If you run hot at night and your partner seems perfectly comfortable under the same covers, there is a physiological reason for that. Men sleep hotter than women on average — and the gap is significant enough that it affects bedding choices, thermostat settings, and relationship dynamics worldwide.
Why Men Sleep Hotter
Higher muscle mass. Muscle is metabolically active tissue — it generates heat even at rest. Men have on average significantly more muscle mass than women of the same size, which means more heat generated throughout the night.
Higher resting metabolic rate. Related to muscle mass — men burn more calories at rest, which produces more heat as a byproduct.
Higher body surface area. Men are on average larger, with more skin surface radiating heat into the bed environment.
Testosterone. Testosterone contributes to a higher metabolic rate and slightly higher resting body temperature.
Night Sweats in Men
While menopause gets most of the attention in the night sweats conversation, men experience night sweats too. Common causes include low testosterone (andropause), sleep apnea, alcohol, stress, certain medications, and infections. If you are experiencing true night sweats — sudden drenching episodes rather than gradual warmth — it is worth checking with a doctor, particularly if they are new or accompanied by other symptoms.
What Actually Helps
The same solutions that work for hot sleepers generally work well for men specifically. A cooling blanket made from nylon fiber draws heat away from the skin rather than trapping it. Combined with a bedroom temperature of 65-68°F and a fan for airflow the difference is significant.
Cutting alcohol within 3 hours of bed removes one of the most common triggers for elevated nighttime body temperature in men. Avoiding intense exercise within 2-3 hours of bed gives the thermal load from training time to dissipate before sleep.
The Couple Problem
The most common scenario is a man who runs hot sharing a bed with a partner who runs cold. The solution is separate blankets — the hot sleeper uses a cooling blanket, the cold sleeper keeps their preference. Scandinavian countries normalised this decades ago. It works. The Cloud →
The Bottom Line
Men sleep hot for real physiological reasons. The fix is the same as for any hot sleeper — cool the room, switch the blanket, cut the alcohol. The Stillwell Cloud is built for exactly this.