Tempur-Pedic was one of the very first manufacturers to make use of what has become commonly known as memory foam – it is more formally called viscoelastic foam – in their mattresses.
While we often think of memory foam mattresses as a rather new concept the first Tempur-Pedic mattress was sold in Sweden in 1991 and came to the US in 1992 – almost thirty years ago.
But as wonderful as Tempur-Pedic mattresses are often owners have one question that plagues them –why is my Tempur-Pedic mattress so hot and what can I do to cool it down? And that is just what we are going to take a much closer look at here today.
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Why is My Tempur-Pedic Mattress So Hot?
Since viscoelastic foam – aka memory foam – is an extremely dense mattress material, some Tempur-Pedic mattresses – and many other memory foam mattresses – have a problem with retaining body heat radiated by their occupants as they sleep.
To make matters worse, some of these beds lack air channels that are interconnected and so it’s not easy for it to work its way out once the heat is absorbed by the mattress.
Some newer models of memory foam mattress – including some Tempur-Pedic models, do attempt to solve the problem by adding a cooling layer of gel on top of the layers of memory foam. This helps, but according to lots of people, not enough and their Tempur-Pedic mattress still sleeps hot!
Obviously, trying to get a good night’s sleep is hard when your bed is too hot. Not only do you feel sticky and sweaty – never a nice feeling – you are likely to end up thirsty as well – sweating makes you thirsty – and need to leave the confines of your bed to get a glass of water.
How To Cool Down a Tempur-Pedic Mattress?
There are several ways you can try to cool down your Temper-Pedic or other memory foam mattress. The first – and the easiest – is to make use of lighter bedding, swapping a comforter for a temperature regulating duvet in the spring and fall, and making use of lighter sheets in the summer.
Pure cotton is smart choice for bedsheets in the warmer months as it has natural cooling properties of its own, as does bamboo, a more recent entrant into the US bedding market. You can also make sure your own clothing is not too warm. That onesie might be perfect for curling up in front of the fire on a cold winter’s night, but you may want to swap it for something lighter before heading to bed.
You can also choose to make use of a cooling mattress pad, and this choice is the one that an increasing number of frustrated hot sleepers are turning too. A Tempur-Pedic mattress is not inexpensive and has a useful lifespan of eight to ten years, and so most people want to get the most out of theirs before having to replace it.
That’s where a cooling mattress pad comes in.
Which Tempur-Pedic Mattress is the Coolest?
Temper-Pedic now offer a wide range of mattress choices and it can be confusing to figure out which one is right for you. In terms of cooling, the Temper-Breeze is a newer offering that is especially designed to sleep cooler. In fact, according to the company this option sleeps up to 8 degrees cooler than their other models.
The only downside to this is that the Tempur-Breeze – which makes use of several layers of cooling gels and materials over the viscoelastic foam – does not feature some of the more advanced orthopedic features that several of their other mattresses do, so if you were interested in a memory foam mattress for these reasons then by opting for extra built-in cooling you might lose out on other important sleep benefits.
Do Cooling Mattress Pads Really Work?
It sounds great, doesn’t it? A simple pad you can place on your mattress to make it stop sleeping hot almost instantly. But is that all too good to be true? Do cooling mattresses really work?
The fact is that yes, lots of the cooling mattress pads on the market do work well, although please do not expect them to be miracle workers. They can’t cure night sweats caused by the menopause for example, although they can help you stay at least a little cooler.
How well a cooling mattress works also depends on just what it makes use of to supply the cooling relief it says it offers. There are a few different options, including all the following:
Built In ‘Technology’ – Things like metal particles, gel, or phase-change technology to help draw heat away that are embedded into the mattress pad in some way.
Cooling Construction – Even without fancier cooling technology, mattress pads that are constructed with air chambers inside them to help pull heat away from your body as you sleep can be considered cooling mattress pads as well. These are usually the less expensive choice, so great if you are on a budget.
Top 7 Cooling Mattress Pads For Tempur-Pedic Mattresses
Now that you know what a cooling mattress pad is, and why adding one to your Tempeur-Pedic or other memory foam mattress could help end those hot, sticky sleepless nights then it’s time for you start shopping for one right?
Once you do start your search for the best cooling mattress topper, you will find there are an awful lot of them for you choose from, at lots of different price points. To help you make the right decision for you, here is a look at seven of the best mattress toppers you can buy.
Best Overall Choice: TEMPUR-Adapt + Cooling Topper
Shop it on Amazon
If yours is a Tempur-Pedic mattress then it makes sense to go right back to the same company for a cooling mattress topper. The TEMPUR-Adapt + Cooling Topper is crafted from three inches of Tempur viscoelastic foam covered by a cool to the touch cover that adds those air channels we discussed earlier, that will help carry the heat your body gives off as you sleep away from you and down into the mattress, leaving you cooler.
Available in sizes Twin through Cal King.
Best Wool Cooling Topper – PlushBeds Natural Luxury Handmade Wool Topper
See it on PlushBeds
A wool cooling mattress topper? Sounds crazy right? It’s actually not at all.
Wool is amazing stuff. When you wear a wool sweater because you are cold the fibers create pockets of trapped warm air to keep you toasty. But wool also pulls sweat away from the skin, which when you are hot can keep you a lot cooler. It’s how sheep stay cool in warm climates.
This US-made Natural Handmade Wool Topper makes effective use of that natural technology and makes use of it in an extremely comfortable mattress topper that is also hypoallergenic and non-toxic as well being certified with the GreenGuard Gold Status—the world’s most rigorous chemical emissions standard.
Available in sizes from Twin through Cal King.
Best Cooling Mattress Topper: Honorable Mentions
Tru-Cool Therapedic Topper, Queen
Buy it on Amazon
This is another mattress topper that cools by making clever use of what is actually quite simple technology. The memory foam it is crafted from has millions of tiny air bubbles in it, which helps draw heat away from you as you sleep and keep you cooler. This 3-inch topper also offers extra pressure point relief, which is excellent for those who tend to wake up stiff and sore.
ViscoSoft Gel Memory Foam Topper
See it on Amazon
This soft 3-inch memory foam topper is infused with a cooling gel that when heated – by your body heat in this case – is activated to release a cooling sensation that, while effective, is not uncomfortably cold.
But that is not all. Its cooling powers are enhanced by the natural bamboo cover, as that too has its own cooling powers. Better still bamboo is naturally hypoallergenic, antibacterial, and exceptionally durable!
Available sizes Twin and Twin XL through Cal King.
Puffy Mattress Pad
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The Puffy Mattress Pad is designed for use with a Puffy Mattress, but works well with almost any memory foam mattress, including a Tempur-Pedic. To keep you cooler its features lots of air channels to draw heat away from your body along with a high thread count cotton cover that stays cool to the touch. Another big advantage of this cooling mattress pad is that it can be washed and dried in standard home machines.
Bear Pro Mattress Topper (Copper Cooling Technology)
See it on Bear
The Bear Topper makes use of something a little different – copper – to provide the cooling relief many are looking for a mattress pad to provide. This makes this topper very popular, which is why they always seem to run out of stock. Copper is a very efficient heat conductor, and so by weaving it into the Bear Topper’s construction the 2-inch memory foam topper stays cool all over as the metal draws excess heat away from your body and down into the mattress beneath the topper.
Available in sizes Twin through Cal King.
Royal Bedding Plush Bamboo Topper
Shop it on Amazon
Bamboo is one of nature’s most useful materials. It’s durable, easily renewable – it’s a grass rather than a tree, although just as strong as wood – and it has natural cooling properties that make it the perfect down alternative fill for this mattress topper.
In addition to great cooling the bamboo this cooling mattress topper is stuffed with is soft and light to sleep on, naturally antibacterial and is hypoallergenic as well. This is an excellent choice for adjustable beds as it features flexible but easy to secure bands that will help ensure it stays in place however many times you adjust your bed’s position.
Also Read: What Causes Yellow Stains on a Mattress Pad?