How Often Should You Change or Replace your Bedding

There are a lot of things you have to do to keep your home looking great and feeling fresh. Some things you have to do each season, while others are done each year or in longer cycles. All in all, the simple tasks and keeping up with updates to your home space can keep your refuge looking beautiful and feeling comfortable for you and your family.

Some things you need to do for your home are important rituals that usher in a new time of year. For instance, there is spring cleaning which comes at a time or renewal and rebirth. It's the perfect opportunity to open the windows and let new air in and do a deep and thorough cleaning. It's amazing how that effort makes your home feel like new again. Even smaller changes, like replacing or changing your bedding, can make a big difference in how you feel.

With the Change of Seasons

As you transition from fall to winter, and emerge from the chill of winter to greet the spring, you may want to change your bedding. When the leaves fall from the trees and the first chill pierces the air, it may be time to bring out the flannel or smooth sateen sheets. As another consideration, the tighter weave of higher thread count sheet fabrics also helps with warmth.

When the days get longer and summertime approaches, opt for more cooling sheets with thread counts in the 180 to 280 range. You might also consider a reversible wool underlay, which has wool on one side for winter warmth and cotton on the other for summer cooling.

When You Are Updating the Bedroom Decor

Another great time to replace or refresh your bedding is when you are updating your bedroom decor. A new duvet cover, sheets and pillow cases can bring a flash of color or soothing feeling to your sleeping sanctuary.

As you bring in your new design elements, you might also consider upgrading the comfort of your bed. With a new reversible wool underlay you'll sleep better through the night and will be comfortable all year long.

As Time Goes By

Even the best bedding products eventually wear down and need to be replaced. As a general rule of thumb, sheets will need to be replaced after two years of use although luxury sheets like percale and sateen may go an extra year.

New pillows should be purchased every year or two. If your duvet cover is separated from your skin by a top sheet, it could last five years. Quality duvets, especially with a cover, could last from 5 to 25 years.

Before You Invest in a New Mattress Try a Wool Underlay

 If you’re experiencing disrupted sleep because it’s difficult to get comfortable in bed, it may be because your mattress is no longer providing the correct amount of support. And, if your mattress is no longer providing the correct support, you may find that you wake up with all kinds of aches and pains. However, disrupted sleep isn’t always down to the age of the mattress. Memory foam mattresses often cause overheating, while some mattresses are simply too firm.

Signs that it’s time to replace your mattress

It’s generally recommended that you replace your mattress every 8 to 10 years. Signs that it should be replaced include visible lumps and bumps, creaking sounds, exposed springs and sagging in the middle. It may be that your mattress is badly stained or just looks as though it’s ready for replacement.

How a wool underlay can help

If your mattress doesn’t have any of these outward signs and it’s less than 10 years old, you may want to try topping it with a woollen underlay and see if that improves the quality of your sleep.

A woollen underlay doesn’t just smooth out any irregularities in your sleeping surface; it has far more far-reaching benefits.

·         It will keep you cool – wool is a totally natural and breathable fibre

·         It will keep you warm – wool is also a natural insulator and keeps your body at its optimal temperature which may improve your sleep quality by up to 25%

·         It stops you from becoming sweaty – wool absorbs body moisture and then releases it into the air. It can absorb up to 33% of its weight in moisture, so you can say goodbye to night-time sweats!

·         It’s not attractive to dust mites or fungal spores – dust mites love warm and humid environments. Due to its breathable properties, wool provides a dry and cool environment – the exact opposite of the environment required for the growth of dust mites and fungus

·         It’s naturally fire retardant – there’s no need to use chemicals to make it fire safe

·         It’s naturally sustainable and biodegradable – making it a great choice if you want to make a difference to the environment.

So, as you can see, a wool underlay is a great choice for any bed. It provides a healthy sleeping surface, will smooth out any irregularities in your mattress and it’s a great eco-friendly option too. So, before you rush out to buy a new mattress, why not try sleeping on a wool underlay?

Add a Touch of Luxury to Your Bedroom

When you go away to a luxurious hotel, you may find that you sleep better and enjoy your surroundings. Why save this only for when you go away? With a little inspiration from Halcyon Dreams, you can recreate the look and feel of luxury within your bedroom.

Start with getting your bedding on point

It almost goes without saying that to get that touch of luxury, you need a bed and bedding to help you drift off peacefully. With an Australian wool underlay, your bed will never have felt so comfortable or more inviting.

The softness the underlay creates helps you to get comfortable, but it does not end there. It also helps you to remain comfortable throughout the night. As our underlays are made from 100% natural sheep wool, they will help regulate your temperature throughout the night. Say goodbye to getting too hot during the night or struggling to stay warm. Wool will keep you just right.

The same can be said for an Australian wool quilt. It is the perfect covering for you, and it will work in harmony with your underlay.

Finish off the look of your bed

Now that you have got the essential bedding sorted, it is time to think about those finishing touches for your bed. You may have noticed that something all luxurious bedrooms have in common is their cosy and inviting look.

You can achieve this in different ways. If you want to keep your bedroom looking fresh with clean lines, why not opt for crisp white bedding? This timeless option will remind you perfectly of hotel rooms.

Or, if you would like more colour in your bedroom, search for inspiration on places like Pinterest or Instagram for some beautiful colour-themed bedrooms.

Do not forget to complement your bed with a luxurious runner at the end of your bed and some scatter cushions to complete the look.

Do not forget about the other details

Of course, there is more to a bedroom than just your bed. Aim to give your surfaces clutter-free to encourage you to relax.

If you want to really go for it, why not add some beautiful fresh flowers, or you could choose some faux flowers to achieve a similar look.

Remember to consider your lighting choices. When creating a relaxing atmosphere, you want to have the option to dim the lights and create ambient lighting. Beautiful bedside lamps is a good way to achieve this. Keep a bright ceiling light available for those times when you need to see clearly!

Find your bedding at Halcyon Dreams

Halcyon Dreams can supply you with all your wool bedding for your luxurious bedroom. Browse our entire range online today.

How to chose the Best Australian Wool Quilt and Underlay for a Good Night’s Sleep

 

We all value a good night’s sleep because it can leave us feeling refreshed and ready to face the new day. A poor night’s sleep, on the other hand, can mean we’re lacking in energy and unable to perform to our full potential.

The secret of a really good night’s sleep can often be having the right Australian wool underlay and quilt that will keep you comfortable at all times. The large variety of quilts available can be confusing, however, and can make choosing the right one quite a challenge.

One of the main challenges can be getting the right quality and thickness of quilt or underlay because these determine how warm you will be. The thickness or density is usually expressed in grammes per square metre (gsm):

·        Thinner quilts at 150-300 gsm are usually only suitable for the warmer summer months

·        Densities of 400-600 gsm are often better for winter, with the higher numbers for those who really feel the cold.

An alternative way of expressing thickness is in terms of lofting, which many people find easier to understand to determine their relative warmth. A light loft quilt is equivalent to 1-2 blankets or 300m gsm while high loft is 2-3 blankets or 450 gsm and super loft is 3-5 blankets or 500 gsm.

Higher quality quilts and underlays, as well as those that are thicker, tend to come at a higher price. However, they should be viewed as good investments because they’ll provide greater comfort for many years.

The Filling is the Key

Quilts and underlays can have a variety of fillings that include cotton, synthetic fibres, goose down and wool. The latter is the most durable, easy to care for and warm so it guarantees a good night’s sleep consistently and for a long period. It also keeps you comfortable all the year round so there’s no need to have separate quilts for winter and summer.

Wool is a natural filling and, because it breathes, is able to maintain a comfortable temperature throughout the year. It’s a product that is sustainably sourced, hard wearing, repels water on the surface while letting it pass through the interior, is suitable for those with allergies and is very easy to keep clean.

All our quilts and underlays are of the highest quality, bearing the Woolmark label that attests to their reliability and quality, being made from the very best Australian wool and subject to regular testing. They’re also backed by our extended warranty because we’re confident you’ll be fully satisfied with the products and gain a restful night’s sleep when you use them.

Sleep Like a Princess on a Wool Underlay

We’ve all heard the fairy tale about the Princess and the Pea and how the Princess found it difficult to sleep because of a pea placed under her mattress. Perhaps you’ve experienced similar sleepless nights and put it down to an uncomfortable mattress?

We have an easy way to solve sleeping issues that doesn’t involve piling mattress upon mattress in the hope that you’ll feel more comfortable. In fact, it doesn’t even mean changing your mattress. You simply need to invest in a wool underlay!

Why a woollen underlay could make the difference between a good and bad night’s sleep

To understand why a woollen underlay will help you to have a good night’s sleep, we need to look at the properties of wool.

As we all know, wool comes from sheep, and it’s been designed by nature to keep them warm and dry in bad weather and cool and dry during the warmer months. When the wool is removed from the sheep and made into woollen bedding or garments, it retains these properties. This means that it will keep us warm and dry when it’s cold, and cool and dry when it’s warm by regulating your body temperature. It helps you to retain your natural body heat when the temperatures dip. When you’re warm and start to perspire, the woollen fibres absorb the moisture and then release it into the air. This keeps you cool and dry.

What’s more, it’s naturally hypoallergenic. Therefore, if you suffer from allergies, wool is a great choice for an underlay. Its ability to release moisture into the air also means that it doesn’t create the kind of moist, humid environment that dust mites absolutely love. So, there’ll be fewer dust mites and other allergens around to set off any allergic reactions.

So, sleeping on an underlay made of wool is going to keep you more comfortable and drier whether it’s spring, summer, autumn or winter. As we all know, being too hot or too cold or waking up in a sweat can seriously impact our sleep quality.

But let’s look at the Princess and the Pea situation. Sometimes our mattresses can develop some lumps and bumps, especially if we didn’t choose a high-quality mattress in the first place. Unfortunately, even the cheapest mattresses aren’t cheap. So, until you can afford to replace a mattress, a wool underlay will give you a soft-as-a-cloud cushion between you and your mattress. And even if you have a good mattress, an extra layer of comfort is always a bonus!

Don’t believe us? Try the pea test for yourself tonight!

Finding Sleeping on Memory Foam a Hot Experience? Try a Woollen Underlay

 

Even though memory foam mattresses and toppers are becoming an increasingly common choice for people who are looking for comfortable night’s sleep, some report that while they are extremely comfortable, they seem to increase your body temperature. If you’ve found this to be true, one way to still enjoy the comfort of your memory foam mattress but be more comfortable in bed is to top it with a wool underlay. We take a look at why sleeping on wool is a better bet for a good night’s sleep.

It Regulates Your Temperature

When your temperature rises at night, you’re likely to toss and turn and throw off the covers. Surprisingly sleeping on wool can help you to maintain your optimum body temperature so you stay asleep for longer. As a natural material, wool wicks away any excess moisture that is created during the night, thus keeping you cool and dry. Plus, when top your bed with a woollen quilt, any sweat you generate will be drawn away and released into the atmosphere rather than remaining on your body. 

An Extra Layer of Comfort

We all enjoy sinking into memory foam but imagine another layer of soft cushioned support. Underlays made of wool usually have an interchangeable fleece upper and smooth underside. The thick pile of a woolen underlay will help to keep you extra cosy during the winter, plus in summer you can simply turn it over to the smoother side.

Can Help to Prevent Allergies

Anyone who has an allergy to dust mites will know how difficult it can be to sleep sometimes when you’re all ‘stuffed up’. With a woollen underlay, you’ll enjoy a better night’s sleep as the woollen fibres are naturally hypoallergenic and don’t provide the right environment for dust mites to breed. If you’re someone who thinks they are allergic to wool, that’s probably not the case. You’re more likely to be allergic to the lanolin. However, you can still use this kind of underlay as you can simply flip it over, so the woollen side sits against the mattress.

Enjoy a Better’s Night Sleep

Of course, the only way to know whether sleeping on wool could improve your sleep is to try it yourself. There’s no need to buy a new mattress when an underlay could solve your problem.

For the best range of quality woollen bedding including underlays, browse through the product range at Halcyon Dreams.

Are Wool Underlays the Same as Wool Toppers?

Have you ever wondered whether there’s a difference between a woollen underlay and a wool topper? If you have, you’re not alone. While many of us are now aware of the benefits that come with using woollen bedding, there are so many different products available that you can be forgiven if you’re feeling a little confused. So, we’re going to explain what makes an underlay an underlay and when a topper is a topper!

You Can See the Difference

Surprisingly, perhaps the easiest way to decide whether it’s a wool underlay or a topper is to take a look at the construction. An underlay is usually fitted to your mattress with a cotton skirt and has wool visible on the outside, like a cosy sheep fleece. A topper, on the other hand, has a more quilt like appearance with a quilted cotton cover encasing the woollen filling. Four corner straps are used to fit your topper to the mattress and stop it from moving around.   

When to Use an Underlay in Preference to a Topper

Both underlays and toppers are used on top of the mattress and under the sheet to provide extra cushioning and to extend the life and cleanliness of your mattress by protecting it from stains from sweat, moisture and spills. But which one should you use?

Underlays help to distribute your body weight more evenly and may assist in reducing pressure on specific body areas. Plus, when they are made of wool, they help your body to remain at its optimum temperature. During the winter, the wool will help to keep you cosy while in summer, the underlay can be reversed so that the cotton side is uppermost. Woollen underlays tend to be more expensive than wool toppers as they are reversible.

In comparison, while toppers do offer extra softness and comfort, they are primarily designed to give your mattress protection from sweat and dirt. Toppers are usually not reversible, and as the woollen interior is encased in a cotton cover, you don’t get the benefits that you would from lying directly on the wool; although this may be preferable for anyone who may have an allergy to wool. In general, toppers cost less than a similar size and quality of underlay and weigh less too. 

The Choice is Yours

Whether you prefer to buy an underlay or topper will usually be based on budget and personal preference. You may pay more for an underlay, but you’ll benefit from sleeping on a woollen surface. If you’re looking for a less expensive option or if you have a wool allergy, a topper may work better for you. But whether you choose a topper or an underlay, if it’s made from 100% Australia wool you can look forward to a more comfortable and natural sleeping experience.