Summer is “unofficially” here.  Memorial Day barbecues rang in the summer season with a bang.  Pools have opened up and we have started to seek the relief of being cool while the sun lets its presence be known.  Vegetation has filled the bare woods and brought out our unfriendly guests, the mosquitos and gnats.  Ahh, the joys of summer.

Since I began working here at eLux, I have learned a great deal of the many types of beddings products available to consumers.  At first I couldn’t understand why we sell so many different types of sheets.  I understand people have preferences with colors and sizes… but the different manufactured types of sheets was eye-opening.  I can’t tell you how much I hate being waken up in the middle of the night, hot and sweating, to turn the fan up or the A/C down.  I would find relief sometimes, but only to the avail of a higher energy bill at the end of the month.  Little did I know, I could have saved myself hundreds of dollars just by buying a set of “summer” bed sheets for a hundred dollars or even less!  I’m sure some of you can relate, and I am writing this to save you the headache of many unrestful nights ahead during this summer.  

Here are a few bits of advice when shopping for an alternative “summer” set of bed sheets to give your heavy winter sheets the summer off:

Rayon from Bamboo – natural materials create a more “breathable” bed sheet.  One of our most popular sellers (and for good reason) are our Rayon from Bamboo bed sheets.  The feel can only be described as “soft-as-silk” because they truly feel like the silk sports-apparel style shirts that many wear to wick away moisture and keep them cool in the summer.  These sheets act in the same way, wicking away moisture and keeping you cool at night.  Another feature is that these are produced with a thread count of 300, which is the lowest we offer.  This is important because these “light” sheets will help let air pass more freely through them than heavier, higher thread-count sheets, keeping you cooler while you sleep.

Percale – another option to consider is our percale-woven sheets.  These are not as lightweight and soft as the bamboo sheets mentioned above, however they come with their benefits of air circulation as well.  Lighter sheets have a tendency to hug the body more, which doesn’t allow as much air to circulate the body.  Percale sheets are slightly heavier, but provide a “crisp” feel with keeps them far enough from the body to allow air to pass through and cool.  These are another suitable option for providing relief from the jersey cotton, or heavy 800-1000 thread count sheets you may keep on your bed on a normal basis.

Weight – As mentioned above, lighter sheets with lower thread counts allow air to travel through the gaps in threads and not trap hot air underneath the covers with you.  It is recommended to switch to a 300-400 thread count sheet set during warmer months at the very least, in order to help prevent sweat and sheets becoming soiled from lack of ability to wick moisture.

Light Colors – Lastly, consider lighter colors during the summer.  As we know, dark colors absorb the heat of the summer.  If you have dark navy, burgundy, green, or black sheets on your bed, the summer sun drifting in the windows can be easily absorbed and trap the warmth even down into your mattress.  This can linger and keep your bed warmer on a regular basis, leading to the pesky night sweats of summer.  Consider lighter colors of the above mentioned styles, to keep yourself cooler throughout the dog days of summer.

I hope this will help you consider purchasing some “relief” sheets for this summer.  It took me to the ripe old age of 24 to realize that these options existed beyond my year-round cheap jersey knit sheets I’ve always used.  Choosing a nice, quality set of cool sheets for summer is worth every single penny in order to enjoy restful, relaxing sleep all summer long.