Lighting, Light Fixtures, Ceiling and Exhaust Fans - Dimmer switch getting hot

We recently had new recessed lighting put into a room (6 bulbs, 100w each). These are all operated off one wall switch (nothing else attached to that switch). Recently, I replaced the regular switch with a dimmer switch. After being on for a short time, the dimmer switch started to feel hot to the touch. Of course, we turned it off, but I am looking for any suggestions on how to avoid this.

P.S. If it is not obvious from the above, I am not a very good "do it yourselfer", but have been able to do simple electrical changes in the past.

First, make sure your dimmer is rated for 600 watts. Most common dimmers are rated for 600 watts, but some are only rated for 250 watts. And you can buy dimmers rated for 1000 watts.

If your dimmer is rated for 600 watts, and you use it to control the full 600 watts, it's going to get pretty hot. It shouldn't be so hot that it burns your fingers, but it will be pretty hot. You're pushing it to the limits, but as long as it doesn't burn your fingers, it's probably within the "normal" range.

If you want to reduce the heat, you can buy a dimmer rated for 1000 watts. It won't get as hot when controlling 600 watts.