Interesting. Living in Japan there is still a strong culture to try to avoid using air conditioning at night (in particular among the elderly), so there is a whole market for both staying warm in bed during winter and cool in bed during the hot and humid summers. My own family has primarily been using mattress protectors that conduct heat more efficiently [1], towel blankets (タオルケット) [2], and gel pads than are stored in the fridge and then put under the pillow cover just before you go to sleep. There are plenty more on the market, but I have solely by using the conducting mattress protectors been able to sleep with the air conditioning several degrees higher than I would have been able to in the past.<p>[1]: <a href="https://www.nitori-net.jp/ec/product/7567051s" rel="nofollow">https://www.nitori-net.jp/ec/product/7567051s</a><p>[2]: <a href="https://www.nitori-net.jp/ec/cat/Shingu/Blanket/BlanketTowel/1" rel="nofollow">https://www.nitori-net.jp/ec/cat/Shingu/Blanket/BlanketTowel...</a>
I was just about to buy almost this exact setup! Excellent to see it's effective. I thought I was mad looking into fish tank coolers. I was thinking though skipping the evaporative cooler and going with a compressor model. Quite a bit more expensive but I think it'll be more effective in the humid North East.<p>I have realized over the years that I need to be seriously cold to sleep well. My health watch always registers a great sleep and recharged "body battery" when I've been almost shivering all night. My partner likes to joke that my body needs "suffering to get fully rested".<p>These days, I only ever have nightmares when I'm too hot. It's a challenge to stay cool enough to not get them.<p>I did recently switch mattresses to this Airweave Futon: <a href="https://airweave.com/products/futon" rel="nofollow">https://airweave.com/products/futon</a><p>It's an amazing product, it helps keep me cool, and is nice and firm, which I need to have a restful sleep without back pain. By far my favorite mattress I've ever used.<p>The Airweave has reduced my hot nights significantly, and I'm thinking if I can put a cool pad underneath it, I'll be set!<p>I'm going to have to try this DIY project for sure now!
> […] I was put off by the product due to the now-mandatory paired subscription ($200/yr with purchase, annually paired only, can cancel after) […]<p>It is both confusing and fascinating how some companies manage to put out a product with a subscription, the existence of which defies logic and consumer expectation, and yet they manage to find a group of people who tolerate it.
Your bed needs to be breathable. That's the single most important thing. A cool bed without proper ventilation will attract condensation and mold, and make you feel damp.<p>A good spring mattress sitting on top of slats will never get uncomfortably hot or cold in any particular spot, because air moves freely in and out, powered by your own body movements.<p>The mattress should also be as firm as you can tolerate. A firm mattress leaves breathable space between some parts of your body and the surface of the bed, instead of allowing your body to sink into the foam and become insulated on all sides. Again, airflow is key. Regardless of what heating or cooling solution you have, airflow will multiply its effect.
I feel that the vast majority of people should not need an elaborate setup to sleep well. If you need to spends hundreds or thousands of currency units on a setup beyond a basic bed, there is something wrong that could probably be fixed in a simpler way.
Good! I'm glad for any alternatives to 8sleep. I have two of their beds, and love them, but bought them before they starting requiring a yearly subscription, which I HATE. Unfortunately, they are the best product available as far as I can tell. Though definitely expensive.
A cooler mattress is better to sleep on? That sounds like the opposite of my experience, unless the weather is uncomfortably warm and there’s no air con.
Do people use this only in the hot months? It's beginning to get cooler where I live and from now until around April we do the opposite and use a heated mattress pad. For me there's nothing better than getting into a warm bed in a cold room. I immediately turn off the heat after getting in though, otherwise I overheat and sweat.
When they were less expensive, I got a Casper mattress, and it's true that I really appreciate its cooling compared to common mattresses. <a href="https://casper.com/cooling-collection" rel="nofollow">https://casper.com/cooling-collection</a>