4 Things to Consider When Buying an Underlay for Your Bed

Having an underlay on your bed can make your bed more comfortable and therefore allow you to get a better night’s sleep. But just how do you choose the right one?

1. Choose an underlay that is designed for comfort

Getting a comfortable night’s sleep is key. When you feel uncomfortable at night, you can toss and turn, and it can prevent you from drifting off. 

A wool underlay is designed to keep you comfortable throughout the night thanks to its thick pile. With wool, you can make your bed feel like sheer bliss to get into at night and transform your bed so that it has all the comfort of a 5* hotel.

2. Get an underlay that fits your mattress

The last thing you want at night is an underlay that slips around underneath you. By choosing the right quality woollen underlay that is designed to fit the size of your mattress, you can be confident that it will stay in place and you will be able to sleep comfortably. 

3. Choose a hypoallergenic material for your underlay

Allergies can be a huge hindrance and can stop you from sleeping. With the right underlay, you can keep your allergies at bay, protect your mattress and keep pesky dust mites away from you during the night. 

Wool is the best material for allergies, thanks to it being naturally hypoallergenic. Mites and other bugs that can cause allergies struggle to survive in wool and this, in turn, keeps them away from you.

4. Choose a natural material that is going to help you sleep

Natural materials are often a lot more effective at helping you to get a better night’s sleep than those that are manmade. 

As wool is natural, the warmth of the fleece on your underlay will help keep you cosy and snug throughout the night. However, if you are worried about getting too hot during the night, you don’t need to worry. Wool will naturally wick away any additional moisture that is created during the night, like sweat, and keep you cool and dry. 

Get the best night’s sleep

The right underlay can help you to get a great night’s sleep and protect your mattress, meaning that you can get years of use from it. For the best range of quality woollen underlays, browse through the product range at Halcyon Dreams. 

Create the Perfect Guestroom This Summer

When you have guests to stay this summer, you can create the perfect guestroom for them with a little help from Halcyon Dreams. When your guests are staying away from home, the one thing they will want is a comfortable bed and restful night’s sleep, and the best way to do that is by using wool on your guest bed. 

Creating the perfect bed

With an Australian wool underlay, your guests will have one of the most comfortable nights of sleep of their lives. This is because wool improves your sleep. By nature, this material is breathable and regulates body temperature, not to mention that it is soft to lie on. 

As wool can regulate your guest’s temperature, they will remain cool and comfortable throughout the night. There is no fear that they will wake up feeling hot and sticky from the summer heat as the wool wicks away any additional moisture that is created. What’s more, even if you have more than one person in your guest bed, the wool regulates the temperature of each person, so both will wake up happy. 

Guests can rest with ease

With an Australian wool quilt, your guestroom will feel like a peaceful haven of calmness and serenity. With wool being naturally hypoallergenic, allergies can be kept at bay. Dust mites and bacteria struggle to grow in wool, so this minimises the risk of any sneezing fits, runny eyes or other symptoms of allergies. 

It can all be washed

The great news is that when you choose to use Australian wool from Halcyon Dreams, it can all be washed when your guests leave should it be necessary. That said, wool is a hygienic material and a simple airing can often do the trick, but it is always good to know washing is possible. 

Other tips

Making your guestroom a home away from home is a great way to ensure that your guests feel comfortable. A simple gesture such as a vase of flowers in the room can show that you have thought about your guests and it will make them feel valued and welcome. 

Also, don’t forget to invest in good quality sheets that feel soft and luxurious against the skin. 

Your guests will want to keep coming back

With the perfect guestroom for your summer visitors, you may find that they are queuing up to come back and stay again. 

Just make sure you also try out your guestroom and experience for yourself the difference bedding from Halcyon Dreams can make. 

How to Care for Woollen Items

Items made from natural fabrics such as wool are a luxury that we all love. However, whether you have a fine cashmere sweater, a merino wool onesie or you own a wool doona; you’ll need to know how to look after it to keep it at its best. 

We take a look at how to care for this beautiful fabric to ensure that it gives you good service for years to come. It’s much easier than you think.

1.       Airing

One of the best ways to keep your woollies fresh is to let them air, either indoors or outdoors. Never put a woollen jumper away immediately after wearing it. It’s much better to put it in a place where air can circulate around it before you stash it away. Airing is an extremely effective way to remove sweat odours from wool and to allow moisture to evaporate. It’s a good idea to air your woollen quilts regularly too.

2.       Stain Removal

If you spill anything onto a woollen garment or quilt, remove the stain as soon as you can to avoid it being absorbed into the fibres. If the stain has dried, run lukewarm water over the affected area.

3.       Washing 

Woollen fibres are able to keep themselves clean by using moisture control to remove odours. It’s also naturally wrinkle-resistant and stain-resistant, which means that you shouldn’t have to wash woollen items quite as often as you would those made from synthetic fibres.

Many woollen items can now be machine washed which makes it easier to care for them. If you are putting them into the machine, be sure to select the wool/silk program or a delicates or handwash cycle. With the advent of the washable wool doona, it is possible to wash these at home, but only if your machine has the capacity.

If you don't have the correct program you can wash your garments by hand in lukewarm water. Don’t scrub or wring the wet garment but move it gently through the water. Rinse it thoroughly and roll the garment in a dry towel to absorb excess water.

It’s always best to use a detergent that’s designed for woollen garments; however, if this is not available, you can use hair shampoo when handwashing.

4.       Drying

Woollen garments should be gently pulled into shape before air drying. Try to avoid the use of tumble driers as they are likely to shrink woollen items. Big and heavy items, such as quilts should be laid flat, preferably outside.

5.       Storing

When you pack away woollen items you will need to protect them from moths, so keep your woollies in cotton bags together with some cedar balls.  And always fold jumpers rather than hanging them. 

Caring for woollen items is easy when you know how and when they are properly looked after should last you for years to come.

How to Recreate a 5 Star Hotel Bed in Your Bedroom

Staying in a 5-star hotel is often a wonderful experience, even if lots of travelling can leave you feeling fatigued. Hotel beds seem to have a secret that means they are always comfortable and allows you to rest easy. 

However, living a life of luxury can leave you feeling disappointed when you return to your everyday life. The good news is that you can easily recreate a 5-star hotel bed in your bedroom at home. 

The ultimate comfort

The one thing that probably struck you when you have stayed in a luxury hotel is how comfortable the bed is. Even if you have never been able to afford to stay in such luxury, recreating the bed at home will mean that you do not have to miss out. 

The first step is having a wool underlay on your bed. These provide you with unbeatable comfort and therefore, you experience a great night’s sleep. What’s more, the wool helps to distribute your body weight, meaning that you are more comfortable throughout the night and do not suffer from any pressure points. 

Furthermore, having a woollen underlay can help to regulate your body temperature throughout the night. Rather than waking up hot and sticky or being prevented from sleeping because you are too cold, wool cleverly helps to keep you at the right temperature, giving you a comfortable night’s sleep.

Choose luxury bedding

Hotels are synonymous with having white, crisp linen that is made from a high thread count. Choose cotton sheets because, like wool, they are a natural material and therefore breathable.

There is also nothing quite like slipping into sheets that have been freshly washed and ironed, so make sure your bedding is regularly cleaned. You may also want to consider getting flat sheets rather than a fitted sheet for a true hotel experience. Just make sure you brush up on how to fold your hospital corners.

When you go for white bedding, the lighter colours of the linen also make your room appear more peaceful, so when the time comes for you to go to bed, your bedroom will be a haven of relaxation.

Add finishing touches

Pillows can make a massive difference to how you sleep. Choosing a good pillow can make all the difference. Consider a wool pillow because they are dust-free and odourless, making them perfect for allergy sufferers.

To finish off your bed, add a cosy bed runner to the bottom of your bed in true hotel style. Choose a colour that compliments the rest of your bedroom and the whole look can be tied together. 

With Halcyon Dreams, we help you to get the best night’s sleep. With us, everyone can enjoy that taste of 5-star hotel luxury.

The Lowdown on Woollen Bedding and Dustmites

Anyone who suffers from allergies to dust will know that your sleep can be disrupted by a stuffy nose, itchy eyes and even issues with breathing. 

That said; it’s important to find bedding that doesn’t exacerbate this problem. Woollen bedding is known for its hypoallergenic properties, which makes it an ideal choice for anyone with an allergy or for asthmatics. 

But why is woollen bedding so good – and would adding a wool underlay to your bed help you to have a good night’s sleep? Read on to find out more.

Myths Surrounding Woollen Bedding

Let’s start with the most common myth surrounding woollen bedding – that it’s a great home for dust mites. This myth comes from a study carried out way back in the 1970s that suggested that woollen fibres were a great habitat for the dust mite. 

However, to understand the results, it’s necessary to look at the conditions of the study, in that it was conducted on a tropical island where temperatures regularly reached 40^oC, and humidity levels of 80% were experienced on a day to day basis. 

The fact that dust mites love very warm, humid environments meant that they did thrive in the blankets that the study participants were given to use. However, this was down to the conditions rather than the wool itself.

The Truth About Dust Mites

While dust mites love the kind of conditions presented in this study, the truth is that they don’t actually feed on dust or wool. However, as we’ve said they do love hot and sweaty conditions. 

Therefore, if you’re sleeping on and under synthetic fibres – you’re more likely to be sleeping with large colonies of dust mites than you would be if your bedding is made of natural, breathable fibres such as wool.

Sadly, dust mites are a fact of life. However, they themselves are harmless, but they do produce a protein that causes all the wheezing, sneezing and itching.  

So, while there may be dust mites in your woollen underlay, there certainly won’t be as many as there would be if you’d chosen an underlay or topper made with synthetic materials such as polyester and memory foam.

Woollen Bedding = Better Health

And that’s not just down to the reduced populations of dust mites. Wool has the ability to absorb the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) found in many household items, such as cleaning products, paint, glue and varnish which also cause problems for asthmatics and people prone to allergies. 

If you’re thinking of buying new bedding this spring, look out for items that contain wool and you can look forward to improved sleep and better health.