Best Mattress for Night Sweats: What to Look for Cooler, More Comfortable Sleep

Night sweats can significantly disrupt sleep — waking drenched in the middle of the night, then struggling to settle back down, is one of the more exhausting sleep patterns. While a mattress cannot treat the underlying causes of night sweats, the right mattress may help create a cooler and more comfortable sleep environment that reduces heat-driven waking during a sweating episode. This guide walks through what night sweats are (and how they're different from just feeling warm), which mattress features matter most, and — critically — when night sweats warrant a conversation with your GP. If your primary concern is feeling generally warm rather than experiencing sweating episodes, our best mattress for hot sleepers guide covers that broader cooling angle.

The best mattress for night sweats is one that prioritises breathability, airflow, pressure relief and temperature regulation. While a mattress cannot treat the underlying causes of night sweats, choosing one that sleeps cooler may help improve comfort and reduce overheating caused by the sleep environment. Pairing a breathable mattress with lightweight bedding and a cool bedroom can further support a more comfortable night's sleep.

Key Takeaways

• A mattress cannot treat, cure, or stop night sweats — but the right one may help reduce overheating caused by the sleep environment

• Night sweats are different from sleeping hot — night sweats involve significant sweating episodes that often soak sleepwear or bedding; feeling warm doesn't

• Six mattress features matter most: breathable materials, temperature regulation, pressure relief, motion isolation, position-specific support, and moisture-wicking surfaces

• Persistent night sweats warrant medical assessment — common causes include menopause, hormonal changes, medications, infections, thyroid issues, and anxiety

• Koala Polar+ is our top pick for night sweat sufferers — Koala Polar+ sleeps up to 5°C cooler than our standard Plus with PolarBands™ over Cooling Kloudcell®

• For general warm-sleeper cooling advice, see our best mattress for hot sleepers guide

• If night sweats are frequent or severe, speak with your GP. AU support: healthdirect 1800 022 222

What are night sweats?

Night sweats are episodes of significant sweating during sleep that go beyond feeling warm — they often soak sleepwear, sheets, or both. Per healthdirect Australia, night sweats can happen even when the bedroom is cool and are typically caused by underlying physiological factors rather than the sleep environment alone.

Night sweats vs sleeping hot — the difference matters. Feeling warm during sleep and having night sweats aren't the same thing:

• Sleeping hot — feeling warm, kicking off covers, mild perspiration. Usually driven by bedroom temperature, bedding weight, mattress heat retention, or naturally running warm.

• Night sweats — waking drenched in sweat, needing to change sleepwear or bedding. Often occurs regardless of bedroom temperature. Frequently linked to underlying medical or hormonal factors.

If you consistently wake with damp or soaked sleepwear, that's a signal to speak with a healthcare professional rather than treat it as a mattress issue alone.

Common causes per Better Health Channel include:

• Menopause and perimenopause (the most common cause in adult women)

• Hormonal changes

• Some medications (including certain antidepressants and hormone therapies)

• Infections and fever

• Thyroid conditions (hyperthyroidism)

• Anxiety and stress

• Low blood sugar

• Some cancers (uncommon but a reason to seek assessment for persistent unexplained night sweats)

Persistent or unexplained night sweats deserve a conversation with your GP — a mattress is one factor in the sleep environment, but it's not a treatment for the underlying cause.

Can your mattress make night sweats feel worse?

Your mattress doesn't cause night sweats. However, an unsupportive or heat-retaining mattress can amplify the discomfort when night sweats occur — turning a difficult experience into a worse one. Five ways this happens:

Heat retention. Traditional viscoelastic (closed-cell) memory foam is engineered to contour your body — but it also traps body heat between you and the sleep surface. During a night sweat episode, this heat build-up can extend the recovery time before you can settle back to sleep.

Poor airflow. Mattresses with dense, closed foam layers or non-breathable covers restrict air movement. Sweat that would otherwise evaporate stays trapped against your skin.

Ageing mattresses. Foam mattresses breakdown over time — open cells collapse, cover fabrics wear, and heat retention typically worsens after 7-10 years. If your mattress is toward the end of its lifespan, night sweat episodes may feel more intense than they did on a newer setup.

Moisture build-up. A mattress without moisture-wicking surface layers absorbs sweat into the cover and top foam layers. Over time this creates a damp environment that supports dust mite growth and unpleasant odours — making the sleep environment less comfortable overall.

Poor breathability at the cover level. The cover is your body's direct contact point with the mattress. Non-breathable synthetic covers (like polyester blends) don't wick moisture away — natural or engineered breathable fabrics (cotton, TENCEL™ Lyocell) do.

While a mattress doesn't cause night sweats, choosing a breathable, cooling mattress can help reduce overheating caused by the sleep environment and may improve comfort throughout the night. For readers whose primary issue is running warm rather than experiencing sweating episodes, our best mattress for hot sleepers guide covers that broader cooling angle in more detail.

What makes the best mattress for night sweats?

Six mattress features matter most when night sweats are a concern.

Breathable Materials

Look for open-cell foam construction rather than traditional closed-cell memory foam. Open-cell foams (like Koala's Kloudcell®) let air flow through the foam structure itself — 30× more breathable than worst-performing competitor foams, per independent testing. Breathable cover materials matter equally: TENCEL™ Lyocell, cotton, and bamboo wick moisture and support airflow far better than synthetic polyester blends.

Temperature Regulation

Active cooling technology adds another layer to the airflow baseline. Cooling gel infusion (in Koala's Plus) absorbs and disperses body heat laterally. Phase-change materials (in Koala's Luxe) actively pull thermal energy away as they shift between states. Copper infusion (also in the Luxe) uses copper's high thermal conductivity to draw heat away from the body. PolarBands™ (in Koala's Polar+) deliver up to 5°C cooler sleep than the standard Plus. For a deep-dive on how each of these technologies works, see our best cooling foam mattress guide.

Pressure Relief

Pressure relief matters for night sweat sufferers because pressure-driven position changes (from sore hips or shoulders) can compound the wake events already caused by sweating. A mattress with proper pressure relief reduces the frequency of these overnight position shifts, helping you stay comfortable through the night.

Motion Isolation

For couples where one partner experiences night sweats and the other doesn't, motion isolation matters twice — the sweating partner's frequent position changes and the sheet-changing episodes can disrupt the other partner if the mattress transmits movement. Koala's Zero Disturbance® across the range absorbs movement locally rather than transmitting it laterally.

Support for Your Sleeping Position

Position-specific support keeps the spine aligned regardless of your sleep style. Side sleepers benefit from cushioning at the shoulders and hips; back and stomach sleepers benefit from firmer support that keeps the lumbar spine in a neutral position. Poor alignment adds overnight discomfort that compounds the disruption of a night sweat episode.

Moisture-Wicking Sleep Surface

The most-overlooked cooling factor. Mattress cover materials like TENCEL™ Lyocell (used across the Koala range) actively wick moisture away from your body rather than trapping it against the skin. During a night sweat episode, moisture-wicking covers can make the difference between staying in the same bedding and needing to change everything.

For the broader mattress buying framework beyond cooling-specific considerations, see our how to choose a mattress guide.

Who should consider a cooling mattress? 

Not everyone with night sweats needs a new mattress — many episodes are driven by medical factors that a mattress won't address. However, if any of the following apply, a cooling mattress may help improve your sleep environment:

• You wake sweating multiple times per week — even if the underlying cause is medical, the sleep environment can compound the discomfort

• You share a bed with a partner who also runs warm — for couples with different temperature needs, a cooling mattress creates a shared baseline that different bedding on each side can build on

• You live in a humid coastal AU climate (Sydney, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Cairns) — humidity compounds heat retention issues

• Your mattress is more than 7-10 years old — heat retention typically worsens with age

• You've noticed that hotel or holiday mattresses feel cooler — your home mattress may no longer be supporting comfortable sleep

• Your night sweats coincide with menopause, perimenopause, or hormonal changes — the sleep environment layer can help reduce the compounding effect during episodes; the underlying cause needs medical support (see Jean Hailes for Women's Health)

For the general "I sleep warm" audience without significant sweating episodes, our best mattress for hot sleepers guide is the better starting point.

Koala mattresses for cooler sleep at a glance 

All five come with our 120-day trial and 10-year warranty. To compare in person, visit our Koala Moore Park Showroom in Sydney.

Why Choose a Koala Mattress?

Feature-led picks — no claims that any of these mattresses treat or stop night sweats. Choose based on which cooling priorities matter most for your situation.

Koala Polar+ — our top pick for night sweat sufferers

The Koala Polar+ is engineered specifically for temperature-sensitive sleepers. PolarBands™ (a Koala-exclusive heat-management layer) sit over Cooling Kloudcell® foam, delivering up to 5°C cooler sleep than our standard Koala Plus. For sleepers experiencing frequent night sweats — particularly in humid AU coastal climates — this is the clearest cooling option in our range. Fixed medium-firm feel.

Best for night sweat sufferers whose primary sleep disruption is heat-driven waking.

Koala Plus — cooling + customisable firmness

The Koala Plus combines Cooling Gel Kloudcell® (designed to sleep 13% cooler than leading online brands) with CoolThread™ moisture-wicking fibres and a seasonal flippable topper (Organic Cotton for winter cosiness ↔ CoolThread™ for summer cooling). Flippable medium-firm ↔ firm gives you two firmness options to test during the trial.

Best for sleepers who want customisable firmness + year-round cooling flexibility that adapts to seasonal temperature swings.

Koala Luxe — premium comfort with active cooling

The Koala Luxe layers copper-infused Kloudcell® over phase-change materials — copper's thermal conductivity draws heat away from the body while phase-change materials actively pull thermal energy as they shift between solid and liquid states. Under all that, a 7-zone all-foam support core delivers pressure relief specific to each body area. Wrapped in an Australian Cashmere cover that breathes remarkably well for a luxury fabric.

Best for sleepers wanting the deepest comfort + most zoned support + premium cooling technology in one mattress.

Koala Mattress — the all-round baseline

The Koala Mattress is Australia's most-awarded mattress — ProductReview Mattress of the Year 2023, 2024 + 2025. Its open-cell Kloudcell® foam is 40% cooler to the touch and 30× more breathable than worst-performing competitor foams. Flippable medium-firm/firm construction, 3-zone support, Zero Disturbance® motion isolation, and optional Partner Preference for couples.

Best for the well-reviewed baseline choice with strong breathability without the premium cooling tech tiers.

Koala SE — CHOICE®-Recommended budget baseline

The Koala SE is CHOICE®-Recommended — an entry-tier open-cell Kloudcell® foam mattress with 95% comfort retention after 8 years. Medium-firm feel, 3-zone support, TENCEL™ Lyocell cover.

Best for budget-conscious buyers who still want the breathability of open-cell foam construction.

For the broader most-comfortable-mattress comparison beyond cooling-specific considerations, see our most comfortable mattresses in Australia guide.

Common Mistakes When Buying a Cooling Mattress

Sometimes the difference is what you avoid as much as what you choose.

Other Ways to Sleep Cooler at Night

A supportive mattress is one factor in staying cool — the broader sleep environment matters too.

Bedroom temperature. The Sleep Health Foundation recommends 17-19°C for most adults. Air conditioning, fans, blackout curtains for daytime heat blocking, and open windows on cooler nights all help. For a fuller guide, see our best bedroom temperature for sleep article.

Breathable sheets. Cotton, bamboo, and TENCEL™ Lyocell sheets wick moisture and breathe far better than polyester blends. Change to lightweight sheets during warm months.

Lightweight bedding. Summer duvets (2-4 tog) or a cotton coverlet alone. A heavy year-round duvet in AU summer works against everything else.

Fans or air conditioning. Circulating air feels cooler than still air even at the same room temperature. A ceiling fan plus a small pedestal fan can create a noticeable difference.

Hydration. Adequate hydration during the day helps regulate body temperature at night. Not sipping constantly — just staying properly hydrated.

Limit alcohol before bed. Alcohol disrupts thermoregulation and often triggers or intensifies night sweats. Cutting off alcohol 2-3 hours before bedtime can reduce sweat episodes for many people.

Cool shower before bed. A cool (not cold) shower before bed helps the body drop to sleep temperature. The post-shower cool-down aids sleep onset.

Sleep position. Back sleeping exposes more body surface to ambient air; fetal position traps heat. If night sweats wake you, try repositioning to a more open sleep posture.

For more general sleep environment tips, see our sleep hygiene guide.

When Should You Speak With a Doctor?

Night sweats can indicate underlying conditions that need medical assessment. Speak with your GP or a healthcare professional if you experience:

• Frequent or severe night sweats — multiple episodes per week, or severe enough to soak sleepwear and require changing bedding

• Unexplained weight loss alongside night sweats

• Fever alongside night sweats — may indicate infection

• Persistent symptoms — night sweats continuing for more than a few weeks

• Night sweats coinciding with other symptoms — pain, breathing difficulties, mood changes, or unusual fatigue

• Menopause or perimenopause — night sweats are one of the most common symptoms; Jean Hailes for Women's Health is a strong AU resource

• Recent medication changes — some medications trigger night sweats as a side effect; your GP can assess whether adjustment is possible

AU resources for night sweats-related concerns:

• healthdirect helpline — 1800 022 222 (24/7)

• Better Health Channel (VIC) — evidence-based health information

• Jean Hailes for Women's Health — menopause + hormonal night sweats

• Sleep Health Foundation Australia — sleep-specific guidance

• Beyond Blue — mental health support for anxiety-related night sweats

A comfortable mattress may help create a cooler sleep environment during a night sweat episode — but it's not a substitute for medical assessment of persistent symptoms.

Build a cooler sleep environment with confidence

The best mattress for night sweats won't treat the underlying cause, but choosing one with breathable materials, temperature regulation and supportive comfort may help you sleep more comfortably. Our Koala mattress range is built around Kloudcell® open-cell foam with cooling tech that scales from the entry-tier SE up to the premium Luxe and the specialist Polar+. All backed by our 120-day trial, so you can test cooling performance through real conditions — free metro return if it isn't right.

Shop the Koala mattress range →