You aren't really going to feel the heat through substrate, snakes are going to burrow down against the bottom of the tank anyways so you don't want to risk cranking up your thermostat, it'll just end up with your snake being burned when it does. (it is on a thermostat I hope)
88 degrees is plenty hot and if it's warmer on the inside of the hides than yes that is too hot for your snake to hang out in. Also a thermometer set on the glass is not necessarily going to give you the same temp result as a temp gun would, it's also useful because heat pads tend to heat unevenly so there may be hotter spots all over, for $25 I highly suggest you pick one up. Indoor/outdoor ones or digital probe ones are great for a quick check on temps and to judge fluctuations though. You also might consider a CHE on a dimmer instead of your heat bulb with light
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