Will putting your mattress on the floor help you sleep cooler? I'm a sleep writer, here's what I think

Mattress with white sheets is placed directly on the floor against an open window
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Summer has arrived, bringing with it uncomfortably hot nights and disrupted sleep. If you’re struggling to beat the heat and it’s impacting your slumber, you might be wondering if placing your mattress on the floor will help keep you cool. The short answer is yes. The long answer is… yes, but I still wouldn’t — and I’ll explain why below. 

The best mattresses all boast some degree of temperature regulation. However, heat waves and hot flashes often require specialist cooling technology. And if you don’t have that, you might be exploring other ways to cool down fast. 

Placing your mattress on the floor can have cooling benefits, as hot air rises while cool air lingers closer to ground level. However, placing your mattress directly on the floor has some drawbacks, including being more susceptible to mold and mildew and closer to allergens like dust mites. Here, I'll explore in closer detail why placing your mattress directly on the floor isn't recommended, plus outline other ways to sleep cool this summer. 

Does placing your mattress on the floor help you sleep cooler?  

In theory, placing your mattress directly on the floor does help you stay cool. That’s because hot air rises, while cool air lingers close to the ground. So by placing your mattress on the floor, you are sleeping in the coolest part of the room. 

However, bed frames and foundations elevate your mattress off the ground, helping air to circulate beneath the bed. By placing your mattress directly on the ground, it’s more likely to trap heat due to the reduced airflow. This means that even though you’re sleeping in the coolest part of your bedroom, your bed will still overheat when your mattress is on the floor. 

Why you shouldn't place your mattress on the floor

A man sits on a mattress on the floor

(Image credit: Getty)

Most mattresses made today are designed to be used in conjunction with a bed frame or foundation, but where you place your mattress ultimately comes down to your personal preference. However, I would advise against placing your mattress on the floor for the following reasons: 

  • More susceptible to mold and mildew: The lack of ventilation caused by placing your mattress directly on the floor traps heat, creating the perfect environment for mold and mildew to thrive. This is especially true for memory foam mattresses, which are more prone to mold due to its porous material.
  • Closer to allergens: Placing your mattress on the floor means you're closer to allergens, like dirt, dust mites and other pests that can aggravate allergies.
  • Can void your warranty: Some mattress brands stipulate that your mattress needs to be placed on a compatible bed frame in order for your warranty to be valid. If you're unsure, check the small print of your warranty.
  • Sleeps hotter: Placing your mattress on a bed frame or foundation elevates it off the ground, helping air to circulate beneath the bed. By placing your mattress directly on the ground, it’s more likely to trap heat.

How to sleep cooler tonight — 3 expert tips

Thankfully, placing your mattress on the floor isn't the only tool at your disposal in your battle against the heat this summer. When we spoke to Edward Gorst, Sleep Coach and Sleep Expert for Panda London, earlier this year he shared his tips to sleeping cool, in addition to investing in the best cooling mattress or cooling mattress topper. 

1. Place your fan near an open window

As the mercury rises, having a fan to hand can bring welcome relief. However, where you place your fan is important. Gorst advises you to place your fan near an open window close to your bed. 

"This can make a significant difference in maintaining a comfortable temperature throughout the night," the sleep coach explains. "Ideally have the fan directing airflow towards your body and not your face, as this can be irritating when trying to sleep."

2. Invest in breathable bedding 

A mattress we tested is dressed with neutral colour bed linens and pillows

(Image credit: Future)

Specialist cooling mattress and mattress toppers employ the latest technology to help keep temperatures low. To get the best out of your cooling mattress, opt for lightweight material like cotton or linen. 

"These fabrics are breathable and help wick away moisture, keeping you cooler throughout the night," says Gorst. "Consider using a lighter duvet or just use a top sheet and a light blanket for those occasional cooler nights."

3. Be strategic about when you open your window

When your bedroom feels hot and stuffy, it can be tempting to open your window wide. However, Gorst advises that you wait until the outside temperature is cooler than the inside temperature.

"At night when the temperature outside drops below the inside temperature, open windows to let in cooler air," advises Gorst. "This is often most effective in the late evening or early morning. Also, use window screens to keep insects out while allowing air to circulate freely."

Nicola Appleton
Sleep Editor

Nicola is the Sleep Editor at Tom’s Guide, where she helps steer the mattress and sleep content published on Tom’s Guide, including our Best Mattress for Back Pain buying guide. With a career in journalism spanning the best part of two decades, Nicola brings experience to the team and the knowledge of what makes a great article, whether that’s a how-to mattress cleaning feature, a deep dive into melatonin gummies, or an in-depth mattress review. As a sleep editor, few better understand how important a decent mattress is to the overall quality of our sleep, and precisely how our sleep impacts our physical and mental health. As well as tackling the vast topic of sleep, Nicola joins the raft of expert mattress specialists at Tom’s Guide, who test and compare a wide range of mattresses in order to guide readers towards the very best options on the market. 

Read more
A mattress placed on a wooden floor with a Tom's Guide Sleep Week 2025 logo in the top left corner
Ditching the bed this World Sleep Day? 3 things you need before putting your mattress on the floor
Image shows a spare room mattress placed on the floor and covered with white linens and pillows while a frosted green christmas tree sits in the corner surrounded by brightly wrapped presents
What to do and the places to avoid when putting your spare mattress on the floor
A woman sits on a mattress that has been placed directly onto the floor to make it firmer
Mattresses on the floor is the next big TikTok sleep trend — why I don’t recommend it
Eight Sleep Pod 4 temperature regulating mattress cover in light room
Can a mattress with temperature control help you sleep through the night?
Our best cooling mattress overall for 2025, Bear Elite Hybrid mattress placed on a wooden bedframe in a white bedroom with wooden floors
The best cooling mattress 2025: cool beds to beat the heat all year round
Two women sit on the Nolah Natural 11 Mattress
Hot sleeper? An organic mattress could be the answer to cooler nights — here’s why
Latest in Mattress Care
A woman scrubbing the surface of a mattress with a blue sponge with a Sleep Week 2025 logo in the corner
I’m a mattress cleaning expert — the 5 products I swear by for getting rid of urine, stains, smells and bed bugs
Rubber gloves hands holding a spray bottle and cleaning brush over white mattress surface
3 tricks professional mattress cleaners swear by for getting rid of urine and sweat stains
The image shows a glass bowl, a tube of toothpaste, a bottle of liquid laundry detergent and a jar of baking soda on a wooden table
I tried the viral toothpaste and warm iron DIY mattress cleaning hack for brown stains — these are my results
Koitat mattress steam cleaner on white mattress with steam coming out
I tried a mattress cleaning machine that uses steam to 'kill' bed bugs and dust mites — and I was impressed
A woman scrubbing the surface of a mattress with a blue sponge with a Sleep Week 2025 logo in the corner
5 DIY mattress cleaning jobs you should do now — avoid mold, bed bugs, allergies, and dust mites
Bed bugs or fleas on a mattress through a magnifying glass
5 things you should do now to prevent bed bugs infesting your mattress this spring
Latest in Features
Astell and Kern HB1
I just turned my wired audio headphones into Bluetooth cans with this DAC — and the sound quality is shockingly good
Bare feet poking out of the covers at the end of a bed
Twitching in your sleep? Expert shares 5 most common causes of hypnic jerks
Half-Life 2 RTX
I just went back to Ravenholm in Half-Life 2 RTX — Nvidia’s new RTX remix tech makes it 10x more terrifying
a photo of a man in the gym with strong abs
It's not leg raises — try the 'dragon flag' exercise to strengthen your abs and hips instead
woman doing side plank exercise
Ditch sit-ups — strengthen and define your core with 1 dumbbell and this 5-move ab workout
ChatGPT app on iPhone
I didn't think I'd have any use for ChatGPT Deep Research — 7 ways it's improved my daily life