This is yet another common problem and not good, as it disturbs your natural sleep cycle. All bodies perspire at night, some less, some more, but it is normal physical behaviour and shouldn’t have a negative impact on your sleep. It is important that the moisture that leaves your body does not remain attached to you, but is allowed to circulate and leave your immediate sleep environment. If moisture stays on your body, in your sleep clothes or bed sheets, it may wake you up feeling overheated or even sweaty. To allow natural circulation and warm air to leave your body you should pay attention to the following points:

• Use a bed that is made out of entirely natural, breathable materials. Latex, foam and even natural latex are completely or partially made of chemical materials that don’t breathe, but instead, artificially, absorb heat.
• Use bed linen, duvets and pillows made of natural materials. Like with your bed – artificial materials tend to absorb heat rather than allowing it to circulate, resulting in an overheated environment.
• Wear sleepwear made of natural materials that will allow moisture to leave your body rather than encapsulating it.
• Pay attention to the ambient temperature. Bedrooms often tend to be too warm and the recommended temperature for a restful sleep is 16 – 20˚C.

This is why we are here. Disturbed sleep is more common than you may think and several scientific studies have shown that as much as a third of the Western adult population may be affected. The reasons for a bad night’s sleep vary hugely and the root of causes can differ depending on whether you have problems falling asleep or whether you wake in the night. While we all at SLEEP ATELIER know a vast amount about sleep and are all very interested in the topic and the science behind it, it is important to point out that we are not medical professionals or sleep scientists and we cannot guarantee that your sleep will 100% improve once you have purchased a bed or accessories from us. We do invite you to come and see us and we will be able to assess your current sleep situation and environment and establish whether the problem lies with your current bed, pillow or sleep accessories or if it is something that needs to be looked at by a medical or scientific professional. Whichever path you choose to go, we cannot emphasise enough how important it is to prioritise and take your sleep seriously – as the impact it can have on your daily life and wellbeing is extensive.

This is probably an issue that has been weighing on your mind and impacted your daily life. To get to the bottom of this you need to narrow down the reasons why. When did the pain first occur? Does it come every night or only occasionally? Does it come regardless of your sleeping position or only if you sleep in a particular position? Did you have an accident or did you change the way you work? (i.e. increased desk time in front of the computer). Honing in on the reasons for your back pain is the best starting point and a good indicator where to look for a solution. If you’ve had an accident or changed the way you work, you may want to contact a doctor or physiotherapist who would be able to help you find some answers. If there don’t seem to be any apparent reasons for your back pain, it may be down to your current bed. It could be too old or not the right firmness. [See Question 01 for more info]. Whether you decide to go and get medical help or investigate the suitability of your bed further – we do really encourage you to do something about your discomfort. Please feel free to come to one of our stores and we’d be happy to guide you in the right direction.

There are numerous things you can do yourself to help your body wind down and relax before you go to bed. We have put together a concise, easy to follow guide, which you can follow to aid your sleep process:

• Make sure you get enough daylight during the day. This may be pretty straightforward during summer, but more challenging during autumn and winter. Getting enough daylight is a great way of keeping our natural sleep-wake cycle on track, as well as encouraging our body’s natural vitamin D production. Vitamin D supports our general well-being and immune system and helps us feel more energised throughout the day. When our body doesn’t get enough daylight it struggles regulating its normal sleep-wake cycle and as a result you may find it harder to fall asleep.
• Avoid screen time right before bed and leave your mobile phone outside the bedroom. The blue light emanated by screens is a known sleep disturbance and affects our sleep-wake cycle. In addition, the temptation of “quickly checking your phone” is another culprit that may affect your ability of falling asleep and having a restful night’s sleep. The intense blue light from smartphones is known to suppress the sleep hormone melatonin which tells our body that it is time to sleep. Our eyes are incredibly sensitive to the blue light of screens and just like caffeine it gives our body a boost rather than calming it down. Should you, however, decide to watch something while in bed, make sure your lights are on, as otherwise your pupils widen allowing even more blue light to enter your eyes.
• Create a calming evening routine. Make a cup of tea, read a book, take a hot bath or shower or simply relax in a comfortable place and let your thoughts wander. A simple routine, that doesn’t include screens or stimulating activities will allow your body to relax and prepare for sleep.
• Take a hot bath or shower. This will allow your body to warm up, opening its pores and expelling any unnecessary heat. As an effect, your body will cool down, signalling to itself that it is sleep time.
• Avoid eating dinner too late. Eating too late, means that your body will start digesting food, activating your metabolism and keeping you awake when it is actually time to go to sleep.
• Avoid intense exercise in the evening. Exercise is important for your physical and mental wellbeing, but engaging in high intensity workouts, too late in the evening, can have a negative effect on your ability to fall asleep. When you exercise, the oxygen intake to your body is reduced, which puts it into a state of stress. Stress hormones are released to help your body cope, which in turn cause alertness, which is the exact opposite of what you need before going to bed. After exercising it usually takes one to two hours before your body leaves this state of stress and is able to relax and prepare for sleep. We therefore encourage you to continue exercising, but to allow for one to two hours downtime before you start your bedtime routine.

This can have many reasons, but firstly it is important to understand that waking up during the night is normal. These periods of wakefulness are usually so short that we don’t even notice or remember them in the morning and we generally fall asleep again very quickly. However, if you regularly wake up during the night and have trouble falling back asleep or are bothered by it, then this may be something you should look into. Some of the causes outlined above may be the culprit of your night-time waking – including heavy, late night meals, pain or a sleep environment that is too warm. There could also be other physical ailments involved or mental burdens such as stress at work or in your private life. If you have already tried analysing your sleep routine and followed some of our advice, to no avail, we suggest that you consult a medical professional.

This is a question we get asked quite often and we have listed some of the reasons for this in Question 01. If the cause for your partner’s discomfort is the age of your bed or mattress and an obvious deterioration in quality, it may be time to start looking for a new one. The beds we sell (as well as other brands on the market) offer split firmnesses on each side of the mattress, without a physical divide. This allows for the ideal, unique sleep environment for you and your partner without an obvious divide in the mattress.

Yes. The beds we sell (as well as other brands on the market) offer the possibility of having different firmnesses on either side of the mattress with a smooth transition in the middle and without the need of an uncomfortable gap. Visit one of our stores or book a bed consultation at a time that suits you and your partner best and we will find the best solution for you.

Yes. The horsehair used in our beds is hypoallergenic and is therefore suitable for people with allergies. For more information see Hästens, Vispring and Somnus. Some of our existing customers are allergic to horsehair and have not had any issues with our beds. If you are still unsure, you can pick up a horsehair sample from one of our stores and test its suitability by placing it under your pillow for a few nights.

Because your health and wellbeing should come first, as they form the foundations of so many aspects of your everyday life. We spend a third of our lives in bed and as such we believe this should be reflected in the type of bed and sleep accessories we choose. A century ago, it was thought that nothing happens in our bodies while we sleep; that it almost shuts down and everything pauses. Years of research, luckily, taught us differently and we know that our bodies and brains, subconsciously, go through an array of important activities. Our sleep has a huge impact on the way we absorb information and learn, it affects our immune system and can prevent diseases such as Alzheimers and dementia just to name a few. If you are interested in learning more about this, see our interview with sleep scientist Dr Christine Blume here.

We are always happy to hear this and hope that it will continue to stay this way. You are always welcome to visit one of our stores and have a look at our range of accessories, down pillows, duvets and bed linen. You may wish to redesign your bedroom or simple freshen up its look, without changing your bed. We also always invite you to try out our selection of beds, even if you aren’t planning to buy a new one at this very moment. We are always happy to start building relationships with potential customers, so should they wish to purchase a bed in the future, they already have a go to partner in us. As one of our brand ambassadors said recently “Had I known the difference would be this significant, I would have gotten the bed sooner.”

It is true that our beds and mattresses last a lifetime, but like with all things they need looking after. The beds come with detailed care advice and we, of course, also cover this topic during our bed consultation. We are also happy to send you a reminder when it is time to flip your mattress. Please contact our team to enquire further.