Do Silk Sheets Make You Sweat?

It’s not just the price tag that can leave you sweating after investing in silk sheets! 

Few luxuries are quite as indulgent and sexy as the ability to slip into a comfy bed dressed with buttery-soft silk sheets. But even though splurging on silk sheets is definitely a premium investment, they can come with their fair share of downsides, not least of which is that they can really stick to your skin if you’re a hot sleeper. 

If your silk sheets are making you sweat, here’s why – plus, why percale cotton is a better luxury silk sheet alternative for hot sleepers.

Why your silk sheets might make you feel sweaty and uncomfortable

When you think “luxury,” you probably think “silk,” which means that silk sheets are the ultimate choice for both status and comfort. They’re super soft and beautiful, plus they feel great on the skin. In addition, as a natural fiber, silk is a relatively breathable textile, which means that it allows for more airflow than synthetic fabrics like polyester and polycotton. 

So why can it still leave you feeling sweaty and uncomfortable at night? 

The issue isn’t necessarily that silk makes you sweat more than other kinds of fabrics. But even though it’s a light and flowy material, it’s also surprisingly insulating! The very nature of the silk fabric is that it can cling to your skin, which can lead to uncomfortable nights if you’re already feeling overheated. So even though they allow for enough airflow at night, they may still be uncomfortable if you’re already running hot. 

Even worse, silk actually holds on to odors worse than other natural fabrics, which means you’ll likely need to change and clean them more often, especially if you’re naturally sweatier – and unfortunately, this task is easier said than done when it comes to silk. 

So silk sheets are a fairly good choice if you don’t have any previous issues with sweating at night. But if you’re already prone to sleeping hot and sweating at night, or if you’re living in a particularly humid and moist environment, your silk sheets will likely end up being more uncomfortable than you’d like, not to mention a lot more work to maintain. 

Other downsides of silk sheets

Hot nights aren’t the only reason that silk sheets may not be the best choice for you. As it turns out, silk is notoriously difficult to take care of, which means that they might not be the best investment for everyday use. 

Cost

One of the most obvious downsides of using silk sheets is the price point. Silk sheets are definitely a luxury item, and you’ll have to shell out quite a bit of money to make the silky-smooth bed of your dreams. And unfortunately, if you’re going to be sweating right through them, this may end up leading to hefty amounts of wasted money. 

Care

In addition to the initial price you pay to afford the luxury of silk sheets, you’ll also need to pay plenty of attention to those sheets on laundry day if you want to preserve their lifespans. Silk is, by nature, fairly delicate as far as natural fabrics go – in fact, many people choose to dry-clean silk rather than run it through the usual laundry cycle. If that’s out of the question, your next best bet would be to handwash your sheets, which will take more time and is more labor-intensive than being able to wash them in your washing machine. On the plus side, though, silk dries pretty quickly, so you won’t have to airdry them for too long. 

Staining

On a similar note, silk sheets are also very prone to damage from water and sunlight exposure. Unfortunately, this makes the sweating problem even worse: once you sweat through your silk sheets, it becomes very hard to clean the subsequent water stains, not to mention the odors that tend to stay in the silk despite its inherent breathability. 

The bottom line here? While silk is definitely a luxury fabric, you’ll have to pay both time and attention in order to make it last. For a textile as high-maintenance as silk, you’ll probably want to save it for items that you don’t use often. Unfortunately, since you’re using your sheets so often (every single night, to be exact), this means that silk probably isn’t the best choice for bedding unless you’re willing to dedicate lots of loving care to its upkeep. 

The best alternative to silk sheets: Sateen Cotton

So if you’re looking to really upgrade your bedding but don’t want to deal with the fuss of taking care of silk sheets, invest in sateen cotton instead! 

Cotton’s most luxurious weave option, sateen is made by weaving durable cotton threads in a similar fashion to satin to create a luxe, buttery-soft sheet. By using cotton rather than silk or other fabric choices, you get an extremely comfortable and breathable sheet that’s still machine washable and durable enough for everyday use! 

In short, sateen has all the benefits of durable, breathable cotton with the added luxurious and silky-smooth feel from the sateen weave. For the most premium feel, look for sateen sheets made with 100% cotton and with a high thread count of 400 threads or above. 

The best sateen cotton sheets: QuickZip’s Sateen Cotton Fitted Sheets

These sheets have everything you love about silk, and then some! Not only are they extremely comfortable and luxurious, but they’re also really easy to change on laundry day. Rather than wrestling with the corners of your bed the way you would with a traditional fitted sheet, the unique system comes with a Base piece that wraps securely around the outside of your mattress and a Zip sheet that fastens securely to the base. Once it’s time to change your sheets, simply unzip the top panel (the Zip Sheet) and throw it into the washer, then easily zip on your fresh piece in seconds, no fitted sheet struggle required. 

Conclusion

When you think of “luxury bedding,” silk is probably one of the first things that come to mind. But the very nature of silk is that it isn’t meant for heavy use like they would be going through in sheets. Instead, save your silks for your best outfits and seldom-used furniture, and use percale cotton for the most practical and luxurious bed sheet option!

Photo by 鑲家居創意設計: https://www.pexels.com/photo/bedroom-with-glass-cabinets-5404925/