Why you sleep worse in summer (and the heat is not the real culprit)

You wake up in the night drenched in sweat

You know exactly why: you are too hot. You fall asleep covered, and then at 3am you throw off the duvet, with the sheet stuck to your back.

But you cannot sleep with nothing over you, you feel exposed. So you spend the night taking the duvet off and pulling it back on, and each time your sleep breaks up a little more.

And in the morning you start the day already drained

Sweating through the night means losing fluids. You wake up with a dry mouth, sometimes a slight headache, and that feeling of not having really rested.

You feel more tired straight away, more on edge, less focused. And you often put it down to stress or an off day, without linking it to how you slept.

And when it repeats night after night, you pay for it elsewhere

In summer it is not just one night: it is weeks, a third of the year spent sleeping badly. And the body keeps the score.

Sleeping little and poorly, night after night, keeps your stress levels high. And stress does not stay in bed: it follows you through the day, weighing on your mood and your energy. Chronic stress is one of the factors science links to duller skin, a tiredness that will not shift, small changes in weight and even the early appearance of grey hair.

One night does not change things. It is the habit, repeated for months, that makes the difference.

Not to mention what it does to your skin

The damp pillow, the hair stuck to your face, the skin left in contact with sweat for hours.

For many people this means waking up with a dull, marked face and, at times, a few extra blemishes. It is no coincidence: skin that sweats all night does not rest the way it should.

Muslin: properly covered, but without the sweat

A sheet is not enough (you feel exposed), a duvet is too much (you sweat). The muslin blanket is the middle ground that was missing.

It is the fabric of baby blankets: open weave, so light and breathable that it lets the air through, yet it wraps you up properly. Covered, wrapped, without that oven feeling. The air passes through, the heat does not get trapped.

And when summer ends, it does not end up in the cupboard

Muslin is not just a summer blanket. When the cold sets in you use it over your duvet, as an extra layer, or on its own on the sofa as a throw.

It also lets you turn the heating down a little while staying warm. You use it all year round: that is why it is not a purchase for one month, but one that stays with you for seasons.

You sweat less, wash less, save more

Less sweat at night means sheets that stay fresh for longer. You change and wash them less often, and you stay clean for longer, without having to dash into the shower every morning.

Fewer washes also means less water, less detergent, less energy. Better for your wallet and a small gesture for the environment too.