6 Best Summer Bedding Ideas to Beat the Heat

A cooler night’s sleep starts by putting your down comforter into storage along with other dense winter bedding like flannel sheets and thick quilts. Instead of bedding that traps heat, opt for lighter options that you’ll want to lounge in even on the warmest summer morning. Try a duvet or comforter that’s made from cotton, linen, silk, or any other lightweight fabric.

If your bed is dressed in the deep orange, red, and black hues of last winter or fall, then it’s about time to refresh your bedding palette. Give your room a breezy summer makeover with a lightweight bedspread in bright and cheerful colors like white, light green, sky blue, or sunny yellow.

As an added benefit, sheets and blankets in lighter colors absorb less heat during the day, so they’ll be nice and cool when it’s time for you to tuck in for the night. Whether you’re trying to refresh your look for the summer or just want to sleep cool and cozy at night, light-colored bedding is what you need.

After you put your heavy bedding away, grab sheets, blankets, and pillowcases made from natural fibers like cotton, bamboo, and silk. These materials breathe much better than synthetic options and wick moisture away from your body, so they’re perfect for those hazy summer months.

Cotton is a really popular material for the summer and is easy to find, but bamboo and silk are more breathable. Some man made fibers like Tencel® and Rayon, which are made from eucalyptus and bamboo respectively, can give you the same results.

The last thing you want to do during a warm summer night is sleep underneath a thick blanket. That’s where having multiple lightweight bedspreads comes in handy. Try laying several thinner sheets and blankets on your bed. Having thin layers available will make it easier for you to stay cooler or warmer as the temperature outside changes. Just shed a layer or two when it’s hotter, or pile on a couple of light blankets when the temperature drops.

Matelasse blankets are great lightweight bedding options because they’re both thin and stylish. They’re made from a single layer of fabric so they breathe well and feature intricately quilted designs like those you would find on thicker quilts.

You might not even give your bed sheets a second thought during the summer. Why would you? They’re alreadby thin and light. But it’s the fabric that makes all the difference. Because bed sheets are in direct contact with you as you sleep, they can either keep hot air in or let it escape.

Stick with light fabrics. Linen, cotton, and bamboo are all great options. Microfiber is another possibility. Any of these fabrics will make your bed feel more breezy. If you’re looking for more lightweight bedding ideas for the summer months, check out our Best Bed Sheets for Every Season guide.

One downside of having cooler summer bedding? Your feet might get a little cold. Because your feet are the farthest away from your heart, they’re usually the coldest part of your body. Your bedding may provide the perfect temperature for the rest of you, but could leave your feet a little chilly.

Avoid frozen toes by draping a thick woolen throw blanket over the end of your bed. If it gets unexpectedly cool at night, a thick blanket at the foot of your bed will keep your feet warm. That way, you can avoid rolling out of bed to grab an extra blanket out of your closet.