What’s your bedding made out of? I didn’t know what mine was, let alone if it’s healthy, good for the planet, or even enables me to have a good night sleep. It’s one of those things you don’t question – until I heard about wool bedding.
A few months ago The Wool Room got in touch with a proposition: to try their all-natural deluxe wool bedding*, and see if I sleep better. I’m normally not one for challenges, but this one genuinely interested me; my previous bedding was light and flimsy, made me shiver on cold nights and sleep with a cricked neck sometimes too. Despite all this, I’d not thought about switching up my bedding (which you should do every five years) or if I could find a good, natural alternative.
The answer is wool
The first step in any purchase I make is research, and I’m really happy to report that The Wool Room has already undertaken extensive research with the University of Leeds to prove the benefits of wool. Among the list, it enables you to reach optimum temperature for sleep faster than polyester and down, reduces moisture, and is also naturally hypoallergenic, even to people who have a skin sensitivity to wool/lanolin. You can read the full results of the study here.
In terms of sustainability, the bedding is also brilliant. Made from British wool, it’s relatively locally sourced (whereas merino wool comes from Australia and New Zealand), it’s attainable without killing or maiming sheep (compared to feathers), and it’s natural (polyester is made from petroleum).
The Sleep Test
So, after all the positives, what’s it like to sleep on? I received my bedding a month ago, and despite living quite a hectic life with a lot of late nights, I cannot explain how much of a difference the bedding has had on me. It arrived in a large box, with each element in a cotton zip bag (handy reusables) and I could immediately feel the difference. The bedding is heavier, denser, and the pillows are so full of wool that they’re almost bursting when they first arrive. Over time, the pillows compress, but you can restore them to your preferred height by simply opening them up and pulling the fibres apart.
What’s really incredible is the change it has had on my sleep, and in turn, my daytime performance. From day one, I slept deeper, and now I find myself in a routine of getting into bed earlier (it’s so much comfier than my old bedding, I love slipping under the covers and being instantly warm) and waking naturally much more frequently, which I know to mean I’ve had a good amount of sleep. I haven’t stopped recommending the bedding to friends and family – despite it being pricier than the average bedding set, it’s really worth it.
Make the most of your bed
Along with getting a set that really does look after my sleep, I’m pleased to have read that my deluxe wool bedding is machine washable, making it longer-lasting and also easy to clean. Now, wool bedding that can be washed has to be treated to prevent felting, but The Wool Room only uses completely biodegradable nonionic alcohol ethoxylates, or eco-friendly clothing detergents and they promise not to use acid, bleach, or resins either.
The other plus to this is that the bedding set is customisable. I can change the height of my pillows to however I want by compressing or pulling apart the fibres, and the duvet comes with a topper for extra warmth in the winter. I’m always saying that investment pieces are the way forward, but this is definitely one of the best discoveries I’ve made for my home, and I know it’s going to last me a very long time too.
