Yahoo Finance Best cooling blankets to help you sleep on hot nights
As a nation, there’s nothing we love more than discussing the weather, but usually, it’s about how cold or rainy it is.
When the sun comes to town, it triggers a national celebration - marked with garden party BBQs, ice cold drinks and lazing under shady trees in a park. Until nightfall that is.
A mid-summer nightmare
Because it’s an acute kind of torture trying to sleep when temperatures linger in the mid- to high-20s in the wee, early hours.
You know the score: sweaty hair sticking to the back of your neck, trying to stop your limbs touching, and venturing one, or two, hopeful legs out of the covers to catch any passing whisper of a breeze.
How to sleep in a hot weather
Farah Arshad, Head of Design at DUSK, offers some stay-cool tips:
Invest in the right fabrics: use cotton pyjamas and invest in 100 per cent cotton bed linen. Egyptian cotton bed linen is lightweight and breathable, helping to keep you cool throughout the night.
Cold as ice: put a tray of ice in front of your fan. As it melts, the breeze will pick up the moisture and give off an icy cool mist.
Keep it cool: the ideal room temperature to sleep is 16 -18 degrees. Having a cool shower before bed will help lower your temperature.
Prepare your bedroom: close your windows in the daytime to avoid heat coming in. For a cooler breeze, open them after sunset.
A duvet is one of the main obstacles in catching summer zzz’s. While lighter duvet togs work are comfortable in mild weather, in sweltering temperatures you may just want to do away with them altogether.
Why do I need a blanket in a heatwave?
The trouble is, many of us simply can’t nod off without something covering us. There are many reasons why: for one, it’s a primitive instinct to protect ourselves when we’re at our most vulnerable.
Two, we’ve been conditioned since birth to sleep with a blanket and it brings us comfort - it’s called a security blanket for a reason.
And finally, your core temperature drops as you nod off, so a covering or blanket is an extra investment in keeping warm - yep, even when it’s boiling - when you’re in that deep, dreamy REM state.
So if you’re looking for something to sleep under when even the lightest tog duvet is unbearable, we’ve rounded up the best, breathable light blankets and sheets for you to snooze under.
Hot tip:a fan seriously helps. Get one with a timer so you can set it without worrying about getting up to turn it off later.
See our favourites below
Linen Weighted Blanket
A weighted blanket that doesn’t feel oppressive in the summer heat, this is the perfect seasonal alternative if you’re a weighted blanket fan. It comes in a range of colours, sizes and weights (choose one that’s 10 per cent of your body weight to feel the comforting benefits). As it’s made from breathable moisture-wicking linen, it’s not only eco-friendly but it doesn’t trap heat either, making it ideal for snoozing in a heatwave.
Most convincing review?: “Arrived quicker than expected, a really lovely blanket, well stitched and finished, not a thread out of place. The blanket feels heavy to pick up and not too heavy when I lay under it. The colour is wonderful and it does not capture very much heat, which will be great in the summer. I could not be happier with this blanket. I never leave reviews as soon as I receive an item, but it is so perfect.”
MADE Kelsey Linen and Cotton Stripe Duvet Cover + 2 Pillowcases
Fashioned from delightfully soft cotton and linen, this duvet cover on its own will be more than enough on humid evenings. The temperature-regulating mix of fibres means you'll be at the right level of comfort.
Pure Linen Bedding, John Lewis
If a sheet is too thin and a duvet too thick, draping just a duvet cover is an inspired compromise. This one is made from 100 per cent linen, which means it’s breathable and will keep you cool by wicking away sweat. When the weather gets cooler you can keep it in your bed linen rotation and continue to enjoy its natural temperature regulating benefits.
Elegear Revolutionary Cooling Blanket
When temperatures soar, all you want is a cool dark place in which to retreat. Make your bedroom that place with this cooling blanket, which uses Japanese Q-Max 0.4 cooling fibres to absorb body heat and keep you cool and comfortable. It's machine washable and quick drying too, making it easier than ever to sleep when it's sweltering.
Cotton Sateen Luxury Duvet Cover and Two Pillowcases
There's nothing like climbing into a set of crisp white sheets come bedtime. Hampton and Astley’s 300 thread count luxury bedding sets are ideal for warmer weather. They're crafted from long-staple cotton, a natural breathable fabric that helps keep your body at the right temperature. It also keeps you cool by wicking away moisture, so you won't wake up a sticky mess by the morning.
Mela Chill Eucalyptus Weighted Blanket Cover
Available in single, double and kingsize, this ultra soft 100 per cent Eucalyptus cover is impressively breathable, giving your weighted blanket some extra nighttime chill. Use the cover on its own on particularly warm nights to feel secure without being stifled.
Abella Pre-Washed Linen Quilt
A quilt makes a lovely bedding option when faced with summer’s heat. This one from La Redoute is made from pure light linen with cloud-like padding. Machine washable and quick-drying, it will keep you cool all summer long and cosy when the seasons change.
100% Bamboo Bedding Duvet Cover
Made from 100 per cent organic bamboo, which has natural climate control and antibacterial properties, bedding from My Panda Life will keep the summer breezes coming. You can buy the whole set for a complete bed overhaul or get pillowcases, sheets and duvet covers separately. The fabric is silky smooth, dries faster than cotton, and comes in a selection of five colours to suit any interiors scheme.
COCOON - Coolmax Travel Blanket - Blanket
A thin blanket can make a welcome bedfellow in times of extreme heat. Made for travelling, this cover is ideal for using at home or away. It’s very light, rolls down small and has Coolmax fibres which keep things airy and breathable. Available in a choice of colourful shades.
Chelsea Flat Sheet - 200 Thread Count - White/Grey
Flat sheets are an ideal replacement for summer duvets in a heatwave. The straight corners make it feel more like a blanket and this one has a lower thread count which means its lighter and more breathable. The sheet sports a percale weave which makes it strong and durable while also giving it the look of a luxury hotel bed sheet.
£24 | Dusk *On sale from £40
ZARA Wrinkle-effect linen blanket
Linen has well-reported moisture-wicking properties, making it ideal for hot weather snoozing. Zara Home's version has a soft fringed edge, giving it an extra dimension of comfort.
Verdict
A good night's sleep is priceless, and we're seriously impressed with this weighted linen blanket, available at Amazon. It keeps you cool while also comforted, looks stylish and the climate-regulating fibres will keep you at the perfect temperature year round. What's not to love?
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