Tester urges breathable natural-fibre bedding to improve winter sleep

Monica Horridge, deputy editor of the Filter, writes that after years of struggling with insomnia she has learned to "hibernate" properly and now prefers staying in during winter, having developed a set of bedding strategies that help her sleep. Horridge notes that winter darkness can boost melatonin but that lack of sunlight is a trigger for seasonal affective disorder, which can cause broken sleep.

From her tests of mattresses, toppers and blankets she found breathability especially important on cold nights: natural fibres such as bamboo, wool and cotton regulate temperature better than heat-trapping polyester, she says. She names the Simba Hybrid mattress topper as a favourite, bought Panda’s bamboo-infused duvet after being impressed by it, and reports that a cotton-encased Emma Hug weighted blanket calmed restless legs without trapping heat, while a polyester Lifemax heated weighted blanket helped her chilly feet and served as a shoulder wrap.

Horridge also reports that a wool mattress cooled down quickly after being smothered by a plug-in electric blanket and her husband’s "hot bottom", yet retained its supportiveness under the electric blanket while foam did not.

Key Topics

Health, Monica Horridge, Natural Fibres, Panda Duvet, Simba Hybrid, Emma Hug Blanket