The mattress materials you choose can have a huge impact on your quality of sleep, affecting temperature, comfort, support, and circadian rhythms. The experts at Dreamwool Beds are here to talk sleep science and how to choose mattress materials that will help you get the best night’s rest.

The Role of Sleep Science

The truth is that sleep science can be as much (or more) of a hindrance as it is a help. The gadgetization of sleep, by adding lots of technological features and devices, is over complicating our sleeping environment. We often cause ourselves more anxiety and apprehension, leading to poorer sleep outcomes. When choosing mattress materials, all-natural is always best, and when considering sleep hygiene, our best recommendation is to declutter your space, put the trackers away, and just get a great night’s rest.

Breathability

One of the most important factors in sleep comfort is the breathability of your mattress. Chemically made synthetic mattress materials, such as memory foam, don’t allow air to pass through. Some modern bed manufacturers are trying to resolve this problem by adding a top layer of gel to absorb excess heat and maintain a stable temperature. But, however you dress them up, these materials still can’t breathe.

This means that they are actually making mattresses hotter, not cooler, even if they might claim to offer temperature control or feel cool to the touch when you first see them in a shop. Sleep on one for a couple of hours, and you’ll quickly feel those gels warm up and soften, trapping heat, losing support, and leaving you with an inferior quality of sleep.

Your Sleep Cycle

Our natural circadian rhythms are intended to help our bodies relax and get restful sleep. If you are sleeping on a hot mattress made with synthetic materials that aren’t breathable, you’re more likely to feel anxious as you struggle to achieve and maintain a good quality of rest. Your heart rate will increase as your body temperature rises, resulting in a disrupted sleep cycle.

Conversely, the breathability of natural mattress materials, such as those used by Dreamwool, helps to control your bed’s microclimate and achieve temperature neutrality. This allows you to better weather external temperature changes or hormonal fluctuations and achieve an undisturbed sleep cycle. By stabilising the temperature of your sleep environment with all-natural materials like Merino wool, your body doesn’t have to adjust to changing temperatures through the night. Your heart rate can remain consistent, allowing you to achieve a deeper, more restful sleep with fewer disruptions.

Natural is Best for Temperature, Comfort and Health

When it comes to sleep science, if a mattress has lots of add-on features, you should be asking why they’re needed. In many cases, the cooling mechanisms you see in high-tech mattresses are addressing problems created by flaws in the original mattress design. While you may be able to briefly cool down an inferior mattress, if air can’t move freely through it – which is impossible in a closed-cell synthetic foam – you’ll never really be able to keep cool. This is because synthetic foams and gels don’t maintain their support overnight, eventually trapping air flow and preventing breathability. As the night wears on, you’re likely to feel the bed get hotter and more uncomfortable.

Don’t be taken in by buzzwords or new technologies that tick boxes but don’t deliver on their promises. Great sleep is simple. And the healthiest, most comfortable mattress will always be one that is made with high-quality, all-natural materials in meaningful volumes.

There is nothing better or more luxurious than a mattress made with the simple goodness of natural Merino wool.

Book a consultation at Dreamwool today to experience one for yourself.

Merino wool is a natural, lightweight fibre renowned for its exceptional softness and breathability. At Dreamwool Beds, we know that Merino is the best mattress material because it far outperforms synthetic (and nearly all natural) alternatives.

Here, we break down some of the key benefits you can expect from a Merino wool mattress and why you should choose one when purchasing your next bed.

How is Merino wool sourced, and why does it perform so well?

Dreamwool’s Merino wool is responsibly sourced directly from select high-country farms in New Zealand’s South Island. Merino sheep thrive in the high country due to their natural ability to withstand a huge range of temperatures and climate conditions. This makes their wool uniquely suited for bedding due to its superior temperature regulation and moisture control, keeping you comfortable all night and in any season.

Key Benefits

Breathability

Merino wool excels in terms of breathability. This means that it offers many thermophysiological benefits, including superior moisture control and temperature regulation, as well as antimicrobial properties that make it uniquely suited for a fresh, dry sleeping experience.

Marrying Softness with Durability

Merino wool is supremely soft and luxurious due to its natural elasticity and high fibre density, both of which also make it especially strong and durable. It is naturally stain-resistant and long-lasting, making it an excellent choice for longevity and resilience.

Comparing Merino Wool with Other Materials

When choosing between Merino and synthetic mattress materials, the truth is that there is no comparison. Chemically made synthetic materials like memory foams, gels, and glues trap heat, causing discomfort, night sweats, and interrupted sleep, whereas lush, breathable, all-natural Merino provides unparalleled microclimate control for a truly restful sleep.

But how does Merino stack up against other natural mattress materials?

Wool vs Cotton

Cotton (particularly organic cotton) can be a versatile and sustainable natural material, but it doesn’t have the same ability as wool to absorb and disperse moisture. Merino offers superior moisture-wicking benefits, and it is more durable over time than cotton.

Merino vs Other Wools

The fibres of the Merino sheep grow longer, with greater density than traditional wool. They don’t stick to each other and felt down, which means that they don’t compact as much or as quickly as other types of wool. This translates into a mattress with exceptional softness and comfort, greater longevity, and a longer period of optimal support.

Quality AND Quantity

It’s important to remember that it’s not just the quality of your mattress materials that counts. For Merino wool to perform its best, you also want to look for a high volume of material, such as you will find in Dreamwool’s generous, natural comfort layers. For instance, our Queen Size luxury mattresses contain more than 9.5kg of all-natural, locally sourced Merino – that’s more than 10% of their overall weight.

Why You Should Choose Merino

Temperature neutrality is the key to sleeping soundly in all seasons; this is where Merino wool really thrives. The ability of Merino sheep to weather huge fluctuations in temperature and moisture translates into a mattress that will keep you sleeping soundly all year round. By using thick, plush layers of Merino, Dreamwool mattresses effortlessly maintain your ideal temperature and draw humidity away quickly, ensuring a dry, breathable sleep environment throughout the night.

Here at Dreamwool, we know that this exceptional material is second-to-none for comfort, support and breathability, and we’d love to show you how an investment in a luxury Merino mattress can boost your wellbeing and help you rest easier tonight.

Book a consultation at Dreamwool today to learn more.

Every sleeper is different, and there are a lot of factors that can determine what mattress will be best for you: age, body shape, weight, sleep preferences, sleep position, injury, illness, partner comfort, and more. So, how do you choose the right mattress for your sleep style?

The expert team at Dreamwool Beds has put together this handy mattress comfort guide to help every sleeper know where to start when selecting their next mattress.

The Right Materials

Your first priority when choosing your next bed should be to find one that is filled with high-quality, natural materials at meaningful volumes. Synthetics like memory foams can trap heat, leading to night sweats and sleep disturbance. For maximum breathability, look for materials like natural latex and Merino wool.

Then, you should consider whether you would prefer a pocketspring or a latex mattress; these options offer two different but equally luxurious sleep experiences. Pocketsprings provide a flatter style of firmness, with latex offering a bit more contour and deflection.

What firmness should I choose?

There really is no such thing as an ideal firmness or a one-size-fits-all solution; the only way to know for sure what you need is to lie down on the mattress and try it for yourself. We recommend spending at least a few minutes trying it on both your back and your sides. If you’re tossing up between two options, go with slightly softer; a bed will always feel firmer after eight hours of rest than it did after a 10-minute test on the shop floor.

As you’re weighing up which firmness could be right for you, here are a few factors to consider:

Age

Most of us will find that our sleep preferences change with age, often leaning towards a softer mattress as we get older.

Injury

Injuries and chronic pain can affect your choice of firmness, particularly if you have sensitive joints, which may require a softer level of support, or lower back injuries, which may benefit from additional firmness.

Partner Comfort

Your partner’s comfort may also dictate your firmness selection. Softer mattresses can absorb more movement, reducing partner disturbance.

Weight and Body Shape

Smaller and lighter people often prefer a softer mattress, while larger and heavier people may need firmer support. Similarly, a curvier person with a pear-shaped body might be more comfortable with a slightly softer mattress than a person of the same weight and size who has a more rectangular shape.

Sleep Style

All of these factors, combined with your sleep style, can help you select the best mattress for your needs. Your preferred sleeping position can play a big role in what firmness of mattress is best for you. Back sleepers may benefit from slightly firmer support, while side sleepers often prefer a softer, more contouring mattress.

Let’s look at a few different types of sleepers to see how their selections might compare.

50kg Side Sleeper

Often, the best mattress for side sleepers is one that is slightly softer. This is also true for someone whose body shape is smaller and less curvy, as the softer surface will contour around them for optimum support.

50kg Back Sleeper

Back sleeping typically requires a little extra support, though you’d still want to be mindful of this sleeper’s weight and body shape. They could be well-suited for either a soft or a medium firmness.

120kg Side Sleeper

It’s worth considering this sleeper’s body shape, as a side-sleeper with bigger shoulders might prefer a softer surface that allows them to deflect into the mattress. If they carry more of their weight in their mid-section, a firmer mattress with extra support would be appropriate.

120kg Back Sleeper

This person would probably be best suited to a firmer mattress with extra support, but again, it’s also worth taking into account factors such as body shape, age and injury.

Don’t Compromise on Sleep

The best investment you can make in tomorrow; is a good night’s sleep. To find the best latex, pocketspring or adjustable mattress for you and your individual sleep style, do your homework, look for all-natural materials, talk to your salesperson, and ask to see samples of what’s inside.

For partners with different sizes, shapes, and sleep preferences, we’d highly recommend a Twin Super King, which gives each sleeper a full single mattress to themselves, tailored to their own sleep style and comfort preferences, without the need for compromise.

Let the expert team at Dreamwool help you find your perfect fit by booking a consultation today!

Anyone who’s woken up feeling clammy in the middle of the night knows that a temperature-neutral sleeping environment is critical for a great night’s rest. While we often hear about hot sleeping in relation to menopause, the truth is that anyone of any age can lose out on quality sleep due to temperature changes. 

For those who naturally sleep a bit hotter or whose body temperature fluctuates through the night, the key to staying cool is choosing the right mattress for your needs. The experts at Dreamwool Beds are here to talk cooling mattresses, breathability, and natural solutions for the best hot sleeper bed to give you optimum comfort and support, no matter the season.

Can I get a cooling mattress in NZ?

Heat is typically retained in your mattress because of synthetic materials like memory foam that fail to breathe, trap heat, and promote night sweats. Some modern “cooling” mattresses attempt to address these problems with interior fans or a grid-like top layer of gel intended to absorb excess heat and help stabilise the temperature. 

While these methods can work, in principle, the question to ask is: how hot is hot? Yes, 30°C is 15% cooler than 35°C, but it’s certainly still not comfortable. You may be able to briefly cool down a synthetic mattress, but if air can’t move freely through it – which is impossible in a closed-cell synthetic foam – you’ll never really be able to keep it cool. This is because you sink into synthetic materials throughout the night, trapping air flow and preventing breathability. 

Bottom line: you’ll always sleep hotter on a synthetic mattress, no matter how you dress it up. And the cooling mechanisms you see advertised are generally responding to problems the manufacturer has created through poor design or by using inferior materials.

Breathability Matters

The biggest contributing factor to your bed’s temperature is the breathability of the materials it contains. When purchasing a breathable mattress, look for all-natural materials like Merino wool and natural latex in thick, generous comfort layers that will help with airflow and moisture-wicking. You’ll also want to ensure that your all-natural latex has pinholes that aid in ventilation and allow it to breathe. Top this off with bedding made from natural, breathable materials like organic cotton and TENCEL™. 

Why Natural is Best

The breathability of natural mattress materials helps to control your bed’s microclimate and achieve temperature neutrality, allowing you to better weather external temperature changes or hormonal fluctuations. By stabilising the temperature of your sleep environment with all-natural materials like Merino wool, your body doesn’t have to adjust to changing temperatures through the night. This means that your heart rate can remain consistent, allowing you to achieve a deeper, more restful sleep with fewer disruptions.

Cooling mechanisms can emulate this effect, but this typically requires chemical additives to better distribute heat, and the cooling effect may not last through the night.

The Best Choice for Hot Sleepers

Night sweats and overheating can be a hugely disruptive part of your sleep routine. For hot sleepers, the experts at Dreamwool recommend a mattress system with a layer of microcoils to maximise breathability. By putting a buffer between your comfort layers, microcoils can work in tandem with your mattress’s natural materials to maximise breathability and minimise temperature-related discomfort.

If you’re desperate to sleep cooler at night, don’t be fooled by gimmicks. Talk to your salesperson about your specific comfort needs, and prioritise natural quality and craftsmanship over high-tech cooling gadgets from bedmakers that might only be solving a problem they created.

Discover the difference today and sleep cooler tonight with the handmade craftsmanship and abundance of all-natural materials in a Dreamwool bed. 

Book a consultation to learn more.

An Investment in Sleep

The best investment you can make in tomorrow is a good night’s sleep. There are numerous studies demonstrating how sleep positively impacts critical health factors, including illness and injury prevention and recovery, weight, blood pressure, mental health, and stress. To ensure that you’re getting the best night’s rest, it’s important to invest in a mattress that supports your overall health and well-being.

At Dreamwool Beds, we understand the true long-term value of a quality mattress, and we’re here to share some things to consider when you’re deciding how much to spend on your next bed.

Spot the Difference: Low-Quality vs Premium Mattresses

When weighing up your next choice of mattress, there are several key differences you’ll notice between a high-end mattress and its budget alternative.

Materials

Cheap mattresses will typically use synthetic materials such as gels and memory foams, sometimes with a small amount of natural product included. In contrast, premium mattresses will generally use a large volume of high-quality natural materials. The density of a mattress can sometimes be a helpful way to assess this, as higher-end mattresses typically have much more generous comfort layers. Just make sure to ask for a sample to view, so you can see exactly what’s inside.

Comfort

Bed-in-a-box and bargain mattresses may feel comfortable for a short time when you first start using them, but they degrade much faster than their premium counterparts. You’ll also quickly notice the impact of synthetic materials like memory foam, as they tend to trap heat and decrease in comfort and support throughout the night.

Durability

Most standard mattresses are made to last an average of 5-7 years, though many people sleep on them long after their use-by date. With a Dreamwool mattress, you’ll typically get optimum comfort and support for up to 15 years (sometimes more).

The fewer and poorer quality the layers, the less comfortable a mattress will be as it ages. You will feel the bed get firmer, and you will see it show more signs of wear, with less resilience and support than when it was new.

Cheap Mattress Risks

A cheap mattress is a lot like fast food. It will fill your immediate need, but it doesn’t nourish you in the longer term. In recent years, bargain, mass-produced mattresses have commoditised sleep by making it cheap and easy to buy a new bed in a few clicks, but they don’t support your health and well-being or maintain your quality of life. In fact, they can actually cause or exacerbate both injury and illness. 

Cheap mattresses are also often poorly manufactured with substandard materials and harmful chemicals. Low-quality and artificial materials – or an insufficient quantity of natural materials – can negatively impact your sleep by reducing breathability, support, and temperature control. Some of the most common issues caused by subpar mattress quality are poor sleep, night sweats, aches and pains, and partner disturbance.

Why Quality Beds Matter

The primary benefits of using natural materials such as Merino wool and all-natural latex are breathability, longevity, conformity, comfort and support. A premium mattress will help you sleep better and longer with a higher quality of rest. It will also last considerably longer than the cheap alternative, meaning that your investment in a high-quality mattress can save you money in the long term.

At Dreamwool, our mattresses provide the best quality of rest because they are built to the highest standard of materials and craftsmanship. We don’t compromise on the quality or quantity of materials used, and all of our mattresses are handmade to exacting standards. 

With a premium Dreamwool bed, you can achieve a better quality of sleep, a better quality of life, and a higher standard of overall health and well-being. Book a consultation today to learn more.