Ultimately, thicker and heavier winter duvets are made to keep us cosy and ensure heat stays in, while what we really want for summer is our duvets to be light, breathable and moisture-wicking. If you’re sharing a bed with someone else, you’ll need to consider them, too. If you have different preferences, look to the Silentnight dual tog 4.5/7 tog duvet which will (hopefully!) keep both sides of the bed happy.
“On a practical level it’s important we adjust our bedding in the summer months, as we need our core body temperature to drop a couple of degrees at night to fall asleep easily and to stay asleep,” says Kate.
“Having a comfortable bed and the right bedding for you, fills your bedroom with positive sleep cues and a sense of reward, and rewards around sleep help to establish and maintain a strong sleep-wake cycle,” she adds.
What are the coolest duvets?
There are three types of duvet fillings to consider when thinking about which summer duvet to buy; natural fillings which are usually the most breathable, hypoallergenic including wool, bamboo, silk and cotton, and those with temperature regulating technology.
Natural duvet fillings: “Feather and down are popular due to being breathable and because they allow air to circulate more easily than some synthetic materials. These, however, are not hypoallergenic,” says Kate.
Hypoallergenic: “Wool, bamboo and silk filled duvets are all hypoallergenic and are touted as moisture wicking, meaning that they will remove sweat to their outer layer and then dry off quickly, keeping you dry and cool,” explains Kate.
“Cotton is also good at regulating temperature, helping you to stay warm on a cold night and cooler on a hot night, but it is not moisture-wicking,” Kate adds.
Temperature regulating technology: “If you’re not set on having natural materials there are many cooling duvets and some that incorporate temperature regulating technology. These are designed to absorb your body heat during the night and can be synthetic, or combine natural and synthetic materials. Synthetic options are also hypoallergenic,” says Kate.
What are the best duvets for hot sleepers?
The lower tog duvets (1-10.5 tog) will suit hot sleepers best, especially if they want something more than just a sheet. “Consider having a lightweight, lower tog duvet, such as a 2.5 tog,” says Kate. To keep things simple, look for a clever all season duvet system, like Simba’s hybrid duvet which you can layer up and connect via poppers to other, slightly thicker duvets to create a warmer duvet for winter.
When it comes to choosing the filling for hot sleepers though, Kate adds that “natural fibre duvet covers are best as they are breathable”. But it’s not just about the breathability and cooling effect, as Kate adds that “the sensual experience of having bedding that we love triggers a release of the happy hormones dopamine and oxytocin, which helps to improve the quality of our sleep”.
Is there a duvet that keeps you cool?
If you’re a particularly hot sleeper, you can do all the tricks in the book, but it’s best to look for a duvet with temperature cooling technology, like Nectar’s cooling duvet.
Kate says: “If your body temperature is high at night due to the menopause, there are other tactics you can use to cool down, reduce the frequency and intensity of night sweats and to break the sleepless-menopause loop (I have a chapter on this in my book!)”.
Look for “moisture wicking wool, bamboo, silk, or thermo-regulating technology or cooling duvets” which will help to keep your core body temperature down, so that your “sleep is less fragmented by over-heating,” she adds. Our moisture wicking pick? Modal, the exact fabric behind the magic that is the Nectar duvet:
What are tog ratings?
When looking for a summer duvet, the most important consideration is the weight. You don’t want a huge heavy duvet making you sweat during balmy summer nights. Instead swap it for something light and breathable.
The tog weight is the most important consideration. Anything between 1-10.5 tog is great for spring and summer, which obviously largely depends on your sleeping style, preference of coverage.
Anything over 10.5 or more is usually regarded as being best suited to autumn and winter.