Trade In Your Basic Mattress Topper: The Natural Solution That's Even Better

Is your mattress a little too firm to provide you with the level of comfort you prefer? If you've been tossing and turning while trying to get to sleep at night, you might be considering buying a mattress topper. They are, after all, the simplest way to make a firm mattress softer. However, purchasing a basic topper or the cheapest product out there may not improve your slumber. If you're in need of a truly restful night's sleep and want to wake up feeling refreshed and ready for the day ahead, it's time to try something a little more high-end. Trade in that everyday mattress topper for a comfortable, natural option: a pure wool overlay.

Most affordable mattress toppers on the market are made from cotton or polyester, giving you a quilted layer that adds softness to a bed but offers few other benefits. If the topper is mostly made from synthetic materials, it's also likely to hold in heat, which can add to your discomfort on warmer nights. On the other hand, a natural wool overlay is going to give you lots of benefits that a basic topper simply can't match. After all, wool has been used for millennia to make clothing that insulates the wearer from temperature extremes. These wool bedding products don't come cheap: prices range from around $85 for a thin, queen-sized 100% wool pad to well over $300 for a queen-sized organic merino topper. Expect to pay even more for king-sized overlays. But arguably, these mattress toppers are worth the extra expense.

Whether it's used in clothing or bedding, wool regulates body temperature better, keeping you warmer in winter and cooler in summer. A University of Sydney study published in Nature and Science of Sleep in 2016 found that wool next to the skin eased participants into sleep better than other materials for this very reason. Participants also reported better sleep quality and said they felt better upon waking. Pure wool overlays are also luxuriously soft; they cushion your whole body. For example, medical sheepskin is commonly used by wheelchair users to relieve pressure on certain parts of the body. Wool is also moisture-wicking. It draws sweat away from the skin, keeping you more comfortable as you sleep. As such, a wool overlay may be a good choice for people who regularly experience night sweats.

Wool also contains lanolin, a waxy substance secreted by a sheep's sebaceous glands and similar to the sebum produced by the human body. Lanolin helps to condition the wool, smoothing the fibers so they feel softer. It's also naturally antibacterial and antimicrobial, potentially keeping your bedding cleaner for longer. While wool can be attractive to dust mites, even harboring higher levels of dust mite allergens than other materials, wool bedding can be treated with insect-resistant finishes to make it more hypoallergenic. However, the drier wool remains, the more naturally resistant it is to dust mites. Finally, if the care tag on your pure wool mattress topper says that it's machine-washable and doesn't need to be dry-cleaned, you can wash it the same way you wash a wool blanket, making maintenance simple.