The Best Fabrics for Night Sweats...And the Worst)

The best fabrics for night sweats may come as a surprise to you. For that matter, so may the worst ones. The problem is compouded by the fact that the most common fabrics for sleepwear and bed linens happen to be the worst ones for night sweats.

In December, 2024 I spoke with Sid Seixeiro on Breakfast Television about how fabrics can impact your sleep when you suffer from night sweats. There are "good" fabrics and "bad" fabrics. I don't want to say that fabric is good or bad - but it's relative. When you suffer from night sweats, fabric WILL impact your sleep.

The best fabrics for night sweats will allow for air, moisture and heat flow, while the worst fabrics will prevent heat, air and moisture from escaping causing a build up of heat and sweat which in turn contributes to more night sweats and a really rotten sleep.

>>>>CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE FULL VIDEO<<<

The Worst Fabrics for Night Sweats

The worst fabrics for night sweats might surprise you because they also happen to be the most common fabrics for sleepwear and bed linens and they are, 100% cotton and 100% polyester. 

If you're surprised about cotton, you're not the only one. The first sleepwear I tried when I had night sweats was 100% cotton, but it was just as bad as the old polyester sleepwear I'd been using. 

Why is that?

Because even though cotton is breathable and natural, it's also highly absorbent. On top of that, cotton doesn't like letting go of the liquid it absorbs. While that's a great feature for towels, it's not so great in the sleepwear and bed linens you sleep in and on. You end up sleeping in a soggy mess all night long and wake up exhausted in the morning.

Polyester is made from petroleum. It's basically like sleeping in plastic. If your sleepwear, sheets and comforter are all made from polyester, it's like wrapping yourself in a plastic cocoon. All that plastic lets the heat and sweat build up next to you. Even if you're wearing the best sleepwear for night sweats, you're still going to be fairly uncomfortable because your sheets and thermal layer are trapping all that heat and sweat next to you.

There are exceptions: As with anything, there are exceptions to this rule. Generic polyester will likely be uncomfortable, however, the reason most athleticwear is made from polyester is because of how it is woven. Polyester can be excellent wicking fabric. However, unless it's treated or manufactured in a specific way, it will not be great at managing heat. 

Night sweats sufferers need fabrics that manage moisture and heat. Which brings us to:

The Best Fabrics for Night Sweats

So, what are the best fabrics for night sweats? We are looking for fabrics that can respond to your body's roller coaster temperature swings and ever-changing moisture levels. Those fabrics draw moisture away as you produce it to keep you dry. 

AND we are also looking for fabrics that will keep a little bit of heat in their fibres while letting the rest of it go so there is no heat build up. Just enough to release back to you as your body goes through the chill phase that follows the night sweat. 

So, the best fabrics for night sweats are:

• Hemp
• Linen
• Tencel - preferably made from eucalyptus
• Merino Wool (summer weight only)

These fabrics are made from natural fibres which naturally absorb and release heat and moisture.

Futher, hemp, linen and Tencel perform EVEN BETTER at wicking when they are blended with cotton. As mentioned above, cotton is a highly absorbent fibre and grabs that moisture as soon as your body produces it. 

So, if you're looking for sleepwear and bed linens to keep you comfortable all night long, the best options are pjs, sheets and blankets made from hemp, linen, Tencel or Merino wool.

Here's a modification to what I've just said:

Because sleepwear and bedlinens made from these fabrics are fairly pricey, you can use other materials that will keep you just as comfortable but without the upfront cost. 

For sheets, we recommend 300-350 thread count 100% cotton or bamboo. I know I just said that you should avoid cotton for bed linens, but as with grammar, there are exceptions to every rule. LIGHT 100% cotton will quickly absorb the moisture and if you have a great thermal layer, that moisture will transfer to it much more easily than if you have luxury cotton sheets (400 thread count or more). Just remember that these light cotton sheets won't manage heat, so you will need to use your sleepwear and thermal layers for heat management.

For your thermal layer - cotton or wool blankets are an excellent choice because it allows you to manage your layers better than a duvet.

Wool, in particular, is a powerful insulator so you may only need 1 blanket in the summer, and 2 in the winter. It also depends on your bedroom's temperature (colder is better. Ours is kept at 15C in the winter, much against my husband's wishes).

You could try a silk filled duvet (summer weight) but you still might find it too warm for most of the year.

If you check out our page on 5 Tips for Better Sleeping with night sweats, you'll find a handy guide to help you understand what fabrics to look for in your bed linens and ideal and acceptable combinations.

These are the best fabrics for night sweats, along with the worst ones. If you have any questions, please drop a comment below.

Thanks for reading!