches aren't always compatible with adjustable bed bases, regardless of the materials used in the mattress. These thick designs often have limited flex and are unable to bend properly when the adjustable bed moves.

But that doesn't mean you can't use any taller mattress on an adjustable bed base. For example, the GhostBed Luxe Foam mattress is 14 inches tall and has enough flex to work on a adjustable frame.

2. The materials are low quality

You can use a cheap memory foam mattress on an adjustable bed base (and some of the best cheap mattresses we've slept on are all-foam.)

However, the inner materials of low quality memory foam mattresses often deteriorate quickly with use. The bending and flexing of an adjustable bed base can cause this breakdown to happen quicker.

So although you can pair your adjustable frame with an inexpensive all-foam mattress, you might find it doesn't provide the comfort you need for as long as you hoped.

3. It's too firm

In order to move with the bed frame when you make adjustments, a mattress needs to have some bend and flex. This can be an issue if you've opted for the ultra-hard feel of one of our favorite firm mattresses.

However, the firmest mattress we've tested is the aptly named Plank Firm and even this can be used with an adjustable bed frame — so we doubt it's a problem you'll run into.

The background buzz of white noise is used by many to block out distracting sounds, but might another type of noise help you fall asleep faster? Research suggests pink noise might be the colorful secret to better sleep.

So what is pink noise? Like white noise, pink noise contains all sounds from the frequency spectrum. But unlike white noise, pink noise increases the intensity of lower frequency sounds, for a softer, gentler effect.

Creating a soothing environment is essential to achieving consistently good sleep, from finding the best mattress for your sleep needs to picking the perfect temperature. To find out more about pink noise, we asked experts what it is and how to use it to help you sleep...

What is pink noise for sleep?

Pink noise describes a sound that, while featuring tones across frequencies, places the focus and intensity on the lower end of the spectrum.

"Pink noise is very similar to white noise; it still plays all the frequencies on the spectrum at the same time, but the intensity (loudness) of these frequencies is distributed differently," explains Bogdan Bratis, audio specialist and founder of Saspod. "Instead of all frequencies being played equally, the intensity of a frequency is lower the higher the frequency is."

Essentially, pink noise delivers the same background 'hum' of white noise, but the overall sound is lower.

While this might not seem like a major difference, Bratis explains the intensity of lower frequencies influences how we perceive pink noise. "[It's] more pleasant to listen to because the higher frequencies are lower in intensity, providing a calmer experience."

In addition, softening the higher frequencies to a lower intensity means we often associate pink noise with the soothing sounds of nature.

"It feels softer and more natural," describes Dr. Leah Kaylor, sleep specialist and psychologist, "like rainfall, wind, or waves."

Dr. Hamid Djalilian, Chief Medical Director at NeuroMed Tinnitus Clinic, explains that pink noise encourages "slow-wave activity in the brain", which is associated with deeper, better sleep. "It also helps with sleep onset issues, when the mind stays too active when there's total silence in the bedroom."

What is white noise for sleep?

While white noise is a term that can be used to describe irritating conversations you'd rather just ignore, it actually refers to sounds made up of a blend of frequencies.

"White noise is the sound generated by each frequency from 20 Hz to 20 kHz played at the same time at equal intensities (loudness)," explains Bratis. "For example, an untuned radio will play white noise when no channel is selected."

When these frequencies mix together it creates a steady wall of noise that can effectively mask disruptive sounds, even if they're loud or infrequent. For that reason, many people use the 'blocking' effect of white noise to aid concentration.

But this mixture of frequencies isn't always gentle on the ear.

"White noise tends to sound harsher and unpleasant," explains Bratis.

However, if you're trying to sleep in a disruptive environment, white noise can still have its benefits. Beyond white noise machines, you can create white noise in your own home using objects such as fans and vacuum cleaners.

Is pink noise more effective for sleep than white noise?

While both pink and white noise do have some benefits in aiding sleep, the gentler tones of pink noise can be better for your rest.

"In terms of overall suitability as a sleep aid, pink noise tends to win out. It’s simply more soothing to most people’s ears," explains Dr. Djalilian, citing a systematic review of audio stimulation and sleep.

"Both white noise and pink noise block external sounds and can help us be less distracted. However, white noise can keep us alert, while pink noise can have the opposite effect, putting us to sleep," elaborates Bratis.

Dr. Kaylor has similar advice. "Choose pink noise over white noise if you want something more calming, natural, and easier on the ears — especially if you're sensitive to sound or easily startled," she advises.

When to use pink noise for sleep

The gentle tones of pink noise can help those who find drifting off eludes them, particularly if it's a busy brain keeping you awake.

"Most people struggle with falling asleep. For that, pink noise is often a great choice. It’s gentle, non-distracting, and tends to blend into the background." explains Dr. Djalilian.

Dr. Kaylor also recommends pink noise for those who struggle to stay asleep. "It helps by blocking out background noises, calming the brain and body, boosting deep sleep by syncing with your brainwaves," she describes.

As well as quieting racing thoughts, the background hum of pink noise can be used to block out distracting noises, such as cars and conversations. And it can even help if the noise is coming from your own ears.

"People with tinnitus especially benefit [from pink noise], since the ringing in their ears feels louder at night when everything else is quiet," says Dr. Djalilian. "Pink noise helps by filling in that silence without being sharp or irritating."

When to use white noise for sleep

White noise can still be used to help you sleep, although Dr. Djalilian primarily recommends it for those trying to block out loud noises. "It's more intense and better at masking environmental sounds," he explains.

This is because, while pink noise fades into the background, the higher frequencies of white noise can keep the brain alert. Great for concentration, not so good for sleep.

"Human ears are particularly sensitive in the mid-to-high frequency spectrum, ranging from 1 kHz to 15 kHz," explains Bratis. "The human ear evolved this way because being sensitive to higher-frequency sounds helps our species in survival. For example, the crying of a baby is present in that exact part of the frequency spectrum, making us hear them and stay alert."

So if you've ever struggled to sleep to white noise, this could explain why; the human brain has spent a millennia training itself to look out for those sounds.

How to use pink noise for sleep

Pink noise is an accessible sleep hack — if you have a phone, you can give it a go — but as with many sleep tips, it might take some trial and error to find what works for you.

Dr. Kaylor recommends listening to pink noise; "right before bed, as you are falling asleep, with a sleep timer (20 minutes.)"

If you're thinking of adding pink noise to your bedtime routine, here are our tips to get started:

1. Find a sound you like: You can find playlists of pink noise on YouTube, Spotify, and mediation apps... give them a spin and see which noise is most appealing to your ears.
2. Alter the volume: Too loud and you might find pink noise disruptive, too quiet and you might strain to even hear it. Have a play with the volume button until you find the level you can drift off to.
3. Incorporate it into your evening routine: If a busy brain is keeping you from falling asleep, try adding pink noise to your pre-bed routine. Dr. Kaylor suggests listening to pink noise can help "if you have trouble relaxing."
4. Check for ads: Give your chosen sound a quick play through while awake to make sure there are no pesky ads to surprise you during the night.
5. Press play: The calming effect of pink noise can help soothe you to sleep and it's particularly useful for those who live in noisy areas, blocking out background sounds.

Dr. Djalilian does offer a note of caution for those using pink noise overnight. "Consider setting it on a timer," he advises. "A 2022 study found that leaving pink noise on all night might interfere with some of the brain activity involved in creativity and problem-solving. Using a timer avoids this while still giving you most of the sleep benefits of pink noise."

What about green and brown noise?

If you like pink noise but it doesn't hit quite right, you might prefer some other noise colors.

Like pink noise, brown noise focus on the lower end of the frequency spectrum, while green noise for sleep focuses on the mid-range, both of which create a background hum similar to nature soothing sounds.

But it's a case of experimentation when finding the relaxing sleep sound for you. It might be the drone of a vacuum cleaner, the babbling of a brook or you might even sleep best with the total silence afforded by a pair of earplugs for sleep.

Even as a superb sleeper who falls asleep fast, gets at least seven and a half hours of sleep a night, and (usually) wakes up with energy, I still enjoy a daytime nap when my schedule allows it.

Naps can often get a bad rap as people assume they stop you sleeping at night. But when timed correctly, an afternoon nap on the best mattress for your sleep style (rather than an unsupportive couch) can do wonders for your cognitive function, energy levels and even your mood.

If you're wondering how a daytime snooze can benefit you, here's how Dr. Hana Patel, NHS GP and resident sleep expert at Time4Sleep, and Andres Moran, co-founder and CEO of sleep apnea treatment company, Complete Sleep, recommend you ace nap time...

How long should a nap be?

How long your nap should be is subjective and depends on your individual sleep habits and sleep needs.

Essentially, around 20 minutes is considered the sweet spot for a power nap that's intended to give you a boost in alertness and energy even when you sleep well at night.

But if you're particularly sleep deprived — whether that's due to parenting responsibilities, insomnia or other issues — a longer nap could be more effective.

Moran recommends a 90-minute nap in these cases (more on that below), as they allow you to complete a full, restorative sleep cycle.

Benefits of a 20-minute nap

A 20-minute nap offers several benefits for alertness, mood and cognitive function, especially when taken during a natural dip in the circadian rhythm which tends to occur in the afternoon.

"Even these brief naps allow for memory consolidation, cellular repair processes, and neurotransmitter regulation," Moran says.

"The brain clears metabolic waste and consolidates information from the day."

Benefits of a 90-minute nap

Moran says longer naps of 90 minutes can be useful if you're severely sleep-deprived, but warns they carry higher risk of grogginess and nighttime sleep disruption.

While napping isn't a long-term solution to sleep deprivation, a 90-minute nap allows you the chance to complete a full sleep cycle, which can be useful in making up sleep debt if you're not getting enough restorative sleep at night.

Waking up at the 90 minute mark can also reduce sleep inertia, because you wake up at the end of a sleep cycle rather than disrupting one. Being jolted awake mid sleep cycle is known to cause grogginess.

Nap vs sleep: what's the difference?

You may think the only difference between sleeping and napping is the time of day and length of time you choose to close your eyes to rest.

Naps are generally short periods of sleep taken in the day, while sleep refers to a longer, restorative period of rest at night.

However, the key difference between napping and sleep is all to do with which essential sleep stages you enter.

A sleep cycle is made up of three stages of non-rapid eye-movement (NREM) sleep and one stage of rapid eye-movement (REM) sleep.

When you take a quick nap between 10 and 20 minutes, you enter the first (NREM 1) and sometimes the second (NREM 2) stages of sleep.

As you transition from wakefulness to sleep, you enter NREM stage 1 — the initial lightest stage of sleep where brain waves start to slow down, and your breathing will be regular.

You're most susceptible to being woken during this stage, and may experience muscle twitches or the feeling of falling. NREM stage 1 tends to last a few minutes.

Then comes NREM stage 2, which is a deeper stage, but still considered light sleep. Brain waves slow further, body temperature drops, heart rate slows down and muscles relax more fully.

However, when you sleep, you'll pass through these sleep stages and on to the deep sleep (NREM stage 3) where physical restoration occurs and REM sleep, during which dreaming happens.

These four stages complete a sleep cycle which tends to last 90 to 100 minutes. You will continue cycling through these 90-100 minute sleep cycles through the night.

Top tips for an effective nap

Timing your nap so it doesn't interfere with nighttime sleep (and actually gives you the energy boost you need) is important. Here's what the experts recommend for perfecting your daytime ZZZs...

Nap between 1pm and 3pm

Moran recommends a nap window of 1pm to 3pm, and Dr. Patel agrees. “If you do choose to take a nap, the early afternoon is a good time to do so," she says.

"This is roughly when your circadian rhythm naturally dips, and napping any later can cause disrupted sleep at night."

A nap during this time period can help you get over any afternoon slump so you have energy and enough concentration to get through the rest of your daily tasks and responsibilities.

Moran says you should nap at least six to eight hours before bedtime to make sure you build up enough sleep drive to fall asleep fast at night.

Keep it short

"Napping is not a recommended alternative to a good night’s sleep" and "long or frequent naps can interfere with nighttime sleep," says Dr. Patel.

Being strict about the length of your naps is important to ensure they doesn't disrupt your nighttime ZZZs.

Set an alarm to stop you tipping over the 20 minute mark and risking feeling groggy upon waking. "Try not to hit snooze to ensure that you feel refreshed when you wake up and avoid entering a deeper sleep," the doctor advises.

Similarly, if you fall into the category of those who are sleep-deprived and could benefit from a 90-minute nap, set your alarm for that length of time.

Do note, you'll want to take this longer nap closer to 1pm than 3pm to minimize the impact on your nighttime sleep.

Have a post-nap plan

Just like early morning sunlight exposure helps you feel energized first thing, creating a post-nap plan that involves light exposure and fresh air can help you shake off any grogginess and assist you in getting the energy boost you were aiming for.

Exposing yourself to bright light suppresses the sleepy hormone melatonin and boost the alertness hormone cortisol, helping you feel bright-eyed rather than groggy after your nap.

Constantly tossing and turning during the night, trying to find (seemingly non-existent) cooler parts of the bed? This could be because your memory foam mattress is sucking up heat.

I should preface this article by saying not all memory foam mattresses are the reason behind your hot sleeping.

In fact, the best memory foam mattresses we've tested this year are built with specialist cooling technology to make sure you remain comfortable throughout the night.

However, some memory foam beds hold on to heat due to their dense structure and lack of airflow. Ahead, I'll dig into why your foam mattress can make you sleep hot, what you can do to cool it down and what materials you should look out for if you're a memory foam lover shopping this month's mattress sales.

Why your memory foam mattress can make you sleep hot

Synthetic materials lack airflow

Unlike natural fibers like wool and cotton, which have airy open-cell structures, synthetic materials found in many mattresses tend to trap heat.

Memory foam mattresses are primarily made from polyurethane, a synthetic material derived from petroleum. This material has strong heat retention (perfect in insulation, but not so much in a mattress, especially in summer).

Other synthetic materials, like polyester and latex, are also commonly used in the construction of these mattresses. While air flows naturally through natural latex, synthetic latex is essentially a dense polymer foam.

This means it's not great for hot sleepers who struggle to regulate their body temperature through the night as this dense structure cuts off airflow.

Dense structures hold on to heat

Think of mattress foam like a sponge — it soaks up air and moisture around it. With little air flowing through the dense foam, heat from your body and bedroom gets trapped within your mattress.

This means memory foam easily retains heat and holds on to body moisture when there aren't cooling technologies, such as heat-conducting metals or antimicrobial fabrics, present to combat it.

This has the potential to worsen night sweats, and can lead to you waking up feeling clammy in the night. Not good news for your sleep hygiene.

Memory foam 'hug' can be suffocating

One of popular features of a memory foam mattress is its ability to contour to your body, feeling like a gentle hug from your bed while providing a good balance of pressure relief and lumbar support.

However, hot sleepers may find this sensation suffocating, especially as it means there's less room for air to flow around the body and more chance of it retaining heat.

As the foam molds to the contours in your body, it can become a dam where sweat builds up. Foams also tend to soften when heated up, which can make the bed sink even more beneath you.

How to sleep cool on a memory foam mattress

Select the right bedframe

A bedframe with good ventilation is key to keeping your memory foam mattress as cool as possible.

A frame with slats rather than a solid surface allows air to flow freely beneath the mattress for a better chance of cooling.

While placing your mattress on certain floors can also help to keep it cool, we don't recommend this with memory foam, as you'll be preventing airflow further.

Add a cooling topper

You can add a cooling layer to your memory foam mattress with a top-rated mattress topper. Toppers with cooling gel and breathable materials like natural latex and wool can help counteract the heat-trapping tendencies of memory foam.

The Molecule CopperWELL mattress topper is the best cooling topper we've tested this year, but we also recommend the Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Adapt + Cooling Mattress Topper to hot sleepers.

If you seriously want to level up the climate control in your bed, you can shop a smart mattress topper with active cooling.

These toppers sit between your mattress and fitted sheet and, like the best smart beds, are fitted with smart temperature management systems.

Which ones do I recommend? The Chilipad (available from $1,199 $1,019.15 at Sleepme) is a hydronic cooling pad, while the Sleep Number (available from $999 $749.99 at Sleep Number) uses active air technology to cool (or warm) your bed.

Use breathable bedding

Sweaty sheets? No thank you. Cooling bedding, including pillows, pillowcases, sheets, comforters and mattress protectors, is essential during the warmer summer months.

You'll want to look out for light, breathable fabrics that can wick away sweat, quickly absorb moisture and help air circulate around your bed. Cotton, bamboo and down are all great options in bedding.

These materials promote a 'cool-to-touch' feel and help prevent night sweats and keep your sleeping set-up dry, promoting a cooler and more comfortable night's rest.

I especially recommend the Olive + Crate Luxury Series bedding set and Coop Cool+ pillow (our testers rate this as the best pillow hot sleepers can buy online right now).

3 things to look for in a cooling memory foam mattress

If you're a memory foam fan who loves the pressure relief it provides but is also prone to sleeping hot, this is what to look for...

Copper or graphite

Foam beds are typically warmer, but many sleepers still love a memory foam feel. Hence, mattress manufacturers have sought out ways to improve temperature regulation in these beds and one way they do this is by infusing foams with copper and graphite particles.

Metals in mattresses; really? These heat conducting elements are, in fact, able to remove heat from the mattress surface, keeping it cool to touch and helping you sleep cooler while laying on it.

I've recently tested the Brooklyn Bedding CopperFlex Pro Hybrid mattress which, as its name suggests, has foams infused with copper, and have been sleeping comfortably through the warm weather — even in a heat-trapping attic bedroom.

Phase Change Material

Phase Change Material (PCM) is a another popular cooling mechanism. These materials are similarly infused in mattresses and remove heat from your sleep surface as they change from a solid to a liquid state.

PCM specializes in temperature balancing. It absorbs excess body heat when you get warm during the night, holds it, and then releases back to your body when you cool down, acting like a thermal reservoir in your bed.

Cooling covers

Mattresses, whether hybrid, memory foam or spring, all benefit from cooling materials in their covers. The mattress cover is what is closest to your body, after all, so you'll want to make sure it has some cooling properties.

Recognizable materials like cotton and wool are naturally cooling thanks to their open-cell. Meanwhile, innovative fabrics like Tencel, made from wood cellulose, are becoming more popular.

This fabric is now used in both the Saatva Latex Hybrid mattress and the Helix Midnight Luxe mattress and draws moisture away from your skin, preventing the clammy, sweaty feeling we're prone to during summer nights.

Look out also for mattresses that use cool-to-the-touch fabrics such as GlacioTex in their covers. Such fabrics actively draw heat away from your body, resulting in cooler sleep, especially combined with other cooling materials with your mattress.

Struggling to get to sleep, and stay asleep, because you're too hot? Not only does your body temperature need to drop to regulate the hormones that will help you sleep, but research has shown that heat at night keeps people awake and reduces deep and REM sleep.

It's a issue for many — 57% of Americans said they sometimes struggle to sleep due to being too hot — that's only likely to get worse over the warmer months. One option is shopping a top-rated cooling mattress but, if you're looking for a high tech cooling upgrade for your existing mattress, consider the Chilipad Dock Pro bed cooling system at Sleepme

It's a mattress pad that is cooled (or heated) by water that flows through it via a control unit, with a smartphone app that allows you to fine tune the climate of your bed. Here, we explore more about the tech, how it works and whether the Chilipad Dock Pro is the right cooling option for you.

What is the Sleepme Chilipad system?

The Sleepme Chilipad Dock Pro is a hydronic system (that means it uses water as the means of heating and cooling) comprising a EMF-free smart mattress pad, bedside control unit and Sleepme app.

In an upgrade from the Chilipad Cube, the Dock Pro uses a membrane (rather than tubing) to circulate temperature controlled water through the mattress pad — which fits over your existing mattress and under your fitted sheet — to cool or warm your sleep surface, and therefore your body, through the night.

The pad is designed to absorb heat, and as this warms the circulating water, it returns to the control unit to be cooled again (where the heat being released into the air to stop your bedroom getting too cool).

The mattress pad itself has no electrical connections or wires, which means no electromagnetic fields (EMFs) surrounding it, reducing potentially harmful radiation in your sleep space. Additionally, "Airplane mode reduces EMFs from the Dock Pro control unit," according to Sleepme.

You can control the temperature of your bed and schedule temperature adjustments through the Sleepme App, or keep your sleep space phone-free by using buttons on the control unit.

Design and features

The Chilipad Dock Pro is available in a 'Me' size mattress pad with a hydrolayer membrane that covers half the bed and a 'We' size that covers the whole bed, with sizes from Queen to Cal King. Depending on which size you choose, the Dock Pro can cool one or both sides of the bed to temperatures as low as 55°F and as high as 115°F, offering a temperature solution no matter the time of year.

This dual temperature control is a key selling point for the Chilipad. Even with the 'we' option, which covers the full bed, you can adjust the temperature of each side independently, meaning you and your partner needn't bicker over your nighttime temperature preferences.

You can control the temperature, schedule changes during the night and set your pad to wake you by gently warming as an alternative to an alarm, all with the free Sleepme app.

Or, for an extra fee ($299 $249), you can add Chilipad's non-wearable sleep tracker which uses AI to identify when you'd benefit from a temperature adjustment during the night. In turn, the mattress pad will heat or cool to keep you at an optimal temperature for the best quality sleep (goodbye sweaty tossing and turning).

Like the Eight Sleep Pod 4, this sleep tracker will also produce a nightly sleep score and report, offering detailed analysis of your sleep metrics including time spent in each essential sleep stage, heart rate and heart rate variability (HRV).

How does the Chilipad differ from other cooling mattress toppers and beds?

The best mattress toppers for hot sleepers rely on cooling materials like gel-infused foam, copper and breathable fabrics to dissipate heat. While these offer good temperature regulation, they don't actively cool or heat your bed. They simply help wick away excess heat and moisture for a cooler, comfier night's sleep.

However, the Chilipad offers that active climate control, meaning it makes temperature adjustments based on your real-time metrics in order to increase deep and REM sleep — if you upgrade with the sleep tracker that is. Otherwise, temperature adjustments are in your hands, though you can schedule them through the night.

It essentially does what the best smart beds of the year do in terms of climate control, but at a slightly lower price and minus subscription fees.

For reference, a queen size Chilipad 'We' with the sleep tracking upgrade for both sides of the bed is currently a total of $2,367.15 (was $2,797) compared to a queen Eight Sleep Pod 4 at $2,649, which offers dual-sided sleep tracking and temperature regulation, but the subscription fees are a minimum of $199 a year on top.

You can also opt for the Chilipad Dock Pro Bundle, which for a queen-sized 'We' includes everything you'd get if you bought the queen 'We' on it's own, plus two sleep trackers, 12 months of system cleaner and an extended protection plan. This is currently $2,528.00 (was $3,238).

Benefits of the Sleepme Chilipad

Specializing in active, dual climate control, the 4.1/5 star-rated (from over 400 reviews) Chilipad Dock Pro could benefit many sleepers, from couples with different temperature needs in bed to people sleeping poorly due to menopause. Many reviewers raved about its cooling abilities, claiming it had eliminated their nightsweats.

The Chilipad is a more affordable option offering similar water heating and cooling features to an Eight Sleep Pod for almost $300 less for a queen, and without any additional subscription fees.

As a tight-fitting mattress cover, the Eight Sleep Pod feels more like a part of your mattress, whereas the Chilipad is a topper. Chilipad claim that the Dock Pro only takes 20 minutes to install, compared to up to an hour for the Eight Sleep Pod.

As it's compatible with any mattresses between 8 and 18 inches, you needn't splash on a new mattress either. And, unlike the Eight Sleep Pod, it's machine washable and dryable, making easy work of your mattress cleaning.

Finally, Chilipad say their water-based cooling system is, in general, more energy-efficient than air conditioning units, which is good news for both your wallet and the environment.

Drawbacks of the Sleepme Chilipad

While the cover is washable, the Chilipad Dock Pro does require regular maintenance too, like water filter refills, which you wouldn't have to do with a standard cooling mattress or mattress topper.

While the majority of reviews on the Chilipad site are positive, those who had gave negative feedback noted issues connecting the Dock Pro with their WiFi (and maintaining that connection), and some said that they found it too noisy. While white noise can be helpful for some sleepers, it could keep light sleepers who dislike the noise awake at night.

Some customers reported leaking issues with the Chilipad, though the reviewers generally noted the brand had provided replacements or refunds. Anyone keen on decluttering their sleep space should also consider that you must make sure you have bedroom space for the control unit(s).

Conclusion

We'd particularly recommend the Chilipad Dock Pro by Sleepme to hot sleepers struggling to beat the heat at night, but who don't want to change their current mattress. With personalized, customizable and automatic (if you upgrade) climate control, it will help you regulate your body temperature at night.

However, you must have the $1,000+ budget for this tech-enhanced sleep set, so we recommend you try more affordable methods first to ensure it is a worthy investment for you. Cheaper approaches to cooling your sleep space include keeping your blinds closed through the day, keeping windows open and sleeping with breathable nightwear and bedding.

From sleep headbands to sleep masks and viral vagus nerve stimulators, my job as a sleep tech writer means I've tried my fair share of gadgets that promise to help you fall asleep fast and sleep well through the night.

But what's the one device that I think is really worth your money? A top sunrise alarm clock. Honestly, I've asked the same question as you — is there really any benefit to using a sunrise-simulating gadget in summer when natural daylight streams through your window?

While I can't wake up without one in winter, I assumed a sunrise alarm clock would be redundant come summer. Turns out I was wrong: I'm still using my beloved Philips SmartSleep Wake-Up Light in June.

From elevating your bedtime routine to fighting morning blues, here are the benefits of using a sunrise alarm clock all year round...

5 benefits of using a sunrise alarm clock in summer

You don't have to pack your sunrise alarm clock away during summer. Here's how it can still help you get a good night's sleep and wake up refreshed...

1. Elevates your nighttime routine

The sunset simulation and sleep sounds including with many sunrise alarm clocks are great year-round additions to your nighttime routine.

Personally, I love using my Philips SmartSleep as a reading light before bed. It provides a warm light that gradually dims as I read, helping me feel sleepy and relaxed as I get through a chapter or two.

Plus I don't have to get up or reach over to turn the light off just as I'm nodding off, counteracting the sleep-inducing effects of reading. You can put it on a timer so it turns off automatically.

According to Talker Research, 49% of Gen Z and 32% of baby boomers lean on sounds to fall asleep, and this is where a sunrise alarm clock can help you fall asleep fast.

The new Hatch Restore 3 sunrise alarm clock comes with an upgraded audio library holding more than 60 sleep sounds from guided mediations to sleep podcasts, soothing domestic sounds and ASMR.

2. You can use it as a normal alarm clock

Although simulating natural light is their main purpose, sunrise alarms have audio alarms too.

Even though the gradual light increase slowly pulls you from sleep, many people, including our testers, don't wake up to light alone and need an audio alarm too.

Packed with natural alarm sounds from tweeting birds to goat sounds, or upbeat music, sunrise alarm clocks have many alarm options that help you start your day on a better note than a jarring iPhone alarm sound.

Using an alarm device separate from phone means you can follow science-backed advice and keep screens out of bed for better sleep.

Plus, you're less likely to reach for your phone first thing, which experts say is bad news for sleep. Instead of mindlessly scrolling before your head leaves the pillow, you should get natural light exposure to help regulate your circadian rhythm.

3. Useful for shift workers

People subjected to poor sleep because of shift work schedules, or anyone who needs to sleep at irregular times of day or wakes up super early, would particularly benefit from a sunrise alarm clock in summer.

Shift workers may need to block out natural daylight for them to be able to nod off during the day to prepare or recover from a night shift.

The simulated sunrise can help them wake up gradually at any time of day, preventing grogginess upon waking.

While these people can't help their circadian rhythm being out of whack, the simulated daylight will help their internal body clock understand when to be alert and when to rest, which can help lift their mood, energy levels and sleep quality.

4. Gives you consistently brighter mornings

Heavy sleepers may not be woken up naturally by light coming in through the window, especially on greyer days which, unfortunately, still occur during summer months. The added intensity of light from the sunrise alarm clock can help them wake up.

The morning light exposure also helps reinforce your circadian rhythm, especially if you're exposed to late sunsets that can delay melatonin production.

What's more, the warm colored light from the alarm clock is more likely to boost your mood than grey skies.

This is because morning light exposure boosts serotonin levels, supporting a more positive mood and reducing irritability and grogginess.

5. Helps get the kids up

You may use blackout curtains to get your kids off to sleep at a reasonable time at night throughout the summer months when daylight hours are longer, so the sunrise alarm clock can help wake them up come morning.

Plus, they’re sure to enjoy the different color light options — particularly on the affordable Momcozy sunrise alarm clock available for $49.99 at Momcozy — and fun sleep and alarm sounds included with most clocks.

Struggling to sleep due to allergies? Your pillow might be the last thing you suspect to be triggering them, but certain materials found in even the best pillows of the year are notorious for causing allergic reactions.

So, depending on what you're currently sleeping on, you might need to shop for a replacement. As well as factors like your sleeping position, it's important to consider your health needs when purchasing a new pillow.

And to help you choose with confidence, we've listed the three pillow fill materials most likely to trigger allergies, as well as three hypoallergenic options for you to consider instead. Let's dive deeper...

• Read more: Allergies ruining your sleep? Here's how to pollen-proof your mattress and bedding

3 pillow materials that can worsen your allergies

1. Feathers and down

Feathers and down make up the dream pillow fill thanks to the unmatched comfort and support they deliver, no matter what your sleeping position is.

This is why most luxury hotel pillows feature a calculated blend of both, resulting in a plush yet supportive pillow.

Unfortunately, feathers and down are the pillow fills most likely to trigger allergies among sleepers.

This is because of a certain type of protein in bird feathers that causes allergic reactions such as sneezing, shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing or rashes.

2. Synthetic fibers

Research has shown that synthetic fibers in pillows can harbor dust mites and common allergens at a much higher rate than natural feathers and down.

This mainly happens due to two reasons:

Firstly, dust mites tend to accumulate in a warm, humid environment where they feed on dead skin cells, and synthetic fibers, being less breathable and moisture-trapping, provide just that.

Secondly, synthetic pillow covers tend to be looser than tightly-woven feather-proof encasings, allowing easier access for mites.

3. Latex

Organic latex is naturally hypoallergenic, but what if you're allergic to latex itself?

According to the Allergy and Asthma Network, latex allergy is quite rare, affecting roughly 1-6% of adults.

Latex allergy is triggered by direct skin contact with latex or by inhaling latex particles.

This can lead to irritated skin, rashes, hives, sneezing or a scratchy throat in some individuals, however in some cases an allergic reaction to latex can be life-threatening.

Hypoallergenic pillow materials to choose instead

1. Memory foam

Like the best memory foam mattresses, pillows made with memory foam are known to be supremely contouring, giving you pressure-relieving comfort and support, easing you into a good night's sleep.

While it's man-made and factory-produced, memory foam is an excellent hypoallergenic pillow fill, thanks to its dense cell structure that prevents the accumulation of dust mites and other allergens.

We'd specifically recommend that you choose CERTI-PUR US certified memory foam pillows, as this indicates that the foam is free from harmful chemicals and ozone depleters, and made with low emission materials for better indoor air quality.

2. Down alternative

A down alternative fill mimics the same plush luxury fluffiness and support of natural down, but with hypoallergenic properties.

This is good news for sleepers who want the temperature-regulating comfort of natural down, without enduring symptoms such as sneezing and coughing.

Down alternative pillows are usually manufactured using synthetic materials like polyester and microfiber, which are produced to be at a certain thickness and weave in order to replicated that dreamy down feel.

These are not be confused with the cheaper polyester fill pillows, as they may prove to be counterproductive for your allergies.

3. Anti-allergy treated pillows

Modern technology means that you can now get hold of specialized pillows treated to be immune against dust mites, bed bugs, mold and bacteria.

Such pillows are often made by incorporating additional barriers using hypoallergenic materials, or by putting them through anti-microbial treatment.

A great example would be the Westin Soft Hotel pillow, a top-tier hotel headrest that features both a hypoallergenic fiber fill and anti-microbial treatment.

• Read more: Layla Kapok pillow review 2025

Other ways to reduce your allergy symptoms

If you're a chronic allergy sufferer, choosing a pillow with a hypoallergenic fill is essential.

However, no pillow is 100% free from all kinds of allergens, so you need to shop carefully.

Regular care and maintenance is also required to ensure that your allergy tendencies won't be exacerbated due to dust mites, pollen or pet dander in your pillows.

Just as you'd use the best mattress protectors to safeguard your bed against common allergens, it's important to have a pillow protector under your pillowcase, too. This ensures that there is an extra layer acting as a barrier against allergens.

Experts also recommend washing your bedding every two weeks and drying it outside (if the weather allows), as sunlight has proven effects on bacteria and dust mites.

Replacing your pillows every one to two years is also crucial to maintaining a clean and uninterrupted night's sleep.

I'll be the first to admit, I spend more time than I'd like scrolling in the evening. I do my best to follow a relaxing screen-free nighttime routine, but some nights the screentime gets one over me.

Luckily, I sleep on one of this year's top-rated mattresses and get plenty of fresh air and movement during the day, so this evening light exposure doesn't completely ruin my sleep. However, I'm curious about the impact blue light has on my overall sleep quality.

Online advice around blue light is conflicting. Some sources say it's sure to ruin your sleep, while others say it's not so bad.

So, I've dug into studies and reached out to Dr. Michael Gradisar, head of sleep science at Sleep Cycle, and insomnia and sleep therapist Dr. Anna Joyce to set the record straight. Here's what these two experts want you to know about blue light and sleep...

• Read more: Reading in bed was keeping me awake, but this $16 gadget helps me fall asleep before I can even finish my chapter

What is blue light?

Blue light is part of the visible light spectrum and accounts for about one-third of all light we see as humans.

This type of light influences alertness, hormone production and sleep cycles.

Blue light comes naturally from the sun, the biggest source of blue light we consume, but it can also come from artificial sources like smartphone screens, televisions and fluorescent and LED lights.

How does blue light impact sleep?

Bright light, i.e blue light, interferes with the circadian rhythm by suppressing production of the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin.

When the brain identifies light, it sends signals to the body telling it to be alert rather than sleepy. So, in theory, blue light exposure in the evening should delay sleep onset.

On the flip side, it helps us feel alert come morning. Hence, exposing yourself to natural daylight first thing is a key tip for fighting morning grogginess and getting up and at 'em, which in turn helps us sleep better at night.

The common assumption is blue light is bad news for sleep — and with right reason. A 2022 systematic review by Swiss researchers of studies investigating the influence of blue light exposure on sleep, performance and wellbeing concluded blue light could have negative effects such as a decrease in sleep quality and sleep duration.

However, recent research by The Conversation suggests blue light isn’t as bad for sleep as we’ve previously been led to believe.

Sleep experts from Sweden, Australia and Israel found blue light exposure only delayed sleep by 2.7 minutes — hardly substantial.

Can blue light really ruin sleep?

Experts, including Dr. Gradisar and Dr. Joyce, now agree that although light from screens does delay melatonin release, it only makes a minimal difference. Light from screens just isn’t bright enough to significantly affect sleep patterns.

"For blue light to meaningfully shift a person’s sleep timing, the light source needs to be at least ten times brighter than what’s emitted from phones, tablets, or other devices," says Dr. Gradisar.

Rather, it is our cultural inability to shut down screens at bedtime, as we're sucked into unceasing social media feeds, that impacts our sleep, particularly how long we sleep for.

Research from Dr. Gradisar shows the biggest sleep disrupter is delaying bedtime due to screen use rather than the light from the screens.

"Don’t fear using screens before bed — just time them wisely," he says. "While blue light from phones is often blamed, my research has shown that the biggest disrupter is actually delaying bedtime, not the light or the content from screens themselves."

"Watching TV or listening to a podcast as a wind-down routine can be perfectly fine, especially if it helps reduce nighttime overthinking, as long as it doesn’t cut into the number of hours of rest you get."

Ways to stop blue light ruining your sleep

Evening blue light is pretty much unavoidable in our modern world and, as tech gurus here at Tom’s Guide, we’re not ones to say get rid of your gadgets altogether. Instead follow these tips for sleeping well even after your screentime fix…

Be selective over what you consume

When I do fall into the trap of being glued to my phone in the evening, it's certainly harder to switch off.

Be it catching up with gossip in the group chat, online shopping or a doom scroll through Instagram reels, I rarely come away from my screen feeling sleepy.

Instead I'm thinking about the breakup of a couple I've never met, contemplating whether I really need that new outfit or dreaming of that holiday destination that was made to look oh-so perfect in a 30 second video.

"The problem is that we usually use screens for engaging and alerting activities, like work, reading the news, or scrolling social media; all things which stimulate us and affect our mood," explains Dr. Joyce.

"The brain needs time to wind down in order to fall asleep so some transition time between screen use and bedtime is helpful."

Similarly, Dr. Gradisar recommends podcasts or watching TV for your bedtime digital fix instead of scrolling.

"TV is a passive device compared to phones. Many people fall asleep just fine after watching TV, with some drifting off while it’s on," he says.

Be disciplined around bedtime

There’s no serious harm in using screens as part of a nighttime wind-down routine — television programmes or films are a mainstay in many people's evenings.

But, as Dr. Gradisar's research shows, you need to be disciplined over your screen shut off time before bed to ensure it doesn’t eat into crucial sleep time.

That means having the self-control to flick up the TikTok app or turn off Netflix rather than hit 'play next episode' when bedtime rolls around.

A 2024 study by researchers at the University of Otago concludes we should keep screens out of bed for better sleep, rather than cutting them out in the evening completely.

This enforces a cut off point for screens — i.e. use them on the sofa, but put them down once you get into bed.

Consider blue light blocking tech

You can buy blue light blocking glasses and lamps that help minimize the glare of screens and prevent blue light from interfering with sleep.

I’ve been using a blue light blocking clip light (on sale for $29.99/£19.99 $25.49/£16.99 at Bon Charge) to read before bed.

I've found replacing my bright bedside lamp with this dim red light has been a game changer for helping me drift off immediately after closing my book.

While the scientific studies around blue light blocking glasses are tenuous, our Tom's Guide team have tested the best blue light blocking glasses you can buy online right now.

These glasses are designed to filter out wavelengths that disrupt our circadian rhythms. Be their effectiveness placebo or not, we think they're worth trying if you're concerned about how blue light is impacting your circadian cycle. Plus, they won't break the bank.

• Read more: My phone addiction kept me awake at night — these changes helped me fall asleep fast

Pillows differ in design and build to suit all manner of sleep requirements. While it may seem trivial, lying on the wrong pillow can trigger or worsen neck pain and shoulder aches, having the potential to ruin your sleep.

To avoid this, it’s wise to pay attention to one particular feature when shopping for your ideal head rest: pillow loft. This is the pillow's height, and it can have a huge impact on the support you'll feel from it.

We test the best pillows of 2025 and pillow loft is an important parameter to consider, making each pillow suitable to certain sleep styles, needs and positions. Here's what that means and how to choose the right loft for you.

What does pillow loft mean?

As we've mentioned, pillow loft refers to how tall a headrest is. This is important to ensure your head, neck and shoulders are in a healthy alignment, which means improved blood circulation, reduced strain on pressure points and better breathing, leading to a more restorative night's sleep.

Lying on a pillow that's too low or tall for your sleeping position can impact the balance of your spinal alignment, which can result in neck pain or aches. If you do not properly tend to this at the right time, this can lead to headaches and even serious issues like pinched nerves and injuries.

Top bedding manufacturers agree that the average pillow loft falls between four and seven inches but this, once again, depends on a variety of factors.

What pillow loft do you need?

Low-loft pillows

A low-loft pillow is one that measures up to three inches in thickness. This is an ideal choice for stomach sleepers as it effectively prevents the head from tilting upwars and thereby minimizes the potential risk on your neck muscles, when lying on your stomach.

This is often a position least recommended by both chiropractors and sleep experts because of the strains it puts on various parts of the body, including the neck, shoulders and back.

Stomach sleepers are, therefore, advised to opt for a soft low-loft pillow since a firmer headrest can compromise the alignment and shift your neck into an uncomfortable angle.

Medium-loft pillows

Pillows measuring anywhere between three to five inches are regarded as medium-loft.

Both back sleepers and some side sleepers can benefit from a medium-loft pillow since it stops your head from dipping into your mattress, causing misalignment.

However, the question of whether you should opt for a medium-loft pillow (or something taller) also largely depends on your body type.

If you're a side sleeper with broad shoulders and a larger frame, it is advisable to size up to a high-loft pillow, simply because you need that extra support.

High-loft pillows

Anything taller than five inches would be classed as a high-loft pillow. This is a perfect option for side sleeping, since anything lower can dip your head which can interfere with your body's natural alignment.

A high-loft pillow, on the other hand, can bridge the gap between your ears and shoulders when lying on your side.

It can work well to provide cradling and pressure relieving support to your head, neck and shoulders, reducing any muscle strain when you shift to your side.

What is an adjustable pillow loft and who needs it?

As the name suggests, adjustable loft pillows feature a customizable height and firmness. This can be ideal for combination sleepers who tend to shift between two or more positions during the night.

Adjustable loft pillows are usually crafted from materials like memory foam, microfiber and shredded latex, with a design that enables you to add or remove the fill to suit your sleeping preferences.

A good example would be the Coop Original Adjustable pillow we reviewed, made from a blend of both memory foam and microfiber. It comes with an extra half-pound bag of fill to let you decide your ideal pillow loft and firmness.

What to consider when choosing the right pillow for you

While pillow loft is a crucial element, there are other factors that you need to consider during your search for your ideal pillow.

We have listed the top three here, but you can refer to our guide to how to choose the right pillow for your sleep position if you want to know more.

1. Materials

Pillows are made from a variety of materials ranging from organic cotton, wool, down and latex to synthetic polyester fiber and down-alternative fill. Why does this matter? The feel and comfort of a pillow is determined by the materials it is made of.

Wondering whether you should opt for memory foam or latex? If you're someone who values a plush and cloud-like pillow, down or memory foam will be ideal.

Prefer the springiness of some of the best organic mattresses and want the same sensation for your pillow too? Latex is the right pick in that case, thanks to its responsive, bouncy feel.

2. Sleep needs

Are you prone to overheating during sleep? Do you often struggle with allergies? These are the kind of questions to ask yourself when trying to assess your sleep needs.

Different materials used in pillows affect your sleep in different ways. Memory foam, for instance, is notorious for trapping heat. So, the best fill for hot sleepers will be something more natural and breathable, like wool or down. Or, you can opt for pillows that incorporate specific cooling technology, like GlacioTex.

Similarly, some sleepers will find certain materials worsen their allergies, especially as we're in such close contact with them. Hypoallergenic pillows, often made from wool or silk, are made to resist dust mites and other allergens.

By identifying your particular sleep needs and finding the pillow that best caters to them, you'll be in with a much better chance of achieving properly restorative sleep every night.

3. Sleeping position

A pillow can make or break your sleep. As we've mentioned earlier, your sleeping position is a top factor in determining the type of pillow for your sleep.

There are three main sleeping positions – side, back and front – and many people are combination sleepers who change position throughout the night.

Just as the best mattresses of 2025 are designed to suit specific sleeping positions and body types, like the Helix Midnight Luxe being the best mattress for side sleepers, pillows too can support your sleep style. For example, the Nest Bedding Easy Breather Side Sleeper pillow we reviewed.

You don't need to leave good rest in the rearview mirror when you head onto the open road — from cheap air beds to luxury organic RV mattresses, your motorhome can be a sleep sanctuary.

While only a handful of the best mattresses you can buy online come in RV sizes, this is a rapidly expanding market and in this guide we're exploring the ins and outs of RV mattresses, including cost, sizes and materials.

But before we get started, the most important part of choosing any RV mattress is getting the measurements right, So break out the tape measure and let's get going.

What is an RV mattress?

An RV mattress is a specialist mattress designed to fit the smaller living spaces of an RV.

Admittedly, RV beds often come with a mattress already installed but these are generally thin, inexpensive builds that provide minimum comfort.

A good RV mattress will pair the quality and support features of a standard residential mattress with the necessary restrictions resulting from an RV (size, weight) for a bed setup that will provide better sleep wherever your motorhome takes you.

What's the difference between an RV mattress and a regular mattress?

RV mattresses and regular residential mattresses have a lot in common, including the materials used to make these beds. However, RV mattresses differ from the beds in your home in two key areas: size and weight.

Standard mattress sizes typically range from twin to Cal king (although you can find variations and unusual sizes, including the massive Alaskan king and the wide Olympic queen.)

But RV mattresses need to fit smaller, and often unusually shaped, living quarters. For that reason, RV mattresses tend to have less width and length than standard residential beds. (We'll dive into this more below.)

In terms of weight, RV mattresses are, on the whole, lighter than their residential counterparts for an important reason.

All RVs come with a GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) and / or a GTWR (Gross Trailer Weight Rating) which determines how much weight the RV can safely carry.

That includes all cargo, fuel, passengers and, yes, mattresses.

A heavy residential mattress can contribute a lot of weight to your RVs overall gross amount, meaning you might have to cut back on cargo to avoid exceeding your limits.

RV mattresses, on the other hand, use less dense material to create a lighter build, reducing the weight added to your motorhome.

What sizes do RV mattresses come in?

RV mattress sizes often share a name with their at-home equivalents but that doesn't mean these sizes are interchangeable.

We highly recommend measuring your space and double checking the dimensions before purchasing an RV mattress. To misquote an old saying: measure twice, buy once, sleep eight hours.

Below we've rounded up some of the most common RV mattress widths and lengths but our guide to RV mattress sizes has a full breakdown.

Some specialist stores also offer custom RV mattress sizes, ordered to fit your exact need. These are less common (and can come at a premium) but also a surefire way to get the perfect dimensions.

What to look for in an RV mattress

Gone are the days when your RV mattress was simply whatever happened to fit the space. Nowadays, RVers can find a mattress to suit their specific sleep needs, ensuring a better night's rest wherever you spend the night.

With that in mind, while we typically recommend prioritizing your sleep needs when choosing a mattress, if you're kitting out an RV, a few considerations come first.

1. Size, depth and weight

Measure and measure again before buying an RV mattress to ensure your new bed will fit the space available.

Then double-check those measurements against the dimensions listed by your chosen retailer.

Depth is also an important consideration when choosing an RV mattress. We typically recommend a mattress thickness of 10 inches for an adult but in an RV, a thinner mattress might be easier to move (and less dominating in the space.)

A thinner mattress is also likely to weigh less (although it's not a guarantee, as materials also contribute to weight.)

But depth is a good way to add some coziness and pressure relief to your mattress, so weigh up the dimensions carefully... and literally. Check the weight of the mattress before you buy, so you can factor it into your GVWR.

2. Type of mattress and feel

As with standard mattresses, RV mattresses are available in a variety of types and builds. They tend to be thinner (and therefore use fewer layers) than a residential mattress, but the most common types include:

• Memory foam mattress: The best memory foam mattresses use multiple foam layers to create cushioned pressure relief. This is a common type of RV mattress due to its durability and potentially light build.
• Innerspring mattress: Made using coils, this traditional mattress type is often among the most affordable, although they do lack durability.
• Hybrid mattress: While our favorite hybrid mattresses use coils and foams to balance support and relief, these can be heavy builds, so make sure to check the dimensions.
• Air mattress: Inflatable and affordable, air mattresses are easy on the wallet but can wear out quickly.
• Latex mattress: A growing segment in RV mattresses, latex foams have a bouncy feel and excellent durability, even if they tend to be expensive upfront.

3. Ease of use

In a standard bedroom we recommend leaving several feet of space around the bed and the walls.

In an RV, you might not have this luxury which can make unboxing, setting up and making the bed difficult.

For that reason, we recommend choosing a lighter, thinner mattress for your RV. This will allow you to navigate the bed with (relative) ease.

We also recommend buying a mattress that's easy to clean, so you can keep your sleep space shipshape. A mattress protector is a must for quick cleans.

Where can I buy an RV mattress?

RV mattresses are becoming increasingly common with many of our favorite brands now offering RV sizes alongside the standard collection. We've rounded up some of our favorites below.

We also recommend exploring third-party retailers, such as Amazon, Walmart and Wayfair, where you can often find good deals on affordable RV mattresses.

Camping and outdoor retailers are another good option — check out the Cozyway selection at Camping World — particularly for inflatable designs.

How much do RV mattresses cost?

As the variety of RV mattresses has expanded so has the potential price point — there's an RV bed for almost every budget.

The cheapest RV mattresses are typically inflatable air beds. You can pick up a short queen air bed for around $50 to $150, but keep in mind these inexpensive options have reduced longevity.

Innerspring RV mattresses are another affordable choice, while all-foam mattresses encompass a wide price bracket: expect to pay anywhere from $250 to $950 for a short queen, with depth an important factor in price.

At the other end of the scale are hybrid and latex RV mattresses. A short queen can cost between $350 (for a thin hybrid) to upwards of $1,000 (for an organic latex mattress.)

Should you buy an RV mattress?

Buy an RV mattress if...

✅ You have an unusual bed size: The primary reason for choosing an RV mattress is the size, as these specialist beds are designed for the confined spaced of a motorhome.

✅ You use your RV regularly: If you spend a lot of time in your RV, choosing a mattress that properly fits the space and your sleep needs will make your trips more comfortable.

✅ A standard size mattress doesn't quite fit: We love a bargain — just check out our mattress sales hub — but forcing an ultra-cheap or second hand standard size mattress into a non-standard space risks damaging the interior, causing it to degrade faster. The result? Spending more on a replacement.

Don't buy an RV mattress if...

❌ You have space for a standard size mattress: While you don't have to avoid RV mattresses, if your motorhome has room for a standard bed size, you'll have more options to choose from.

❌ You don't spend much time overnight in your RV: For quick trips and overnight stays, you might be able to get away with the mattress pre-installed in the RV (or a sleeping bag.)

❌ You're on a very tight budget: If a new mattress is too high an expense, consider investing in one of our favorite mattress toppers instead. Measuring roughly two to four inches tall, a topper can add a layer of much needed comfort to your regulation RV bed.

While most of us rejoice at warm summer evenings (hello BBQs and beach days), they aren't so popular among hot sleepers whose sleep routine can suffer at this time of year.

While I'm not an especially hot sleeper, I often find myself tossing and turning trying to find the cool spots of bedding depending on where I am in my menstrual cycle. So, I know how frustrating running hot at night can be.

But since switching to one of the best cooling mattresses you can buy online right now (namely the Brooklyn Bedding CopperFlex Pro Hybrid mattress), I've been sleeping more comfortably, no matter the time of the month.

If you're a hot sleeper wondering whether a cooling bed is a wise purchase in the Memorial Day mattress sales, sit tight. Here, I'll dig into who'd best benefit from a cooling mattress and why Memorial Day is the perfect opportunity to get a great value deal.

5 people who’d benefit from investing in a cooling mattress

I want to preface what I say here by explaining that everyone can benefit from sleeping at a cool temperature. There is a close connection between our body temperature and our body clock, also called circadian rhythm.

As we prepare to sleep, our internal temperature naturally drops and this drop tells the brain to release sleep-inducing hormones like melatonin. Therefore, the best temperature for sleeping is cool.

That said, there are a handful of genetic, medical and lifestyle factors that cause you to run hot at night, wreaking havoc with your ability to nod off. Hence, a cooling mattress that helps regulate your body temperature is a particularly worthy investment for the following sleepers…

1. Naturally hot sleepers

All bodies are different and prone to different tendencies, one of which can be running hot at night.

Having your sleep disrupted by hot flushes occasionally isn't usually something to worry about — according to Gallup News, 57% of Americans experience the same sleep disturbance — but it can be frustrating, and this is where a cooling mattress can help.

The best mattress for this crowd is one that's breathable, cool-to-touch and sufficient at wicking away moisture.

This specialist cooling technology can give a hand in helping naturally hot sleepers reach that ideal cool sleep temperature during warmer summer months.

2. People going through menopause

There's no avoiding the fact hormones causes trouble sleeping during perimenopause and menopause, and this is mainly down to the impact these changes have on the body's ability to regulate temperature.

As progesterone and oestrogen decline at this point in life, your body's internal thermostat finds it more difficult to keep you at a stable sleep temperature through the night, causing hot flushes and night sweats.

But a specialist cooling mattress built with technology like Phase Change Materials (PCM) can aid climate control by wicking away moisture, keeping your sleep surface cooler to touch.

3. People with hot-sleeping prone medical conditions

A number of medical conditions and medications can cause you to run hot at night.

While a short-term fever may not warrant investing in a premium cooling mattress, chronic conditions like sleep apnea, hyperthyroidism, hyperhidrosis and nerve damage are all potential reasons why you get so hot when you sleep.

Additionally, nighttime hot flushes can be a side effect of medications like antidepressants, steroids, hormone therapies and painkillers. In these cases, a reliable cooling bed could be the answer to your sleep woes.

4. Athletes

Fine-tuned through training, people with athletic jobs and lifestyles have a higher metabolic rate, meaning their bodies burn through fuel (calories) at a faster pace. This increased metabolism results in a higher core body temperature which can pose sleep challenges.

Quick muscle recovery is also a priority for active people so they can adapt to training and perform well in sport.

Research shows we spend more time in deep sleep at cooler temperatures — the sleep stage where muscle repair and recovery occurs

Therefore, a cooling mattress is an ideal mattress for recovery, which is great news for athletes looking to optimize their physical performance.

5. Those who experience night sweats

Sweating through your sheets is no way to bag quality sleep. Night sweats are uncomfortable and irritating for both you and your partner.

Whatever the cause of your night sweats, be it menopause or anxiety, a cooling mattress will support you towards getting better rest.

If you experience night sweats, you'll want to look out for moisture-wicking materials like GlacioTex, wool and open-cell structures like coils found in the best hybrid mattresses you can buy now.

Alternatively, opting for latex in the best organic mattresses will prove cooler than memory foam. These breathable, open materials allow air to flow through your bed while you lay on it, cooling the mattress and you down.

Is Memorial Day a good time to buy a cooling mattress?

Heralding summer, Memorial Day is a great time to snap up a cooling mattress ready for you to take on the warmer nights sweat-free.

After years of tracking mattress sales and monthly prices, our team know Memorial Day is the second best time of year to buy a mattress behind Black Friday.

Packed with tech and quality materials designed to keep your sleep temperature at bay, cooling mattresses tend to have a higher price tag than standard mattresses, making it all the more important to make the most of Memorial Day discounts.

We expect to see some of the best prices of the year, unlikely to be beaten until Black Friday rolls around again in the winter.

What to look for in a cooling mattress

So, if you think a cooling mattress will help you get quality sleep throughout the summer, look out for the following features when you're shopping:

• Materials: Natural materials like wool, cotton and latex are moisture wicking and breathable. You can also keep an eye out for specialist cooling materials like Phase Change Materials, Glaciotex and copper-infused foams,
• Open structure: Even though some of the best memory foam mattresses can be great at temperature regulation, looking for more open structures like hybrid beds will ensure proper airflow and a cooler sleep.
• Mattress trial: Any reputable mattress brand should offer you a sleep trial to test out the mattress and see if it's right for you. This ranges from 100 nights to a full 365 nights.

You're most likely to come across Phase Change Material (PCM) and GlacioTex when you're shopping for a cooling mattress, and in some instances luxury cooling bedding, toppers and pillows.

On the surface both PCM and GlacioTex serve the same purpose: to keep you at an ideal temperature while you sleep by wicking away excess heat. But when you dig into the science behind these cooling material technologies, there are some differences that could affect your quality of sleep.

Here's what you need to know about PCM vs GlacioTex, how each works, and what their benefits and drawbacks are for different types of sleeper.

What is Phase Change Material?

Phase Change Material (PCM) is a substance that helps regulate your sleep temperature by acting as an in-bed heat reservoir. In mattresses, PCM tends to be in wax or gel form. The particles are coated with a protective shell and embedded in foams and fabrics without leaking.

PCM adsorbs and releases heat as its particles change from a solid to a liquid state. When the particles change from solid to liquid, they absorb heat and then they solidify when this stored heat is released.

PCMs are often embedded in comfort foams or woven into mattress covers. These materials can be found in many of our top-rated cooling mattresses including the Bear Elite Hybrid mattress, the Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Luxe mattress, and the Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Breeze mattress.

The benefits of Phase Change Material

PCM is a versatile material that can be incorporated into various components including foam layers and fabric covers without major manufacturing hassle.

These materials offer active temperature balancing as they adjust state according to your body temperature changes through the night. This means they can both absorb heat (drawing it away from the body) and release heat (warming up the body).

A study assessing mattresses with PCM using a thermal and perception test showed mattresses composed of PCMs better facilitate human heat dissipation and result in a cooler perception and greater thermal comfort compared to conventional mattresses after 20 minutes of use.

The drawbacks of Phase Change Material

A downfall of this material is it has a limited heat-absorbing capacity. This means, once it is fully liquefied, it cannot absorb excess heat, reducing its cooling effect.

While there is some scientific data backing PCM in mattresses, as referenced above, research is limited at this point.

A mattress that uses PCM may suit you if…

✅ Your body temperature fluctuates through the night: PCMs offer dynamic temperature regulation, meaning they actively adsorb and release heat to maintain a neutral sleeping temperature, which is useful for people who sleep hot or cold at different points of the night.

✅ You want dynamic climate control without tech: Temperature regulating smart beds digitally heat up and cool down, whereas PCM regulate temperature naturally, meaning you can keep your sleep space phone and subscription-free.

✅ You like a cushioning sleep surface: PCM are usually used in foams, adding pressure relief and cushioning for those with achy joints or side sleepers with a lighter built.

What is GlacioTex?

GlacioTex is a fabric made of fibers with high thermal conductivity that quickly and effectively pull heat away from your body while you sleep, keeping you and your sleep surface cool through the night.

These fibers are also hypoallergenic and waterproof, providing a stain and bug-resistant barrier over your mattress.

Some of our favorite best mattresses of the year come with GlacioTex covers. These include the new-and-improved Helix Elite mattress collection and the Brooklyn Bedding CopperFlex Pro Hybrid mattress.

The benefits of GlacioTex

GlacioTex has a lot going for it. It's designed to be cool to touch and hypoallergenic while adding pressure relief to mattresses.

When woven into mattress covers, GlacioTex provides a cool sleep surface, helping your body temperature drop in line with your circadian rhythm when you get into bed.

Thanks to its protective nature and contribution to pressure relief, you'll come across GlacioTex in top-rated mattress protectors and mattress toppers too as it repels allergens and makes your bed softer, providing more cushioning on joints.

The drawbacks of GlacioTex

A commonly reported drawback of GlacioTex mattress covers is the fact they can have a slippery texture causing a fitted sheet to shift or pop off when you sleep on it, which can be irritating through the night disrupting quality sleep.

GlacioTex covers don't tend to be removeable. Even though they provide a waterproof, hypoallergenic barrier, they cannot be removed and put through the washing machine. This means they lack points in terms of mattress cleaning practicality.

While GlacioTex toppers offer a cooling sensation, they may not be firm enough for all sleeping positions. Some users who prefer a firmer mattress might find them too soft

A mattress using GlacioTex may suit you if…

✅ You’re a seriously hot sleeper: GlacioTex continues to absorb heat through the night without a limit, which is better than PCM for significantly hot sleepers who struggle with night sweats.

✅ You suffer with allergies: GlacioTex covers add an allergen-repellent protective layer to your mattress which is particularly useful if you find yourself sneezing and coughing through the night.

✅ You bedshare with little ones: GlacioTex covers offer waterproof protection and spills and stains.

PCM vs GlacioTex: Which is more effective in a cooling mattress?

Both PCM and GlacioTex are effective at wicking away heat at night. However, each has its own strengths. GlacioTex is arguably more effective for super hot sleepers as there is no limit to how much heat it can draw away from the body.

Meanwhile, PCM is better suited to those whose temperature fluctuates as it can absorb heat, hold it and release it back to the body once cooled down. This helps you maintain a good temperature for sleeping which experts say lies between 65 to 70 F (18 to 21 °C).

Either way, PCM and GlacioTex can't do all the heat balancing alone. You'll want to make sure they are paired with other cooling technologies and breathable, moisture-wicking materials like wool, individually-wrapped coils and copper-infused foam to help you sleep comfortably.

It's hard to deny that being wrapped up in the right duvet can give you the cozy sleep of your dreams. But you might be wondering (particularly if you're not from the UK): what actually is a duvet?

Simply put, a duvet is a thick bedding layer composed of two separate parts: the fill insert and the outer soft cover. Unlike other blankets or bedding, a duvet is considered an essential no matter the season or the weather, but getting the best sleep depends on picking the correct one for your sleep environment.

All of the picks in our best duvets guide are designed to give you unmatched comfort throughout the night. However, with the sheer number of bedding options out there, it can get quite confusing about what your sleep really needs.

To make your search easier, we have gone into depth about what a duvet is, the different fill types and more. Let’s now start with the basics…

What is a duvet?

A duvet is a top cover for your bed, used primarily in Europe and made of two separate parts: an insert of comfy filling and a cozy outer cover which comes in direct contact with the sleeper.

The word 'duvet' is of French origin and translates to 'down' — referring to the supremely soft and fluffy feathers found beneath the outer feathers of ducks and geese. This doesn't mean these are just made from down but rather a variety of fills and fabrics (which we'll cover below in detail.)

Even if it is largely similar to other bedding like quilts, blankets and comforters, a duvet is different in terms of the construction and the insulation it offers. It could be said that a duvet provides the highest warmth and loft out of the three.

The duvet size is also better aligned to your sleeping style and bed structure in comparison to a comforter, which typically drapes over the sides of the mattress while quilts can come in various forms like decorative throws or bigger bed covers.

Just as the best pillows are crafted from different types of fills, duvets too are designed with a variety of fills to suit the different sleeping styles and sleep environments.

Duvet covers also feature one of the two types of construction: baffle box and box stitch. Baffle box uses a three-dimensional pocket with scrap materials to lock in the fill, preventing any shift or clumping up, resulting in a supportive and fluffy duvet. Box stitching, on the other hand, sews in all the layers together without any reinforcing materials and can be found in more affordable duvets in the market.

What are the sleep benefits of using a duvet?

A duvet offers a good package of warmth, comfort, support, easy care and maintenance and more. Let's look into each one in detail:

Easy to keep clean

A duvet needs less cleaning than a quilt or a comforter. This is primarily because you'll usually encase it in a separate duvet cover, which can be removed and washed as frequently as you clean your bed sheets.

We recommend that you deep clean your duvet insert up to twice a year. The first step is to check the care tag to understand if the particular product can be machine washed or if it needs to be sent to the dry cleaners.

While it's tempting to overload your machine by washing all your bedding in one go, this is a common mistake which can turn out to be counter-productive. It's important to wash them separately on a cold wash cycle to ensure effective cleaning with minimal wear and tear.

Customizable warmth

Are you a hot sleeper who can't drift off without snuggling up under a cozy layer? The good news is that there's a duvet for every kind of sleeper and the secret to finding your ideal one depends on knowing the right tog rating.

Tog rating is a measure of a duvet's thermal insulation – which determines how warm it can be. The highest tog rating is 15 and this is intended for harsh winters or extremely cold regions. Most sleepers, however, might just need a duvet between 12 to 13 during the colder months.

A 10.5 rating is a common standard suitable to be used during spring or autumn which provides enough warmth and comfy cushioning. A 4.5 to 7.5 tog rating is the lightest end of the spectrum and meant for summer and those prone to overheating.

Of course, if you share a bed but you're unable to agree with your partner on how warm you like things to be, brands such as Eve Sleep have launched zip-up duvets with swappable panels in different tog ratings, enabling you to set each side up so that you're both happy.

Customizable sizing

Unlike some of the best comforters or blanket, duvets are available within the same size structure of your mattress and is therefore more suited for your sleeping style.

Just like your bedsheets, these are available in sizes from twin/single to California king/super king. As a rule you'll find them to be a little wider than your mattress, so that the bed's still completely covered once you're underneath your duvet.

When in doubt, it's wise to size up as you can always create extra leg room and make a plush cozy sleep nest.

Hypoallergenic options

Down may be the most preferred filling but it's best to steer clear of down duvets if you're prone to allergies.

Your best pick if that's the case is a down-alternative duvet made from microfibers (like polyester), mimicking the plushness, warmth and comfort of natural down without triggering your immune system. Choosing a duvet made from organic wool or silk, which are naturally hypoallergenic too, is also another (admittedly more expensive) option.

What are duvets made of?

1. Down

Natural down is the undercoat of waterfowl and is hence considered the most luxurious fill for crafting bedding like pillows and duvets in terms of both construction and price.

Down duvets are considered industry-best since their warmth, comfort and support is simply unmatched. If you're someone who likes a 'sleeping among the clouds' feel to your bed, it's a good idea to pair up your mattress with a down duvet.

2. Feathers

Feather duvets are not only more affordable than traditional down but also flatter and more supportive. These are also typically heavier than down and will therefore suit anyone who loves using a weighted blanket.

3. Down and feathers

This offers the perfect balance of the softness and luxury plushness of down along with the supportive and heavier feathers.

You can often find quality down and feather duvets in high-end hotel chains just like how they pick and choose their luxury pillows.

4. Natural fibers

If feathers and down are a no-no, whether it's because of allergies or the expense, there are plenty of options in terms of natural fibers.

For starters, there's silk. The benefits of silk in your duvet are many. One, it's resistant to common allergens like dust mites and is there for great for sleepers prone to allergies.

Two, it's naturally insulating and lightweight and lastly, it's soft-to-touch and incredibly comfortable. Silk duvets are often on the pricier side of bedding, however. These also require delicate care and are in most cases, suitable only for dry cleaning.

Another natural fiber option is wool; it's almost like a magic fill for your duvet. It offers a complete range of benefits because it's breathable, hypoallergenic, moisture-wicking and temperature regulating, not to mention supremely soft and comfy. A woolen duvet is certainly a good option for those who need a no-fuss design to be used all-year round.

You can also find duvets filled with cotton, which is naturally breathable and temperature-regulating. And of course there are also bamboo duvets such as our top pick, the Panda Cloud Duvet, which is made with a blend of bamboo and nano-microfiber, and is lightweight, breathable and antimicrobial.

5. Microfiber

While the top four we've discussed are all organic and natural fibers, it is undeniable that duvets made from synthetic materials are a good alternative for some types of sleepers.

Microfiber duvets are typically made from hypoallergenic ultra-fine synthetic fibers like 100% polyester, which are comparatively more tightly woven and easier to care for than their natural counterparts.

A cup of coffee can be the perfect pick-me-up, giving you a quick boost of energy on a slow afternoon. But how long does caffeine stay in your system and can it affect you even hours after consumption?

The half life of caffeine is typically around five to six hours but it can be as much as 12 hours, with many factors impacting how long it takes caffeine to leave your system.

This slow clearance means that while the immediate boost of your post-lunch coffee has faded by bed time, the lingering presence of caffeine in your body can still disrupt your sleep.

Understanding how long caffeine lasts in your system can help you regulate your intake. That way you can both indulge in your morning latte and enjoy a good night's sleep.

How long does caffeine last in your system?

The impact of caffeine can typically be felt within 10 minutes of ingesting, although it takes around 45 minutes to an hour for caffeine levels to peak in the bloodstream.

After this peak the effect of caffeine will start to wear off, eventually leaving your system altogether. But it can be a slow process.

“Caffeine takes longer to clear from the body than most people realize,” explains Matt Gallant kinesiologist and sleep supplement formulator. He places the half life of caffeine at around “4-6 hours.”

At this point, roughly half of the caffeine will have cleared from your system. However, the numbers aren't as clear-cut as you might first think.

“If you're a slow caffeine metabolizer or have the ADORA2A genotype, it can take much longer — and even 50 mg of caffeine may disrupt sleep,” advises Gallant.

Factors that impact how long caffeine lasts in your system include:

• Your age
• Your body weight
• How much you’ve eaten
• Certain medications
• Consuming alcohol
• If you smoke

These varying factors make it difficult to understand exactly how long caffeine stays in your body, with estimates for caffeine half-life ranging from two to 12 hours.

Even for those at the lower end of the half-life scale, caffeine will last in your body for many hours after ingestion. This is why an afternoon coffee can disrupt your sleep and why many sleep experts recommend you avoid caffeine for at least eight hours before bed.

The impact of caffeine on the brain and body

Caffeine is a naturally occurring chemical known for its stimulating effect on the brain and central nervous system. It’s considered the “most utilized psychoactive stimulant worldwide.”

“Caffeine has a lot of helpful — and not so helpful — side effects,” says Gallant. “The effects most people seek are the ones that boost energy and improve cognitive function, making it easier to react quickly and stay alert.”

As well as increasing activity in your brain and nervous system, caffeine blocks the impact of sleepy-feeling chemical adenosine. In turn, this makes us feel more awake.

Which is why we reach for a cup of coffee when we’re in an energy slump — but these stimulating effects have their downsides, particularly when going to bed.

“Caffeine can increase cortisol levels and leave you feeling stressed or jittery,” says Gallant.

“It may also cause digestive discomfort, which can often be reduced by avoiding caffeine on an empty stomach.”

Furthermore, research suggests caffeine can limit the amount of deep sleep you get, while its adenosine blocking ability might disrupt your natural sleep wake cycle.

For these reasons, caffeine consumed during the day can contribute to sleep deprivation. The remnants of that energy-boosting side effect means you aren't achieving the high quality rest your body needs.

Common sources of caffeine

Caffeine is a stimulant that both occurs naturally and can be artificially manufactured.

Natural caffeine is found in coffee beans, tea leaves and cacao pods, while manufactured caffeine is used in energy drinks, as well as various medications and foods.

Some common sources of caffeine and their approximate caffeine level per serving include:

Caffeine can often be found in energy foods and supplements, so if you enjoy exercising in the evening, pay attention to the caffeine content of your pre-workout snack.

Chocolate-flavored sweet treats are another sneaky source of caffeine. While high cacao dark chocolate contains the highest concentration of caffeine, even a scoop of chocolate flavored ice cream can contain low levels of the stimulant.

When should you stop drinking caffeine before bed?

There’s no set time to stop drinking coffee but most experts recommend staying away from caffeine at least eight hours before bed. This includes cutting out other caffeine sources, such as tea, chocolate and energy drinks.

Gallant suggests stopping caffeine intake from 2pm and advises if you're still having trouble sleeping to "try cutting it out altogether."

And followers of the 10-3-2-1-0 sleep method avoid caffeine 10 hours before bed, to give ample time for caffeine to clear from your system.

Post-lunch caffeine can help you avoid the afternoon slump but the side effect is often disrupted sleep and next day fatigue — meaning you'll find yourself reaching for even more coffee.

To increase energy without caffeine, try these tips:

• Stay hydrated: Your body feels weaker when you're lacking fluids so staying hydrated can help maintain your energy levels. Next time you reach for a cup of coffee to help with your dry mouth, try water instead.
• Go for a quick walk: Exercise can increase alertness levels through the release of endorphins, sometimes known as 'runner's high.' Or try a quick pilates routine for energy instead.
• Have a quick nap: Sleep-inducing adenosine is released throughout the day but a power nap can help shake off some fatigue. Keep it to 20 minutes and if you really can't put down the coffee, try a 'nappuccino.'
• Invest in your sleep: Turning your bedroom into a sleep sanctuary can help you enjoy better rest at night and more energy in the day. The bed is the place to start, as the best mattress for your sleep needs can transform your rest, while the best pillow can ensure you're supported.

Some sleep experts suggest there are those who can drink coffee before bed without damaging their sleep — although we suggest you tread carefully with this advice.

While a post-dinner espresso might sound like a nice idea, consider if it’s worth the next-day fatigue.

Caffeine can be a sneaky source of sleep problems, but if you are struggling with long-term sleep deprivation, speak with a healthcare professional

Often find yourself turning into a human furnace at night unable to cool yourself down? You're not alone. According to Gallup News, 57% of Americans are too hot to sleep at least occasionally.

Researching for our best cooling mattress 2025 guide, we've tested dozens of mattresses that promise a cool night's sleep.

Yet sometimes people find it impossible to cool down at night, no matter how good their mattress is at regulating temperature, and this can be down to lifestyle choices (such as what you eat and drink before bed) or medical conditions (such as menopause).

Ahead of this Menopause Awareness Month, we spoke to Medical Director at Complete Sleep, Dr. David Rosen, to find out the main reasons why you get so hot when you sleep. We also asked him when you should be concerned about nighttime hot flushes and how you can keep yourself cool in the bedroom.

What's the link between temperature and sleep?

Temperature is one of the circadian rhythm's main impetuses, meaning your body's core naturally cools down when it is preparing to sleep. Therefore, a drop in external and internal temperature signals to the brain and body that it is time to wind down.

Healthline says the best temperature for sleep is between 60°F and 65°F (15.5°C and 18.3°C), which is slightly below average room temperature. Hence, it's easy to see how running hot at night can cause sleep disruption.

7 reasons you get hot when you sleep

There is no single cause of nighttime hot flushes. Many physiological, hormonal and environmental conditions, along with lifestyle choices, can make you sleep hot. If you regularly find yourself too warm to sleep, it could be due to one or more of the following reasons…

1. Warm sleep environment

From an environmental stance, your bedroom, bed and nightwear can be causing your nighttime hot flushes.

Dr. Rosen explains bedding and sleepwear made from synthetic fibers and memory foam mattresses trap heat, making you too warm.

He says that, with good ventilation or an air conditioner, you should keep bedroom temperature between 60-67°F (15-19°C). Opt for "breathable, natural fabrics like cotton, linen or bamboo" and "layer light bedding rather than using one heavy blanket."

2. Hormonal changes

Hormones have the upper hand over many bodily functions including sleep and temperature regulation.

Perimenopause and menopause are often cited as the sources of nighttime hot flushes, and this is down to the hormone changes that occur.

The fluctuating and declining estrogen levels during this phase in a woman’s life impact the body's temperature regulation system.

The drop in estrogen specifically disrupts the hypothalamus, which is the region in the brain acting as the body's thermostat. In turn, women become more sensitive to slight climate changes, often feeling sudden sensations of heat.

Hormone changes (again fluctuating estrogen levels) also happen during pregnancy to support fetal development. In the same way as menopause, this can induce hot, uncomfortable nights.

Finally, hormones shift constantly throughout women's cycles. As estrogen levels drop during the luteal phase, women can be susceptible to hot flushes and bouts of hot sleeping.

3. Medical conditions

From sleep disorders to anxiety and the occasional fever, there are a range of medical conditions that can cause nighttime hot flushes or sweats. Here's why:

• Sleep disorders: Respiratory disorders like sleep apnea can contribute to nighttime overheating, says Dr. Rosen. "When breathing stops temporarily, the body enters a stress response that can trigger sweating and hot flashes," he explains. "The struggle to breathe also increases physical exertion during sleep, raising body temperature."
• Underlying medical conditions: Medical conditions like hyperhidrosis, hypoglycemia and hyperthyroidism all impact body temperature. Hyperhidrosis is where the body excessively sweats, leading to overheating. Meanwhile, the body responds to low blood sugar levels (hypoglycemia) by sweating or increasing heart rate, leading to hot flushes. And an overproductive thyroid (hyperthyroidism) speeds up metabolism, spiking body temperature.

• Mental health disorders: . Dr. Rosen explains that, by activating the sympathetic nervous system and increasing cortisol levels, anxiety and chronic stress can both cause nighttime hot flushes. The feelings of panic trigger the body's fight or flight response. This increases heart rate and blood flow which equals a rise in body temperature.
• Nerve damage: The autonomic nervous system controls involuntary bodily functions including temperature regulation. Nerve damage caused by autoimmune diseases, infections and diabetes can a make you sleep hot as the body's ability to maintain a stable temperature is impaired.
• Fever: Fever-related nighttime hot flushes occur because the body's thermoregulation system is disrupted by the infectious agents. Body temperature elevates while it fights off the illness.

4. Medications

Sleeping hot can be a side effect of medications that affect hormone levels, disrupt the body's thermoregulation or cause vasodilation (blood vessel widening).

Which medications does this apply to? Dr. Rosen list antidepressants, steroids, hormone therapies and some painkillers as potential causes of body temperature rises.

If possible, taking these medications in the morning rather than at night can help you prevent hot flushes from disrupting your sleep, but always consult with a professional before adjusting your medication routine.

5. Exercising before bed

For peaceful sleep you should be cooling down your body before bed, not cranking up the heat.

A study by researchers at the University of Ottawa demonstrates that body temperature remains elevated for as long as 90 minutes post exercise.

Therefore, hitting the gym is not recommended immediately before hitting the hay. Not allowing enough time to fully cool down before bed can mean you'll struggle to drop off as a higher body temperature is not conducive to sleep.

So, consider switching to morning or afternoon rather than evening workouts if you find yourself too warm to sleep. "Exercise regularly but finish at least 3 hours before bedtime," Dr. Rosen says.

6. Food and drink choices

Eating large or calorie-dense meals close to bedtime can lead to heatwaves at night. This is because the increased metabolic activity required for digestion raises body temperature and can disrupt sleep.

You should also pay attention to the afternoon and bedtime snacks and beverages you consume. Dr. Rosen says consuming spicy foods, sugar, caffeine or alcohol 4 to 6 hours before bed can wreak havoc on your sleep temperature.

Research shows spicy foods particularly elevate body temperature during the first sleep cycles.

Elsewhere, science shows caffeine increases core body temperature, which is associated with longer sleep latency and increased wakefulness after sleep onset.

Consuming these foods in the evening shouldn't be an issue if it happens occasionally. But if you find late meals repeatedly disturbing your sleep, consider how you can alter your diet and make healthier sleep-promoting choices.

7. Body composition

Sometimes your natural body composition, specifically muscle and fat mass, can be to blame for turning up the heat while you sleep.

Muscles generate heat as a byproduct of their activity, even at rest. Research shows people with greater muscle mass, therefore, produce more heat. This makes them feel warmer at night and can decrease sleep quality

Additionally, as fat in an insulator, people with higher fat percentage retain more body heat. Again, this rises core temperature, making it more difficult to bag quality shut eye.

What's it like to sleep hot?

In short, sleeping hot is no fun. It makes bedtime a challenge as you waste time frustratedly tossing and turning, trying to find the cool patches of bedding. This discomfort makes it harder to nod off.

Alongside delayed sleep onset, hot sleepers tend to experience more frequent nighttime awakenings as they wake themselves up by frantically kicking off covers.

Despite being bothersome, hot flushes can sabotage sleep quality by disrupting sleep cycles and decreasing time spent asleep.

As a result of poor quality sleep, hot sleepers can feel groggy in the morning and drowsy during the day. This can lead to signs of sleep deprivation like reduced productivity, physical fatigue and difficulty concentrating.

Tips for cooling down at night

These are the expert-approved tips to follow to help you get better sleep if you tend to run hot at night…

Invest in your sleep space

After thorough testing for our mattress guides, we've found the best mattress for hot sleepers is one that is breathable, moisture-wicking and good at conducting heat.

Many mattresses nowadays have specialized cooling technology like foams infused with high thermal conductivity elements or cool-to-touch covers.

The best smart beds even have dual control climate systems that keep you at an optimal sleep temperature all night long. It is worth investing in these beds if you're really struggling to beat the heat at night.

Breathable bedding, cooling pillows and lightweight nightwear will also go a long way in helping you regulate your sleep temperature.

As cozy as thick blankets and fluffy pyjamas can be, they can be also be stuffy — no good for keeping cool and sleeping well.

Try sleeping alone

Sleeping with a partner, pet or child can cause hot flushes as our bodies naturally release heat during sleep as part of the cooling process. So, a bed with more bodies tends to be warmer.

Temperature can cause arguments in the bedroom. A recent study by Naturepedic found 39% of couples sleep separately because they prefer different temperatures.

If you and your partner are struggling to find a compromise, a sleep divorce may be in order. Sleeping separately can help you cool down and stop your nighttime hot flushes affecting your partner's sleep quality.

One well-rested partner is better than none, right? At least they'll have energy for the household chores.

Keep hydrated through the day

Sweating is your body's way of cooling itself down. But to produce sweat (and release heat) your body needs ample water.

Hence, staying hydrated throughout the day can improve overall temp regulation, helping you sleep peacefully at night.

Timing your hydration is key. Leaving it too close to bedtime to guzzle litres of water will lead to more toilet breaks during the night, disrupting your sleep.

So drinking smaller quantities of water more consistently through the day is better for hydration levels and sleep quality.

"Keep water by the bed, but complete most drinking 1 to 2 hours before sleep," Dr. Rosen says.

Take a warm bath at bedtime

It may sound contradictory but a warm bath or sauna session before bed helps cool down your core temperature as it kickstarts the process of vasodilation.

Vasodilation is when muscles relax and blood vessels widen, enhancing circulation throughout the body.

Blood flows to the skin's surface (hence why your skin tends to get red in a warm bath) and heat is transferred from the body's core to the skin, where it can be dissipated into the environment.

A study published in the American Journal of Physiology provides evidence that this thermoregulatory process promotes readiness for sleep. However, Dr. Rosen warns this bath (or shower) should be lukewarm rather than hot.

Follow a nighttime routine

Getting good quality sleep is all about regulating your natural sleep-wake cycle, aka the circadian rhythm. Maintaining a consistent, relaxing nighttime routine helps your body recognise when it is time to prepare for sleep.

Your body is a clever machine and when it is told to sleep (by the recognisable wind down routine) it's temperature should naturally drop rather than spike.

A bedtime comprising of calming activities like reading, listening to soothing sounds, meditating or stretching also helps ease anxiety. In turn, your body avoids the fight or flight response known to induce hot flushes.

Dr. Rosen also suggests using a cold compress on pulse points in the wrists, neck or behind the knees as part of this routine if you find yourself hot around bedtime.

• Read more: The 4-step nighttime routine that helps me fall asleep fast when I have anxiety

When should I be worried about sleeping hot?

Sleeping hot occasionally isn’t anything to worry about. As we've explored here, it could be due to changing seasons, a temporary fever or, in women, a natural fluctuation in their cycle.

However if the cooling tips above fail, you’re regularly waking up drenched in sweat, or suspect hot flushes are due to one of the medical conditions listed above, you may require treatment so best to check with a doctor.

Dr. Rosen says you should consult a healthcare provider if:

• Hot episodes are sudden, severe, and new without explanation
• Night sweats are accompanied by unexplained weight loss, fever, or persistent fatigue
• You experience drenching sweats that require changing clothes/bedding
• Hot episodes disrupt sleep significantly and impact daytime functioning
• Symptoms persist for more than 2 to 3 weeks without improvement
• You have other concerning symptoms alongside hot flushes (chest pain, difficulty breathing)
• Hot episodes begin after starting a new medication
• You're male with no previous history of night sweats (especially middle-aged or older)

From aesthetic preferences to budget restraints, there are many reasons you may consider putting your mattress on the floor rather than a bedframe.

Equally, there are many things to consider before doing so, including which type of mattress it is.

We've tested some impressive mattresses for our 2025 best mattress guide and we'd certainly be cautious about putting them on the floor without proper support and hygiene measures.

If you're upgrading your bed in this month's mattress sales, and like the sound of putting your mattress on the floor rather than forking out on bed frame too, here are the types of mattresses we recommend you shop — plus three you should never place on the floor.

Should you put your mattress on the floor?

Putting your mattress on the floor isn’t a no-go but there are things to be aware of before you decide to bin the bedframe.

Depending on the type of mattress, there are also things to consider buying, like a bed board or mattress topper, to ensure it remains clean and comfortable.

If you're all set and decide putting your mattress on the floor is right for you, first make sure your floor space is clean. You'll need to maintain regular cleaning to keep your sleep hygiene in tip-top mite-free shape.

• Read more: Ditching the bed this World Sleep Day? 3 things you need before putting your mattress on the floor

3 types of mattresses you can put on the floor

There are some mattresses designed to be put on the floor without issues. These include…

1. Japanese floor mattresses

Japanese floor mattresses are rectangular, quilted pads resembling a slim memory foam mattress.

As their name suggests, you place them on the floor to provide a practical, space-efficient bed.

Placed on the floor, these mattresses tend to be firmer than most traditional mattresses.

Sleeping on a firm surface is said to improve circulation, evenly distribute weight and reduce pressure points, making Japanese floor mattresses a good option for some sleepers who experience back pain.

2. Tri-fold mattresses

A trifold mattress (aka a z-bed or folding mattress) is a floor-friendly, thin memory foam mattress that's designed to be folded three times and easily portable.

They are versatile, compact and easy to store, which makes them ideal for temporary sleep setups or small spaces.

By design, they are made for the floor. They are lightweight, making them easier to air out, move and clean beneath. Plus, because they're thin, they don't tend to trap moisture as easily as thicker, more dense mattresses.

3. Traditional mattresses that don't need a foundation

Some traditional spring, latex and hybrid mattresses can be safely used on the floor providing you air them out regularly or add a mattress topper to suit your comfort preferences (we've tested and handpicked a bunch of the best mattress toppers to help you here).

This is because their open-cell structures allow better air flow, meaning there is less risk of moisture build-up and mold.

Hybrid mattresses are also sturdier than memory foam, meaning they can better hold their shape when not supported by a bedframe.

3 types of mattresses you can't put on the floor

On the other hand, there are some mattresses that require a supportive base. These include...

1. Solid memory foam mattresses

Even the best memory foam mattresses lack airflow due to the density of mattress foams. It makes sense, the sponginess of foams soaks up humidity rather than letting it flow through.

Placing a mattress on the floor reduces airflow even more, cutting off the air that would usually flow in below and through the bed frame slats.

This comes with risks. Moisture is more likely to build up in the foams of the mattress, leading to mold and mildew growth, which isn't good news for your personal or sleep hygiene.

2. Extra firm mattresses

Due to the solidity of the floor, mattresses tend to feel more firm when placed directly on it.

Hence, already firm mattresses are likely to be too firm for most people, even strict stomach sleepers who benefit most from a firm sleep surface.

However, firm mattresses are generally recommended as the best mattresses for stomach sleepers and the best mattresses for heavy people.

If this is you, or you're a sleeper who enjoys a super firm mattress like the Plank Firm mattress, you might find the floor a comfortable way to firm up a soft mattress.

3. Traditional mattresses that need a foundation

If you're investing in a cream of the crop mattress, you won't want to jeopardize its quality by putting it on the floor.

Premium mattress brands like Tempur-Pedic and Saatva advise using a heavy duty bedframe, slatted bed base or platform bed frame to best support their luxury mattresses.

• Read more: What is the best bed frame for a Saatva mattress?

Mattress warranties ensure you're covered if your new bed has defects that are the fault of the manufacturer. But if you don't take proper care of your mattress once it is in your hands, your warranty could be void.

Even this year's best mattresses require TLC and protection, and if you don't abide by manufacturers' advice, they hold the right to void your warranty, meaning you could end up out of pocket if anything went wrong with your bed.

Mattresses are significant investments, so the financial security and peace of mind a lengthy mattress warranty offers goes a long way. If you're looking to upgrade your bed in this month's best mattress sales, you'll want to be aware of the following mistakes that could affect the validity of your warranty.

What is the typical mattress warranty?

A mattress warranty offers financial reassurance. It is the brand's guarantee that the product will be replaced, repaired or refunded if customers encounter issues it due to manufacturing.

Each brand has its own terms and conditions, meaning the length of the warranty, and what's covered under it, will differ from mattress to mattress.

That means its important to look closely at the warranty for your specific bed so you know what may void it.

However, these warranties generally last between 5 and 20 years (though some companies, such as Saatva and 3Z brands including Helix, Nolah and Brooklyn Bedding, offer lifetime warranties) and cover any fault that could have been prevented by, or caused by, the mattress supplier.

The 5 mistakes that void your mattress warranty

From the unboxing process to the care you give your mattress, these are the mistakes you can make that mean your warranty won’t be valid…

1. Unboxing it too late and sleeping on it too soon

Mattresses are no small pieces of furniture, which means a mattress in a box is great in terms of practicality, making easier work of lugging it up the stairs and installing it in your bedroom.

However, there are some things to be aware of to make sure you don't void your warranty. These mattresses are vacuum packed and leaving them in this compressed state for too long can damage the mattress materials.

Plus your mattress will need time to fully expand before you sleep on it. Even the best mattresses in a box we've tested this year can't be slept on straight after unboxing.

Though the times vary by brand, most manufacturers state you should leave your mattress to expand for at least 24 hours, some even say up to 72 hours. Ignoring this recommendation could risk voiding your warranty.

2. Not giving it a supportive base

Using a suitable, supportive bedframe or base will ensure you're giving your mattress the best chance of avoiding mattress sags and sinkage, and supporting you while you sleep. A firm, solid surface is generally recommended.

Using a bed base that is not suitable for your mattress, or one that is damaged, can cause structural issues and premature wear and tear, and could void its warranty too so you can't replace it.

For example, a slatted bed base with large gaps might damage even the most durable memory foam mattresses because it allows the bed to sink between the slats.

3. Removing your mattress tag

These tags are often labeled with "do not remove under penalty of law". But, unsurprisingly, removing a mattress tag doesn't make you a criminal.

It just throws a spanner in the works when it comes to claiming a refund or replacement.

A receipt of sorts, these tags acts as proof of purchase and verifies the mattress's new and unused condition, as well as the materials it contains and evidence of who manufactured it. Without this evidence, your warranty may be void.

4. Putting your mattress on the floor

Putting your mattress on the floor isn't a complete no-go providing you put some kind of barrier between your bed and the floor, be it a bunkie board or Japanese flooring mat.

However, some manufacturers refuse to honour their usual warranty for mattresses that have been used directly on the floor or on an unsuitable base.

This is because putting your mattress on the floor prevents airflow, which could lead to moisture damage like mold and mildew that could have been avoided with a proper bedframe.

Brands like Nolah, Simba, Purple and Tempur-Pedic specify that not using a suitable bed base or placing your mattress on the floor can void your warranty.

5. Not rotating/flipping your bed

Taking proper care of your mattress is essential to maintaining its quality and keeping your warranty valid.

Flipping or rotating your bed every three to six months is generally recommended to keep the mattress surface even and maintain its good condition and ability to be supportive for your body.

If you sleep in one position on a mattress for lengthy periods of time, lumps and bumps are inevitable, especially on memory foam mattresses where the foam molds to your body shape.

Each brand recommends a different schedule for rotating, so be sure to check directly with the manufacturer of your bed.

All mattresses benefit from rotation (which means you'll switch around head and foot of the bed). But some mattresses, like the Plank Firm mattress by Brooklyn Bedding, are designed to be flipped, with a softer and firmer side.

Failing to flip or rotate your mattress according to the manufacturer's instructions can lead to premature sagging and void the warranty.

Top tips for taking care of your new mattress

By taking the following tips on board you can make sure you are financially covered if anything goes wrong with your new mattress...

Use a mattress protector

Some mattress companies void your warranty if your bed incurs damage from liquid spills or stains that would make it unhygienic or unsafe to repair.

So using a good quality mattress protector over your mattress will protect it against damage that would void your warranty.

The best mattress protectors are waterproof, hypoallergenic and easily removeable so you can wash them regularly along with your bedding.

With a wide range; some thicker for added comfort and others focused on being eco-friendly or cooling, there's almost certainly an option for everyone.

Carefully select your bedframe

The best bed frames offer firm support for your mattress, as well as increasing airflow to prevent moisture build up and adding to the overall height of your bed to make it easier to get in and out of.

While spring mattresses can be supported by a box spring, memory foam and hybrid mattresses will be well supported by a metal or wooden foundation, which is a base wrapped in fabric and featuring slats, or a platform bed, a metal base with slats.

It's best to opt for slats no more than 3" to 4" apart to avoid any sinking. A smart adjustable bed base is also an option if you want to give your sleep space a tech upgrade.

Follow manufacturer's instructions

Everything here comes down to following the manufacturer's rulebook — they are the ones in charge of granting you a refund or replacement, after all.

Taking note of what is and isn't included in your mattress warranty and reading the T&Cs (however boring that seems) at purchase is important.

Following care advice supplied in these documents will save you money and prevent frustration if you encounter problems with your mattress down the line.

If you've been hunting for a new mattress, odds are you've come across brands bragging about how their beds offer plenty of pressure point relief.

But what exactly are pressure points, and why is it important to choose a mattress that can relieve them?

You'll find plenty of support and relief for your pressure points in this year's best mattress guide. And for those not in the market for a new bed but needing some extra comfort, the best mattress toppers are designed to add pressure point relief to hard beds.

However, before you consider what you might need, let's break down what pressure points are and how the right sleep set up can help you avoid pain at night.

What are pressure points?

Next time you're lying on your bed, take a moment to notice which parts of your body touch the mattress.

Any body part that comes in contact with the surface of your mattress is called a pressure point. Why? Because any body part that touches your bed is the place (or point) where pressure is building.

Your pressure points depend on your preferred sleep position, so a side sleeper's pressure points will be different to a back or stomach sleeper's pressure points.

What is pressure point relief and how can a mattress provide it?

Our guide to pressure relief goes into more detail, but here's the short version: pressure relief is when a mattress provides comfort or support to your pressure points.

For instances, the best memory foam mattresses are designed to "hug" and comfort pressure points with its body-molding foam. On the other hand, the best firm mattress will keep pressure points upright with firm support.

So, which do you need? Firm support for your pressure points or plush comfort for your pressure points? Below, you can find out which is right for you depending on your sleep position...

Where are a side sleeper's pressure points located?

If you sleep on your side, your pressure points will be located in your shoulders, hips and knees.

If you've ever slept on an ultra-firm mattress, your pressure points would have felt hard and uncomfortable against the hard surface.

This pressure can leas to soreness and even aches and pains, which is why the best mattress for side sleepers are plush enough to cushion pressure points in the shoulders and hips.

Where are a stomach sleeper's pressure points located?

If you like to sleep on your front, we've got some bad news: Studies show that stomach sleeping is the worst position for back pain.

Why? Because your pressure points are located in your hip region, which means that your spine can become misaligned if the hips are unsupported and dip into a soft mattress.

A misaligned spine can lead to waking up with lower back pain, which is why the best mattresses for stomach sleepers provide firm support to keep your pressure points upright and the spine properly aligned.

Where are a back sleeper's pressure points located?

A major pressure point for back sleepers is the lower back, particularly the tail bone.

You won't need a firm mattress if you sleep on your back, but it should be firm enough to keep your lower back and hips supported.

We suggest going for a medium-firm mattress, as it will provide a good mixture of comfort and support for your back.

Plenty of the best mattresses in a box are medium-firm, while the best hybrid mattresses combine the comfort of memory foam with supportive springs.

Those on a budget can also check out the Essential Mattress at Layla, our top pick for back sleepers in our best cheap mattress guide.

We're no longer keeping quiet around bedtime. More than a third of Americans can't sleep in silence, with Gen Z having the hardest time doing so, according to new research.

A survey of 1,000 Americans carried out by Talker Research found sleep preferences have shifted between generations. The findings show 49% of Gen Z lean on sounds to fall asleep, while just 32% of baby boomers rely on sound aids to sleep.

Constant streaming, relentless notification pings and endless TikTok feeds means we're used to noisy, over-stimulating environments nowadays, and it seems this noisy culture is influencing our sleep habits.

But heavy metal or political discussion aren't exactly the best lullabies. Fine-tuning our listening and switching to soothing sounds is essential for conducing restorative, peaceful sleep.

Here, we'll dive into which sound tracks are best for sleep, how to use sleep sounds to elevate the quality of your rest and which gadgets can help you do just that.

How can noise help you sleep?

For years we've been searching for ways to block out sound at night. Foam and silicone earbuds are popular sleep companions used to muffle noisy neighbours or a snoring partner.

But now people are getting more experimental and using audio to help them drift off.

There are many ways intentional sleep sounds can help you sleep. First, they can mask more disruptive noise pollution coming from outside your window.

They can also help promote relaxation by distracting you from anxious thoughts, quietening a busy mind before sleep.

Additionally, putting in your headphones and turning on a sleep meditation, white noise or calming music can help you form a consistent nighttime routine.

This routine signals to your body that it is time to wind down, giving you a greater chance of falling asleep fast.

• Read more: Trouble sleeping? Calm just launched a new app with 300 hours of sleep content— get a year free and save $50 on Ozlo earbuds

7 of the best sounds for better sleep

There are certain sounds that are proven to help you sleep. Here are a handful of science-backed recommendations…

1. Nature sounds

Falling asleep to the sound of crashing ocean waves, a flowing river, rain, forest ambience or a crackling fire is bliss for many people.

There's plenty of evidence indicating interactions with nature have a positive effect on relaxation and overall well-being.

A study by scientists at the University of Sussex shows the sound of nature influences bodily systems that control the flight-or-fright and rest-digest autonomic nervous systems, which are associated with the brain's ability to relax and, hence, our ability to fall asleep and clock quality ZZZs.

2. Guided meditations

Our team of sleep gurus takes snoozing seriously. From moon breathing to the body scan technique, we've tried and tested countless sleep meditations (yes, it's a tough job).

Navigating the hundreds of sleep meditations on YouTube can be overwhelming. So, how exactly do these meditations work, and which ones do we really recommend following?

By targeting both anxious thoughts and physical stress symptoms, guided sleep meditations induce relaxation that prepares the body for sleep.

They usually involve the calming voice of a sleep practitioner who helps you focus on the here and now, your breath and bodily sensations so you can let go of worries at bedtime and drift off peacefully.

After testing, we recommend the famous Floating Among The Stars and Sleep Talk Down Guided Meditation by certified meditation teacher Jason Stephenson. These mediations have helped us calm our minds before sleep, no matter how long our to-do list is or how anxious we felt about an early-morning alarm.

• Read more: I tried this fall asleep fast method with 23 million views on YouTube — here’s what happened

3. Sleep podcasts

Many podcast hosts probably don't want you to fall asleep mid-episode. But sleep-specific podcasts are designed to lull listeners to sleep with a combination of quietly-narrated stories, guided meditations and calming audio snippets.

Reading is often lauded as an elite bedtime activity, yet some people can find it too stimulating or demanding, which is no good for dozing off. Hence, a bedtime podcast is a great alternative.

Leading sleep podcasts include Sleep With Me, which features deliberately boring stories read calmly by Drew Ackerman, Sleep Whispers, which, as its name suggests, involves the host reading anything from poetry to Wikipedia pages, in a soothing whisper, and Headspace Sleepcast, which sends you to dreamlands via long, meandering descriptions.

4. Binaural beats

Harnessing the power of physics to help you snooze, binaural beats are an auditory illusion that occurs when two tones of different (but very close) frequency are played simultaneously to each ear through headphones.

The aim of the game here is to slow down brainwave activity and induce alpha wave brain activity. This promotes a calm state of mind, making it easier for you to fall asleep.

You can find binaural beat playlists on both Spotify and YouTube and use them to bag a quick nap during the day or fall asleep peacefully at night.

5. White noise

White noise has been around since the 1960s as a popular sleep aid used to soothe adults and babies to sleep, and there's been a particular uptick in interest in recent years with 73.2K posts under #whitenoise on TikTok.

Likened to the sound of a television static, it blends all frequencies across the audible spectrum in equal measure, creating a 'fuzzy' noise. White noise essentially provides a monotonous backdrop that drowns out other sound.

Therefore, white noise is particularly effective for anyone looking to mask a noisy household, disruptive neighbours or a busy city outside your bedroom window.

After prolonged use, your mind will come to associate the sound with sleep, helping you nod off.

• Read more: What is green noise and can it help you fall asleep fast? An expert answers

6. Chill-out music

Research shows music can reduce sympathetic nervous system activity and decrease anxiety, blood pressure, heart and respiratory rate.

As such, it has physical and psychological calming effects, promoting muscle and mind relaxation which is essential when it comes to getting quality sleep.

The kind of music you find calming will depend on your music taste. But you'll want to avoid stimulating lyrics and booming basses.

Experts, including Dr Mayank Shukla, generally recommend relaxing classical music or instrumental songs as effective sleep aids.

Wham's Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go wouldn't be our go-to sleep track. But something like Conan Grey's Heather should do the trick.

7. ASMR

ASMR refers to sounds that stimulate an autonomous sensory meridian response and are associated with a euphoric, sensory experience.

From immersive cooking and cleaning videos to hair brushing, whispering and chewing (yuk!), social media is obsessed with ASMR right now. But can these sounds help you sleep?

ASMR is said to trigger relaxation, reduce stress and promote feelings of well-being, potentially leading to easier and deeper sleep.

A study published in the Malaysian Journal of Medical and Health Sciences, which used the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index to assess the impact of ASMR on sleep, concluded that ASMR stimulation for 14 days can significantly improve sleep quality.

Finding your ideal ASMR soundtrack for sleep will depend on personal preferences. But, if you're looking for a steer, experts at Sleep.com recommend letter pronunciation, whispering, tapping, typing, blowing and scratching sounds

Combine sleep sounds with good sleep hygiene

For these sounds to have the positive effect they promise, you must ensure the rest of your sleep hygiene is on point too.

This will include sleeping on the best mattress and best pillow for your sleep style and sleep needs. Plus, for the best quality rest, you should follow a consistent sleep schedule where you go to bed and wake up at roughly the same time each day.

Regularly cleaning your mattress and sleep space to ensure it is free of irritating allergens and dust mites is also essential for getting a good night's sleep.

The best gadgets for sleep sounds

Whether you want to listen solo or with your partner, there are plenty of bedroom gadgets for sleep sound streaming. These are a selection of deals to shop today...

Forget the toilet seat or floors, what if we told you your mattress could be the dirtiest surface in your home? Think about it, we spend around 8 hours a day in bed — that adds up to about a third of our lifetime.

No matter how clean you are as a person, it's natural to create dirt in our sheets — whether that be dead skin cells, body oils or stray hairs.

On top of this, putting off cleaning your mattress can turn it into a breeding grounds for dust mites, allergens and creepy crawlies.

Even the best mattresses you can buy this year don't clean themselves. This means regular mattress cleaning is essential to maintaining strong sleep hygiene and a healthy environment.

3 things you'll find in a dirty mattress

1. Dust mites

You can't see them with a naked eye, but dust mites are tiny pests that thrive in warm environments like your cozy bed.

In mattresses, they feed on dead skin cells and cause skin irritations, respiratory issues and allergic reactions — a recipe for poor, disrupted sleep.

Tell-tale signs of a dust mite infestation include a stuffy noise, a dry cough and itchy skin and eyes.

Of course, these could also be symptoms of flu or other allergies, but if you're consistently getting sneezy or irritated around bedtime, dust mites could be to blame.

2. Bed bugs

Bed bugs are pests that lurk in your mattress and feed off your blood.

You might turn your nose up, but bed bugs are surprisingly common. Pest World reports that one out of five Americans have had a bed bug infestation in their home or knows someone who has encountered bed bugs at home or in a hotel.

But, like dust mites, these bugs are so small they can be hard to detect with the naked eye. Plus they're good at hiding.

Therefore, the first signs of a bed bug infestation may not be spotting an actual bug crawling along your mattress.

Instead you might notice clusters of dark reddish-brown specs where the bugs have been overnight, or an iron smell (remember they feed off your blood).

Another obvious indication is bites. These appear small, red and sometimes lumpy and often come in clusters or straight lines.

3. Dead skin

Your skin cells are constantly shedding and renewing. On average, skin cells regenerate every 28 to 42 days.

As our bodies tend to repair and grow while we are resting at night (on top of us tossing and turning in our sleep), our mattresses harbour a lot of these dead skin cells.

Dead skin cells don't just sit on your sheets, they can build up in the cracks and crevices of your mattress without regular cleaning causing respiratory irritations as you inhale them overnight.

How often should you clean a mattress?

While changing your bedsheets should be a weekly chore, you should ideally deep clean your mattress every six months.

There's certainly no harm in running the vacuum over it or carrying out the occasional spot clean in between these deep cleans too.

However, some circumstances could mean your mattress demands more regular cleaning. For example, if you suffer from allergies or asthma caused by dust, vacuuming your mattress more often could help you sleep more peacefully.

Additionally, if you share your bed with your pet (although experts don't recommend it), it's wise to up your mattress cleaning routine to remove pet dander that can cause irritations.

How to deep clean your mattress

Vacuum the surface

Whether you use your regular vacuum or a specialized handheld mattress vacuum with a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter, UV lights and heated functions, vacuuming your mattress should be a regular on your to-do list.

Vacuuming your mattress first will lift allergens, pests and mold spores from the fabric on your mattress surface before you get into tackling stains and odors.

For even better results, you can sprinkle baking soda on your mattress before vacuuming it.

Using baking soda is a non-toxic, cost effect method of cleaning your bed. It will absorb moisture and odor-causing particles, effectively freshening and deodorizing it.

Spot clean stains

Whether from bodily fluids or spillages, there are a number of things that can cause mattress stains as we snooze in bed.

Removing these stubborn stains is essential to keeping your mattress fresh and there are many ways to do it, even with household products you probably already have including white vinegar, baking soda and dish soap.

Make a concoction of equal parts white vinegar and water with a couple of drops of dish soap.

Using a spray bottle, apply this to your mattress, concentrating it on stained areas. Work it in with a cloth and allow to air dry.

Air it out

Airing out your mattress helps prevent moisture buildup, eliminates odors, and allows the mattress to breathe, which in turn can extend its lifespan and create a healthier sleeping environment.

Your mattress can become saturated with moisture as we sweat and expend body oils through the night.

So, regularly airing it out by lifting it off your bedframe and letting air into areas that are usually concealed is super important. Ensure you do this in a well-ventilated room.

You should always air out your mattress after applying cleaning products too to ensure it isn't damp when you come to sleeping on it. This also helps to prevent mattress mold. This is especially important if you own one of the best memory foam mattresses, because the dense structure can trap moisture.

As the clocks turn 1am this Sunday, they will spring forward to 2am, zapping away an hour of our precious time in bed.

While losing sleep is never really good news, there are ways you can optimize your sleep schedule to minimize the impact of the time change.

While sleeping on the best mattress for your body type is key to getting quality sleep night after night, prioritizing a regular sleep pattern is even more important in maintaining your body clock and regulating your energy levels.

But a time change can throw a spanner in the works here. So, we've asked GP and physician, Dr Ola Otulana, how exactly the clocks springing forward impacts sleep and what we can do to make sure we remain well rested this weekend.

• Read more: This '15-minute rule' will save your sleep when the clocks go forward on Sunday — and ‘Bears’ and ‘Night Owls’ need it most

3 ways the clocks going forward will affect your sleep

As one of the key stimulus affecting the circadian rhythm, light significantly influences our sleep.

Our bodies produce the sleep hormone melatonin in response to darkness and suppress melatonin when exposed to light, making us feel more wake.

Evenings get lighter when the clocks go back. Meanwhile, mornings initially get darker than they are now. This can impact your sleep in the following ways...

1. You lose an hour in bed

The time jump as the clocks spring forward means we get one less hour, which for most people means an hour less sleep, especially if you work Sundays or have other responsibilities that don't stop when the clocks change.

The result? A shift in sleep schedule can affect your normal mood, memory, concentration and cognitive performance, says Dr Otulana.

"It can also make people feel groggy and disrupt their natural sleep / wake cycle for a few days," he adds.

2. The darker morning makes it harder to get up

Thanks to our internal body clock and hormone cycles, we naturally wake up in response to daylight.

Just when we thought mornings were getting lighter, giving us more time to enjoy daylight before work, the time change takes away that luxury.

The initial dark mornings when the clocks change can make it harder to get up and out of bed.

Without daylight shining through your bedroom window, your body holds on to melatonin for longer in the morning, making you feel more sleepy and potentially groggy. This might be a good time to invest in one of the best sunrise alarm clocks.

But the good news is that the morning darkness is only short lived at this time of year.

As we head into longer summer days with more daylight hours due to the position of the Earth in relation to the sun, the mornings will be lighter than they ever were before, helping you get out of bed with energy.

3. Your circadian rhythm will need to adjust

The lighter evenings brought by the time change may throw your circadian rhythm off slightly, making it harder to wind down at night as your body doesn't as readily produce melatonin when it is light.

Dr Otulana says the clocks going forward "can briefly throw off the body's internal rhythm" which "can make it harder to fall asleep at the usual time and affect the deeper stages of sleep, where our bodies and minds do the most restorative work."

But he reassures: "Over time the body usually adjusts but this can take several days."

"The key is to not force your body to adapt too quickly as this can lead to increased fatigue," he adds.

How to prepare your sleep for the clocks going forward

1. Prioritize quality sleep now

'Front-loading' your sleep over the next two nights, making sure you get enough restorative deep and REM sleep, will minimize the effect of losing an hour Sunday.

Science shows that sleep quality trumps quantity in helping you feel refreshed, so don't worry about necessarily 'counting the hours'.

If you head into the time change feeling well rested, without sleep debt in the bank, you're less likely to feel the tiring effects of losing an hour in bed on Sunday morning.

Losing an hour of sleep isn't anything to worry about if you usually get consistent good sleep.

2. Establish your nighttime routine

Sticking to a relaxing nighttime routine this weekend will help you get that quality sleep.

This routine should include an activity you find calming, be it reading, journaling, mediation or stretching to promote relaxation and sleep onset.

Plus an effective wind down routine is even more important when the evenings are light as your body won’t wind down as naturally as it does in response to darkness during the winter months.

Your routine may need some fine tuning now the evenings are lighter to induce the production of sleep hormones. You can use sensory cues like calming aromatherapy or music to help the brain wind down regardless of the clock time.

Investing in blackout blinds or a sleep mask, like the SOMO sleep mask, can also help you block out stimulating evening light.

3. Stick to your regular bed and wake up times

Research indicates sleep regularity, which means going to sleep and waking up at the same time each day, is more important than sleep duration for positive health outcomes. Hence, sticking to regular times even when the clocks shift is important.

People who have established a clockwork sleep schedule are most likely to feel the effects of the time change the most as their bodies are most in tune with the rhythm of the 24-hour cycle of the day.

Experts say you should stick to your well-established schedule and your body will naturally shift to the new time frame within a few days. If you're bedtimes are out of whack, check out our guide on how to fix your sleep schedule.

Why do the clocks go forward?

The clocks shift twice a year as a way to save energy resources. In March they change from Greenwich Mean Time to Daylight Saving Time (sometimes called British Summer Time,) and vice versa in October.

Daylight Saving Time is designed to make better use of natural daylight during the longer days of spring and summer.

Moving the clocks forward by one hour means it stays lighter later in the evening, bringing economic, environmental and safety benefits.

Although the lighter evenings may not be great news for people who enjoy an early bedtime, it gives people more time for outdoor activities after work and school.

What's more, businesses can benefit from longer open hours and more custom as people are more likely to go out in the evenings.

The 'spring forward, fall back' time change has been a staple in our calendar for 100 years. Yet many people still struggle to hack their sleep routine around these times in the year to minimize disruption. Hopefully the tips above help.

Pulling the occasional all-nighter can seem like the only choice when you're overwhelmed, but sacrificing sleep causes more problems than it solves.

The longer you go without sleep, the more your body and brain start to struggle. Your reactions slow down, emotional responses become disproportionate, and your attention span almost disappears.

Eventually, your body takes sleep into its own hands, forcing microsleeps to accommodate for your lack of rest.

"Sleep is not optional; it is a fundamental need, as critical as food or water," explains Dr. Leah Kaylor, licensed clinical psychologist specializing in sleep and trauma. "When it is withheld, the consequences are devastating."

What is long-term sleep deprivation?

Long-term sleep deprivation is when you regularly get less sleep than your body needs. This can occur over the course of weeks, months and even years.

Sleep deprivation has a negative physical and emotional impact, as your body and brain aren't getting the recovery time needed.

While seven to nine hours is the recommended amount of sleep for an adult, our actual sleep needs vary from person to person. This means there's no exact number of hours to avoid sleep deprivation.

However, if you regularly wake up fatigued and fall asleep as soon as your head hits the pillow, you might be experiencing sleep deprivation.

Guinness World Records notes the longest a person has gone without sleep is 453 hours (close to 19 days). although due to the inherent risk of sleep deprivation, the record is no longer monitored.

When we asked Dr. Leah Kaylor about the 'health risks of long-term sleep deprivation', she emphasized the dangers of missing sleep: "[Sleep deprivation] isn’t just a personal health matter; it’s a safety issue — for yourself and others."

How long can you go without sleep?

24 hours without sleep: "Far from harmless"

Many of us have pulled the occasional all-nighter, justifying the lack of sleep as a necessary sacrifice. But how bad is it to go without sleep for a full day?

"Staying awake for 24 hours straight might not cause long-term health problems, but it’s far from harmless," advises Dr. Kaylor.

"When you miss an entire night of sleep, your brain and body start to struggle," says Dr. Kaylor. "Your alertness drops, your attention span shortens, and your ability to make decisions or process complex information weakens."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes that going without sleep for 24 hours is similar to having a blood alcohol count of 0.10% — that's higher than the legal drinking limit in the US (0.08%.)

"This comparison is eye-opening," notes Dr. Kaylor, "especially for those who pride themselves on pushing through exhaustion."

36 hours without sleep: "Your body is in crisis mode"

An all-nighter doesn't just mean 24 hours without sleep, as you'll often find you don't get a proper chance to rest until the next evening.

By this point you'll be pushing 36 hours without sleep — and the problems you're experiencing after 24 hours awake will intensify.

"After 36 hours without sleep, your body begins to rebel in ways that are hard to ignore," explains Dr. Kaylor. "The overwhelming urge to sleep becomes almost unbearable."

With growing "sleep pressure" comes an increasing risk of microsleeps: a brief moment of unconsciousness that can happen even when you're occupied. They're particularly dangerous if you're driving or operating machinery.

"Missing 36 hours of sleep isn’t just uncomfortable; it’s a clear signal that your body is in crisis mode, urging you to rest before further damage occurs," says Dr. Kaylor.

48 hours without sleep: "Survival mode"

Dr. Kaylor describes staying awake for 48 hours as a "monumental challenge," pushing the body into "extreme sleep deprivation."

"At 48 hours without sleep, your mind and body are in survival mode," explains Dr. Kaylor.

Sleep pressure is intense and microsleeps start coming frequently. You're likely to find it increasingly hard to resist the urge to drift off.

Dr. Kaylor notes that after 36 hours without sleep, some people start to hallucinate — by 48 hours, your mental fatigue can create a feeling of "depersonalization" and you might experience paranoia.

"Perceptual distortions can make ordinary sounds, sights, or sensations feel unnervingly strange," explains Dr. Kaylor. "Emotional stability is another casualty of prolonged sleeplessness."

"Your sense of time starts to unravel. This temporal disorientation can leave you confused about how much time has passed or even what day it is," says Dr. Kaylor.

72 hours without sleep: "Pushed to absolute limits"

If you haven't slept for three days, the impact of your exhaustion becomes increasingly dangerous.

At this point, your sleep deprivation has gone beyond what we'd normally describe as 'tired'. "Three days without sleep... fundamentally alters how you experience the world," as Dr. Kaylor explains.

"Your body and mind are pushed to their absolute limits," says Dr. Kaylor. "Your brain is desperately trying to force the rest it needs, whether you’re aware of it or not."

Your desire to sleep becomes "nearly unbearable" — as Dr. Kaylor describes. Hallucinations intensify and you lose the ability to think clearly and communicate effectively.

"This mental chaos can feel disorienting and isolating, leaving you struggling to process what’s happening around you," says Dr. Kaylor.

96 hours+ without sleep: "Caught in a waking nightmare"

If you've made it to four days without sleep (or on minimal sleep), your body is crying out for rest. And Dr. Kaylor's advice is clear: listen to it.

"At this stage, your grip on reality begins to slip in alarming ways. The world around you may feel surreal, as if you’re caught in a waking nightmare," explains Dr. Kaylor.

"Your brain and body are no longer functioning in sync, operating on sheer desperation," she says. "[It's] increasingly difficult to distinguish what’s real from what’s not."

How to cope with a period of sleep deprivation

From tight deadlines to sick children, sleep sometimes has to take a back seat..

No matter why you're sleep deprived, the tips below can help you survive this period with minimal disruption, coming out the other side feeling as fresh as possible.

1. Plan naps

A planned nap (rather than a forced microsleep) can help you catch up on some much needed rest, particularly if you know you won't be getting eight hours that evening.

If you're short on time, confine your nap to 20 minutes (factoring in how long it takes you to fall asleep) and have a glass of water waiting for when you wake up.

However, a longer 90 minute nap allows you to enjoy the benefits of a full sleep cycle. While harder to fit into your day, these longer naps can be more refreshing for long-term sleep deprivation.

2. Keep up with your routine

It's easy to allow a healthy routine to slip when you're sleep deprived. However, if you can maintain a bedtime and wake up time, the regularity can result in better quality sleep (even if you still aren't getting much of it.)

And once awake, a routine can keep your circadian rhythms better in-sync.

Getting sunlight first thing in the morning tells your body it's time to wake up. In the evening, dimming the lights helps your internal clock recognize it's time to wind down.

Keeping a routine also means keeping up healthy habits. Lack of sleep can increase hunger but resist the urge to reach for a midnight chocolate snack — stick to sleep-inducing foods such as pumpkin seeds instead.

3. Sleep more (in moderation)

After a period of sleep deprivation you're probably tempted to catch up on all your sleep in one go.

But as appealing as several days in bed might sound, ultimately, it's going to leave you fatigued and groggy.

It's better to pay off your sleep debt slowly.

Research suggests it can take a while to recover from a period of missed sleep. Adding roughly 15 to 60 minutes to your sleep each night helps you chip away at your debt without risking the disorientating effect of social jet lag.

Mattress weight capacity determines which body types can comfortably use a mattress without sacrificing support or reducing the longevity of your bed.

The standard mattress weight limit is around 500lbs total. However, the best mattresses for heavy people are designed to support larger bodies, with these beds sometimes featuring a total weight capacity upwards of 1,000lbs.

Understanding mattress weight capacity can help you find the right bed for your sleep needs and body type. All the best mattresses we've tested have a weight limit and in this guide we'll break down why it's important to consider.

What is mattress weight limit?

Mattresses have weight limits that are used to determine how much weight can regularly be applied to a bed.

The average mattress has a weight capacity of 250lbs per person. For a queen mattress, this typically translates to a total limit of 500lbs.

Mattresses are exposed to pressure as you get into bed, sleep and get out of bed. This consistent compression and release eventually starts to degrade the material, leading to sagging and compromised support.

When you exceed the mattress weight limit, this degradation will happen quicker. A mattress with a higher capacity has been designed to withstand more pressure, for improved longevity (and better support from the first night.)

All mattresses have weight limits but this statistic isn't always easy to find. If you're struggling to determine the capacity of a mattress, we recommend following these guidelines:

What affects mattress weight limit?

Multiple factors impact the how much weight a mattress can comfortably support. This includes:

Material

What's used to build a mattress will impact its weight capacity, with some materials more durable than others.

The best memory foam mattresses are known for their 'hug' — when you press into the foam it yields to the pressure, and when you release it, it moves back into place.

The more pressure applied, the more the foam sinks and the slower the material regains form.

For this reason, all-foam mattresses typically have an average weight capacity.(although firmer foam beds can suit heavy people.)

Latex is often used in the best organic mattresses and this sturdy foam has impressive durability.

High-density latex foams typically have a superior weight capacity than other foam types (and better longevity overall.)

Innerspring mattresses are traditional beds built primarily using spring support. This simple design often results in a lower weight limit but reinforced innersprings can support more weight.

Hybrid mattresses combine springs and foam, with the best hybrid mattresses known for their enhanced support.

The majority of mattresses for heavy people are hybrids and they combine reinforced coils and dense foams for improved longevity.

Build

The majority of mattresses for heavy people are hybrid builds with complex internal structures.

These multiple layers have been carefully designed to ensure the body is supported from head to toe and edge to edge (strong edge support is a benefit for sleepers with bigger builds.)

A mattress for heavy people tends to consist of a sturdy base providing the majority of the support, a transition layer for overall stability and a comfort layer (possibly multiple) for relief and comfort.

In a hybrid mattress, the base will consist of springs with foams typically forming the upper comfort layers.

However, all-foam mattresses can follow a similar build, simply replacing the coil base with a high-density, firm foam.

Mattress height

Mattress thickness doesn't necessarily indicate weight capacity but taller mattresses often have superior support.

This is because these designs contain thicker materials or feature more internal layers. This allows them to withstand higher levels of pressure.

We recommend a mattress thickness of at least 10 inches for an adult, with side sleepers and couples often benefiting from a few extra inches of materials.

Mattress size

Larger mattress sizes have a higher weight capacity than their smaller counterparts (a queen will typically support double the weight of a twin.)

However, if you have a solo sleeper with a bigger build, we don't recommend opting for a standard queen over a twin with an enhanced weight capacity.

Total weight limit refers to the capacity across the mattress, so while your queen bed can support 500lbs total, focusing that weight on one side of the bed will compromise the durability.

Bed frame

It's important to consider what goes under your mattress when assessing weight limit.

Like mattresses, bed frames have weight limits with a standard bed frame supporting around 500lbs to 1,000lbs. This capacity rarely includes the mattress weight, so make sure to include this in your calculations.

Reinforced bed frames have a higher weight capacity, often upwards of 1,000lbs. These tend to be platform frames, which provide a firm, stable base to your mattress.

Why is mattress weight limit important?

1. Durability

The average mattress will last for around six to 10 years. However, exceeding the mattress weight limit can drastically shorten the lifespan of your bed.

Sleeping on a mattress places strain on the interior materials, which over time will lead to sagging. As your mattress ages you might notice the springs are squeaking and the foams start to show indentations.

When you exceed the limit, you increase the burden on the mattress. This causes the materials to degrade faster, reducing the lifespan.

2. Support

Supportive mattresses hold your body in a comfortable position throughout the night, to avoid stressing the muscles. Mattresses with poor support, on the other hand, allow you to 'sag' into the bed.

The heavier you are, the more pressure you place on the mattress and the more you sink through the materials.

This excess sink forces the spine out of alignment and can result in serious aches and pains. The best mattresses for back pain typically feature enhanced lumbar support.

Mattresses with higher weight capacities are designed to support heavier body types, meaning the sturdy interior pushes back against sink to keep your lumbar at a neutral angle.

But a mattress with a low weight capacity won't offer the same resistance to pressure.

And as well as sinking into the bed, you'll find the supportive layers wear out quicker. So even though the mattress initially felt comfortable, after a few months you might start to wake up with back pain.

3. Warranty

In some cases, exceeding the mattress weight limit can void the warranty.

A mattress warranty typically covers manufacturing defects and excessive sagging (beyond the usual wear and tear.)

Exceeding the weight capacity will put additional strain on the mattress, often resulting in damage not covered by the warranty.

It also means that if a fault outside your control appears, you might have forfeited your right to claim a refund.

What to consider when choosing a mattress for your weight

By understanding the mattress weight capacity you need, you can focus on choosing a mattress for your sleep preferences, not just your body type.

Mattresses for heavy people is a growing market, with more choices than ever for heavier sleepers. Here are the key factors to consider:

• Total occupancy: Share a bed? Whether its your partner, kids, pets or all three, your mattress should support everyone who sleeps on it.
• Pressure relief: A mattress should distribute weight evenly to prevent pressure build-up. Comfort layers are primarily responsible for relief, with side sleepers needing more cushioning than other sleep styles.
• Support: If you're a stomach or back sleeper, extra support at the lumbar helps maintain the natural curve of your spine.
• Edge support: A strong perimeter allows you to use the entire mattress surface — and it means you can sit on the side without feeling like you'll slide off.
• Temperature regulation: Avoid sweaty mornings by investing in the best cooling mattress.
• Price: Mattresses for bigger builds are often premium designs due to high quality of materials, but the market is expanding to include more mid-range models. And you can often save with mattress sales.

We all know someone who falls asleep as soon as their head hits the pillow but how quickly we go from being awake to entering the land of nod can affect our health.

Sleep latency is the term that describes the time it takes you to fall asleep. It’s thought that on average, we generally take around 10 to 20 minutes to go from awake to asleep.

You might find that you occasionally go to sleep even quicker than this, however, when you’re feeling especially tired. You might also find that when you’re stressed or feeling under the weather, it takes a little longer to drift off. Both of these can happen from time to time.

But regularly going to sleep fast or taking a while to fall asleep could indicate there are lifestyle factors that are affecting your ability to sleep well.

We're exploring exactly what sleep latency is, and ask Denise Iordache, a qualified hypnotherapist with a Diploma in Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapy, accredited by The British Psychological Society who specialises in helping women overcome insomnia, what a normal sleep latency is and what affects the time it takes to fall asleep.

What is sleep latency?

Also known as sleep onset latency, sleep latency is the time it takes you to transition from being fully awake to falling asleep.

“We care about and measure sleep latency because it’s an essential indicator of overall sleep health, and it provides insight into how well your body and mind are prepared for rest night after night,” explains Denise Iordache, sleep therapist and founder of JoySpace Therapy.

“Monitoring and improving your sleep latency is crucial for achieving restorative sleep and maintaining your mental and physical health,” she adds.

What’s a normal sleep latency?

Normal sleep latency typically falls between 10 to 20 minutes and if you regularly drift off within this timeframe, it’s good news for your health, says Denise.

“Falling asleep within 10 to 20 minutes suggests your daily routines (such as diet, managing stress and keeping active), plus your sleep environment and your habits and attitudes towards sleep are aligned with your body’s natural rhythms.”

If you go to sleep very quickly, this can be a sign of sleep deprivation. It can indicate that you aren’t getting enough quality sleep and due to this, your body and mind are extra tired.

When you take longer to fall asleep, this can affect your sleep quality and you may feel sluggish the next day because you didn’t get a good enough rest.

“Taking longer than 20 minutes to fall asleep could be a sign of stress, anxiety, or sleep issues such as onset insomnia that would need to be addressed,” Denise advises.

If you do struggle to fall asleep after 20 minutes of trying, then you may want to try the 20-minute sleep rule: get out of bed, perform a low-energy activity (such as reading a book or folding clothes)m, and then go back to bed when you feel tired enough.

What affects sleep latency?

Your sleep latency can be affected from one night to another for a variety of reasons, including your lifestyle and habits. Here are the most common contributors.

Stress

“Stress and anxiety are often seen as primary contributors as they keep the mind active and prevent relaxation,” Denise explains.

“This then makes it more difficult to transition to sleep. You cannot force yourself to fall asleep, just as much as you cannot make yourself relax, so trying to fall asleep when your mind and body feels wired or on edge becomes very difficult.”

Alcohol and diet

While alcohol might help you to fall asleep faster, it also disrupts the quality of your sleep. For example, by reducing deep sleep stages and causing you to wake frequently through the night.

Eating a heavy meal close to bedtime can also disrupt your sleep cycles as well as cause digestive discomfort.

Be mindful of your caffeine intake too, Denise advises.

“Caffeine can affect your sleep quality, particularly when it is consumed late in the day. That’s because caffeine works by stimulating the brain so this makes it harder to wind down.”

Naps

A well-timed nap can be great for improving daytime alertness and mental performance but how long you rest for can directly affect your sleep latency.

Brief naps of around 20 minutes provide a focus boost without impacting on how quickly you fall asleep. But nap for any longer than this and you could find it takes more time to drift off.

Another consideration is the timing of your nap. Just after lunch or early afternoon is ideal as experts suggest any later than 3pm will affect your ability to sleep that night.

Sleep debt

Regularly not getting enough rest can lead to lost sleep accumulating over time and this can have a knock-on effect with your sleep latency. This happens when you sleep for less than normal for multiple nights in a row.

Typically, this starts with going to bed late and still having to get up early. Maintaining a regular sleep and wake routine and winding down before you retire to bed can help avoid sleep debt.

While mattress testing and reviewing underpins all of our sleep coverage at Tom's Guide, pillow testing is a natural extension of that. When testing a pillow, we rate it against key performance indicators, such as head and neck support, firmness, temperature control and overall comfort.

Based on our in-house review scores and user feedback across popular retailers, a pillow may then make it into our guide to the best pillows of the year, which is a carefully curated list of products picked and reviewed by our team of sleep experts. This pillow guide works in tandem alongside our guide to the best mattress for all budgets and sleep needs, helping you to curate an optimal sleep set up.

We select top-rated pillows for testing based on market research. Each pillows is then put through rigorous testing over two week period to evaluate its performance. Here's an overview of our pillow testing process...

Why are pillows important?

We all know how crucial sleep is for our overall wellbeing. 1 in 3 US adults admit to not getting enough rest, which can lead to sleep deprivation. The short and long term side effects of sleep deprivation include impaired cognitive ability and heightened risk of cardiac disease.

While sleeping on the right pillow for your sleep needs alone isn't enough to ensure you're getting adequate quality rest, it is an excellent place to start. Alongside sleeping on the right mattress for your sleep style, your pillow contributes to creating the right environment for your body to relax and have a peaceful slumber all night.

Our approach in testing pillows

While our in-house pillow testers and freelance reviewers sleep on every pillow to gauge how it feels, we also rely on quantitative data to try and understand if the product performs as each brand claims.

Our reviewers sleep on each pillow for two weeks. This is how long it will take to adjust to a new pillow and study its comfort, quality and support level. Since each person’s experience of using a pillow is different, we also invite a panel of testers of varied weights, heights and sleeping preferences to sleep on a pillow using individual pillow cases to ensure we do not compromise on hygiene.

We also analyze thousands of user reviews online to know how the customers find a pillow and their common concerns, if any, so our readers can make informed decisions about their new pillow purchase.

How we collect pillow testing data

• In-house pillow testing
• User reviews across retailer websites
• Bedding manufacturers

Here are the different parameters we consider when reviewing a pillow…

Pillow performance rating

We use a score system of 1-5 to evaluate pillow performance:

1: Poor
2: Unsatisfactory
3: Satisfactory
4: Good
5: Outstanding

The final score awarded to a pillow is calculated by finding the mean score across the following areas of performance:

1. Setup

Each pillow gets a score based on the shipping process, packaging and ease of setting it up ready for sleep. The first step is to monitor if the delivery takes anything more than the recommended period (which is usually up to 5-8 business days for pillows and bedding for most brands.)

Great packaging according to us is one with minimal impact to the pillow factoring in environmental and social responsibility (if its recyclable or reusable.)

While pillows are easier to set up than mattresses, we look into the expansion time and off-gassing depending on the materials used in production.

2. Comfort and support

Ultimately, it all rests on how comfortable a pillow is to sleep on. This is why we explore the performance of a pillow in two ways:

• A sink test: We place a kettle bell weighing 10lb (roughly the average weight of an adult head) onto the pillow. We then leave it for five minutes and time how long it takes to return to its original shape.
• Lying on the pillow: Each reviewer spends five minutes per sleep position (side, back and stomach), leaving two minutes between each position, and monitoring its comfort and support per sleep position.

3. Spinal alignment

It's important that a pillow helps maintain the neutral spinal alignment irrespective of the sleeping position it's crafted for. We determine this by placing a row of sticky black dots along the spine to track the spinal alignment when lying on the pillow. When we can, we also aim to use the same mattress during pillow testing since the mattress you sleep on can significantly impact your spinal alignment.

4. Temperature regulation

The temperature regulating properties of a pillow is a key indicator to determine if it suits a hot sleeper or not. In addition to sleeping on it night after night over the two-week testing period, we also subject each pillow to a temperature-control test.

For this, we first check the temperature of both the pillow surface and the testing room. We then lie on the pillow for a period of five minutes. Following this, we take a reading of the surface of the pillow. A pillow with a breathable, moisture-wicking and cooling cover in addition to the heat-transfer design will earn the highest score out of 5.

5. Build and quality

We all know that pillow needs replacing every one to two years, but depending on the type of the fill and design, the quality and durability of a pillow will differ. We track these by observing how a pillow maintains the shape and support during the two week testing period. We do this by checking if the pillow needs regular fluffing (which indicates that it tends to lose shape frequently) and if the fill is hypoallergenic and safe to be used by all sleepers.

6. Care and maintenance

Lastly, we rate a pillow for ease of care and maintenance out of a total score of 5. Our reviewer checks if the pillow is machine-washable and the time it takes to dry, if it is. We also look into whether it retains its shape and support after being washed and dried.

We go through this maintenance process keeping in mind that only specific types of pillows can be washed in the washing machine like feather or down while others either need to be spot cleaned or vacuumed (memory foam pillows for instance) regularly to deliver a refreshing and clean sleep every night.

As mattress manufacturers turn to innovative cooling solutions to help the 57% of Americans who run hot at night sleep better, graphite is becoming a popular mattress materials.

With high thermal conductivity and natural fire retardant properties, there's a strong case for infusing mattresses with graphite. Many of the best mattresses we've tested feature added temperature regulation, and brands such as Saatva, athlete-endorsed Zoma and organic Avocado all use graphite for cooling.

But how exactly does graphite work in mattresses and do all the best cooling mattresses need it? Let's take a look...

What is graphite in mattresses?

In mattresses, graphite is used as a thermal conductor and natural flame retardant, helping dissipate heat, regulate temperature and generally provide a more comfortable, safer sleep environment.

Graphite ribbons or powder can be woven into mattress foams or added as a separate layer. Any graphite layers need to sit near the top of the mattress, to effectively draw heat away from the body and disperse it.

Besides climate control, graphite is also used as a naturally derived fire barrier. with an impressive safety rating (alternative retardant fiberglass comes with health risks.)

When in contact with fire, graphite expands and absorbs oxygen. By removing the oxygen from the fire, graphite prevents burning.

How does graphite keep you cool?

Graphite is a natural mineral with high thermal conductivity properties, meaning it can take in heat from the body and send it elsewhere.

When it senses heat, graphite absorbs this warmth before conducting it towards cooler areas of the mattress. This balances temperature across your sleep surface to prevent overheating in certain areas.

Due to the density of the material, memory foam has a habit of holding onto heat. For that reason, many of the best memory foam mattresses use graphite-infused foams to add temperature regulation that would otherwise be non-existent.

Latex foams are already breathable thanks to the natural ventilation properties of the material. However, graphite infusions can be used to enhance the inherent cooling.

Cooling mattresses with graphite

Graphite is used in many of our favorite cooling mattresses and mattress toppers from leading sleep brands. Here is a selection of beds and toppers with graphite:

• Zoma Boost Mattress
• Avocado Vegan Mattress
• Saatva Graphite mattress topper

Alternatives to graphite in cooling mattresses

There are many cooling materials and technologies in mattress manufacturers' tool belt, to help sleepers regulate their body temperature overnight. Here are five common cooling alternatives to graphite:

1. Copper foam

Similar to graphite, copper is a high-conductivity element that is infused in mattress foams to aid cooling and enhance sleep hygiene.

Thanks to the thermal conductivity of the element, copper can draw heat from the body and disperse it, so warmth is able to leave through the mattress surface.

Copper is also naturally antimicrobial, meaning it stops dust mites and allergens from harboring in your bed.

Mattresses known for their use of copper for include the Brooklyn Bedding CopperFlex mattress and our top rated cooling mattress; the Bear Elite Hybrid mattress.

2. Smart cooling technology

The best smart beds you can shop right now come complete with cutting edge technology targeting common sleep woes, one of which is temperature regulation.

Temperature regulating smart beds are often fitted with water or fan based cooling systems, paired with temperature tracking sensors. When the sensors notice your body heat rising, they increase the cooling to ensure you stay at an optimal sleep temperature all night long, getting the best quality sleep possible.

3. GlacioTex

GlacioTex is a fabric woven of fibers with high thermal conductivity that work to transfer heat away from your body and the air.

GlacioTex fabric is often used in mattress covers so the bed remains cool to touch. We've found it to be an effective cooling fabric, albeit a littler slippery.

This material is found in many top-performing cooling mattresses and mattress protectors including the Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Luxe Hybrid Mattress and Nolah GlacioTex Cooling Mattress Protector.

4. Open cell structures and materials

Mattresses with open spring structures are naturally more cooling than all foam mattresses, as air can freely flow through the springs to improve heat dispersion and temperature regulation.

The best hybrid mattresses contain individually encased coils. These open coils have space for warm air from the body to pass through and be released the other side, helping heat to escape the mattress.

In some cases, hybrid mattresses will pair the breathable springs with heat conducting materials, such as graphite infused foams.

Other naturally breathable mattress materials include wool and cotton. These are used in the best organic mattresses and have a looser weave, allowing for better air circulation.

5. Celliant

Celliant is a thermo-reactive synthetic fiber that captures body heat and converts into infrared energy.

While most cooling materials trap and disperse heat into cold patches, Celliant does things a little differently. It holds this heat and releases it back to the body when you cool down. By doing so, it helps you regulate your body temperature.

The infrared energy also promotes blood circulation, aiding muscle recovery. Celliant is primarily used in the Bear Elite Hybrid, making it a popular mattress among athletes, as well as hot sleepers.

Does every cooling mattress need graphite?

Graphite sits among a catalog of mattress cooling methods, offering a scientifically-backed cooling solution. However, it is not the only means of temperature regulation in mattresses, so not all cooling mattresses need it.

The other cooling methods discussed above offer ample cooling on their own, or they can be used in conjunction with each other, or with graphite, for extra climate control.

Check out our guide on what to look for when buying in a cooling mattress for more information on how to buy mattress to handle your night sweats, hot flushes, or warm nights.

To celebrate Sleep Awareness Week 2025, we're looking at ways we can take care of our sleep and mattresses.

Thinking about putting your mattress on your bedroom floor? You should certainly think twice before handing your bedframe over to the scrap man.

Sleeping on the best mattress for your sleep style and body weight is key to getting quality sleep. But your mattress needs a solid foundation just as much as your sleeping body does and putting it directly on the floor comes with caution.

So, we're diving into whether it's really a good idea to start sleeping on your mattress on the floor and what you'll need to ensure you keep getting quality sleep.

Should you put your mattress on the floor?

An increasing number of people are shunning bed frames altogether in favour of the paired back aesthetic of a mattress directly on the floor.

While there are some benefits to this, there are a number of things to be cautious of too.

The decreased airflow when your bed sits on a solid surface as opposed to an airy bed frame means it can quickly become a breeding ground for the dreaded bedroom mold.

Whether you have carpet or hard flooring, your mattress will also be sitting closer to allergens and dust mites which can cause irritations while you sleep and damage your sleep hygiene.

But providing you put accessories in place to help temperature regulation and support, and prevent creepy crawlies joining you in bed, there is no serious harm involved in sleeping on a mattress on the floor.

3 things you need before putting your mattress on the floor

If you're deciding between a mattress on the floor vs a bed frame, you should know that there are accessories you need to buy to make sure your mattress remains durable, supportive and comfortable if you go with the former option.

1. A barrier between the floor and your mattress

Firstly, to prevent mold and allergens building up in your mattress you need a hygienic barrier between your bed and the floor. This could be a tatami mat or bunkie board.

A tatami mat is a traditional Japanese flooring mat made with a rice straw core and a woven grass cover. The mat sits under the mattress on the floor to add comfort and absorb moisture build-up.

Alternatively, a bunkie board is a thin, flat wood board. It can provide essential support, prevent sagging and lumps forming, ensure a firmer feel and more support and potentially prolong the mattress' lifespan when on the floor.

2. A mattress topper

Even the best memory foam mattresses will feel firmer when placed directly on the floor than they would on the slats of a bed frame.

So, you may find your mattress suddenly feels too firm for your liking especially if you're lighter than average or a side sleeper.

Therefore, a plush mattress topper can help add more cushioning. The best mattress toppers are complete with contouring comfort and ample pressure relief to help you sleep more comfortably on your mattress on the floor.

We particularly recommend a mattress topper with additionally cooling technology like a GlacioTex cover, copper infusions or phase change materials which can regulate your temperature throughout the night (more on why below.)

• Read more: I used a bed topper as a mattress — here’s 5 things I want you to know before doing the same

3. Cooling bed sheets

Cooling bedsheets become even more important for maintaining a comfortable and healthy sleep environment when you sleep on a mattress on the floor.

Mattresses placed directly on the floor have little ventilation as air cannot flow under them like it would with a open-slat bed frame.

This means they can trap heat, making your sleep surface warmer. To offset this, think about buying bed sheets that are breathable and cooling that will stop you overheating through the night.

Cooling bedsheets also tend to be hypoallergenic, which is good news if you have allergies, which, being on the floor, you will be closer to.

Are there any benefits of sleeping on the floor?

There's obviously a reason so many people are opting to put their mattress on the floor as opposed to a bed frame, so what are the benefits of this sleep set up?

Firstly, minimalist interior design is all the rage right now, down to its ability to reduce stress and improve mental clarity while offering better space utilization and easier maintenance.

Hence, decluttering your bedroom can improve your sleep quality. The stripped-back aesthetic of a mattress on the floor offers this minimalist appeal.

Moreover, putting your mattress on the floor makes it feel firmer as the solid floor surface is more sturdy than a slatted bedframe, making the mattress more responsive. This can be useful if you find your mattress is too soft to properly support your spine leading to back aches and pains.

Finally, if you're revamping your bedroom on a budget, sacrificing a bed frame is an easy way to save your dollars.

Other things to consider when putting your mattress on the floor

Beyond these sleep accessories, there are still a few more things to consider before you decide to switch to floor sleeping...

• Check your mattress warranty: Some manufacturers void your warranty if you put your mattress on the floor on the premise that it is an improper support surface, potentially leading to premature wear, damage or moisture issues.
• Ensure you lift and air your mattress regularly: Moisture can quickly build up between your mattress and the floor as air circulation is reduced. Regularly lifting your mattress with your bedroom windows open will ensure this moisture has a chance to dry out, so you can avoid mold and mildew.
• Regularly vacuum: Cleaning your sleep space is especially important when your mattress is on the floor as it is more prone to bed bugs, dust mites and allergens. Vacuuming your mattress, along with steaming, will make sure your bed remains bug-free.