Sleep comfort

Sleep comfort allows us to wake up the next day feeling refreshed and well-rested. It’s therefore a prerequisite for a good night’s sleep. If we understand which factors influence our sleep comfort, we can ensure our optimal sleep quality for the long term.

In this article, we’ll explain what sleep comfort actually means and how it’s affected by your bedding and other external factors. We’ll also give you some tips on how to improve your sleep comfort.

 

What does sleep comfort mean?

We come across the word sleep comfort more and more often in our everyday lives, but what exactly does this term mean? Our sleep comfort indicates how we can best support the physical processes which take place during sleep, so that we wake up the next day without any complaints.

The focus here is on factors such as the optimal room temperature for sleep and the most comfortable position for sleep. This is because we can only prevent problems such as neck or back pain from arising if we lie in an ergonomically healthy position. In addition, we don't want to feel too hot or cold while we sleep, as this discomfort can wake us up or prevent us from falling asleep altogether. If nothing else, we should want to improve our sleep quality so that our performance isn’t negatively affected the next day.

The department of clothing physiology at the Hohenstein Institutes has even discovered that sleep comfort can be measured and calculated by using certain key figures. With these findings, they have made an important contribution to improving bedding and the science of sleep. The measurements tested in the study include bedding’s thermophysiological function, such as its breathability and the level of insulation it provides.

 

Which bedding products play a role in my sleep comfort?

When the buzzword of sleep comfort is mentioned, most people immediately think of their duvet. However, not only your duvet, but also the choice of the right mattress, slatted bed frame, pillows and bed linens also plays an important role.

Slatted bed frame

The importance of the right slatted frame is often overlooked, leading many to buy a standard model that can’t be adjusted. However, like all bedding products, your slatted frame should be adjusted to fit your individual needs.

Your slatted frame performs two main tasks: it allows the proper ventilation of the mattress and also serves an ergonomic function. The spacing between the slats ensures that air can circulate, thereby reducing the risk of moisture accumulating in the mattress.

In addition, the slatted frame is responsible for providing your spine ergonomic support while you sleep. In particular, the slatted frame should be able to provide optimal support for the spine and relieve pressure on the shoulder girdle. In an adjustable slatted frame, different parts can be made either more stable or flexible. Which part of the bed frame should be adjusted of course depends on your preferred sleeping position. This is the reason why it’s so important to adjust your slatted bed frame to meet your needs.

Mattress

The right mattress allows you to lie down comfortably and plays an essential role in your sleep comfort. Your mattress and slatted bed frame should work together to create the right bed system for you. Mattresses come in varying sizes, height and degree of firmness. As with the slatted bed frame, these should be adapted to your own sleeping habits.

The function of a mattress is similar to that of a slatted frame. Both are responsible for providing the best possible support for the body at night to prevent tension the next morning. The mattress ensures that our spine remains in its natural S-shape and that our tailbone and head form a straight line.

You can use a mattress topper to complement your mattress. A topper is used as an overlay on top of the mattress; just like the mattress, it has a core that can be adjusted to our sleeping needs. Toppers not only increase our sleep comfort, but also help regulate body temperature.

Pillow

Finding the right pillow often turns out to be a more difficult task than is often expected, because nowadays the market is full of all kinds of different types of pillows. As is the case with your mattress and slatted frame, your pillow should be adjusted to your individual sleeping position.

Your pillow affects your posture while you’re in bed and can significantly contribute to or detract from the quality of your sleep. A good pillow provides support for the head and thus relieves pressure from the spine. It should prevent the head from bending too much and overstretching the cervical spine and neck muscles. A good pillow can help prevent back and neck pain and even help with headaches.

While everyone knows that nowadays everyone can find the right pillow size for their body, fewer people are aware of the variety of pillow fillings that are now on the market. Thanks to their breathability, natural pillow fillings, such as down pillows or wool pillows, provide optimal air circulation and can greatly increase our sleep comfort.

Duvet

The function of a duvet - namely to keep you from getting cold at night - seems pretty straightforward. However, a good duvet goes beyond that, in that it also plays an essential role in creating a comfortable sleep environment. This is achieved by regulating body heat. Good duvets are breathable and allow excess heat to dissipate by transferring it away from you and the duvet.

In addition, a duvet must also regulate moisture, given that some studies show that the average person sweats a liter per night. If the duvet can’t release moisture to the outside, it will accumulate and, in the worst case, mold will develop.

When it comes to duvets, you can choose between summer, winter or four-season duvets. Down duvets are still among the most popular duvets on the market; in addition, duvets filled with various types of natural hair, natural fibers and functional fibers are also available.

Duvet cover

Of course, your duvet cover should feel pleasant against your skin, shouldn’t be itchy or scratchy and shouldn’t cause or trigger any allergies. Likewise, a duvet cover should also be breathable, so that the duvet can release heat and moisture. Fabrics made from natural materials are best suited for this task, as they’re breathable and anti-allergenic. Weaves such as percale, satin, seersucker, made from linen or organic cotton will help you get a good night’s sleep.

 

How does our sleep environment affect our sleep comfort?

Restful sleep means that our sleep is disturbed as rarely as possible. In the past, it was believed that a cold bedroom was better for our immune system. This myth is now considered outdated, as an excessively cold sleeping environment can cause muscle tension and lead us to wake up more often.

Likewise, a room that is too warm is not conducive to good sleep, either, as the lack of moisture in the air dries out our mucous membranes. This in turn causes sore throats and stuffy noses. So, what is the optimal temperature for a good night’s sleep?

For a good sleeping climate, the optimal bedroom temperature should be between 15 and 18 degrees Celsius. The temperature shouldn’t exceed 23 degrees or fall below 12 degrees, as this can prevent your body from recovering while you sleep.

 

Zizzz products for more comfortable sleep

Duvet covers made from natural materials can increase our sleep comfort, because they absorb the sweat our body releases throughout the night and prevent heat from accumulating under the covers. That's why at Zizzz we offer duvet covers made from organic cotton percale and satin, which feel smooth on the skin and are free from any chemicals. We also offer matching fitted sheets and pillowcases made from the same materials. All of our bedding products are made from GOTS-certified organic cotton.

 

Conclusion

Our sleep comfort plays a significant role in our sleep quality. Several factors are important for healthy and restorative sleep, such as our sleep climate and the appropriate bedding. Our mattress, slatted frame, pillow, bed cover and duvet should be adjusted to our individual sleeping habits to make the night as restful as possible.