Are Silk Sheets Ideal to Keep You Cool on Hot Nights?

This article aims to balance the opinions regarding silk sheets- are they keeping us cool or making us hot? Everybody knows that silk is one of the most expensive fabrics, but the evaluations regarding its ability to maintain a specific temperature are controversial.

Some people say it is the best material for both hot and cold nights, helping the body regulate its temperature. Others seem to believe that silk is a heat trap that will bother us in the hot summer nights.

Silk- Burning or Freezing?

The answer might be confusing, but, in simple terms, it is "both." Silk sheets can keep you both warm and chill, depending on your body temperature and what it needs for better sleep.

How Does Silk Keep Us Cool?

Silk has interesting properties, and there is a reason behind its price and reputation. The qualities include:

1. It is highly absorbent

Firstly, it is vital to mention that natural silk tends to keep body odors produced by sweat, and it is not as absorbent as mixed silk materials. Thus, even though buying 100% natural silk sheets might seem better, it is not as helpful for a hot sleeper.

However, the mixed option is a great way to avoid bacterias and will also keep your body dry, which is the first step to a cooler sleep.

2. It lets your body breath

One of the most important factors when it comes to cooling your bed is the airflow. Most bed sheets reduce airflow, which results in thermal insulation. Less airflow means that the heat is trapped between you and the sheets.

Unlike these beddings, silk is a breathable material that facilitates airflow and sweat evaporation (to a certain extent).

How Does Silk Keep Us Hot?

On the polar opposite, other opinions state that silk is a hot material that traps warmth and makes us sweat. One of the reasons people believe in silk's power to make us hot during the night is that silk sticks to the skin.

Silk is an excellent fabric. It has features that will not only make you feel comfortable and luxurious but also warm or cold enough for a night of good sleep.

It is common for people to sweat in the summer, especially if their bed and sheets are not custom-made for regulating the temperature. As stated above, silk is an absorbent fabric that won't allow sweat to make you hot and uncomfortable.

The absorbance also ensures that your body temperature is stable and cool enough for a night of undisturbed sleep. Along with that, the breathability of silk facilitates air circulation. Airflow will maintain the right temperature and will help perspiration evaporate.

You can even feel these properties when touching the fabric. Usually, silk feels a little bit cold to the touch.

On the other hand, silk sheets are perfect for cold times when they create a protective layer that will help your body reach a higher temperature.

There is no need to worry! Silk is a smart fabric that won't allow your body to get too warm due to the qualities previously mentioned (absorbent and breathable).

Thus, silk can make you cool in the hot nights. Silk covers the body perfectly, which will create just the right environment for a peaceful sleep.

How to Choose the Right Type of Silk

However, silk has its disadvantages as well, especially if we choose the wrong type of silk or a poor combination of fabrics. This choice can transform a silk into a heat prison. It will trap your sweat and won't let your body breathe.

There are a few things to follow when choosing to purchase silk beddings. The questions you need to ask yourself are:

• Natural, pure silk, or mixed silk?

The answer is, unexpectedly, mixed silk. The best mixture is between silk, cotton, bamboo, or even eucalyptus.

These sheets are even more absorbent and breathable, which will increase the cooling proprieties.

There are some downsides to mixed materials too. They can sometimes trap your skin and feel sticky, but it won't be the case if you choose a quality silk material.

• What should the thread count be?

Thread count is closely related to the breathability of a product. A lower count equivalates more breathing. It can indeed affect the durability, but keeping the count at around 300 will meet the longevity criteria as well.

• How can I wash it?

There is no lie in the fact that silk is a pretentious fabric, which requires gentle care. Being a delicate fabric means that it, generally, must be hand-washed. Hot sleepers tend to get sweaty, and even though the silk bedding will reduce this effect, it can also trap the smell if not washed regularly.

Typically, you can clean silk at every other two weeks, but hot sleepers might need to wash them more often. Obviously, it can become problematic.

It is crucial to find a silk bedding that can be washed by a machine, so you won't need to do it yourself.

Good silk, along with proper care of the material, is one of the smartest options for bedding. Of course, there are disadvantages and inconveniences, such as the price or the extra care you need to take for them, but overall, they are a wise choice if you are a moderate hot sleeper.

The most important fact is that it doesn't need to be changed through the year with different fabrics, as it is right for both colder and warmer seasons.