Do Cooling Mattresses Actually Work? The Truth About Gel, Latex, And More!
The comfort of your bed is one of the most important aspects when it comes to the quality of your sleep. With today's innovative technology and the use of unique materials, it is that much easier for manufacturers to pack features into a mattress to help overcome challenges concerning sleep comfort.
One of the challenges that most people face today is getting too hot at night on their mattresses. Cooling gel and cooling gel memory foam is a material that is used by many brands and manufacturers in order to better help regulate body temperature, but can it really deliver on its promise of keeping you cool?
Today, we will be talking about cooling gel and whether or not it actually works. We will also be sharing some facts about similar materials including latex so that you know what to expect the next time you choose a mattress with these features.
What Is A Cooling Gel Mattress?
Before gel-infused memory foam became a thing in the world of mattresses, the notion was that standard memory foam mattresses made it too hot to sleep at night. A top layer of infused gel was then used to create a cooling effect and to also help relieve pressure on your body while you sleep.
The main reason our bodies get hotter with traditional memory foam is that it tends to trap heat longer than coil mattresses do. More air passes through coils due to the amount of space between them, therefore causing the design to act as a ventilation system that expels heat away from the body.
Cooling gel memory foam along with other materials such as latex can lower the core temperature of your bed while still offering the same benefits as a foam or memory foam mattress. However, the ability for this feature is limited conditional, which is why it is important to understand how cooling technology works and if it will actually do what it promises.
How Cooling Gel Works
You may be wondering how cooling gel works or if it even promises to deliver on keeping your body cooler at night.
In no shape or form is cooling gel breathable. For example, if you take a thin layer and cover your mouth, there is no way for air to pass through. So how can gel keep you cool if it doesn’t breathe? The answer is environmental temperature.
The cooling gel memory foam will only work in your favor if the room that it is in is kept at a low temperature. Gel infused memory foam will adapt to the temperature of your environment, and this can go both ways, hot or cold. So if you struggle with staying hot while you sleep and are expecting a mattress with cooling gel to solve the problem, then expect to be disappointed.
If heat is really a huge challenge, then it is always recommended that you go for a spring coil mattress with minimal layers. Spring mattresses will allow more air to pass through inside which causes it to act as a type of ventilation system that expells heat away from the sides while you sleep, therefore keeping you cooler at night.
What Causes You To Get Hot While You Sleep?
There are many factors working together that can cause your body to get hot while you sleep. Starting with your mattress, having too many layers of material built-in can look good on paper with all its bells and whistles, but the reality is that stacking all of these layers can block airflow. Your body heat travels in two directions while sleeping, up and down, and without your mattress allowing that heat to leave your bed, your body will only get hotter while you sleep.
Having a memory foam mattress with cooling gel or latex in a room that is warm will also keep the temperature of your mattress high. Therefore, if you truly insist on selecting a mattress containing cooling technology, then you must maintain your room temperature level to the lowest setting possible while still being comfortable.
Can A Mattress Be The Cause Of Night Sweats?
Night sweats are a common symptom of many problematic sleep conditions, along with several other health factors. While they can be caused by hot summer weather, overheating during the night is more likely to cause these symptoms for people who would not otherwise experience them. The worst offenders for this are memory foam mattresses. This is because they trap heat and don't allow any kind of ventilation to take place as oppose to coil or inner-spring mattresses.
The Pros And Cons Of Cooling Gel Material
Below, we listed some pros and cons of mattresses containing cooling gel in order to help you compare them to either traditional spring or standard foam mattresses.
Pros
-
They offer the same benefits as regular foam or memory foam mattresses without compromising comfort.
-
Can increase longevity by reducing the amount of wear applied by body weight.
-
Gel foam mattresses are more environmentally friendly and contain less toxic substances that are detrimental to your skin.
-
They can help relieve pressure for your joints and muscles.
Cons
-
Its cooling properties and its abilities are conditional to your environment (room) temperature. This can work against you if your room is typically warm.
-
Can significantly increase the cost of your mattress due to the value of materials and manufacturing processes.
The Bottom Line
When it comes to features such as cooling gel, it is important to understand that its effects are conditional to the environment that your mattress is in. Simply put, don't expect these options to provide you with the ultimate solution for your heat problem.
If heat is a really big challenge for you, then we recommend that you don't rely on foam mattresses that contain cooling gel to solve the problem, but that you rather go for spring coil mattresses, as they will always keep you much cooler throughout the night due to their simple design.
If you want more tips on choosing the right memory foam mattress, you can explore our article, here.
For your next best cooling mattress shopping experience in Toronto, you can visit Dozy for a great selection of cooling mattresses!
