How your sheets can help you sleep well when the temperature rises

We can all enjoy a good night’s sleep in heat wave conditions if we have the right bed linens, writes Carol O’Callaghan

Back in March we were shivering our way up the stairs to beddy-byes, kitted out in woolly hats and bed socks, before submerging beneath multiple duvets.

Roll on a scant four months and the benefits of living in a bungalow during a heatwave cannot be overstated, so thrilled was I not to have to ascend to where hot air rises, but nonetheless having to do a quick revision of how my bed linen works for an undisturbed night’s sleep.

Cotton, it seems, is the answer. Hardly surprising when we all know the cooling properties of donning something made from natural rather than synthetic fibre.

Sari Winckworth, interior designer and co-founder of Irish bedding company White & Green, which specialises in 100% organic and Fairtrade fabrics, says:

“We need to sleep in natural fibres. On holiday we know what’s breathable. We’re not going to wear a polyester dress in the heat. It’s the same with bed linens. I like cotton sateen which feels like silk slipping into bed at night.” For extreme heat Sari advises: “Just have a flat sheet, although sometimes in an Irish summer the nights can turn chilly.

“Something like a cotton waffle bedspread can be pulled up over the flat top sheet. We have one which is big enough to pull over a double, made of 100% natural fibre.”

When it comes to choosing sheets, who isn’t baffled by thread counts, and are the higher values necessarily a better buy?

Sari offers a word of caution where it turns out, less is more: “Be careful with thread counts,” she advises. “300 thread count is what we use. The higher the count, the denser the fibre so air can’t circulate.”

But for most of us the off-putting part of buying 100% cotton is not just the added expense, but the maintenance. Who hasn’t cursed all-cotton when the hottest steam iron has failed to expunge those vexing micro wrinkles?

Stonewashed 100% cotton is used in the Merlo striped duvet and pillowcase set. Fnished in a grey stripe, it promotes the crumpled look which is good news for ironing phobes (from €80 at made.com).

“Iron sheets and duvet covers before they’re completely dry,” Sari advises. “Don’t tumble dry cotton as it’s harder to remove the wrinkles and shrinks the cotton.”

For those of us who love the comforting feel of a duvet, according to Sari the filling should be feather, which naturally regulates temperature.

“Just think about how the duck adapts to weather all year round,” she points out.

Allergy sufferers are used to hearing advice to steer clear of duck feather and down, but according to Sari the allergic reactions are actually triggered by dust which attaches to the feathers.

“The feathers should have been washed to remove the dust,” she explains. “Cheaper duvets won’t have been, or won’t have been washed properly.

“Ours are made in Austria where good quality is a must. Look for the symbol of the Responsible Down Association which also means no live plucking of the ducks.”

Other natural options include linen filled duvets, or silk which is a bit on the heavy side, and there’s a filling option called Tencel which is made from sustainable, eucalyptus fibres.

The Laurel double bedding set from the Heart of House range at Argos features a leafy motif for a fresh and clean look all year round (€44).

But, as ever, tog values have to be considered. Conor McCarthy, director of Cork-based, The Bed Linen Company, which has supplied the hotel trade as well as the general public for nearly 30 years, says:

“In a heatwave, a 100% cotton, 4.5 tog duvet with duck feather or feather and down is breathable for warm nights.You can also get a microfibre version which feels like down and has a cotton cover for breathability and comfort.

“But think about where the heat is coming from first. Strip the bed back to the bare mattress, take off the mattress topper and use a 100% cotton mattress cover instead.

“To adapt to a sudden change in the weather here, a four seasons’ quilt is a good idea. Two duvets — one 4.5 tog and the other 9.5 tog — means you can unbutton the 9.5 in summer.”

Conor also offers special advice to ensure children’s sleep isn’t disrupted by heat and to mitigate next-day crankiness.

“So much polyester is being used for kids and it’s not good for their comfort,” he explains. “It makes them overheat and sweat which wakes them up. Use a 4.5 tog with microfibre and a cool touch pillow which has a gel covering. Then put on a 100% cotton pillowcase which is cool and breathable for a good night’s sleep.”

The Content Collection by Terence Conran includes the 200 thread count Zig-Zag duvet set in double, king and superking sizes, finished in ontrend terracotta and navy tones (from €110).