Weighted Duvet in Summer: What You Should Bear in Mind

Many people find that a weighted duvet helps them relax and feel secure, allowing for a well-rested and energised start to the day. But when the temperatures rise, does that mean you have to give up your heavy duvet?

The short answer is no! A weighted duvet can be perfectly comfortable and effective in summer without causing you to overheat. However, choosing the right weighted duvet for the warm summer months depends on several factors that you should consider. What are they, and what other aspects affect your sleep? Find out in this article!

5 Tips for Weighted Duvets in Summer

1. The right outer material: Opt for natural cotton or lyocell (also known as TENCEL™ Lyocell or Tencel) as the outer material and padding for your weighted duvet. Both fabrics are breathable and help maintain a comfortable sleeping temperature, even in a warmer environment.
2. Glass beads as filling: Glass beads are the best-suited filling choice for your weighted duvet. Glass is a poor conductor of heat, unlike metals or sand, for example, helping to keep you comfortably cool.
3. Simplify your bedding: Skip any additional duvets or blankets that you might normally use because in summer the weighted duvet alone is completely sufficient.
4. Cool room climate: In addition to the choice of duvet, ensure a cool room climate and wear lightweight and breathable clothing to bed — though you may choose to wear none at all for extra comfort.
5. Breathable fabrics everywhere: To complete your sleeping environment, also choose breathable fabrics like cotton or lyocell for duvet covers or pillowcases to ensure good air circulation.

Outer Fabrics in Weighted Duvets

When looking for the perfect weighted summer duvet, it is important to be mindful of its outer material. Besides the duvet cover you're using, the outer fabric is very close to your skin and therefore plays a crucial role in regulating heat and moisture away from your body, contributing significantly to a restful and comfortable sleep.

Cotton

Cotton is a natural, soft, and breathable material perfectly suited for hot summer nights. These positive properties increase sleeping comfort and the likelihood of feeling well-rested the next morning. And the best thing? Cotton is not only durable but has a cooling effect as well, which you will feel especially during hot nights. A weighted duvet with an outer fabric made of cotton is therefore a good choice in summer.

Lyocell

Lyocell fabric – also known as Tencel – is highly breathable and much more breathable than cotton. Therefore, it is particularly suitable for the warmer summer months. Lyocell is characterised by its pleasantly smooth and cool surface, giving it a subtle sheen. The moisture-wicking properties of lyocell keep you pleasantly dry even throughout warm summer nights. This makes it a great fabric choice for a weighted summer duvet.

Filling Materials: The Heart of a Weighted Duvet

The heavy filling of a weighted duvet should be evenly distributed over the size of the duvet and is a decisive factor in its quality. To ensure a comfortable sleeping temperature, polished glass bead filling is the most favourable choice. These beads don't conduct heat the way other commonly used filling materials like metal beads or sand do, and they are hypoallergenic as well as quiet, ensuring a comfortable night's rest.

Additionally, most weighted duvets include padding to enhance comfort and provide a buffer for the filling. For optimal air circulation and to prevent overheating, we recommend padding made from cotton or the even cooler lyocell, just like for the outer layer of your duvet. A synthetic and often cheaper alternative is polyester padding. Polyester's fibres are lightweight, elastic, quick-drying, and great at wicking away moisture.

How TOG Values Determine Duvet Warmth

A useful indicator of your weighted duvet's warmth is its TOG value. TOG stands for Thermal Overall Grade, an international standard that measures a textile material’s insulating capacity. For duvets, TOG values range from 1 to 15, where a lower value indicates a cooler duvet and a higher value indicates a warmer one. Understanding the TOG value can help you compare different duvets more effectively, ensuring you choose one that meets your needs for summer comfort.

Sheets and Covers Made from Breathable Material

When you've selected your perfect weighted duvet made of highly breathable, cooling materials for summer, don't forget your bed linen! Is your bedding's fabric breathable and suitable for summer temperatures? We recommend using a duvet cover with your weighted duvet just like you would for a regular duvet. It is much easier to wash bed linen regularly than the whole duvet, which helps maintain a hygienic sleeping environment.

The following materials are particularly recommended for hot summer nights:

Cotton

What applies to the outer material of the weighted duvet naturally also applies to the covers. Cotton is a breathable fabric that is suitable for weighted duvets in summer. Consequently, duvet covers and sheets made of cotton ensure that you stay cool and comfortable despite high temperatures. Often, there are different weaving techniques that give the finished product a certain look and feel. Very common are the softer, thicker cotton satin or the cooler, crisp cotton percale.

Lyocell

Lyocell, also known as Tencel, is a semi-natural and often organic material made from cellulose. The natural cellulose comes mostly from eucalyptus trees. As wood cannot be directly processed into textiles or flowing fabrics, it has to undergo an industrial process to become Lyocell. The result is a fibre that is durable, smooth, and silky to the touch. So why choose a duvet cover made from Lyocell or Tencel? The material is exceptionally breathable and absorbs about 50% more moisture than cotton, keeping you cool and dry all night long. In addition, Lyocell is naturally hypoallergenic, making it a perfect choice for someone with sensitive skin.

Linen

This natural material is also known as flax fibre and is made from the stems of the flax plant. Linen is not only breathable and moisture-absorbent, but also hard-wearing and easy to care for.

Bamboo

Bamboo is another natural fabric option characterised by its cooling and absorbent properties. Next to its excellent breathability, bamboo is a rather quickly regrowing raw material, which is why bamboo fibres are particularly sustainable. The hypoallergenic and antimicrobial properties of the fibre also make bamboo bed linen suitable for people with allergies.

Silk

Silk is a unique natural product made from the cocoon of silkworms. It is known for its breathable and temperature-regulating properties as well as it's cool and smooth feel against the skin. Silk is also particularly soft and supple. A disadvantage: silk is often much more costly than other materials.

The Ideal Indoor Climate for Restful Sleep

During the hot summer months, it's crucial to maintain an optimal indoor climate to create the right conditions for a good night's sleep. But what constitutes the perfect bedroom temperature?

Your room should be cool and well-ventilated. Regularly airing your bedroom, especially in the evening, helps regulate humidity, which should be between 40 and 60% to prevent overheating and excessive sweating under the covers. While many prefer a warmer home during the day, a night-time temperature of 16-18 °C is ideal. However, to keep your bedroom from becoming too hot in summer, keep windows closed during the day and use large curtains or blinds to darken the room. This prevents the room from heating up due to sunlight. If available, using air conditioning in the evening can further help reduce the temperature.

Additionally, fully darkening your bedroom can significantly enhance your sleep quality, as the hormone melatonin, which is crucial for our sleep-wake cycle, is sensitive to light exposure. So, if you aren't feeling refreshed in the morning, consider ensuring your bedroom is as dark as possible at night. In some cases, taking melatonin supplements could be helpful, too.

The Right Sleepwear

The importance of the right sleep attire for achieving restful sleep is often underestimated. Choosing pyjamas that don’t restrict movement and provide a high level of comfort can significantly improve your sleep quality. In summer, lightweight materials like cotton and silk are popular choices. However, the right fit also plays a crucial role. Loose-fitting pyjamas or an airy night dress are perfect for warm nights, but what feels most comfortable can vary greatly from person to person. Observe which type of sleepwear allows you to rest most comfortably — whether it’s a large nightgown, light shorts, or perhaps no clothing at all. There is no right or wrong here!

Conclusion: Restful Sleep With a Weighted Duvet, Even in Summer

Whether in winter or summer, a weighted duvet can help you ease sleeping problems and sleep more restfully. If you follow our tips, you don't need to worry about your weighted duvet being too warm in summer. Breathable materials and a glass bead filling ensure that your heavy duvet keeps you at a pleasant temperature all night long. Furthermore, comfortable sleepwear and an ideal bedroom temperature also promote sleep, helping you ease into a restful night. Healthy sleep and energised summer mornings are within close reach!