10 Benefits of a Temperature Regulating Mattress

Feeling a little hot hot hot at night?

Just can’t sleep without cracking open a window?

Find yourself having to wash your sheets several times a week? 

Managed to get pillow flipping down to a fine art?

Plenty of us find that we’re just too darn hot at night with rising temperatures disturbing our sleep and leaving us feeling groggy in the mornings. And when you feel unrested, it can be so much harder to get on with work, childcare and all the rest of it.

One of the most potentially effective ways to combat those hot, sultry nights, and let’s face it they can unexpectedly strike at just about any time of year, is to invest in a temperature control mattress. But what are temperature regulating mattresses? How do they work and are they worth the money? Let’s investigate.

What is a temperature regulating mattress?

Slumberland Clima Control Latex Mattress

Ok, so we’ve given them a real drum roll of an intro there but ‘what is a temperature regulating mattress?!’ we hear you cry. Well, it’s exactly what it sounds like of course – a mattress that helps to control its own, and as a result your, temperature. This can be done in a number of different ways, to help ensure you sleep not too hot, not too cold – but just right at night:

• Cooling comfort layers
• Breathable support cores
• Airflow perforations
• Breathable or cooling cover fabrics

While some of the less techno-whizzy mattresses claiming to regulate temperature simply make use of naturally cooler materials (think cool cotton covers or naturally cooler latex), the very best temperature controlling mattresses use cutting edge smart science to react to and help regulate your body heat.

The Slumberland Clima Control Latex Pocket 2000 is a perfect example of this. In addition to being made with a breathable latex which is laced with hyper-conductive graphene particles for heat control, this super-cool mattress is covered with a Smart-temp fabric layer. This clever layer recognises changes in body temp and takes both heat and moisture away from your body as you warm up.

There are also a wide range of fantastic iGel mattresses which have 7 times faster heat transfer than the standard foam used in many mattresses. There’s more about some of these, below!

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Ten reasons why you should invest in a temperature regulating mattress

So now you know what they are and have an idea of how they work, what are the expected (and not so expected) benefits of choosing one of these technology-laden mattresses?

Here are ten great reasons to invest in temperature regulating tech:

1. Temperature control for cooling comfort

There are all sorts of reasons you might get hot at night such as the medications you may take or fluctuating hormones. Then, of course, there’s the temperature of your room (cleverer folk than us say that the ideal room temperature for sleep is 19 to 21°C(i)), which can vary from home to home, even if you keep the heating firmly in the off position overnight. Even that last cup of tea you enjoy after dinner can cause a rise in your core body temperature, making you too hot to sleep(ii).

The chief benefit of a temperature regulating mattress is that it can help to prevent you from getting too warm as you slumber. Which means that whether you toss and turn, getting hotter and hotter as you try to drop off, or your temperature rises while you sleep, waking you up mid-dream, your comfort may well be improved. The best temperature regulating mattresses take heat away from the body, even while you, or indeed your environment, warms up. This means that no matter the reasons that you might be running hot, your mattress can help to make you more comfortable.

They’re different from cooling mattresses too! Because not everyone wants to be cool 365 days of the year. This is where smart temperature regulation can be the best choice for all year-round comfort.

2. Temperature control mattresses and the menopause

Night sweats and hot flushes can affect everyone, male or female, young, old or anywhere in between. However with half the population going through menopause at some point, we’re focusing in on the 80% of perimenopausal and menopausal women who complain of uncomfortable and disruptive night sweats and hot flushes(iii).

This hormonal hotness isn’t just unpleasant, it’s shown to negatively impact the quality of life of those unfortunate enough to experience it(iv) and can even impact productivity at home and at work, making it tough to get things done.

It can be a hefty investment, we know, but splashing the cash on a cool new mattress designed for temperature regulation could be something that helps when it comes to making going through the menopause a little more bearable.

3. The right mattress may help reduce pain

Niggling back pain? Hips that flare up at the merest thought of a long walk? A shoulder complaint that keeps you from getting comfortable no matter how hard you try? If you’re prone to joint or back pain, and so many of us are, you’ve probably considered a foam mattress. After all, memory foam and latex mattresses are well known for their spinal supporting properties and ability to relieve joint pressure throughout the body.

However, one of the chief complaints about memory foam is that it can retain heat. This happens because memory foam makes use of the heat from our bodies to help it soften. It’s this heat-driven softening that makes memory foam so good at conforming to a body for that supportive effect. But great as that support may sound, perhaps the idea of retained heat is the very thing that has put you off making the move to memory foam in the past.

Hesitate no more! Many memory foam and latex mattresses now incorporate cooling technology, so you might enjoy relief from aches and pains without the tropical temps. Take the technology-packed and supportive iGel Advance 2500 plush top mattress. Not only does this clever mattress provide top notch support and pressure relief for tired, aching joints, it offers a wealth of smart temperature controlling tech. This includes the vanguard iGel Advance Graphene layer (which has been developed exclusively for Bensons for Beds donchaknow). This graphene-packed layer works fast to absorb and take away heat. And for bonus points? The iGel Advance also features a soft, comfortable, moisture wicking FreshNow cover to help make your nights more comfortable if you’re prone to sudden night sweats.

Another great temperature regulating mattress to check out is the Slumberland Clima Airstream Memory 3000 mattress. Enriched by our special temperature+ treatment, this mattress helps your body to be kept at optimum temperature throughout the night, by absorbing heat & moisture from your body.

Shop Slumberland Clima Airstream Mattresses

4. The right temperature helps you to enjoy an uninterrupted night’s sleep

For many of us, interrupted sleep can be a real issue, causing us to wake tired and deal with the consequences of sleepiness all day long, day after day. Not only can this make getting on with everyday tasks a real challenge, but interruptions to the natural stages of sleep are overwhelmingly proven to impact our health(v).

One possible cause of an interrupted night’s sleep is a rise in your body temperature(vi). Not only can taking steps – like opting for a temp controlled mattress – to regulate your body temperature overnight help you to feel more refreshed each and every morning, it could even help you to protect your long-term health from a whole range of potentially life changing conditions.

5. Temperature regulation doesn’t have to break the bank

We know, we know, some of these mattresses can cost a pretty penny. We think they’re totally worth it. Really, we wouldn’t sell them and offer a free five minimum year guarantee (ranging up to 8 years with Slumberland Clima Airstream and Clima Latex and with iGel offering a whopping free 10 year guarantee on their mattresses!) one very last one, regardless of the manufacturer’s warranty, if we didn’t think so.

But perhaps you’re not ready to part with so much of your hard earned just now. Or maybe you’re actually pretty happy with the support and comfort levels offered by your current mattress. And maybe that faithful old mattress isn’t quite ready for recycling just yet.

6. A temp control mattress is great for couples

Perhaps you’re not the source of all that night time heat. We don’t want to start an argument or anything but maybe (whisper it) it’s all the fault of your other half.

Whether you’re the one who’s burning up the bed or not, sleeping with a partner who has a tendency to swelter can be really uncomfortable for the both of you. Don’t head for twin beds just yet. A temperature control mattress may just save you from making the choice between a lifetime of interrupted sleep or Victorian style separated slumber.

A temperature regulating mattress is effective whether there is one or two people using it and is therefore ideal for couples.

7. Temperature may be related to snoring

While we’re on the subject of things that make you want to push your partner out of bed, did you know that there may be a correlation between the temperature in your room and snoring? It’s true, some real life scientific studies have shown that snorers can be influenced by their surroundings

In addition to the effect of temperature on those somnolent snozzles, there’s also the fact that most mattresses that feature cooling technology are also made of a highly supportive memory foam, latex or hybrid mattresses.

These mattresses can therefore provide improved support, helping to ensure good spine alignment. This, in turn, can reduce the risk of airway obstruction and, as a result, snoring.

8. Sleeping cooler could help you to lose weight

If you’re anything like us, you’ll jump on any theory that gives you license to indulge in that last square of milk chocolate or that final slice of chunky white restaurant bread. This weight loss theory isn’t just wish and hope nonsense, it really is rooted in science. That’s right - sleeping in a cooler environment could help you to lose weight.

A study conducted in 2014(vii) showed that sleeping in a colder atmosphere speeds up the metabolism while we sleep. Specifically the study tested male subjects sleeping in temps of 16°C for one month, 23°C for two months and finally 27°C for a month. Researchers found that the participants’ metabolisms increased with every notch down on the thermostat. But how?! Scientists reckon that at lower temperatures levels of so-called ‘brown fat’ increase, which helps you to burn calories, even as you snooze.

While a temperature regulating mattress won’t have quite the same effect as turning the heating down, or even off, a cooler night may just help to ramp up that metabolism a few degrees.

9. A cooler bed means less wasted electricity

When the temperature rises many of us reach for a desk fan, or perhaps even a portable air conditioning unit. On hot summer nights, that cooling electrical driven breeze can make all the difference between staring at the ceiling while you swelter or snoozing soundly.

However, with ever rising electricity prices, you may be reluctant to turn on more electrical items than you really need to. That’s not to mention the fact that sleeping with a fan on can dry out your airways, leading to a sore throat, aches and nasal congestion as well as dry skin and eyes. Oh, and that fan is circulating allergens like crazy too, not ideal during those hot hay fever months.

Switching to an uber-comfy temperature regulating mattress can help you to sleep more comfortably, even when the mercury rises. Which could mean less nights relying on that wasteful fan to cool you down.

10. Temperature regulating mattresses can help to keep you warm too

iGel Advance 1600 Divan Bed Set

You’ll notice that we keep saying temperature ‘regulation’ here, not ‘reduction’. While most people choose a temperature control mattress to help them feel a little cooler overnight, these mattresses are chiefly involved with maintaining a consistent, comfortable temperature. Which means they won’t just keep you cool but that when the temperature drops, they’ll help you to stay good and toasty too.

Take our iGel mattresses, like the iGel Advance 1600 or the iGel Advance 2500 pillow top mattress. That brilliant Graphene technology gel doesn’t just relieve pressure on your joints. And it doesn’t just absorb excess heat when you’re feeling toasty. This clever gel also releases stored heat when your body temperature drops.

That right there ladies and gents is the key. A temperature regulating mattress is designed to help you maintain the ideal comfortable temperature for a truly restful, uninterrupted night of sleep at any time of year.

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Choosing your temperature regulating mattress

Still not convinced? Absolutely positive that temperature regulation is right for you but just can’t choose between all those lovely looking mattresses? The team at Bensons for Beds is committed to helping you find your bed, your way with their in-store and online expertise and advanced SleepPro technology.

Visit us in store, call us on 0808 144 6160 or book a free virtual video appointment for help finding your dream mattress.