How often should you *actually* wash your sheets?!

So, let’s talk bed sheets. You’re in them for (hopefully) a good 8 hours in every 24-hour period where you sweat, dribble, and do other activities yet it seems to be a weirdly grey area as to how often you need to wash them.

We get it, it’s a right old performance to be honest. The corners always get mixed up, you end up pulling a muscle trying to lift the mattress and that’s before you even battled with the duvet. It’s probably one of our least enjoyed household chores but it’s well worth the extra effort.

Here at the Drowsy Sleep Lab, you know we’re obsessed about all things sleep so to think that something as simple as when we climb into a fresh set (is there a better feeling?!) could help with our sleep, we wanted the full lowdown immediately…

How often should it be done?!

Let’s level here, the majority of us tend to change the bed every 2 weeks – seems reasonable? The short answer – not really. You might well be able to get away with this in the winter months but when things heat up in summer, twice a month isn’t enough. Sleep therapists recommend a weekly washing cycle to keep us sleeping soundly especially if you have delicate skin or suffer from allergens…

Our body sheds MILLIONS of dead skin cells each night (remember to double that if you’re sleeping with a partner) and aside from keeping us up at night, dirty sheets or pillowcases can be an unexpected cause of acne break outs and other skin complaints as bacteria transfers onto your face. Delightful. If you suffer from hay fever, this one’s for you! As well as all the above, dust and pollen can accumulate in bed sheets which can exacerbate symptoms if left to build up. Itching eyes, skin and swollen sinuses are the perfect recipe for a restorative night’s sleep, right… *eye-roll*

Does temperature matter?

Hopefully, we’ve convinced you to up your fresh sheets rotation in the name of achieving a better night’s sleep but there’s one more caveat to this new routine. The temperature you wash at matters. The nearer you can get to 60C the better but a minimum of 40C and above will do the job of killing off bacteria nicely (yes dust mites are a thing) whilst maintaining the life of your sheets. We’re sure if you’re reading this you see the value in investing in luxurious sleepwear and accessories and want to keep them in tip top condition 😉.

A second ‘must do’ to achieve the optimum clean? Don’t over fill your drum! Allowing enough space for each item to wash properly will ensure that everything comes out squeaky clean.

How to ensure the ultimate ‘fresh bed’ sensation…

Seeing as we all now have a scientific basis to back up the need for a perfectly made bed, we wanted to share our tips to provide that extra bit of magic when it comes to maintaining that fresh bed feeling. After all, creating a good sleeping environment is one of the pillars of our sleep philosophy…

Creating the right mood in your bedroom is an essential to help you drift off into a peaceful sleep. Scent has been proven to trigger olfactory sensors within the brain that release chemicals specifically to affect our mood. Our favourite way to bio-hack this system is to have a scent that we experience only with falling asleep and the Sleep S.O.S Pillow Spray or the Sleep Zen Pillow Spray are just perfect.   Next time you change your sheets lightly mist them inside and out and let the fragrance settle in. That way when you come to sink in later the beautiful blend of 100% natural sleep oils will be gently released throughout the night.

As we know, it’s not just scent that is crucial for a goodnights sleep.  External light or sound can be the downfall of many sleep patterns and can make it harder to achieve that restorative level of deep sleep. The cult classic Silk Sleep Mask blocks out 100% of light while the heavenly padded lining cushions eyes and muffles sound. It really is the ultimate sleep accessory and is the perfect accompaniment to a luxuriously indulgent silk pillowcase if you’re feeling extra boujee…