Spring is in the air all over the country, although summer-like temperatures are already beginning to press upon many of us. Here in the south, we’ve hit plenty of hot days and quite a few warm nights, but there’s still enough comfortable days that I hate to run the air-conditioning all hours of the day and night. So, that means we’re starting to wake up in the morning with that unpleasant sticky feeling. There’s plenty of tricks to cooling off at night, including kicking off the covers, using a ceiling fan, and ditching the socks. However, this may not be enough if your head is still hot. So, read on for some ideas to ditch the heat and sleep well with a cool pillow (without running up the electric bill).

• New Pillow - If you can’t remember when you got that pillow you’re sleeping on, you may want to consider purchasing a new pillow. Over the years, most every pillow gets compressed and that tightness holds in the heat like a furnace.

• Different Type of Pillow - Certain pillows, like down/feather pillows, retain heat really well. While this is great in the winter, you might want to store it over the summer and go for something lighter.

• Cooling Pads - There are lots of products on the market, called cooling pads or cooling mats, that can be placed on top of your pillowcase. However, I recommend placing it inside your case so that it stays in place better.

• Specialty Pillow Cases - You can even buy pillow cases that have a cooling gel built into them. This makes it possible to stay cool while still enjoying that down/feather pillow or any other “hot” pillow that you love.

• DIY Pillow Cases - Although not as effective as a specialty case, you can make your own pillowcase out of a t-shirt featuring a large, printed graphic. The printing will naturally be cooler than the fabric. Use a graphic on both sides, and you’ll be able to flip the pillow over in the night for another refreshing, cool spot.