Choosing the Coolest Duvet for Summer
Warm weather can be wonderful if you love the sun, and can get time off to enjoy it. But after dark, hot days can lead to sticky and uncomfortable nights. Fortunately, if you choose the right bedding, you will find it easier to stay cool and comfortable and beat the heat.
Choosing the right duvet is one thing you might do to make sure you have a comfortable night's sleep in summer. The coolest duvet for the summer months is a wool duvet. It is a natural, breathable material, which helps you regulate your temperature and sleep comfortably. When compared to synthetic duvets, and even feather and down, nothing beats wool for breathability and temperature regulation.
The Benefits of Wool Duvets
Wool duvets can be a good environmentally friendly choice – especially when the wool comes from humane, sustainable, organic farms. But as well as being a good ethical choice, organic wool duvets can also be good for you personally in a range of ways.
Here are some of the reasons why wool duvets are a sensible summer choice:
Breathability
Wool is a natural material which naturally allows skin to breathe. Air passes easily through between the material which means that you won't feel all hot and sticky with the hot air trapped beneath it as you would with a duvet of synthetic materials.
Temperature regulation
Wool is a remarkable material. In bedding, as in clothing, it can transfer heat in such a way that it keeps you warm in winter – but also cool in summer. Wool can soak up moisture, and wick it away from your skin, helping you to feel much cooler and more comfortable in the heat.
Lightweight
A lightweight wool duvet can be a great choice if you prefer to have some kind of substantial cover over you during the night, but don't want anything too heavy to weigh down on you and make you feel too constricted in the heat.
Hypoallergenic
Feather or down filled duvets are also a natural choice. But some people will find that they have allergies to a duvet of this kind. Rather than opting for a synthetic duvet instead, you would be better to consider a duvet filled with wool for a comfortable and allergy free night.
Wool pillows
Remember, as well as thinking about what your duvet is filled with, you should think about your pillows too. With organic wool pillows, your head can rest as comfortably as the rest of your body on a hot night. And you are far less likely to be bothered by the heat.
So if you are facing a summer heat wave, choosing a wool duvet and wool pillow really can make a big difference. After a night's sleep with organic wool bedding, you will surely feel much more rested and refreshed.
Now let's consider the best sheets for those hot nights:
What is the Coolest Fabric for Summer Bedding?
As well as thinking about the best filling for a duvet in hot weather, you should also think about other summer bedding options.
Cotton Bedding
If you do choose to use a duvet, choosing an organic cotton duvet cover is the best policy. Of course, you should also think about what you are lying on. So choose organic cotton sheets too.
Remember, on a hot night, you might choose to forgo a duvet altogether and sleep under a single sheet instead.
And don't forget to make sure that your pillow cases are also made from breathable, natural material to avoid getting all hot and sticky in the heat.
Percale cotton v sateen cotton
It is not just the material from which bedding is made but also the weave that can make a difference. Cotton sheets have either sateen or percale weaves.
Sateen sheets have a silky smooth finish, and are wonderful for winter. But if you feel too warm, percale sheets will be great for you. It is particularly useful to keep you cool in summer.
Don't suffer in the heat! Choose the right bedding and you will discover just how much difference a breathable wool duvet and organic percale cotton sheets can make. No matter how high the temperatures soar, the right bedding choices can help you feel comfortable and grounded, whatever the weather may bring.
Dr. Chris Murphy, co-founder Sleep Organic