For a lot of people with disabilities, uninterrupted sleep is next to impossible. Whether you have to wake up to turn or to catheterize, getting 8 hours in a row? Forget about it. I haven’t got that in 1 ½ years, and the one time I did, oh man, I felt like I was on the best drug ever.

For me, the reason I can’t sleep for 8 hours straight is because of my body’s inability to adjust its temperature. When I first get in bed, I’m so cold I pile a feather duvet, a poly-filled blanket, a woven cotton blanket and a sheet. After going to sleep, I wake up an hour and a half hour later like clockwork, hotter than Georgia asphalt. I feel like I’m going crazy.

People with spinal cord injuries are notoriously screwed when it comes to adjusting our bodies temperatures. Simply put: We can’t do it, well not very well at least, and depending on our level of injury.

As a C6 quadriplegic, adjusting my body’s temperature is out of the question. I finally turned to the Internet recently, and I discovered the Outlast Sleep System, a bedding manufacturer that creates mattresses and bedding that has thermocules which help the body self-adjust it’s temperature through the night.

Sounds amazing…but is it for real?

Don’t worry, the thermocules won’t bite, and they’re hypoallergenic. All they do is trap the heat your body and store it while you sleep (so you never overheat) and then releases it as your body cools. It’s really too bad the most inexpensive blanket they sell is $100 (available through the Sleep Number Store), but if it can really do what it says….I’d pay $500.

What do you use to stay comfortable through the night? Some people with spinal cord injuries skip the top sheet, others like using an open leave cotton thermal blanket (and use a pile blanket on top to trap warm air), and some people will just cover their head when feeling cold to trick their mind into warming up.

I’ll admit. I’ve done that one too.

Have you tried Outlast? How do you stay cool at night?

– Check it out: Outlast Sleep System

– Buy it online: Sleep Number Store