Stay cool and sleep comfortably in summer with cooling pillows and bedding

In recent years, summers across Europe have been among the warmest on record – and for many, that heat has made it harder to get a good night’s sleep. Unless you have an AC unit to properly cool down your bedroom, chances are you’ve also found yourself tossing and turning on those infamous, way-too-hot summer nights.

When it’s so warm that even a fan feels more like a blow-dryer and your only solutions are an open window and silent prayers, don’t worry – there are actually quite a few changes you can make to your sleeping setup to help you stay cooler.

Read on to discover how your bedding – whether it’s pillows, mattress toppers, bed linen, or duvets – can make all the difference in keeping you cool and comfortable, even on the hottest nights.

Choosing the best cooling pillow

Struggling to fall asleep or waking up hot and sweaty in the middle of the night can make it difficult to get the quality rest you need to feel refreshed. If the heat is keeping you from sleeping comfortably, upgrading to a cooling pillow can make all the difference. Designed to promote airflow, release heat, and even draw warmth away from your body, cooling pillows help you maintain a more comfortable temperature – so you can sleep soundly, even on the warmest nights.

But with so many options available, choosing the right cooling pillow is key. Below, you'll find our recommendation for one of the best cooling pillows to help you stay cool and comfortable all night long.

VARDO: A cooling memory foam pillow

VARDO is a luxury pillow with pressure-relieving memory foam filling that moulds to your neck and shoulders for optimal support. One side features a cooling gel to help regulate temperature, allowing you to switch between the gel and non-gel sides based on your comfort needs. Additionally, VARDO’s cover has cooling polyethylene on one side, enhancing its ability to keep you cooler than a regular pillow – giving you the best chance of sleeping comfortably on hot summer nights.

Like all JYSK pillows, VARDO is OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 certified, so you can rest easy knowing it’s safe for your health and free from high levels of harmful chemicals.

Among our customers who've purchased VARDO, many have left a positive review – the pillow currently has a rating of 4.2 out of 5 stars based on 54 international reviews. See three of these reviews just below: 

SOGNDAL: A cooling memory foam pillow 

SOGNDAL is a heigh-adjustable luxury pillow with pressure-relieving, shredded AIR memory foam with cooling gel. Designed to keep you cooler than a regular pillow, it combines two cooling elements: a layer of cooling gel near the surface and a polyethylene cover on one side. This clever combination helps you stay comfortable, even on hot summer nights.

SOGNDAL is OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 certified, which means the pillow has been thoroughly tested for harmful chemicals to protect your health. 

Many of our customers who've bought the SOGNDAL pillow have left positive reviews. The pillow currently has a rating of 4.1 of out 5 based on 52 international reviews. Below you'll see some of these reviews:

Cool down with a cooling mattress pad 

Just like cooling pillows, some mattress pads are designed with active cooling features. The EFJORDEN mattress pad is one such option, featuring a cover with temperature-regulating microcapsules on one side. These microcapsules help create a dry and comfortable sleeping environment, keeping you cool throughout the night.

Cooling bedding: How bed linen affects temperature when sleeping

Natural fibres, compared to synthetic ones, are better at wicking away moisture and heat from the body, helping you stay cool throughout the night. When choosing bedding for warm nights, three materials in particular – seersucker, bamboo, and linen – stand out for their cooling properties.

• Seersucker is a woven cotton fabric with a distinctive puckered texture that creates small air pockets, improving airflow. Its uneven surface keeps the fabric from clinging to your skin, allowing for better ventilation and preventing it from sticking when you sweat on hot summer nights. 
• Bamboo bedding, typically made from bamboo-derived viscose or lyocell, is highly breathable, moisture-wicking, and naturally thermoregulating. It adapts to your body temperature, keeping you cool when it’s warm.
• Linen is exceptionally breathable and moisture-wicking, meaning it absorbs sweat and dries quickly to help keep you cool and dry. Its typically loose weave also enhances airflow, preventing heat buildup.

Bedding made from any of these fabrics is a great choice for staying cool when it’s almost too hot to sleep. We recommend exploring which material best suits your preferences – you may be surprised by how much of a difference it makes for your comfort and sleep quality.

Learn more about the different materials commonly used in bedding. 

Below: Bedding made from seersucker fabric, bamboo-derived viscose, and linen respectively. 

Making the right choice of duvet  

Duvets generally come in three warmth levels: cool, warm, and extra warm, with cool duvets often referred to as summer duvets and warm and extra warm ones as winter duvets.

Unlike cooling pillows, duvets don’t actively cool you down, as their main purpose is to provide insulation and maintain a comfortable temperature when your body cools during deep sleep. However, the difference between a cool duvet and a warm one can be significant, especially for hot sleepers, many of whom prefer a cool duvet year-round.

If you often find yourself getting too hot and sweating at night, consider trying a cool duvet – we recommend that you visit your local JYSK store to see and feel the difference between the three types of duvets so you can find the right option for you.

See our full assortment of cool duvets. 

Astronaut-approved cooling technology

Some pillows and duvets, including weighted duvets, feature the Outlast® technology which was originally developed by NASA for astronaut space suits. Outlast contains microcapsules that actively regulate temperature and moisture by absorbing, storing, and releasing heat in addition to providing an instant cooling effect.

Great offers within sleeping at JYSK

Whatever you need for a good night’s sleep, you’ll always find expert advice and great offers at JYSK. For more inspiration, check out our ultimate guides to the perfect mattress, mattress topper, duvet, and pillow. 

Explore our full sleeping assortment, including mattresses, mattress toppers, pillows, duvets, and bedding – all designed to help you sleep comfortably. You’re also always welcome to visit your local JYSK store, where our staff are ready to help you improve your sleep.