Can’t sleep in the summer heat? Try a cooling blanket

With warmer temperatures lasting well into the evening, many people are finding it more difficult to sleep. But kicking off your blanket isn’t necessarily the best way to stay cool at night.

If you have trouble sleeping when it’s hot, consider using a cooling blanket.

According to Healthline, “cooling blankets are made with lightweight, natural fibers such as bamboo lyocell, eucalyptus, and linen that breathe well and help to release body heat instead of trapping it. Usually, these fibers are also moisture-wicking.”

Additionally, some cooling blankets are made with fabrics that are cool to the touch.

Here are the top 11 cooling blankets recommended by Healthline by category:

• Best bamboo cooling blanket: Luxome Lightweight Blanket

• Best synthetic cooling blanket: Rest Evercool Comforter

• Best eucalyptus cooling blanket: Buffy Breeze Comforter

• Best weighted cooling blanket: Gravity Classic Cooling Weighted Blanket

• Best year-round cooling blanket: Slumber Cloud Lightweight Comforter

• Best linen cooling blanket: The Citizenry Stonewashed Linen Quilt

• Best muslin cooling blanket: Muslin Comfort 365 Blanket

• Best cotton cooling blanket: Parachute Cloud Cotton Quilt

• Best moisture-wicking cooling blanket: Sleep Number True Temp Blanket

• Best budget cooling blanket: DANGTOP Cooling Blanket

• Best washable silk cooling blanket: Vesta Washable Cooling Silk Blanket

Using a blanket is essential for optimal sleep health care whether it’s warm or cold at night. A blanket is what regulates your circadian rhythm, which is what determines when your body is ready to go to sleep and wake up. Picking the right blanket can be costly, but it’s highly beneficial.

“The perfect blanket is one that’s warm enough to keep you comfortable, but breathable enough to not accumulate moisture and sweat,” said Michael Grandner, director of the Sleep and Health Research Program at the University of Arizona in Tucson, to The Healthy. “It should be soft enough to get out of your way, but substantial enough that you feel it.”

“The firm pressure of the blankets activates the nervous system and releases serotonin — a chemical in the body that helps us feel calm and also helps to release melatonin, which is a natural sleep hormone that helps prepare us to sleep,” noted sleep consultant Alanna McGinn.