Sleep better in wool

Learn how wool improves your sleep

More and more research shows how important sleep is for our overall health and wellbeing.
We, humans, spend one-third of our lives sleeping because it is vital for our body to repair itself and be fit for yet another day. Different studies have proven that good sleeping habits help maintain healthy body weight, prevent heart disease and let us recover faster from an illness. Even more so, when we are well-rested, we can perform better at our job, achieve more during our exercise routine, and are overall more pleasant to deal with. 

However, getting a good night’s sleep is not as easy as it seems as our busy lives, stress at work and our technical gadgets get in the way of getting a good rest. While regular sleeping habits are important such as going to bed at the same time, it is also worth looking at what we sleep in, on, and under. Over the past years, there have been several studies conducted to look at the effect of wool on our sleep. In this blog post, we have put together an overview of how wool lets us sleep better. 

How does wool work in bed?

There are several properties of wool that come into play when we sleep in wool.

• Insulation: The first wool property to mention is the most obvious. Wool is a good insulator. The wool fibre itself is wavy, which is also called ‘crimp’. This crimp creates lots of little air pockets that act as an insulator. In other words, wool keeps us warm at night.
• Breathability: Many people feel too hot in bed, and this is where the second property comes into play. Wool is a very breathable fibre. This means that it can transport moisture vapour away from the body and release it into the air. So, once we start to get too hot, the moisture that our body creates gets absorbed by the wool and released so that we then don’t overheat.
• Absorbs moisture: Another fabulous wool property is that wool can also absorb up to 30% of its weight before feeling wet. Once we start to sweat a bit more at night, wool will absorb the moisture but not feel clammy on our skin.
• Fluffy texture: Another aspect of wool is its soft and fluffy texture that comes into play when we sleep on wool. This makes us feel more settled, and we have fewer pressure points on our bodies.
• Antibacterial: Finally, bacteria and dust mites don’t like wool as an environment to thrive on. Therefore, wool bedding is also very suitable for anyone suffering from allergies.

Study results on sleep and wool

Over the years, several sleep studies have been conducted to prove how all the above-mentioned properties of wool actually impact our sleep. You can find a reference to the different sleep studies on this page. Here is a summary of the findings.

Fall faster asleep

Researchers found that wearing wool at night and sleeping in wool bedding helps us fall asleep faster. This was particularly significant in warm sleeping conditions of 29 °C.

Sleep longer

The same study that found out that we fall faster asleep also found that we tend to sleep longer in wool. On average, 7 minutes. This might not sound that much, but these minutes add up during a week, month and year. 

Wake up less often

Research participants who slept in wool also woke up less frequently during the night, especially during hot climate conditions of 29 °C. 

Sleep more settled

Research also found that adults, as well as children and babies, have a more settled sleep when sleeping on a wool mattress, mattress protector, or sheepskin. These products typically have soft and fluffy padding which reduces the pressure points on our body when we lie down. In other words, it makes it more comfortable to rest our body, and we have less of a need to flip, toss and turn our body during the night (postural activity) which lets us get more rest.

Higher sleep efficiency

All the above lead to better sleep efficiency. Falling faster asleep, sleeping longer, and waking up less often ensures a better sleep quality which lets us recover better during our sleep.

Feel like you have a better sleep quality

Sleep wool study participants also felt that they had a better sleep quality when sleeping in wool. So, while researchers could measure objectively the different aspects of high-quality sleep, the participants came to the same subjective conclusion of having slept better.

Help with skin health

Sleeping in wool can also help with skin health. Several studies have been conducted on adults and children suffering from atopic dermatitis. All participants who wore wool started to have better skin conditions over a short period of a couple of weeks. You can read more about this research here.

Wool is not an allergen

Researchers have also confirmed that wool is not an allergen and therefore wool is also a safe option for allergy sufferers. 

What to sleep in?

With the above, you now have an overview of how sleeping in wool lets you sleep better. The next question is, what to actually choose for your bed and for yourself. 

There is a wide range of wool duvets, mattress protections, and pillows to choose from with a quick online search. To start with, you can even just try your wool throw for a few nights to see how it makes a difference. 

While you can sleep on and under wool, you can also sleep completely in wool by wearing nightwear made from wool. When you choose nightwear, make sure it is made of super soft merino wool that feels soft on your skin. Our recommendation is also to choose a lightweight merino wool fabric over a heavy and thick fabric. This will prevent you to get too hot at night.

If you already own a wool t-shirt or leggings that you usually wear during your workout, you can try wearing them at night. At Core Merino, we have put together a few items that work particularly well to sleep in. You can check out our sleepwear bundle to get a good deal. 

Invest in your sleep just like you invest in your workout

Just like every workout and outdoor activity is good for your health and wellbeing, so is the time you spend in bed. While we often put a lot of emphasis on outdoor gear and equipment, we tend not to think that much about what we sleep in. With this blog post, we wanted to encourage you to put some effort into getting a better night’s sleep and try wool as one of the ways to get there.