Why Do Bed Sheets Feel Damp? How to Fix?

There’s nothing worse than climbing into bed after a long day and wondering why do bed sheets feel damp?

If you feel like your bedsheets are moist, it can be frustrating when you aren’t sure why.

Before you can fix the issue of your bed sheets feeling damp, you need to get to the root of the problem.

You can’t fix it without knowing what caused the feeling in the first place. Let’s look at some of the most common reasons your sheets feel damp and how to fix them.

Your bed sheets may feel damp for several reasons. It may be that you were sweating during your sleep or spilled something on them.

Why Do My Bed Sheets Feel Damp?

So, why does the bedsheet feel damp? There are some obvious reasons why your bed sheets are feeling damp.

These include but aren’t limited to:

• Something spilled on them
• It’s very humid in your home
• A pet had an accident on the bed
• They weren’t thoroughly dried after being washed
• You’re sweating in your sleep

There are other reasons your bed sheets may feel damp, like a lack of insulation in your home.

If the moisture from outside seeps in, you may feel like everything, including your bedsheets, are damp.

The best way to figure out why your bedsheets are feeling damp is to figure out where the source of the moisture is coming from.

Tip: Feel around your bed and see if they feel damp all over or in one or two singular spots.

If the moisture is all over, it could be that they weren’t dried properly or that it’s too humid in your home.

On the other hand, if there are only a handful of damp spots, it could be from a spill, accident, or that they weren’t dried well enough.

How to Fix and Prevent Damp Bed Sheets

If you can locate why your bed sheets are feeling damp, you can get to fixing the issue and preventing it from happening again.

Even if you can’t figure out the exact reason, you can follow these tips to see if anything helps.

The first thing you should do to fix the dampness in your sheets is to rewash them.

Whether it’s because someone spilled something or it’s too humid, refreshing the sheets will make things easier and help you fix the problem.

If there’s only one spot that feels damp on your sheets, you may be able to use a towel to soak up any moisture you’re feeling.

Using a dry towel alone may not be enough, but it’s still worth a shot if the moisture is minimal enough.

Tip: You can take your hair dryer and blast the spot with hot air to help dry it quicker.

How you’ll go about fixing damp sheets will depend on how they became wet in the first place.

But washing them and drying them is the first step. Now let’s look at what you can do to fix why your bed sheets feel wet to the touch.

If you or anyone in your household drinks while in bed, your sheets may feel damp because something spilled.

Luckily, if this happens, it’s most likely only in one area of the sheets and less frustrating to deal with compared to entirely damp sheets.

Tip: To fix the problem initially, washing the sheets is key, but to prevent this issue in the future, use a waterproof mattress protector. 

When Something Spilled on the Sheets

You’ll still feel the dampness on your sheets if something spills.

But it won’t seep into your mattress and make your bed feel damp if you don’t see the spill for a little bit.

When It’s Humid in Your Home

No one likes walking outside when it’s super humid and feeling like they’re damp all over.

If humidity seeps into your home, it can cause your bed sheets and other things in your home to feel damp.

This is the most challenging issue to fix, but it’s still fixable!

Some signs that it may be too humid in your home include that the walls feel cold to the touch, there’s an excess of condensation on your windows and doors, and a musty smell.

You can use a dehumidifier to help reduce the humidity in your home.

It’s an excellent investment if you experience damp sheets often or live in an area prone to high humidity.

Running this frequently can help get the humidity levels back in the normal range for indoors.

In addition to a dehumidifier, getting house plants can help! It may seem odd, but several indoor plants can help absorb excess moisture in the air.

As long as you can take care of the plants, they can help keep your bedsheets from feeling damp.

Tip: Epiphytes and Xerophytes are two great plants to consider.

You should change your AC filters regularly anyway, but did you know that your AC is working overtime if it’s too humid in your home?

Since your AC is working overtime, changing the filters more often may help prevent extra moisture from being in your home.

When Your Pet or Child Had an Accident

Accidents happen. If you have a child who wets the bed or a new puppy that isn’t thoroughly potty trained yet, you may have an accident making your bed sheets damp.

Just like you would if you notice spills happening, getting a waterproof mattress protector is helpful.

Another way to fix this from becoming an issue is not allowing your new puppy to get into your bed without supervision.

This is until they’re potty trained, and you can trust them not to have an accident on the bed.

When They Weren’t Fully Dried After Washing

Sometimes dryers don’t do the best job at completely drying sheets.

Not thoroughly drying sheets sometimes happens since they can get bunched up as the dryer tumbles them around.

If your dryer isn’t working well, your sheets may still be damp in spots.

Before putting your freshly washed sheets on your bed, you should fully inspect them before putting them on your bed.

If you notice that there are some damp spots, letting it go for another turn in the dryer can fix the issue.

Tip: Making sure you clean the lint trap can allow the dryer to dry the sheets thoroughly.

When You’re Sweating in Your Sleep

Humans sweat in their sleep sometimes. It’s normal. If you wake up and feel like your sheets are damp, and you notice you’re sweating, you can take steps to help reduce how much you sweat at night.

Using a small fan next to your bed can help keep you cool while you sleep and prevent sweating.

Another way to prevent excess sweating at night is to use a lighter comforter or blanket instead of something heavy.

A lighter comforter or blanket and a small fan by your bed together can drastically reduce how much you're sweating at night. 

You may even need to turn your AC down lower than you usually would while you’re sleeping to prevent the dampness you’re feeling.

Final Thoughts

Having bed sheets that feel damp is never pleasant, why do bed sheets feel damp? Your sheets may be feeling damp for several reasons.

The most common being that the humidity in your house or apartment is too high, they weren’t thoroughly dried in the dryer, you’re sweating in your sleep, or someone spilled something.

Luckily, almost all of these reasons are easy to fix and are preventable in the future.

As long as you are careful not to spill anything, double-check that your sheets are dry before placing them on your bed.

Next, follow the steps to dehumidify your room; you shouldn’t have to deal with damp bed sheets anymore.