{"id":4220,"date":"2020-10-28T04:43:29","date_gmt":"2020-10-28T10:43:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/decideoutside.com\/?p=4220"},"modified":"2024-02-28T07:00:30","modified_gmt":"2024-02-28T13:00:30","slug":"can-a-sleeping-pad-be-too-warm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/decideoutside.com\/can-a-sleeping-pad-be-too-warm\/","title":{"rendered":"Can a Sleeping Pad Be Too Warm? How To Avoid The Sweats"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If you’re having a hard time sleeping at night because of excess heat and sweat, you might wonder if your sleeping pad is part of the problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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An effective sleeping pad can make you feel too hot if you have excessive bedding. A sleeping pad is meant to insulate you from the ground, and if it’s working properly, your body heat gets trapped in combination with warm bedding. To adjust the temperature, you can remove bedding. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There’s a lot more to understand when it comes to the role your sleeping pad plays in how warm you get at night. Continue on and you’ll learn all about what that role is and how you can sleep cooler<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why Your Sleeping Pad Isn’t Keeping You Too Warm<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you find yourself feeling hot and sweaty at night, it might be easy to blame your sleeping pad. This is especially true if your sleeping pad is one that promises a higher R-value. However, more often than not, the sleeping pad itself isn’t really the cause of the problem<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Essentially, sleeping pads with a higher R-value are made to ensure that the coldness from the ground doesn’t cause you to freeze at night<\/strong>. It does this by creating an insulated barrier between you and the ground. Often air pockets are used to do this since still air isn’t very good at conducting heat. <\/strong>So while the sleeping pad itself doesn’t create heat, it does help you to retain your own body heat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When paired with a solid sleeping bag, you’re likely to stay nice and cozy thanks to less heat being released into the air around you.<\/strong> However, this can become an issue if you’re getting too hot. Especially because the lack of airflow can leave you feeling super uncomfortable from your own sweat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this situation, it’s better to take a look at the airflow your sleeping situation offers rather than seeking out a new sleeping pad. While there are sleeping pad options you can try out that offer a lower R-value, you’re likely to get easier relief by changing up your sleeping bag, opening up tent windows, or finding other ways to get the air flowing around you<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Your Sleeping Pad Can Make You Feel Too Warm<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It definitely is easy to blame the sleeping pad for being too hot, especially if you just bought it and you use it with your existing sleeping bag setup. If you feel too hot all of the sudden–it must be the sleeping pad! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is one true point though about this: What if you are sleeping directly on your sleeping pad? <\/strong>It’s possible that the material of the sleeping pad is not breathable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is often the case–many sleeping pads are plastic, which isn’t a breathable substance. A non-breathable surface combined with sweat means you’re going to feel that sweat a lot more.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A simple solution is to put a sheet or some other layer on your sleeping pad (this is often what people do with an air mattress) to help spread out that sweat so you don’t feel like you’re taking a bath in your own sweat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ways To Cool Down Your Sleeping Pad<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Let’s find some solutions for keeping yourself and your sleeping pad cool in the warmer months.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just make use of the following tips and you’ll be sleeping soundly and comfortably on your sleeping pad every night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consider Your Bedding<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Typically, added heat in the night is more likely to be due to your bedding than the sleeping pad. A sleeping bag or the use of too many blankets in combination with your sleeping pad can keep heat trapped<\/strong>. As a result, you end up uncomfortably warm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead, switch up your bedding when the warmer months roll around. Get a sleeping bag made for warmer temperatures, or opt for some light blankets that can easily be shed throughout the night<\/strong>. Not only will this keep less heat trapped, but it will also help to allow for more sweat evaporation. Overall, you’ll be much more comfortable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can also unzip your sleeping bag<\/strong> and sleep on top of it or under it (depending on the heat). This will allow you to uncover a foot or an arm to help cool your body down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Think About The R-Value<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The R-value on your sleeping pad can make a huge difference in whether it’s hot, cold, or just right when you’re trying to sleep at night. In short, this measurement determines how effective the sleeping pad is at neutralizing the temperature it receives from the ground<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Basically, a higher R-value means that the pad will conduct less heat<\/strong>. As a result, you can stay warmer on the cold ground. At the other end of the spectrum, a lower R-value can help you to stay cool by allowing the ground to conduct heat to you<\/strong>. If you’d like to learn more about this measurement and how it’s created, this video from Therm-a-Rest offers a great explanation.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Sleeping Pad R-Value: How to use the ASTM Standard and Seasonality Guide<\/div><\/div>
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