How to sleep cool while pregnant

To sleep cool while pregnant, keep the bedroom at around 65 to 68 °F, which the Sleep Foundation suggests for most people¹. Use thin layers you can push off, breathable sleepwear and sheets, and keep water by the bed. Fall asleep on your side, as the NHS advises after 28 weeks⁴, with a breathable pillow cover.

Why you might feel hot

Many people say they feel warmer in pregnancy [source needed]. The Sleep Foundation explains that many things can make people hot at night, including the room, bedding and sleepwear². Some of those are easy to change.

If feeling hot comes with a fever, chills or feeling unwell, contact your midwife or GP rather than changing the bedding.

Change 1: cool the room

The Sleep Foundation puts the best temperature for sleep at around 65 °F (18.3 °C), with most doctors recommending 65 to 68 °F¹. It explains that the body's temperature naturally drops during sleep, and a cooler room makes it easier to fall and stay asleep¹.

• Set the thermostat in that range if you can.
• Open a window if it is safe and quiet.
• Close curtains or blinds during the day to keep the sun out.
• Use a fan to move air around the room.

Change 2: layers, not one heavy duvet

A single thick duvet is either on or off. Two thin layers let you adjust through the night without waking fully.

Change 3: breathable fabrics

Cotton, linen and other breathable fabrics let sweat evaporate. Heavy synthetic fabrics tend to trap heat [source needed]. Choose loose sleepwear, or less of it.

Pillow covers matter if you hug a body pillow, because it sits against your front all night. A thin, breathable cover feels cooler than thick plush.

Change 4: water and a cool-down routine

• Keep a glass or bottle of water by the bed.
• Have a lukewarm shower before bed rather than a hot bath.
• Keep a cool, damp flannel in a bowl by the bed for your face and wrists.
• Avoid big meals late in the evening.

Change 5: position and pillows

The NHS advises falling asleep on your side after 28 weeks, left or right⁴. Pillows between the knees and under the bump help you stay there. A pillow also adds a warm surface against your body, so use a breathable cover and do not pile on more pillows than you need.

The Cove Pregnancy Pillow has a cover that zips off and machine washes cold, so it is easy to keep fresh. We make no cooling claim for its fill.

We are still confirming with the manufacturer that our cooling hub is suitable for use in pregnancy, so we do not suggest a cooled pillow here until that is confirmed. See our pregnancy pillow page for updates.

What not to do

• Do not use ice packs directly against your skin.
• Do not sleep under a fan pointed straight at you all night if it leaves you chilled or dry [source needed].
• Do not take any medicine to cool down without checking it is suitable in pregnancy.

Night sweats

The NHS describes night sweats as sweating so much that your night clothes and bedding are soaking wet, even though where you are sleeping is cool³. That is different from feeling warm. If it happens regularly, wakes you up or worries you, the NHS suggests seeing a GP³. More in night sweats during pregnancy.

A cool bedroom checklist

1. Thermostat at 65 to 68 °F, or as close as you can get. 2. Curtains closed during the day. 3. Two thin layers on the bed. 4. Breathable sleepwear. 5. Water by the bed. 6. A breathable pillow cover, with a spare for wash day.

Season by season

Cooling a hot room fast

If you wake hot and the room is warm, a few quick steps help without fully waking. Push off the top layer, sip water, and turn your pillow to the cooler side. Wipe your face and wrists with a cool, damp flannel. If you share a bed, ask your partner to take the side nearer the radiator or the sunny window.

Sleepwear

Loose, light sleepwear lets air move. Many people find a cotton nightdress or loose shorts and a vest cooler than full-length pyjamas. Keep a second set by the bed so you can change if you get sweaty.

Daytime habits that help at night

Keep drinking water through the day, not just at bedtime, so you are not making up for it at night. Spend the hottest part of a summer day somewhere cool if you can. Air the bedroom in the morning, then close the curtains before the sun reaches the window.

Partners

If your partner prefers a warmer bed, use separate blankets on each side. A thin sheet for you and a heavier blanket for them is a simple compromise.

Read next

• How to use a pregnancy pillow: 5 positions
• Sleeping during pregnancy, trimester by trimester

This guide is waiting for review by a qualified reviewer.