Bed cooling devices for optimal sleep
Hi,
I have been exploring bed cooling devices to help optimize sleeping temperature (especially when two people desire different sleeping temperatures). I'm looking for thoughts or recommendations.
I know we have a team discount for chilipad. I have heard that @Chris Oubre has used one. Any thoughts?
I think @Tim Sullivan recently ordered a Bed Jet. Have you gotten it yet Tim?
We are also looking at eight sleep cooling mattress.
If anyone has dug into the science about enhanced sleep with cooler temperatures and wants to share any highlights, I'd love to hear those. One of the product website claimed up to twice as much deep sleep can be seen in people using their product (clearly a conflict of interest, but I did not yet dig into the claim).
Here is a related review posted by the sleep eight website (but it is not published in what I would call a rigorously reviewed journal).
Any related thoughts or conversation would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
I hope you long and hard tonight!
Comments
@Larry Peters I am right there with you...I am back to getting some training night sweats; and I have to say it makes less and less sense to cool the entire second and third floors of my house when I can just use the system...I'll ask around.
Actually, it reminds me that @Jonathan Benson Did buy one a while back. @Jonathan Benson Do you have any feedback for us?
~ Coach P
@Coach Patrick @Larry Peters
Sorry for the delayed response...I did buy a single person Chili pad last October. I use it every night. We actually had our AC die on us back in April/May and the Chili pad was a life saver!
I have used it every night for 8 months, even through the winter. I like to turn it on 20-30 minutes prior to crawling into bed. The water is constantly circulating water heated by your body back to the unit to then be cooled again. I keep mine set on 55 degrees but it bottoms out at 63. I initially thought 55 degrees would feel like an ice bath. Don't ask me why that was my thought going into the purchase, but now I would relate it nowfeeling as though there is always a cool side of the pillow.
My understanding of the value of having the Chili pad is that it accelerates your path to an optimal body temp for restorative sleep. Google Ben Greenfield Chilipad for a blog post referencing a bunch of good material on sleep. From my N=1 perspective, I have certainly enjoyed the cooling during sleep as well as has seen some huge PBs over the last 6-8 months. Obviously the chilipad is only a piece of the puzzle, but the better sleep induced by the Chilipad had to have played a neutral to positive role.
I would also recommend Sheex sheets. A little pricey but well worth it once you start exploring improving your sleeping environment (dark, cool room, better bedding, chilipad).
No worries on the delay @Jonathan Benson , thanks a million for all this feedback! That is really helpful!
We are definitely going to get either a cooling mattress or a chili pad. One question: could you imagine traveling with your chilipad if you were going to stay somewhere for a week (assuming mattress size was correct)? I know it has a little machine unit. How impractical would this be? I'm guessing it would be a big hassle, but just curious. (assume you would be traveling by motor vehicle).
Thanks!
@Larry Peters - I haven't tried to travel with it. Great idea though!
For us endurance athletes, unplugging the chili pad, draining it, and packing it in a duffel would be pretty easy. I wouldn't do it for a 2 night excursion, but a week would be worth it, just like packing up Normatecs or loading a bike with #allthethings.
The maintenance protocol requests that the unit be drained every 6 months or something anyway, and there is cleaning solution you have to order and use every few months as well. Its a packet to poor in and let run. The cleanser is not something you then have to drain as well though. Putting it on and off a mattress is easy as well.
Awesome, thanks for that feedback @Jonathan Benson !!
Thank you @Larry Peters for starting this thread! I came across it a few weeks ago, and my first thought was "my wife will LOVE this!" She suffers from hot flashes, and they seem to be worst (or perhaps most annoying) at night. (BTW - she will kill me if she finds out I typed this in a thread). I showed her the Chili website, and her immediate response was "GET IT!" 😂
After comparing the Chili to the Ooler, I decided to spend the extra on the Ooler for two reasons: 1) the Ooler box will fit under our bed while the Chili will not, and 2) the UV sanitizing feature on the Ooler is compelling to me if it means not having to flush and clean the system periodically.
After having used the unit for a couple of weeks now, I wanted to share some very early thoughts.
It's definitely still early to form any definitive conclusions about sleep quality but I can say that it does cool VERY effectively and makes for some very comfortable, cool sleep. It has definitely helped my wife cope with the hot flashes, and lets us sleep without having the AC set anywhere near as cold at night. Anecdotally, sleep quality feels significantly improved for both of us.
Amazing @John Katsoudas ! Thanks a ton for the detailed review! My GF needed a new mattress anyway, so we got the 8 sleep smart mattress with many of the same features. I am excited to set it up soon! I hope I have as positive as an experience as you do!
You're very welcome @Larry Peters. The 8 sleep smart mattress looks very nice! We already had a mattress we really like so the Ooler made more sense for us, but if you're already in the market for a mattress that looks like an awesome way to go. I'd love to hear what you think of it.