I’ve spoken previously about my problems with getting a good night’s sleep. I am an extremely light sleeper and I have a sleep disorder and so anything and everything will keep me awake. You can read more about that here and what I’ve done design-wise to assist me sleeping. However, during summer, when we can get really warm temperatures, it’s even worse.

Like everyone, I hate being too hot to sleep properly. We have a thermometer in our bedroom so we can gauge the temperature and humidity in the room (it’s helpful when you have a really old house like we do to track these things) and if the temperature goes up over 23 degrees Celsius (73 degrees F), it’s always more difficult to sleep. So when Soak & Sleep got in touch with me to try out some of their cotton bedding in the height of summer, I thought we might as well give it a go, considering our super cheap 4 tog duvet was pretty old and it didn’t feel like it really allowed a lot of airflow at night when we needed it most.

They provided a whole set of things to keep us cool and make summer nights just a little more special – a wonderful cotton summer weight duvet, luxury seersucker duvet cover and pillow cases, a 200TC cotton fitted sheet, fabulously light and comfortable pure linen pyjamas that I just want to stay in all day and a gorgeous summer scented candle.

The duvet

Compared to the ‘cheap and cheerful’ duvet it replaced, the 100% cotton 4.5 tog summer duvet is really such a luxury product at a great price. The natural fillings are breathable, absorbent, and naturally temperature regulating. It is so beautifully finished, I actually felt bad covering it! Because it’s 100% cotton beautifully wrapped in a 200TC cover, it has a lovely light weight (great if you’re like me and can’t fall asleep without being properly covered) but it’s stunning in terms of heat regulation. I have yet to feel so warm (even on nights where the temps were around 26C), I’ve had to kick this off me in the night and it’s a world of difference to what I had before. It’s also guaranteed for 5 years so if that doesn’t make you sleep better, well…

The duvet cover and pillow cases

I adore the look of seersucker. To me, it’s screams summertime and it has such a lovely texture. So having a full bedding set in 100% cotton seersucker alongside a 200TC fitted sheet is a great way to keep cool. The light texture is just interesting enough to elevate the plain white bedding I normally go for without competing with the colours and patterns I have in this room.

It’s lightweight and soft too and the duvet cover has a lovely soft cotton liner on the opposite side so it feels really nice against your skin. I normally have a flat sheet on my bed as well as a duvet but with this cover, I’ve been able to skip the sheet entirely due to that lining. The duvet cover along with the duvet are simply enough and feel so so nice and cool against you when it’s warm.

The linen pyjamas

This is my “I always wear a full face of makeup in bed” pose.

The linen pyjamas were just too cute for me to pass up. I know I’m not a fashion blogger here but I couldn’t help but share them with you so I tried my best. The truth is, I could spend all morning working away in my pyjamas with a nice cuppa by my side. Plus, they keep me cool and comfortable through the night. They are light weight and wonderfully soft and because they are white, I swan around, pretending I’m on some kind of cruise holiday all the time. Wayne calls them my “posh pyjamas”.

Here’s my obligatory ‘I just found something so hilarious in my calendar!’ pose.

I will say they run slightly small – I’m normally a size 10/12 and so ordered a size M but when they came in, they were a bit too snug for my liking. I like my pj’s to run a little on the big side but Soak and Sleep make it easy to return products with Click + Collect so I exchanged them for a set in L which gave me that nice comfy roomy feel that I love. So if you are considering them and like your pyjamas nice and loose like me, go up a size!

Plus, as a freelancer, blogging in bed is a total luxury – why not right??

And finally, my “blogging is clearly very serious business” pose.

A summer candle

I am a sucker for anything that smells nice and this beautiful Evening Breeze summer candle is no exception. Obviously, I wouldn’t suggest you place it ON your bed as I have done here (safety first people) but I wanted to show it off so it’s really just for display purposes here! It actually lives on my bedside table and I love to light it for just a little while whilst we’re readying ourselves for bed to give the whole room a soft light floral fragrance of orange blossom, jasmine and rose.

What else helps me keep cool at night?

I adore the sound of white noise and so having a fan in the room is almost a no-brainer. I purchased this one a couple of years ago now but it works beautifully set on our chest of drawers to move the air around and provide a bit of background noise so I can sleep better.

I also find that taking a cool shower before bed helps me to cool down if the heat is really too much for me to help lower my body temperature.

Of course, having a kitty to snuggle won’t make you any cooler but it will relax and calm you before bed – I highly recommend it! Ha!

So my tips for a good night’s sleep in summer?

• Get yourself a nice lightweight 100% cotton duvet in a summer weight. Avoid non-breathable man-made fabrics and fillings.
• On the same vein, a lightweight cotton duvet cover, flat sheet and pillowcases that allow good airflow and don’t hold in the heat are perfect for a good summer sleep.
• Lightweight linen pyjamas will help regulate your body temperature and make sleeping easier
• Before bed, consider a cooling shower or bath and light a candle for aromatherapy – try something with lavendar if you are really struggling to sleep as it’s perfect for relaxing.
• Use either a ceiling, standing or table fan to move the air around the room and provide a bit of white noise to help you sleep better.
• Cuddle your furry babies (or real babies!) to get you relaxed and ready for bed.
• Check out Soak & Sleep for lots of really beautiful bedding and accessories at affordable prices. They are currently running a sale on lots of their items!

What do you do when it’s sweltering in summer to help you sleep at night?

Disclaimer: This post is in collaboration with Soak & Sleep but all images, opinions and poor attempts at being a fashion blogger are my own. I only work with companies I really like and think you will like too! Thanks for supporting the brands that support Swoon Worthy!