Want To Sleep Better This Summer?

Summer is here! We are truly lucky to live in this beautiful country, especially through the glorious summer, and after bracing the long chill of our Melbourne winter there is nothing better than longer days, clear skies and the warm air of the summertime. When it comes to sleep, that’s when the soaring temperatures and restless nights take their toll so if there was ever a prime time to invest in your bedding, summer has to be it! You’ll hear me blah blah-ing about the wonders of linen all year long (and seriously, you can’t find a more versatile fabric cos it’s just as damn good in the winter too), but when the temperature is stifling, you’ll be even more pleased you made the linen decision, here’s why...

• Linen is more breathable, moisture-wicking, and absorbent than cotton.
• Linen can absorb up to a fifth of its weight before feeling damp, so you won’t be waking up with sweaty sheets.
• Just like a fine wine, linen just gets better with age, even softer and more lovely the more it's slept in.
• Linen is naturally antimicrobial and can reduce the recurrence of allergy symptoms or other respiratory problems.
• Linen is one of the more environmentally friendly options when it comes to bedding, so you're basically saving the planet.

Not yet converted? Or need the full run down to convince hubby it's a good investment ;) Read on lovelies...

A Cool Change

When linen comes into contact with your skin, nodes in the length of the fibres absorb perspiration, then swell and release the moisture into the air, creating a fabric that’s self-cooling, ta da, amazing right?! It’s even more breathable, moisture-wicking, and absorbent than cotton. The nature of linen is also anti-static, which allows the skin and body to maintain natural pH levels, which can benefit those who suffer from sensitive skin or skin conditions. Because linen is derived from natural flax fibres that are spun into a light weave, it's one of the most breathable fabrics available, this airflow through linen sheets leaves them cool and dry no matter how long they are in use, allowing our skin to breathe during sleep so we can sleep deeper and calmer, talk about beauty sleep! The weave of linen fabric is different from cotton, it allows the air to flow more freely around your body, keeping you cooler. Being a stiffer fabric than cotton, it is far less likely to cling to your body. Linen is ideal if you sleep with a partner where one of you tends to get hotter or colder than the other, because it will adjust to you both, clever linen, a natural temperature regulator. 

A Fine Wine

In the warmer weather, bedding generally needs to be washed and changed more often as it doesn’t stay fresh for as long,  Linen can absorb up to a fifth of its weight before feeling damp, so you won’t be waking up with sweaty sheets that need washing so regularly. Another reason linen is the ideal summer fabric is that it’s super durable, it’s one of nature’s strongest fibres, and holds up incredibly well to washing, investing in linen bedding is well worth it, it lasts forever (well, like a decade or so which is a hell of a long time!) Oh, and just like a fine wine, linen just gets better with age, it’s not going to go bally or holey, it’s just going to keep on getting softer and more lovely the more it’s lived in (or slept in…)

A Bug's Life

You know those summer days that the humidity kicks in and it feels like you’re living in a sauna...humidity is an ideal breeding ground for bacteria, so get this, linen is naturally antimicrobial. In plain English, linen has unique filtering properties that can reduce the number of allergens and germs found in a typical set of bedsheets, this can reduce the recurrence of allergy symptoms or other respiratory problems. Bedding that's going to have you sleep easy, breathe easy and feel totally irritant free! #winning

The Great Outdoors

Spending much more time in the great outdoors, and appreciating our planet all the more when we can get out in the summer and enjoy it,  it really makes you all the more conscious of doing what we can to look after this planet of ours! Linen is also one of the more environmentally friendly options when it comes to bedding, due its long life-span and its construction from flax seeds, which are considered a renewable resource. Linen bedding is made from natural means, and are also deemed to be biodegradable when it has finally outlived its purpose.

A Sweet Dream

Changing up your sheets is the quickest and easiest way to freshen up your bed (and bedroom) for summer. Cool, calm and neutral colours, all in glorious French linen, ticking all the boxes for a perfect summer bed. You want something light and airy, that not only keeps you call, but gives you that feeling of summer as soon as you walk in your room. Honestly, updating your bed linen can reinvigorate your whole space, I’m all about switching up your bedding with the seasons.  For summer choose colours like whites, naturals, sage greens, light greys, and pastels (like lilac and blush), colours that make you feel cooler just by looking at them.

The Good Sheet

One of the best ways to make sure you’re sleeping comfortably through the night this summer is to have the right linens on your bed. There’s nothing worse than tossing and turning all night simply because you’re just too hot to sleep. Good sheets absolutely do make a difference. If you’re normally one to skip the flat sheet, summer is a good time to add one in, it means on the stiflingly hot nights you can ditch the quilt and still have that feeling of something draped over you, with a linen sheet. Or, if you still love having your quilt on in summer, ensure you’ve got a linen quilt cover on, the natural fibres mean less friction when your skin is pressed up to your quilt, giving you all the benefits of increased airflow, optimal moisture-wicking and cooler sleep.

I could harp on all day about the benefits of linen, but you REALLY must experience it for yourself ;) Whilst I can't promise you a "good time" in the bedroom...I can promise you'll have a good night sleep with linen.