Is it better to sleep with no covers?

When the bedroom is hot and you’re turning the pillow over for the third time, throwing off every sheet and duvet can seem like the obvious answer.

But is it actually better to sleep with no covers?

Quick answer: Sleeping with no covers may help when you are very hot, but most people can stay cooler and more comfortable by using a lightweight, breathable layer instead.

The important distinction is between sleeping cool and sleeping uncovered. They are not necessarily the same thing.

Your body naturally changes temperature as you prepare for sleep, and excessive heat can interfere with that process. Research consistently shows that the thermal environment around us, including room temperature, sleepwear and bedding can affect sleep quality. A review indexed by the US National Library of Medicine found that skin temperature, rapid temperature changes and sweating can all influence sleep, making the thermal properties of bedding an important part of the sleeping environment.

From our experience working with cotton and linen bedding, and from plenty of uncomfortable summer nights ourselves, the better solution is usually not to remove your bedding completely.

It is to use less bedding, more intelligently.

Why do we want to throw the covers off when we're hot?

There is a perfectly sensible reason.

Your core body temperature begins to fall as your body prepares for sleep. The Sleep Foundation explains that this temperature reduction starts before bedtime and continues during sleep, with heat being transferred towards the skin and extremities. A bedroom that is too warm can interfere with this natural thermoregulation.

Heat matters more than simply making you uncomfortable.

Research into the thermal environment and sleep has associated heat exposure with increased wakefulness and reductions in slow-wave and REM sleep, while humid heat can place an additional thermal load on the body.

A 2024 systematic review of ambient heat and sleep similarly found that higher indoor or outdoor temperatures were generally associated with poorer sleep quality and quantity.

So when you kick your duvet onto the floor at 2am, your body may simply be trying to lose excess heat.

The mistake is assuming the only alternatives are duvet or nothing.

There is a large and useful middle ground.

What actually happens underneath your bedding?

One of the most interesting concepts in sleep research is the bed microclimate.

Think of the small pocket of air between your skin, sleepwear, sheets and covers as its own miniature environment.

Your mattress, fitted sheet, flat sheet, duvet, duvet cover and nightwear all influence how heat and moisture move through that environment.

Research into bedding systems has suggested that comfortable sleep is associated with maintaining an appropriate thermal environment within the bed, rather than simply making the bedroom as cold as possible.

That helps explain something we have noticed ourselves.

On very hot July nights, I have tried sleeping completely uncovered. I certainly felt cooler initially, but I didn't sleep as deeply. I became more conscious of temperature changes and movements, and simply felt less settled.

Give me a lightweight cotton or linen flat sheet, however, and the experience changes.

I still have the feeling of being covered, without being buried beneath an insulating layer.

That is anecdotal rather than clinical evidence, but it illustrates an important point: thermal comfort is personal.

The scientific evidence also cautions against one universal answer. A recent systematic review of different bedding and sleepwear fibres found that the relationship between textile fibre, temperature and sleep is complex and varies with the sleeping conditions and individual.

Is sleeping without a duvet better?

Sometimes, absolutely.

Sleeping without a duvet and sleeping without any covers are two different things.

During hot weather, replacing your duvet with a lightweight flat sheet can dramatically reduce the amount of insulation around your body while preserving a comfortable layer between you and the room.

There are several ways to create this lighter setup, and our guide to what people use instead of a top sheet explores flat sheets, empty duvet covers and other breathable alternatives.

This is one reason flat sheets remain so useful.

A breathable organic cotton percale flat sheet can provide that light layer over the body without the insulation of a filled duvet.

For a hot sleeper, a simple summer setup might be:

• fitted cotton or linen bed sheet
• lightweight sleepwear, or whatever you personally find comfortable
• one breathable flat sheet
• duvet folded at the foot of the bed in case the temperature drops

That is minimal bedding, but it isn't no bedding.

It also gives you much more control during the night.

Linen, percale or sateen: which sleeps coolest?

The fibre matters, but so does the construction of the fabric.

This is something that becomes obvious when you handle bedding every day. Two products described simply as “cotton sheets” can feel completely different because of the yarn, weight, weave and finishing.

Linen

Linen is the first fabric we would consider for someone who consistently sleeps hot.

It has a characteristically open, breathable feel and handles moisture well. It doesn't need to cling closely to the body to feel comfortable.

There is also some interesting research behind this. A 2024 systematic review by researchers from the University of Sydney examining sleepwear and bedding fibre types found evidence that linen bedsheets improved sleep quality under warm conditions in young adults, although the researchers emphasised that the overall evidence base remains limited and more standardised research is needed.

That qualification matters. No responsible bedding company should claim that linen magically guarantees better sleep.

But as a material for hot-weather bedding, it makes a great deal of practical sense.

Cotton percale

Percale would be our next choice.

Percale describes the weave rather than the cotton itself. Its crisp, matte construction produces the fresh, airy sensation many people associate with good hotel bedding.

In our experience, it sits lightly against the body rather than feeling clingy, making organic cotton percale particularly well suited to summer bedding and people who naturally sleep warm.

Sleep Foundation's temperature-control guidance similarly identifies lightweight cotton and linen among materials that generally allow good air circulation, while noting that percale sheets are popular with hot sleepers because of their crisp, lightweight feel.

Cotton sateen

Sateen isn't a “bad” choice. It is simply designed to feel different.

Its weave produces a smoother, silkier surface and a slightly warmer, more enveloping feel. We love sateen when the weather cools or when someone wants softer, cosier bedding.

For someone whose main complaint is overheating, however, we would normally choose linen or percale first.

That is why thread count alone tells you surprisingly little about whether bedding will feel cool.

Fibre + weave + fabric weight + bedding layers provide a much more useful picture.

Try the one-layer test before sleeping completely uncovered

If you are regularly throwing your duvet off, try a simple experiment.

For three consecutive warm nights, remove the duvet but keep one lightweight natural-fibre flat sheet over you.

Pay attention to four things the following morning:

• Did you wake because you were hot?

• Did you wake because you became cold?

• Did you kick the sheet off?

• Did you feel more or less comfortable than when using your duvet?

If you're still overheating, look beyond the top layer.

A heat-retaining mattress or topper, heavy sleepwear, poor ventilation, a warm pillow and even another person or pet in the bed can contribute to the temperature around you. Sleep Foundation notes that mattresses and pillows can retain warmth and that sleeping partners also add heat to the bed environment.

In other words, buying the thinnest sheet available won't necessarily solve a hot mattress underneath you.

A better summer bedding strategy

Instead of asking, “How much bedding can I remove?”, try asking, “How easily can I adjust my temperature?”

Start with the room itself. Sleep Foundation generally places a comfortable sleep environment somewhere around 15.6–20°C, although individual preferences vary considerably.

If overheating is a regular problem rather than an occasional summer nuisance, our guide to the best bedding for staying cool looks more closely at sheets, pillows and duvets for warm sleepers.

Then make the bed adaptable.

A practical warm-weather setup is a breathable fitted sheet, a lightweight flat sheet and a low-tog duvet within reach rather than necessarily over you.

If you use a duvet during summer, a 4.5 tog or lower option is commonly used as a lightweight choice, although tog measures thermal insulation rather than determining whether a duvet will be comfortable for every sleeper.

On especially hot nights:

• ventilate the bedroom when conditions allow
• reduce unnecessary bedding layers
• choose lightweight, breathable sleepwear
• use linen or cotton percale sheets
• keep a flat sheet as your primary cover
• move the duvet to the bottom of the bed rather than removing it from the room

This gives you options at 3am when the temperature may be quite different from when you went to bed.

Natural doesn't automatically mean cool, and “organic” means something different again

Bedding terminology can become muddled.

“Natural”, “organic”, “breathable”, “cooling” and “chemical-free” are not interchangeable terms.

Organic certification, for example, isn't a temperature rating.

The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) is concerned with certified organic fibres and requirements throughout textile processing and manufacturing. Its current standard includes certification requirements across textile manufacturing and environmental and social criteria.

Likewise, OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 doesn't certify that a sheet will keep you cool. It means the textile has been tested against its requirements for harmful substances. OEKO-TEX places bed linen in its direct-skin-contact product category, where the applicable human-ecological requirements are correspondingly stringent.

These certifications are valuable, but for a hot sleeper you should consider them alongside practical fabric characteristics such as weave, weight and breathability.

What about sweating at night?

Occasional sweating because your bedroom or duvet is too hot is one thing.

Persistent night sweats are another.

The NHS distinguishes ordinary sweating caused by a hot room or bedding from night sweats where nightclothes and bedding become soaking wet despite the sleeping environment being cool. If this happens regularly, wakes you or concerns you, NHS guidance recommends speaking to a GP.

Changing bed sheets may improve comfort, but bedding shouldn't be presented as a treatment for an unexplained medical symptom.

That distinction is particularly important when discussing “cooling bedding”.

So, is it healthier to sleep with no covers?

There isn't good evidence to support a blanket rule that sleeping completely uncovered is healthier.

The stronger evidence concerns thermal comfort and temperature regulation.

A systematic review and meta-analysis published in the Journal of Thermal Biology examined bedding strategies intended to facilitate body cooling. The researchers found some evidence of acute cooling effects, but the certainty of evidence for improvements in sleep characteristics was low or very low.

That is a useful reality check.

Bedding matters, but claims that one sheet, duvet, pillow or “cooling” product will transform everyone's sleep should be treated cautiously.

The objective is much simpler: create a sleep environment in which your body isn't continually fighting excess heat or cold.

Frequently asked questions

Is it okay to sleep without a duvet?

Yes. There is no requirement to sleep beneath a duvet. During warmer weather, many people will be comfortable using only a lightweight flat sheet or other breathable cover.

Is sleeping with no covers good for hot sleepers?

It can provide immediate relief from excess heat, but it isn't necessarily the best solution throughout the night. A breathable cotton percale or linen sheet gives you a lightweight adjustable layer without the insulation of a duvet.

What bedding is best for someone who gets very hot at night?

Start with lightweight, breathable bedding. Linen and cotton percale are particularly useful options to investigate. Also consider your mattress, mattress protector, pillow, sleepwear, duvet tog, room temperature and ventilation rather than concentrating solely on the sheet.

Should I use linen or cotton bedding in summer?

Both can work extremely well. Linen is particularly attractive for warm conditions because of its breathable character and moisture handling. Crisp cotton percale is another excellent option for people who prefer the familiar feel of cotton bed sheets.

Can bedding cause night sweats?

Heavy or overly warm bedding can make you sweat, but recurring drenching night sweats can have causes unrelated to bedding. The NHS recommends seeking medical advice if you regularly experience night sweats that wake or concern you.

Is a flat sheet enough to sleep under?

On a warm night, it certainly can be. In fact, this is one of the simplest forms of minimal bedding: a fitted sheet beneath you and one breathable flat sheet above you, with a duvet available if required.

The answer isn't no covers, it's better temperature control

After working closely with linen, cotton percale and cotton sateen, and sleeping under them ourselves, we wouldn't automatically tell a hot sleeper to abandon covers.

We would remove insulation before comfort.

Lose the heavy duvet. Reduce unnecessary layers. Look carefully at the mattress and sleepwear. Open the window when appropriate. Try linen or crisp cotton percale. Keep a lightweight flat sheet over you and a low-tog duvet nearby.

That approach also matches what sleep research increasingly suggests: temperature, bedding and the individual interact, and there isn't one perfect sleep environment for everybody.

So if you sleep without a duvet because you're too hot, that may be exactly the right choice.

But before sleeping completely uncovered, try something simpler.

Keep the cover. Change the cover.