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There are few things worse than waking up with sweaty, soaked-through bed sheets, or honestly, just feeling too hot to fall asleep in the first place. If you experience night sweats—whether it’s from hot flashes, menopause, medication side effects, hyperhidrosis, or you’re just a warm sleeper—getting a good night’s rest can be a major challenge. While a pair of breathable pjs isn’t a magical fix, it could make your sleeping hours a lot more pleasant. To help you find the best cooling pajamas out there, we spoke to textile experts to get their advice.
How to find the best cooling pajamas
In general, look for plant-based fabrics, like eucalyptus (a.k.a. Tencel), bamboo, cellulose, and modal, Deborah Young, assistant chair of textile science at Los Angeles’ Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (FIDM) tells SELF. Not only can these materials have great moisture-wicking properties, but they’re also naturally antibacterial, meaning they’ll keep odors at bay.
Natural fibers—like cotton, linen, or silk—can also be a good choice, Andreas Lenzhofer, CEO and co-founder of Dagsmejan, a Switzerland-based sleepwear brand, tells SELF. Cotton and linen are known for breathability, and silk is naturally moisture-wicking. With any of these fabrics, you’ll stay cool during hot months—and keep yourself from overheating on winter nights when you want to snuggle under a blanket.
That said, synthetic fabrics like polyester and nylon can also be great at wicking moisture away—this is generally what activewear is made of, for instance. Synthetic materials are also generally more budget-friendly than natural fibers.
And when it comes to fit, loose-fitting tends to be better for giving your skin a little breathing room throughout the night, Young says.
The best cooling pajamas
To help you sleep more comfortably all year long, we picked the best cooling pajamas, according to customer reviews and expert recommendations. Keep in mind that you’ll also want to optimize your sheets and comforter, for the most chill snooze setup.