I’m a Hot Sleeper—Here’s Why I Sleep Better on the Dreamcloud Mattress
My fiancé is wearing flannel pajamas, snuggled under an electric blanket because he’s apparently on the verge of freezing to death in our bed. I, on the other hand, am absolutely roasting, as a thin cotton sheet clings to my sweaty body. He tries to snuggle closer, murmuring that I’m like a “cozy furnace.” I am inching away, debating moving my cooling pillow to the cold porcelain tile floor. This is how most nights go in our household, no matter the season or how I’ve adjusted the thermostat.
Being a hot sleeper is just one of several annoying symptoms I endure thanks to my hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid)—the thyroid gland regulates body temperature, among other things, and despite my endocrinologist confirming I’m on the right dosage of medication, I can’t seem to shake this hot sleeping nightmare.
I decided maybe our eight-year-old mattress was partially to blame for my hot sleep, and because I’m a health editor who sources products to make people’s lives better, I started researching the best mattresses with cooling technology. At the top of my list was DreamCloud. The DreamCloud Premier Rest mattress has seven luxurious layers to its hybrid mattress design, including memory foam, individually wrapped innerspring coils, a pressure-relief comfort layer that conforms to your body, and a plush cashmere Euro top. Most importantly for me, the gel memory foam and coil system work together to help reduce heat retention, disperse body heat, and promote air flow.
Thirty nights later, I’m happy to report that it’s made a noticeable difference in my ability to get a comfortable night’s sleep—especially as a hot sleeper.
First impressions of our new DreamCloud mattress
It’s hard to imagine how a king-size mattress could fit in such a small box, but once I opened it up, the DreamCloud magically unfolded into an impressively thick (16 inches) and shockingly heavy (138 pounds!) plush mattress. I wasn’t able to maneuver it, so I enlisted the help of a strong friend to join my fiancé in lifting it onto our bed frame.
I was a bit worried about off-gassing, an unpleasant experience I remember from purchasing our previous mattress—it had taken a full week to air out to the point where I no long had headaches from the fumes. Thankfully, that was not the case with the DreamCloud mattress, as the slight chemical odor dissipated within 24 hours. (Psst, if an organic mattress is your main criteria, read our Avocado Green mattress review.)
How we tested the DreamCloud mattress
For 30 nights, I rated the quality of sleep I got on the DreamCloud mattress according to four categories:
Comfort: I’m a side (and sometimes stomach) sleeper, and my fiancé is mostly a back sleeper, so between the two of us, we had every sleeping position covered.
Support and pain relief: Now that we’re in our mid-40s, we’re noticing a few aches and pains in the mornings. Would this DreamCloud mattress support our bodies more comfortably, or would the “luxury firm” categorization end up creating unwelcome pressure points?
Heat retention: How well did the cooling technology work? Would I finally sleep comfortably, but my fiancé end up even colder?
Motion transfer: I tend to toss and turn a lot, whereas my fiancé seems to lay perfectly still for eight hours each night. Would he still feel my movement?
What a sleep doctor says about mattress cooling technology
Sleeping hot is a common complaint among those with thyroid conditions—and the American Thyroid Association estimates that 20 million Americans have some form of thyroid disease (and up to 60 percent are unaware of their condition).
“Thyroid hormones affect temperature regulation, [which] directly impacts our body’s metabolism and how much our blood vessels dilate,” says Lulu Guo, MD, who is certified by the American Board of Sleep Medicine and serves as a sleep consultant for Valley Sleep Center.
Her recommendations for patients with this complaint include choosing a mattress that will help regulate body temperature. “I recommend mattresses that have heat dispersing technology, such as coils and well-designed density levels,” says Dr. Guo. “Mattresses that have temperature regulating surfaces and materials to boost breathability also help. Traditional memory foam can cradle the body and trap heat, however a gel memory foam can help cool the body.”
Is DreamCloud a good mattress?
Alright, let’s see how DreamCloud stacked up during my 30-day test period:
Comfort: The firmness is listed as a 6.5 on a scale from one to 10, placing this mattress in the “luxury firm” category. For the first few days, we were acutely aware of how much firmer the DreamCloud felt than our previous mattress. But by week two, we were fully on board with how supportive it was. And it still felt dreamy and cloud like, contouring to the shapes of our bodies.
Support and pain relief: We didn’t even realize how unsupportive our previous mattress had been (one of the signs it’s time for a new mattress) until we started waking up with fewer “oofs” and “ouches” thanks to the DreamCloud. The 2.5 inches of memory foam in the pressure-relief comfort layer had the exact balance between hugging us and flexing as needed. (If you suffer from back pain, check out our Nectar mattress review.)
Heat retention: Each night when I got into bed, I noticed how much cooler the sheets felt against my skin and absolutely loved the sensation. And even though I still end up feeling warm some nights, I no longer woke up overheated and drenched in sweat. My fiancé didn’t notice any difference in temperature on his end, so it hasn’t made him uncomfortably cool. Next, I’m going to try adding a cooling mattress pad or topper to see if it helps even more.
Motion transfer: Either the motion-transfer support layer was really doing its job or I was simply moving less because I wasn’t as hot and miserable—I’m guessing it was a combination of the two. When I did have a restless night, my fiancé always seemed surprised come morning because my movement didn’t wake him up.
DreamCloud mattress pros
There’s a lot to love about the DreamCloud Premier Rest:
Gel memory foam and coil system reduces heat retention
Premium seven-layer design
Luxurious cashmere-blend cover
Named “Best Value” for heavy people by The Sleep Foundation, who noted that it works well for sleepers over 230 pounds
365-night home trial and lifetime warranty
Free shipping (additional $150 charge for Alaska and Hawaii) and free returns
DreamCloud mattress cons
While these may not be cons for everyone, they’re important to note:
For larger mattress sizes, at least two strong people are needed for set-up
24 hour inflation time (and up to 72 hours to fully expand)
Lacks edge support; I almost tipped over while perching on the edge to put on socks
Not flippable
Extreme thickness means you’ll have to invest in deeper sheets if you want to tuck things in
Return policy and warranty
It can be hard to figure out how to buy the best mattress for you, especially when shopping online. If only every major purchase came with DreamCloud’s impressive 365-night trial, everyone would enjoy complete peace of mind as they drift off to sleep. If you decide the mattress is not a keeper within this timeframe, the brand will arrange to have it donated or disposed of through organizations within your local community.
The generous lifetime warranty will also have you sleeping easy. For instance, if the mattress ever compresses or forms impressions larger than 1.5 inches, it’ll be replaced for free. In fact, if you experience any damage from normal use anytime during your ownership (even in 20 years!), it’ll be replaced or repaired at no charge. (And if you need a budget-friendly mattress, here’s our Zinus mattress review.)
Where to buy a DreamCloud mattress
The best place to buy a DreamCloud mattress is through the company’s direct-to-consumer website: dreamcloudsleep.com. There are three levels to choose from—The DreamCloud, DreamCloud Premier, and DreamCloud Premier Rest. Pricing ranges from $699 to $1,899, depending on which level and size you select. Financing options are available.
Once you’ve ordered your new DreamCloud mattress, find out how to make your bed as cozy as possible—and don’t forget the importance of choosing the right pillow. Meanwhile, I’ll be sleeping cool as a cucumber on the DreamCloud.
Sources:
Dr. Lulu Guo, M.D., certified by the American Board of Sleep Medicine and sleep consultant for Valley Sleep Center
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