Wool and Sleep Quality

People Tend to Sleep More Soundly on a Mattress That Uses Natural Fibers

A sleep study conducted by Peter R. Dickson (1984) examined sleep quality when participants slept on a natural wool pad placed under their sheet. He found that participants moved — tossed and turned — significantly less during the night. Additionally, participants reported that they had slept better and felt better the next day when sleeping on wool. The less a person tosses and turns, the greater the quality of sleep!

Wool is hypothesized to increase sleep quality and reduce tossing and turning because:

1. It reduces pressure points
2. It regulates body temperature

Believe it or not, wool helps keep you warm when it is cold and cool when it is warm. Wool can do this because of its moisture-regulation quality. Here is how it works: when you get too hot, you sweat. If you are sleeping with bedding that is not natural, the sweat will remain near your body and not evaporate — leaving you feeling sticky and clammy. However, if you are sleeping with natural wool fibers, which are breathable, the sweat can evaporate from your body and cool you down. Wool is able to wick moisture away from your body and can absorb up to 30% of its weight in moisture while still feeling dry.

Wool also helps you stay warm when the air is cool because it is a natural insulator. There are air pockets in wool that trap heat and allow air to circulate near your body, keeping your body temperature regulated. A consistent body temperature means less tossing and turning — and a deeper, more restful sleep.

Watch this video interview on the benefits of organic wool with Nathon Thill of Woolgatherer:

Many of The Natural Sleep Store's organic mattresses are made with a layer of GOTS certified organic wool underneath — quilted to organic cotton fabric — so you can enjoy the sleep-enhancing benefits of natural wool every single night.

References:
Dickson, P. R. (1984). Effect of a fleecy woolen underlay on sleep. The Medical Journal of Australia, 140, 87-89.