Karine Laudort Now that spring has sprung, there is no better time to consider sprucing up your sleep routine. You may be suffering from disturbed sleep on the regular, or you may not even realise your slumber isn’t at its optimum level after a year of lockdown restrictions. The prognosis may be pongy pillows, too high a tog, too much tech use before bed, the unwelcome hayfever season, or maybe your bedding is simply past its use-by date. Here are some tips and tricks for a clean and comfortable spring night’s sleep:
1. Do the pillow fold test
There’s a sure-fire way to check whether or not your pillow is able to support you while you sleep. Simply fold your pillow in half and place a trainer on top; if the pillow doesn’t spring back, it’s likely lost its mojo and won’t be giving sufficient support to the neck and spine. This can not only ruin slumber but can also create long-lasting pain that irritates and discomforts whether awake or asleep.
2. Swap out your pillows every two years
65% of people change their pillows every two years or less*, which is the recommended lifespan for a pillow to provide the correct support. By swapping out your old pillow after two years, not only are you saying goodbye to the dust mites and bacteria that it was harbouring, your new pillow will be freshly plumped for a carefree night’s sleep.
3. Wash your current bedding at 60 degrees
Make sure you wash your pillow and duvets every two to three months, as leaving your bedding unwashed can result in one-third of your pillow’s weight is made up of dead skin, bugs or dust mites**. ‘Silentnight’s Superwash Range’ is fully machine washable, making it convenient for regular washing. Wash at a temperature of 60 degrees to kill all harmful bacteria and ensure your pillow and duvet are rid of any nasties.
Silentnight’s Anti-Allergy Pillows (2) – £19
4. Invest in products that have anti-allergy and anti-bacterial properties
As hayfever season looms, opt for bedding and pillows that offer anti-allergy and anti-bacterial protection and look for the British Allergy Foundation stamp of approval when doing so. Silentnight’s Anti-Allergy Pillows are filled with anti-allergy hollowfibre that self-cleans to actively protect against bacteria and dust mites. This helps to prevent allergies that may already be aggravated by hayfever and keeps your pillows feeling fresh and clean.
5. Switch your tog with the seasons
Smart sleepers never have to worry about being too hot or cold at night, as they alternate between different tog levels for their duvet throughout the year. When spring rolls around, consider changing your duvet to a lighter 4.5 or 7.5 to get a cool night’s sleep on warm evenings.
“85%* of us suffer from sleep disturbance as a result of being the wrong temperature, and don’t realise a quick fix is to switch out higher tog duvets for lower ones and vice versa. Many of us also don’t realise bedding can be and should be, washed regularly and are unaware of the number of germs and bacteria that can live in our beds – a bit nauseating when you consider that we spend the equivalent of 25 years in bed sleeping during our lifetime!” Source: Sally Bonser, Head of Marketing at Comfy Group
*Survey of 2,000 people conducted by Silentnight.
