Cooling Sheets and Mattress Pads for Night Sweats: What the Studies Show

Waking up soaked is one of the most common complaints of perimenopause and menopause. Cooling sheets, pillowcases, pajamas and mattress pads promise drier, cooler nights, often at premium prices. Two published pilot studies have looked at these products.

The mattress pad study

In 2022, researchers gave a cooling mattress pad system to 15 women aged 45 to 59 who had four or more hot flashes or night sweats a day. After 8 weeks of use, the women reported 52% fewer episodes and better sleep scores.¹

The researchers called this preliminary evidence.¹ The study had no comparison group, so it can’t show how much of the change came from the pad and how much from time, expectations or other factors.

The cooling sheet study

In 2025, 64 people who said they slept hot, mostly women with an average age of 48, kept daily sleep diaries before and for 6 weeks after switching to a treated cotton sheet.² They reported:

• Trouble sleeping from feeling too hot dropped from 82.5% to 39.7%.²
• Sleep time rose by about 26 minutes.²
• Night sweats improved.²

The authors listed important limits. There was no control group, and participants weren’t blinded. Many were already interested in buying the sheets. The study tested one maker’s product and was supported by that company. The authors said a randomized, placebo-controlled trial is needed.²

How to read the marketing

These results are encouraging but early. A sheet or pad may help some women feel cooler, but no trial has compared one with ordinary bedding in a fair test. Before paying a premium:

1. Check the return policy and test it for several weeks.
2. Look for the study behind the claim. Who paid for it? Was there a comparison group?
3. Try low-cost steps too: a cooler bedroom, a fan, layered light bedding, and breathable sleepwear.
4. Keep a diary of night sweats before and after, so you can judge for yourself.

When night sweats need a doctor

Menopause¹ is a common cause, but not the only one. Medicines, infections, thyroid problems and other conditions can cause night sweats too. Our guide to why you sweat at night covers the causes. If night sweats come with fever, weight loss or swollen glands, see a clinician soon. If they’re wrecking your sleep, ask about treatment. Our article on hot flash help without hormones lists options with stronger evidence.

Try: “I’m waking up drenched three or four nights a week. Could this be menopause or something else, and what treatment options would you suggest?”

Arms Up includes a Fresh Log and a four-point sweat scale. Use them to track night sweats, what you changed and how you slept, then bring the log to your appointment. See the book.