Mattress mold is a problem that sneaks up on you. A slightly whiffy bed and small stains can quickly turn to itching, sneezing and watery eyes. And right now is primetime for moldy conditions.

A combination of cold, wet weather outside and warm heating inside increases moisture in the air. Your mattress soaks it up like a sponge and, trapped inside your warm bed, that damp helps mold spores to multiply.

Mattress mold doesn't have to spell the end of your bed, but you need to catch it early. We spoke to Dr Gareth Nye, Biomedical Sciences lecturer at the University of Salford working exclusively with M&S, about how to identify early signs of mold — and get rid of it.

3 signs of mold in your mattress

Mold can completely ruin a mattress, but before you rush off to browse our best mattress guide for a replacement bed, look out for these early indicators of mold.

1. A bad smell

You won't necessarily see early signs of mold in your mattress, but you might be able to smell the problem has taken hold.

Dr. Nye describes the smell of mold as "a persistent musty, damp, or earthy odor" and notes that it can linger "even after the bedding has been washed."

If this new smell is accompanied by an uptick in allergy symptoms when you go to bed (itching, sneezing or watery eyes, for example) mold is the likely culprit. Noticed a sweeter musty smell? It might be bed bugs.

2. Pinpoint stains

Big, dark stains are often a sign that your mattress is past saving. But before you get to that point, Dr. Nye recommends looking for "tiny, clustered pinpoint stains."

These small marks are the signs of an early mold infestation and they can be treated (we'll explore how below). And don't just look on the top surface of the mattress for stains. The underside of the bed as well as the sides can house mold as well.

3. Mold around the bed

Signs of mold aren't always visible on the mattress itself. Look in the surrounding area for indicators your bedroom is growing mold.

Dr. Nye describes "spaces up against a wall or behind units" as 'mold magnets' because they prevent airflow. So if your bed frame is pushed against the wall, move it forward when you clean and check for mold.

He also advices looking in any common sites for condensation, including anything pressed to the "external environment" (like radiators against a window).

"The space under the bed is also a prime spot for mold," says Dr. Nye. And if the mold is under the bed, it might not take long for it to move into the bed.

Why mattress mold is a health risk

Mold is more than just an unwanted stain. Left to grow, mold in your mattress can have serious negative repercussions on your health.

"Mold reproduces by releasing microscopic spores and mycotoxins into the air, which are easily inhaled during the 7 to 8 hours you spend asleep," explains Dr. Nye. "This triggers an immune response, leading to allergic rhinitis (sneezing, congestion, runny nose, and itchy eyes) and significantly exacerbating symptoms for those with asthma."

And the longer the problem is allowed to grow, the worse the impact it can have on your health.

"Prolonged exposure can result in chronic illnesses," says Dr. Nye. "Mold spores can also severely worsen conditions like eczema and trigger contact dermatitis."

How to get rid of mattress mold

We previously asked the experts how to get rid of mattress mold. They advised spot treating any stains with ingredients you probably have in your kitchen: white vinegar and baking soda.

Begin by mixing equal parts white vinegar and water. Spray the solution lightly on the stain and leave for 20 minutes. Blot dry, then apply a thin layer of baking soda. Leave to sit for several hours and then vacuum thoroughly.

Dr. Nye also has advice on preventing mattress mold from becoming a problem in the first place. He recommends:

• "Avoid making your bed straight away, allow the air flow and condensation to lift."
• "Avoid bed frames with solid bases, opt for slatted beds to improve air flow."
• "Protect mattresses with covers to stop body secretions entering the material."
• "Improve humidity in the bedrooms" — a dehumidifier is a good place to start.

Walmart has just dropped an amazing flash mattress deal, and it saves you up to $331 on the most cooling bed I've ever tested. The SweetNight CoolNest Memory Foam Mattress, now down to $339.99 in a queen size at Walmart, delivers cool-to-the-touch comfort for side sleepers at a budget-friendly price.

The CoolNest Memory Foam Mattress may be a low-cost, all-foam bed, but it rivals some of the best mattresses on the market in terms of temperature control and value for money. At SweetNight, the typical sale price of a queen CoolNest is $399.99. so this great Walmart discount saves you an extra $60.

This is one of the best mattress deals I've seen this month, as the SweetNight CoolNest rarely strays from its typical sale price. However, there's no saying how long this deal will last, so I suggest you grab this great saving on a high-quality cooling bed while you can.

Here's why Walmart's flash SweetNight deal is so impressive

One of the main draws of the SweetNight CoolNest is its low price, especially as it's one of the best cooling mattresses on the market.

I've been tracking the SweetNight mattress sales for a while now, so I know that even during big sale events, such as the upcoming Black Friday mattress sales and Cyber Monday mattress sales), a queen-sized CoolNest rarely goes under $399.99. However, sometimes you can get a free pair of pillows thrown in for good measure.

That's why was so impressed with this deal from Walmart, which takes a queen size down to $339.99 ($60 off the typical sale price and $297 off the MSRP).

If you're wondering whether the mattress is worth it or not, I can tell you that I loved testing this bed throughout the summer for my SweetNight CoolNest Memory Foam Mattress review. It provided cool-to-the-touch comfort for side sleeping while supporting me while back sleeping. Stomach sleepers, should look below for a deal that's more suitable for their sleep position...

Not a side sleeper? Here's another budget cooling mattress deal

We're barreling towards November and the long, excruciatingly hot summer we endured is now a distant memory. But while record-breaking heatwaves are no longer turning your bedroom into a sauna, your mattress is still feeling the impact of those sweaty nights.

In collaboration with retailer M&S, Dr. Gareth Nye, Biomedical Sciences lecturer at the University of Salford, has shared why this weekend is your final chance to give your pillows, duvets, and blankets a thorough clean.

"The changing of the seasons is the perfect trigger for this chore. I highly recommend washing your duvet at the end of the summer," he urges. Here's how to give your bedding a fall reset plus the health risks that can occur when you leave summer sweat festering in your winter sleep space.

Why your bedding needs to be washed this weekend

We all know that our bed sheets and pillowcases need to be washed often to maintain good sleep hygiene, but our duvets, pillow inserts, and blankets are often overlooked on laundry day.

It's true that these bulkier bedding items don't need to be washed as frequently as sheet sets, but Dr. Nye still recommends washing them at least twice a year.

“A good rule of thumb is to wash pillow inserts every 3 to 6 months and duvet inserts every 6 to 12 months," he advises.

But why is the end of summer such as a good time to wash them?

"Washing your bedding in the autumn months strips out the accumulated summer sweat and dead skin before it sits in storage or on your bed for the winter," shares the health expert.

Dr. Nye describes your bed as a "micro-ecosystem", and if pillows and duvets aren't washed after summer sweat, oils, dead skin cells, and bacteria have built up, it can pose risks to sleep and overall health.

"If duvet and pillow inserts are not washed, there are many things that can grow,” he warns.

The microscopic life forms using sweat-filled bedding as a "warm, nutrient-rich environment" include dust mites, fungi and mold. In fact, research shows that a typical pillow can harbor up to 16 different species of fungi.

And it's not just gross to think about — it directly impacts your health. "The inhalation of dust mite droppings and fungal spores triggers allergic rhinitis and asthma, leading to interrupted sleep, morning congestion, and chronic coughing," warns Dr. Nye.

Plus, drying duvets and pillows is notoriously time consuming. Get them washed now before the coldest, dampest weather sets in.

How to wash pillows, duvets, and blankets

If you're wondering how you can prevent germs from building up on your bedding, there are plenty of simple ways to keep things clean.

"Some advice which may prevent build-up is flipping duvets and pillows regularly and holding off making the bed first thing in the morning to prevent moisture retention,” suggests Dr. Nye.

However, before preventing further build-up, the first thing to do is get rid of the allergens that have already accumulated on your pillows, duvets, and blankets. Here's how...

1. How to wash a pillow

When washing a pillow, the first things you should do is check its care label. Following its care label will ensure you aren't trying any cleaning methods that will damage the inner materials.

For example, while synthetic and feather pillows can be put in the washing machine, pillows made of foam should be hand washed. To find out how to properly care for your pillow, visit our how to wash a pillow guide. Alternatively, you can read our more specific guides on how to wash a memory foam pillow or how to wash a down pillow.

To remove yellow pillow stains, you can also try the hydrogen peroxide pillow cleaning method. I use a simple 3% hydrogen peroxide mix, spray it on the pillow stain, leave it set for 30 minutes, scrub with an old toothbrush, and then wash following the pillow's care instructions.

2. How to wash a duvet

Let's face it: washing a duvet (or any kind of big comforter) is hard. Duvets are bulky things which is why it's a relief that we don't have to wash them as often as our other bedding. But they still need a deep clean every fall.

A good rule of thumb is to put it in the washing machine separately from other bedding and on a cold wash cycle. Remember to check the care label to see if it can be put in the washing machine first, however. You can find out more with our guide on how to wash comforters and duvets.

3. How to wash a blanket

Blankets are much thinner than duvets and pillows, so tend to be easier to clean. Simply check the care label for the most effective way to clean your blanket.

That being said, weighted blankets are a whole different ball game. They're much bulkier than lightweight blankets used in the summer, so if you want to give your weighted blanket a refresh after being stored away for a year, read our guide on how to wash a weighted blanket to keep it in top condition.

The one step you shouldn't miss...

No matter which method you choose to wash your bedding, there's one step you can't skip: making sure your bedding is thoroughly dry before using it (or putting it away for winter). This is essential as fungi and mold "thrives in damp, dark environments", according to Dr. Nye.

If your bedding item is dryer-friendly, use a hot spin and ensure it's fully dry. If not, repeat this step.

If you can't place it in the dryer, use a dehumidifier or place it on a clothesline during warmer and dryer autumnal days. That's why this weekend is the perfect time; before the clock change when we still have some daylight in the afternoon.

How often do you need to wash your sheets in winter?

You need to wash your bed sheets at least once a week, and that's no different in the wintertime. You're still sweating and shedding skin, even when it's cold.

Plus, winter is prime cold and flu season, so you may actually have to wash your bedding more often. In fact, you need to wash bedding every one to two days when you're sick.

Deep sleep (also known as slow-wave or N3 sleep) is one of four sleep stages we cycle through every night. It's where your body carries out repair work and produces high levels of growth hormone. Essentially, it's where a lot of 'the magic happens'. For most healthy adults, deep sleep should make up 10-20% of their overall nightly sleep.

According to my Apple Watch 12, deep sleep makes up around 23% of my nightly sleep on average, which is already in the upper tier. However, I'm still dealing with stress-fuelled 3 a.m. wake-ups, and because deep sleep is associated with a higher tolerance to stress, I've been wondering if more deep sleep is the answer to helping me sleep through the night.

To test this, I've adopted a new, simple 10-minute daily habit that science says can help you get more deep sleep. After just 6 days this habit has helped me go from 23% to 28% deep sleep (roughly an extra 38 minutes) a night.

The habit? Daily exercise. In fact, a study by the University of Texas indicates that getting as little as 10 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise per day could help you get more deep sleep.

Here Dr. Jeffrey Durmer, a neuroscientist, neurologist, and sleep medicine physician explains how it works and why you should try it if you keep waking up through the night.

• Read more: I was struggling to wake up in the mornings until I found this free feature in the Apple Health app — now I’m sleeping better and waking up energized

The daily habit helping me get more deep sleep

At first, I started a daily exercise regime by accident. Walking my son to school four times a week is a 30 minute leisurely round trip through a beautiful wooded valley, or a 15 minute white-knuckle cycle ride that leaves me gasping for air on the uphill leg. Guess which one he prefers.

Once he went back to school in September, our twice-daily cycle ride commenced. And, in a way, I was happy to get the workout. I know I should make time for exercise, but I rarely do — so this felt like a routine I could stick to. Not that I had much of a choice.

However, I soon noticed that these short bursts of exercise were having a positive impact on my sleep. Falling and staying asleep is something that I can struggle with, but I found myself feeling ready for sleep come bedtime and, occasionally, waking up feeling more refreshed than usual.

When I read the study this week that linked a minimum of 10 minutes of daily exercise to longer time spent in deeper sleep, I wanted to compare that to my own experience.

I track my sleep with an Apple Watch, so I was able to see that, compared to a sedentary period in August before starting my daily exercise regime, my time spent in deep sleep had increased by 5% on average.

That sounds like a paltry amount, but for me 5% equates to an extra 38 minutes of deep sleep per night. According to Dr. Durmer, there's a good reason why I — someone who previously rarely exercised — had such a significant uptick in time spent in deep sleep.

"This study shows that even a small amount of exercise can increase deep non-REM sleep, the stage that drives much of the brain and body’s restoration," explains Dr. Durmer, Chief Medical Officer of Happy Health.

"People who don’t usually exercise may see an especially strong effect, because even a short and intense workout raises their adenosine levels beyond what they normally experience."

How 10 minutes of daily exercise helps you get more deep sleep

"Exercise and sleep have a two-way, virtuous relationship: better sleep improves performance, and regular exercise improves sleep," explains Dr. Durmer, who works with elite athletes to help them sleep better in order to unlock better physical performance.

Here, we take a closer look at how regular exercise can help increase the time spent in deep sleep.

1. It increases your 'hunger' or drive for sleep

From the moment we wake up, our sleep pressure begins to build, enabling us to fall asleep at the right time.

Also referred to as our homeostatic sleep dive or sleep hunger, sleep pressure is largely dictated by a neurotransmitter called adenosine.

"When we exercise, our bodies burn ATP, our main energy source, and that releases adenosine," says Dr. Durmer.

"Adenosine naturally builds up over the day, and as it accumulates in the brain, it activates receptors that make us sleepy. Exercise speeds up that build-up, which helps us fall asleep.

"As exercise becomes a habit, it strengthens both the daily adenosine cycle and the regularity of sleep and wake times, reinforcing the virtuous cycle between the two."

• Forget deep sleep — REM sleep is key to longevity and the sleep tracking metric to pay attention to, experts say

2. It reduces stress and anxiety

For me, stress is a big disrupter of my sleep, making it harder to both fall and stay asleep. However, as Dr. Durmer explains, exercise can help reduce stress for better sleep. In turn, we sleep better and we're better equipped to deal with stress, which perpetuates the positive relationship between sleep and exercise.

"Exercise also shifts the body toward parasympathetic, or 'rest and digest,' dominance afterward, so the early stages of sleep tend to be deeper and less disrupted," says Dr. Durmer.

"That deep non-REM sleep is when the body does much of its repair work: releasing growth hormone, calming inflammation, supporting immune function, and improving insulin sensitivity.

"Keeping a regular sleep-wake schedule adds to these benefits by supporting energy storage in the muscles, cardiovascular health, and nervous system balance."

3. It anchors your circadian rhythm

I cycle my son to school in the morning, come rain or shine. In addition to the exercise, part of the benefit of this on my sleep is the sunlight exposure. This helps cement my circadian rhythm, which is my body's internal clock.

Dr. Durmer explains that the harder you work, the better the sleep benefit. But if you can only do one thing, spending time in natural light in the morning is the most important, as this helps regulate key sleep hormones.

"Any exercise is better than none for improving sleep and keeping a regular sleep-wake cycle," he explains. "On days you can’t work out, get outside in the sunlight, especially in the morning, and take a short walk to keep your body moving."

Experts have warned that more bed bugs than ever before are circulating through travel. The current global outbreak reached a crescendo this week, grounding a Qantas plane flying from Rome to Perth, forcing a US school closure and halting a UK rail service when bed bugs were spotted in classrooms and on the train.

“We are at peak bed bug,” Martim Gois, the co-founder of Valpas, a company which produces technology to trap and track bed bugs in hotel rooms, told The Times this week. “Bedbugs correlate with traveller volume. The more arrivals and departures there are, the higher the surge of bedbugs,” said Gois.

With bed bug outbreaks left, right and center, you might be wondering what you can do to protect your home from the critters and derail them from finding their way to your mattress. We spoke to a bed bug prevention and control specialist to find out, plus identify which home and behavior type is most at risk of succumbing to an infestation.

• The clocks go back on Sunday — 3 steps to take tonight to thrive, not just survive, the shift to shorter days

Who is most likely to get bed bugs?

Anyone can fall foul of a bed bug outbreak. However, there are certain habits and circumstances that can increase our risk. They are:

• 1. Frequent travel: Valpas estimates that 1 in 49 hotel rooms has bed bugs.
• 2. Living in a major city: According to current estimates, bed bug populations are swelling in population by 20%-25% each year in major cities like London, Paris and Amsterdam, due to insecticide tolerance.
• 3. Buying secondhand furniture: Particularly soft furnishings like sofas and mattresses, where bed bugs can burrow deep inside
• 4. Living in high turnover housing: Such as college dorms, HMOs and shared rentals in densely populated cities, where people (and, potentially, bed bugs) can frequently come and go.

“Bed bugs are strictly indoor pests, meaning they are entirely unaffected by outdoor weather conditions,” Lyuben Kiryakov, Director of pest control agency Bed Bug Specialist, tells Tom's Guide.

“However, human behaviour changes significantly with the seasons. During the summer months, people travel far more frequently. Staying in infested hotels, hostels, or short term rentals is one of the primary ways people pick up an infestation.

“Bed bugs are purely opportunistic," Kiryakov continues. "Given the first chance, they will crawl directly into luggage, clothing, and personal belongings to be carried home."

Which type of home is most at risk?

According to Kiryakov, there is one particular home type that is most at risk from the current outbreak: “Blocks of flats [apartments] are significantly more vulnerable to bed bugs than single family houses, primarily due to the widespread use of ineffective DIY treatments.”

“Insecticide sprays, powders, and smoke bombs often agitate bed bugs rather than killing them, causing the infestation to scatter through wall voids, electrical sockets, and structural gaps into adjacent flats.

"Residents also tend to leave infested furniture directly outside their building or in communal areas, from where they can easily hitch a ride back inside on other residents and spread the infestation further," says Kiryakov.

How to protect your mattress and bedding

Bed bugs are opportunistic critters that have one goal in mind: to inhabit your mattress. Here, they can hide out of sight while staying close to their food source —you.

At night they'll crawl out and bite you while you're sleeping. Here's how to protect your mattress and bedding from bed bugs:

1. Check for bed bugs now

"Bed bugs reproduce quickly, and an isolated issue can turn into a full scale home infestation," says Kiryakov.

So if you think that you're at risk of bed bugs, don't wait to get bitten before taking action. Inspect your mattress now for signs of bed bugs, paying close attention to any creases or seams, where bed bugs like to hide.

Live insects are reddish brown in color, oval shaped, and measure approximately 5-7mm. Additionally, look out for dark specs (bed bug poop), as well as live eggs. These look like grains of rice.

2. Thoroughly vacuum your mattress

Even if you haven't found signs of bed bugs, giving your mattress a thorough clean with a vacuum is highly recommended.

"Use a high powered hoover to meticulously capture bed bugs and eggs along mattress seams, bed frames, and skirting boards, immediately sealing and throwing away the hoover bag or emptying the canister," says Kiryakov, who notes that bed bugs are becoming resistant to insecticides.

3. Buy a mattress encasement

If you don't opt for full coverage of your mattress during a bed bug outbreak, even the best mattress protectors can leave you vulnerable to infestation.

For proper protection, we recommend buying a fully zippered mattress encasement. If there are bed bugs in your mattress, covering them with a full encasement means they will be starved of their food source (your blood) and die off.

A mattress encasement also provides a barrier to bed bugs taking up residence in your mattress in the first place. So if there's an outbreak in your area, this is your first step to keep your bed safe.

4. Remove outside clothes before entering your bedroom

The urge to come in after a busy day and collapse straight onto your bed might be strong — but don't.

Wearing your outdoor clothes – the ones that have been pressed up against public spaces, such as buses and trains and communal seating – could give bed bugs a one way ticket to their forever home (your mattress).

Instead, change out of your outdoor clothes in a separate room. If you think there's a high chance you came into contact with bed bugs, wash your clothes at a minimum temperature of 60°C (140°F) to kill bed bugs and their eggs.

5. Leave your luggage in the bathtub after travelling

"Prevention is better than cure," says Kiryakov. "When traveling, thoroughly inspect hotel rooms, hostels, or short term rentals before unpacking, specifically checking the mattress, bed frame, headboard, and any soft seating areas."

When you get home, refrain from placing your suitcase directly on your bed to unpack. Instead, put it in your bathtub, where bed bugs can't escape — the sides are too slippery for them. Remove your clothes from there and place them on a hot wash.

6. Hot wash sheets and bedding

Heat and active removal are your best shot at removing bed bugs and their eggs before an active outbreak takes hold in your mattress and bedding.

If you feel at risk of having brought bed bugs home with you, give your bed sheets a hot wash today.

To kill bed bug and their eggs, you need to launder your sheets at 60°C (140°F). Then throw them in the tumble dryer for good measure as "direct dry heat kills bed bugs and their eggs on contact," says Kiryakov.

Pay attention to the care label, as some delicate fabrics won't stand up to very hot washing and machine drying.

What to avoid

❌ Don't use DIY foggers, sprays or powders: "Instead of eliminating the infestation, DIY insecticides agitate the bed bugs and cause them to scatter deeper into wall voids, electrical sockets, and adjacent rooms," says Kiryakov.

❌ Don't immediately ditch your mattress: The temptation to toss every soft furnishing you own will be strong, but moving your furniture around risks spreading the infestation. Instead, a professional can likely treat and save your mattress. However if your bed is over eight years old or shows signs of sagging and deep staining, then a new mattress could be in order. Our best mattress guide contains our latest lab-tested recommendations.

Cozy season is here so it's time to shut the windows and cuddle up. But unless you want to spend the next few weeks itching and sneezing from an influx of dust mites, you need to clean your mattress before you touch the thermosts.

"Mites are ubiquitous so all beds are likely to have a degree of living mites," says Professor George Du Toit, Co-Founding Director and Professor of Paediatric Allergy at the Allergy Centre of Excellence (ACE). "It is important for those with dust mite allergy to try to reduce this allergenic load as best possible.”

Dust mites thrive in the dark of your mattress, where they have access to all your yummy body oils and shed skin cells. And in fall, trapped moisture and warm rooms turn your home into mite paradise. The best way to reduce the problem is to remove the food source (the dust in your bed). To do so, you need to follow the 2-inch mattress rule — here's how.

The seasonal dust mite surge doesn't hit everyone equally; if you live in a state with an even temperature year-round, you're unlikely to experience the same uptick. However, dust mites are found almost everywhere humans are, so regardless of the weather, we recommend taking care of your mattress.

Why we're seeing a surge in dust mites right now

“Autumn marks the peak for dust mite proliferation and symptom flares for two key reasons," explains Dr. Du Toit.

First, the dust mite population, which has spent the summer growing, is now dying off. That decline does mean there are fewer dust mites around but before they go, they leave a nasty surprise.

"As autumn arrives and humidity fluctuates, many mites die off, releasing massive loads of dried fecal allergen particles into the indoor air just as people spend more time indoors with windows closed," says Dr. Du Toit.

But before they start dying, there's one last hurrah for the dust mites, caused by our response to the colder weather.

"As homes turn on central heating, indoor air dries out," says Dr. Du Tiot. "While this might sound unfavorable, the rapid temperature drop outdoors combined with sealed windows initially traps high indoor humidity accumulated over summer, creating an optimal breeding surge."

This surge is most prominent in the UK and across the northern and midwest US States. However, if you're planning to close your windows to keep out the coming chill, you are vulnerable to the same issue.

Of course, we don't recommend keeping your windows open and your heating off all winter, even if it will clear those pesky dust mites. But before your hand reaches for the thermostat, take this one step.

The 2-inch mattress rule

The surface of your mattress is grosser than you realize. We lose roughly 500 million skin flakes a day and a lot of them end up in your bed, alongside sweat, oils, hair and crumbs.

Regularly vacuuming your mattress helps remove the surface issues. However, a light vacuum won't tackle the embedded dust and allergens that have settled into the layers of your mattress.

That's where the 2-inch rule comes in. By combing firm, downward pressure from your vacuum with flattening the surface of the bed, you can target the dust and skin stuck deeper in the layers. This removes the dust mites food source, so they're less inclined to settle in your bed.

This also clears dust mite fecal matter, which is the primary cause of your allergic reaction. Yep, when you're coughing and sneezing, it's because of dust mite poop.

How to use the 2-inch mattress rule

Before you start: check your vacuum

Your vacuum must have a sealed HEPA filter for this method to be effective. Without a HEPA filter, compressing the mattress can send micro-allergens through the exhaust motor and back into your bedroom.

Not happy with your current vacuum? Check out our best vacuum cleaner guide for expert approved picks.

1. Prepare the mattress

To begin, remove all bedding, pillows and blankets from your mattress. You want a completely clean surface.

This is a good time to wash your bedding. Dr. Du Toit recommends temperatures of 60°C / 140°F or higher, to effectively kill dust mites. (Always check the care labels to ensure your bedding can handle high temperatures)

Open the window, to allow air to circulate and dust to escape.

For a thorough clean, sprinkle baking soda over the mattress and leave for 30-60 minutes. The powder will absorb moisture and any smells, for an overall cleaner finish.

2. Compress and vacuum

For this technique to work, you need to use your vacuum's narrow upholstery tool or brush tool.

Press your hand into the surface of the mattress until it's compressed by roughly two inches. Place the nozzle of the tool into the dipped area and move in slow, overlapping circles or tight horizontal lines.

Cover the entire surface of the mattress using the same compressing and vacuuming technique.

The weight of compression creates a temporary seal between the mattress surface and the vacuum nozzle. This allows you to draw out the dust and debris that's embedded within the mattress.

Admittedly this is a time consuming task (it's quite the arm workout). We've found it takes around 20-30 minutes to cover a US queen or UK king — so factor this one into your twice-yearly mattress deep cleaning schedule.

The benefits of the 2-inch mattress vacuum rule

There are three big benefits to the 2-inch mattress rule and the first one we've covered: it reduces allergens. Our bedding expert found she woke up with less morning congestion after using this technique.

The other obvious benefit is that you can enjoy a cleaner sleep surface. You know how inviting the bed feels after changing your sheets? Imagine that, turned up to 11.

Finally, it can extend the life of your mattress. We recommend replacing your mattress roughly every 7-10 years but regular cleaning can help you maximize the lifespan by protecting the materials.

Why dust mites in your mattress are bad news

“Humans spend many hours in their bedrooms," explains Dr. Du Toit. "Beds provide an ideal microclimate for dust mites: abundant food (shed skin scales), stable warmth, and high humidity generated by human sweat and respiration."

Dust mites don't bite (unlike bed bugs), opting instead to nibble passively at our dead skin cells. However, the presence of dust mites can still have a negative impact on your health.

"Inhaling airborne dust mite allergens (primarily their potent digestive enzymes found in fecal waste) can trigger chronic allergic rhinitis and conjunctivitis and exacerbate asthma symptoms,“ says Du Toit.

How to protect your mattress from dust mites

As Dr. Du Toit points out, it's difficult to stop dust mites altogether, as your bed is simply too appealing. However, by reducing their food source you can cut down the number of mites calling your mattress home.

The best way to do this is with a mattress protector or encasement. These bedding must-haves act as a barrier between you and the mattress. You can find our favorites in our best mattress protector guide.

The benefit of a mattress protector in the fight against in dust mites is two fold. First, your shed skin cells are less likely to become embedded in the mattress. Second, the allergens have less access to you.

• Use allergen-proof encasements: “Enclose mattresses, duvets, and pillows in tightly woven, zip-up barrier covers. There are many such products on the market, but be sure to use those endorsed by allergy societies such as Allergy UK.” (Or the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.)
• Wash bedding weekly at 60°C: A high heat removes allergens and kills mites, but always check the care instructions or you might destroy the material.
• Reduce indoor humidity: “Keep relative humidity below 50% using dehumidifiers, extractor fans, and adequate ventilation." Our best dehumidifier guide has an option for every budget.
• Get rid of the bedroom rug: This is a haven for dust and allergens.

We've all experienced that bleary-eyed panic of suddenly waking up and thinking you've missed your alarm — only to discover that it's 5 a.m. and you don't need to get up until another two hours.

But for the past few weeks I've waking up hours before my sunrise alarm most mornings, usually between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m., leaving me crawling through each day in an exhausted fog.

I was at a loss as to why this kept happening, until a new study revealed the culprit. Here's the surprisingly small thing that kept waking me up way too early, plus the cheap, easy fix that helps me stay asleep all night.

Key takeaways from the new study:

• Researchers at Tulane University have found that light exposure (over 3 lux) from electronic products such as chargers and stand-by lights can cause shorter, disrupted sleep and body clock changes.
• People with the brightest bedrooms at night slept about 48 minutes less each night (6.9 hours) compared to people who slept in total darkness (7.7 hours).
• This shorter sleep duration can change the way the heart functions, leading to cardiovascular damage over time.
• To limit nighttime light exposure, experts recommend covering lights from electronics with LED light-blocking stickers, using blackout curtains, and wearing eye masks.

Why I kept waking up hours before my alarm

According to a new study conducted by researchers at Tulane University, exposure to light at night can shorten our overall sleep duration.

This reduced sleep duration over a long period of time can lead to impaired heart health, say scientists — and 50% of that cardiovascular damage is caused by light exposure cutting sleep prematurely short.

The study also found that people with the brightest bedrooms at night slept about 48 minutes less each night (6.9 hours) compared to people who slept in total darkness (7.7 hours).

When I first read the results of this study, I found them fascinating — but couldn't see how they were applicable to me. After all, I keep my blinds closed, I don't use a night light, and I put my phone on Sleep Mode so my phone doesn't light up with notifications throughout the night.

However, when I found myself waking up at 5 a.m. again, I looked around the room and spotted the culprit: the light from my laptop charger, making my room look as if it were bathed in blue light.

I must not have spotted the charger's glow when I first turned off the bedroom light, but I could now see the charger light's full disruptive impact once my eyes adjusted to the dark.

How does bedroom light affect sleep and health?

The same study also found that the cardiovascular damage caused by nocturnal light exposure also stems directly from the artificial light disrupting the body's circadian rhythm.

However, the main ramification of light exposure remains shorter sleep, with exposure to light at night (>3 lux) suppresses melatonin, resulting in shorter sleep duration which in turn leads to "cardiac remodelling".

“This is the first study of its kind, and it shows that exposure to higher levels of light at nighttime is linked to cardiac remodelling," says Professor Lu Qi, who led the groundbreaking study.

"Cardiac remodelling" is where the structure and function of the heart changes in response to stress.

"It’s our body’s way of adapting to that stress, but ultimately it weakens the heart and can lead to heart failure.," explains Professor Li.

Of course, this isn't the first piece of research to examine how light exposure during sleep can cause nighttime awakenings.

One 2020 study discovered that those living with heavy light pollution tend to get much less sleep, while a 2021 study found that sleeping in a room with even a small amount of light elevates heart rate throughout the night and lead to disrupted sleep.

How I fixed my nighttime light exposure with this genius $5 product

Fortunately, the study's accompanying editorial provides some guidance on combating nighttime light exposure, and it's pretty simple.

"The advice is simple and inexpensive: blackout curtains, warm-coloured bedside lighting, and covering the small standby LEDs on household electronics," writes Professor Thomas Münzel in the commentary.

So, the first thing I did was order something that would block the charging light on electronics. I stumbled upon these Light Blocking Stickers, now $4.98 (were $8.99) at Amazon, which promise to dim up to 100% of electronic light.

I was sceptical, but to my surprise, this $5 product effectively blocks light from my computer monitor, laptop charger, and extension lead switch. I simply choose a sticker (they come in various shapes and sizes) that can effectively cover the light source, stick it down, and then the problem is fixed.

Now, my early morning awakenings have come to a halt — just in time to try out the best sunrise alarm clocks.

3 top-rated products to help block out sleep-disrupting light

There's nothing quite like climbing into bed when your sheets are freshly laundered... but wait, what's that horrible smell? If you've ever washed your sheets only to be met with a musty, sour odor when you come to make your bed, you're not alone.

According to experts, the unpleasant, urine-like stench is a result of a common mistake made during the drying process. And, as infection prevention expert Dr. Shanina C. Knighton, PhD, RN, CIC points out, there's a particular fabric that often falls foul to the so-called 'permastink.'

Below, Dr. Knighton digs into why your not-quite dry bed sheets can smell so stinky, plus how to fix it.

• Time for a refresh? Check out our guide to the best bed sheets for our top tested picks.

Why freshly washed bed sheets smell sour

According to Dr. Knighton, the unpleasant smell you sometimes find in your freshly laundered bedding comes from bacteria that multiplies when your sheets haven't quite dried properly.

"Washing removes most soil, but it does not sterilize, so a small number of bacteria survive every cycle," explains Dr. Knighton.

"When sheets sit damp, those survivors have everything they need: moisture, warmth, darkness and food in the form of skin oils, sweat and detergent residue left in the fibers."

Whether they've been sat in the drum of your washing machine too long, hung on the clothes line on a humid day, or were folded and put away prematurely, damp bed sheets become a breeding ground for bacteria.

"As an infection preventionist, I treat damp laundry the same way I treat damp hands," explains Dr. Knighton, research associate professor at Case Western Reserve University. "Both become a medium that picks up and transfers germs far more easily than dry surfaces."

Why storing your sheets makes the problem worse

You probably won't notice the smell at first. But once folded and put away, the bacteria that survived the wash cycle begin to multiply on your not-quite-dry bed sheets — and that's when the unpleasant smell starts to build.

"Folding and storing damp sheets makes the problem worse because the layers hold moisture against each other and airflow drops to nearly zero," says Dr. Knighton.

"The smell you notice later comes from the waste products of bacteria that have been feeding and multiplying on the fabric the entire time it sat damp."

But why do my bed sheets smell of pee?

To me, the smell of damp bed sheets has a particularly unpleasant stench, almost like urine. And according Dr. Knighton, there's a very good reason for that.

"The sour smell many know well from an overused towel or washcloth and the mal-odor in laundry share the same source: Moraxella osloensis, a bacterium that lives harmlessly on human skin.

"Your nose is not wrong about the urine note. As bacteria break down sweat and skin waste on bedding, they can release ammonia and the compound they produce sits in the same odor family as urine and stale sweat."

How to get your stinky sheets back to their fresh best

Unfortunately, fixing the problem of your smelly sheets isn't as simple as sticking them back in the wash. Once the bacteria sets in, it can be difficult to shift.

"This bacterium is hard to get rid of since it withstands drying, ultraviolet light and even some antimicrobial laundry additives," explains Dr. Knighton.

Below, the doctor shares her top tips to getting your musty bed sheets back to their fresh best, as well as avoiding the issue again.

Clean your washing machine

Before you attempt to re-wash your sheets, clean the washing machine itself. If the bacteria lives in your machine, washing your sheets again will only perpetuate the problem.

"If your washer does not have a self-cleaning option you should run an empty cycle with a washing machine cleaner or vinegar," says Dr. Knighton.

"Wipe the door gasket and leave the door and detergent drawer open between loads. Front load machines are notorious for harboring odor-causing bacteria in the gasket."

If possible, launder sheets at a higher temp

Next, wash your sheets in "the warmest water the fabric can tolerate, ideally 130 degrees Fahrenheit or above for cotton sheets, since cool and cold cycles leave more bacteria behind," says Dr. Knighton.

However, always check the care label first. If a higher temperature isn't an option, rinsing with one cup of white vinegar or baking soda can also work to break down the residue feeding the bacteria, advises Dr. Knighton.

Ditch the fabric softener

If your bed sheets smell bad, you might be tempted to be heavy handed with the fabric softener in order to mask the smell — don't, warns Dr. Knighton.

"Skip fabric softener on this recovery wash, because softener coats fibers and can trap residue and odor," the infection prevention specialist explains.

Dry thoroughly (then dry some more)

"Once the cycle ends, move the sheets to the dryer or the line immediately and do not fold them until every part is bone dry, including thick seams and the elastic corners on fitted sheets, which hold moisture longest," says Dr. Knighton.

"I tell people to wait for your items to cool. Sometimes they can seem dry when very warm, but when they cool off they may still be damp."

How to avoid running into the same problem again

✅Ventilate your laundry closet: "Linen closets are often the least ventilated space in a home and sometimes share a wall with a bathroom," says Dr. Knighton.

"Leave a little air space between laundry stacks and avoid storing linens in plastic bins that trap moisture."

❌Avoid synthetic fabrics: "Synthetics are prone [to trapping bacteria] and polyester and polyester blends are the worst offenders," says Dr. Knighton.

"Research shows odor compounds and odor-causing bacteria cling to polyester wash after wash, which is why athletic wear develops what researchers call 'permastink.'"

✅If you can, opt for cotton sheets: "Cotton is more forgiving because it releases oils and odors more readily in the wash," says Dr. Knighton. However, be mindful that heavy percale or flannel sheets can take longer to dry.

As someone who washes their bedding every week, I was surprised to find a yellow pillow stain on laundry day — but I was even more surprised that my nightly dose of retinol was to blame. Yes, the skincare staple is notorious for leaving yellow or orange patches, which is why it's already discolored my almost-new pillow.

Luckily, you can remove a retinol pillow stain as quickly as it forms. After trying a host of viral cleaning methods, I discovered this one-ingredient pre-soak is all you need. A $1 medicine cabinet essential has eliminated the ugly yellow ring left by my skincare routine, restoring my pillow to factory-condition white.

Here's the simple one-ingredient pre-wash that removed retinol stains from my pillow, plus the steps I'm taking to prevent my pillow from turning yellow again.

Retinol stains and the simple pre-wash ingredient that lifts them

Many things can leave yellow stains on pillows, but these unwanted blemishes all boil down to two things: moisture and oil.

Over time, oil and moisture build-up can leave older pillows covered in yellow stains. A retinol mark, on the other hand, can appear quickly, usually as a single yellow or orange patch where your face rests against the pillow.

That's why my Helix Down and Feather Pillow, which I've only been using for a few months, is bright white expect for a small yellow ring on the right-hand side. (Exactly where my cheek sits, as a side sleeper who sleeps on my left side).

Recently I tried viral pillow cleaning methods to remove deep-set yellow stains from old pillows. And when I say "deep-set" and "yellowed", I mean it was near-impossible to tell what the pillows' original colors were.

After trying these stain-removing techniques — from lemons to dollops of shaving foam — one was the clear winner for restoring yellow stains to bright white: the 3% hydrogen peroxide pre-wash.

To use hydrogen peroxide as a safe cleaner, always use a 3% concentration of hydrogen peroxide, avoid mixing it with other chemicals, and protect hands with gloves. As hydrogen peroxide has a mild bleaching effect, avoid using on dark-colored fabrics and delicate materials such as silk, wool and cashmere.

The hydrogen peroxide pre-soak was the only method that brought the grubby discolored pillows back to mint condition. Trying the method on a small, retinol-induced patch was a no-brainer.

And following this simple pre-wash lifted the yellow ring of retinol and restored my pillow to bright white. Here's what you need to do...

How I used hydrogen peroxide to lift retinol yellow pillow stains

As retinol stains tend to form in small, concentrated patches rather than all over the pillow, I poured a small amount of 3% hydrogen peroxide onto a light-colored cloth and dabbed it on the yellow pillow stain. I then let it sit for 30 minutes. I then worked the hydrogen peroxide into the pillow with an old toothbrush.

Following the care label, I placed the pillow into the washing machine on a standard cycle. Once I took the pillow out of the washing machine, I blotted excess water with a towel and made sure it was thoroughly dry by placing it in the dryer on a cool setting.

If your pillow is discolored or has more than one retinol stain, you can spray the 3% hydrogen peroxide all over. Here's a quick demo on how the pillow-cleaning hack works:

And here's a satisfying look at the retinol stain before and after I gave it the hydrogen peroxide treatment:

What you'll need to keep retinol pillow stains at bay

How I'm stopping retinol pillow stains from now on

While the hydrogen peroxide prewash is a simple, low-effort cleaning method, I don't want to add it to my weekly cleaning schedule. After all, while sheets should be washed every week, a pillow deep clean should be scheduled every three to six months. I'm worried frequent hydrogen peroxide applications might start wearing down the fabric.

To keep my pillows fresh and protect them against the oily residue of retinol, I've invested in a zip-up pillow protector. Used under my pillowcases, the protector provides an extra layer of safeguarding and is slightly thicker than my lightweight cotton and silk sheet sets.

From a luxury bed stuffed with horse hair to a Goop-approved $60,000 mattress, I've covered many organic sleep launches over the last three years that have left me scratching my head in amazement. But the new Pine & Pillow Candle, now $26.99 at Naturepedic, is a release that makes perfect sense to me.

After all, Fall is upon us, and nothing will get me into the cozy, autumnal spirit more than a candle that Naturepedic describes as "warm" and "woodsy".

Plus, for health-conscious shoppers, the non-toxic Pine & Pillow Candle sits in a sustainable amber glass jar and is made from pure beeswax and coconut oil. It also uses FSC-certified cherry wood for its wick.

The Pine & Pillow is the first candle to be launched by Naturpedic, a brand more well known for luxury organic mattresses than aromatherapy, in collaboration with luxury candlemaker Fontana.

While lavender tends to be the default scent for sleep accessories like pillow mists, the Pine & Pillow Candle's notes include black pine, black spruce, ho wood, and vanilla.

Now, I know what you're thinking: Where on earth is the French lavender oil?

"We didn’t choose fragrance notes simply because they appeared on a list of 'sleep-inducing' scents," says Emily Prawda Weiss, Director of Strategic Partnerships at Naturepedic. "We tried to create something people would genuinely look forward to lighting at the end of the day — something warm, comforting, and familiar."

While that sounds heavenly to me, I also asked Dr. Tim Mercer, and Hannah Shore, Head of Sleep Science at retailer MattressOnline, to explain the sleep-promoting effects of different scents and whether the Pine & Pillow Candle's notes can really help you wind down for sleep. Here’s their verdict…

Calm racing thoughts with fresh forest scents

Before we delve into whether the green, earthy scents of the Pine & Pillow will promote relaxation, Shore wants us to know what there is no universal sleep scent.

“There is no real research as to a specific scent that will help everyone sleep better," she says. "The scents that evoke calmness in you can help promote relaxation, with chamomile, lavender, and other natural plants being the most common.

"However, if you do not enjoy these scents or they do not evoke calmness in you, then relaxation will not happen," she adds.

According to Dr. Mercer, woody scents, such as the ones found in the Pine & Pillow Candle, are often linked to "nature, clean air, and open spaces".

"This can make the environment feel fresher and more tranquil, which is particularly useful when you’re trying to leave behind the mental clutter of a busy day," says the holistic health care expert.

Dr. Mercer adds that scents like pine and ho wood have a "grounding" quality that "encourages you to slow down, relax your body and prepare for a restul night.

"The crisp quality of pine can also create a sense of freshness in the room, helping to make the bedroom feel clean, airy and peaceful rather than stuffy or overstimulating," he tells me.

Add winter warmth with comforting vanilla

In contrast to the earthy, green notes of pine and black spruce, vanilla is considered a smooth, gourmand scent. And its sweet fragrance can be a source of comfort and take you to different places, according to Shore.

“For example, the scent of coffee and toast is mainly related to breakfast, which can make you feel like you get up and get ready for the day," says the sleep researcher. "If you see vanilla as a calming scent, then this could help you relax, in turn helping you fall asleep easier.

"However, if you smell vanilla and it makes you think of sweet treats, promoting excitement, then this is less likely to make you feel relaxed and therefore will not help you fall asleep.”

According to Dr. Mercer, most people associate the soft aroma of vanilla with "warmth, relaxation, and home comforts.

"Introducing this type of scent as you begin winding down can help create a clear transition between the busyness of the day and getting ready for sleep," he explains. "Over time, using the same calming scent can help build a familiar association with relaxation, making it easier to mentally switch off and settle into bed.”

Where to buy the Naturepedic Pine & Pillow candle

If the clean, refreshing scent of pine and the sweet, comforting aroma of vanilla sound like a relaxing match to you, then the good news is that, right from today, the Pine & Pillow Candle is available to buy for $26.99 at Naturepedic. The candle is non-returnable, and shipping is free.

After looking at its ingredient list and eco credentials, the Pine & Pillow Candle is something I look forward to trying out. (And you best believe I'm first in line; my eyes are glued to my inbox for shipping info.) Considering the glowing reviews we've given to Naturepedic's mattresses over the years, my expectations are sky high for this candle.

"We spend about a third of our lives in bed, and that's why we believe the bedroom is one of the most important places to be intentional about materials and ingredients," says Naturepedic’s Prawda Weiss. "The Pine & Pillow Candle is one example of that belief in practice."

Waking up at 3 a.m. is a recurring sleep problem I can’t seem to shake. Just when I think I’ve kicked the problem for good, I find myself wide awake in the middle of the night, unable to fall back to sleep again.

Exhausted and frustrated, I sought the advice of Dr. Aric Prather, a world-renowned sleep expert and a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of California, San Francisco. He instantly identified a key new mistake I’m making in the lead up to bedtime and explained how it could be causing my new wave of middle insomnia (3 a.m. wake-ups).

Here's what Dr. Prather, a published author, discovered, and why he recommends a 'two-hour digital buffer' at bedtime to reduce my chances of waking up at 3 a.m. and feeling exhausted the night day.

My key mistake

The quiet hours in the lead up to bedtime is usually an opportunity for me to catch up on unfinished work. Then I can climb into bed with one less thing to worry about.

But according to Dr. Prather, a sleep expert at BetterSleep, that's my big mistake. And it could be a driver for why I'm waking up at 3 a.m. again. “Working outside of normal hours can be detrimental to sleep when it becomes a regular habit.”

• Research shows that working outside of work hours is associated with worse sleep quality.
• Also, those who work late experience a larger Cortisol Awake Response (CAR), which can lead to 3 a.m. wake ups.

Evidence shows that engaging our brains in work-related activities — even if for a short time — can make it difficult for our brains to then switch off in order to fall into deep, restorative sleep.

“The issue is the difficulty of mentally transitioning from work to rest. Evening emails, deadlines, and unfinished tasks can keep the brain alert, making it harder to detach psychologically from work before bed.

“This can delay sleep, reduce sleep quality, and contribute to fatigue the following day,” says Dr. Prather.

So, although you might only spend a few minutes responding to work queries, the difficulty is ensuring your brain has enough time to disengage from 'work mode' in order to prepare for sleep.

“Even after you close your laptop, your mind may keep processing work-related concerns, making it harder to get restful sleep,” says Dr. Prather. “This can contribute to nighttime awakenings.

Cortisol rising

And there's science to support that thinking. A small month-long study of 58 employees found that checking emails outside of work hours was associated with worse sleep quality.

The same study also highlighted that those who worked in the run up to bedtime had a larger Cortisol Awakening Response (CAR). CAR is a term to describe the natural rise in the hormone cortisol that begins around 3 a.m. and reaches its peak upon waking, helping you to feel alert.

But instead of a natural and steady rise, a larger CAR can indicate a surge of cortisol at 3 a.m., waking you up from sleep. Could checking a few emails really cause that?

"A larger Cortisol Awakening Response may also indicate changes in the body's stress-response system, although it is not, by itself, a definitive measure of poor sleep," says Dr. Prather.

"The best way to understand the connection is to track when you work, when you go to bed, and when you wake up over several weeks," advises the sleep expert. "If the 3 a.m. awakenings consistently follow evenings of work, that pattern is worth taking seriously."

The simple routine change

After tracking my own nighttime routine habits and my 3 a.m. wake ups, there's undoubtedly a clear correlation between the stints I work in the evening and the frequency of my nighttime awakenings.

So, instead of working in the run up to bedtime, I've been implementing a 'two-hour digital buffer' to wind down for better sleep.

Here Dr. Prather explains why it works: "Creating a digital buffer is a great strategy, and setting aside the final 60–120 minutes before bed for non-work activities can make a meaningful difference."

Dr. Prather says that the goal is to give ourselves a meaningful window in which to transition from productivity to rest.

"During that time, I would try to engage in calming activities, such as reading, watching light television, taking a warm shower, stretching, and meditating.

"Basically, you are looking for activities that create a feeling of calm. The specific activities are less important," says Dr. Prather.

It's early days, but swapping emails for analogue activities, such as reading in bed, is already lowering the frequency of the dreaded 3 a.m. wake ups.

Other habits I'm using to stop waking up at 3 a.m.

As we shift through sleep cycles, waking up at night is normal. It happens multiple times a night and we rarely remember it. However, waking up at night becomes an issue when we can't easily fall back to sleep.

As someone on an ongoing journey to improve my sleep, I know there's rarely ever really one simple 'fix' to sleeping better.

In addition to avoiding working late into the evening, these are the habits I try to stick to in order to reduce the frequency of my 3 a.m. wake ups:

• Sticking to a consistent sleep schedule: Your circadian rhythm functions best when you stick to a regular sleep routine, helping you fall asleep faster and wake up feeling refreshed.
• A comfortable sleep environment: After years of waking up at night due to an uncomfortable bed, I now sleep on the best mattress for my sleep style.
• Create dark and quiet sleep space: Ambient light and noise pollution can lead to nighttime disturbances. To combat those, I wear a blackout eye mask to bed and pop in my Ozlo 2 sleepbuds to drown out any sound.

I've tested a lot of sleep tech over the last three years, and the Oura Ring 5, from $399 at Amazon, is my favorite gadget overall. This top-rated sleep tracker tells me the ins and outs of my sleep night after night, but that wasn't always the case.

When I first started using the Oura Ring 5, a common rookie error cost me a week's worth of accurate sleep tracking. The good news is that fixing my mistake was easy, and now I'm getting insightful feedback on my sleep quality, duration and quality.

Here's the Oura Ring slip-up I made and what I now do to get lab-accurate sleep tracking each night from my smart ring...

The mistake I made

Caught up in the excitement of getting an Oura Ring 5, I forgot to check if there was a certain way I should be wearing it. I thought placing the ring on my index finger, then heading to bed, would be all I needed to do.

For the first few weeks, I wore both my Oura Ring and my Apple Watch Ultra so that I could compare the data captured. And I soon noticed major sleep score discrepancies between the two wearables...

As it turns out, I'd made a significant mistake.

There is a faint white marking (which feels slightly rougher in texture than the rest of the ring) on the outer side of the Oura Ring. This is an alignment indicator, used to ensure the ring's placement is correct.

The alignment indicator should be positioned on the underside of the hand, so it's placed on top of your palm.

The white marking on My Oura Ring was not aligned with my palm, and that was costing me accurate sleep tracking and leading to poor sleep scores.

How to wear the Oura Ring 5 for lab-accurate sleep data

• The Oura Ring 5 has a faint white mark. This should be used as an alignment indicator for correct wear.
• Wear the ring so that the white alignment indicator is placed on the underside of your hand (so it sits on top of your palm rather than the back of your hand).
• The white alignment indicator is positioned above your palm ensures the most accurate reading because it puts the sensor closer to your skin.
• If the alignment indicator is facing outward, the Oura Ring 5's sensor will lose contact with your skin and lead to inaccurate tracking.
• The shape and sizes of our fingers can fluctuate and cause the Oura Ring's placement to shift. Switching to a larger finger can ensure a snugger fit that won't affect accuracy.
• If you find that your Oura Ring is shifting too much on your dominant hand, switch to a non-dominant hand for less movement.
• Hand-washing and creams can cause the Oura Ring's placement to shift. I recommend taking your Oura ring off for this and putting it back on once your hands are dry.

My fingers are highly sensitive to temperature change, and colder weather or excessive AC can cause my Oura Ring 5 shift, twist, and even slide right off.

I wear my Oura Ring on my index finger the majority of the time, but when it's chillier than usual, I switch to my middle finger as it's naturally larger.

Switching fingers won't cause sleep data inaccuracy, as long as you avoid your thumb and stick to your three digits: index, middle, and ring finger.

Wearing the Oura Ring 5 on your dominant hand can cause the ring to shift as your hand goes through more motions. So, if you feel like your ring is shifting around, simply switch to your non-dominant hand.

The Oura Ring's water-resistant design also means you can perform pretty much any activity while wearing it. However, whether you're taking a bath or washing your face, greasy, creamy lotions can cause your Oura Ring 5 to shift.

I now take my ring off during my night-time routine, allowing my skin to dry off before putting it back on.

3 top-rated sleep tracking smart rings

There’s nothing quite like waking up well rested after a good night’s sleep. That’s why it’s so important to find the right mattress, pillow and everything else for your particular sleep position and that’s where we can help.

From hybrid mattresses for side sleepers to mattress toppers designed to instantly upgrade your existing mattress to pillows, sunrise alarms and more, there are plenty of options when it comes to upgrading your bedroom and your overall sleep experience.

For the Tom’s Guide Awards 2026, our team of experts has tested and reviewed all of the latest mattresses, pillows and other bedding gear. Below, we highlight our favorite mattresses, toppers, pillows and other sleep tech to help you get the rest you deserve as soon as your head hits the pillow.

Best mattress

Saatva Classic

If mattresses were Beatles albums, then the Saatva Classic would be Abbey Road; a perennial classic, perfect from start to finish, and impossible to forget.

For the fifth year running, we’ve crowned this luxury hybrid innerspring the Best Mattress of The Year. It’s comfy for every sleeping position, and so breathable it could keep a snowball cool during a heatwave.

The support is superb too – it feels like getting a gentle back massage every night. I climb into bed most nights feeling crooked from a day bent over my desk working, or playing on the floor with my kid, then I wake up each morning feeling straightened out and pain-free.

We developed a new review methodology last year and the Saatva Classic aced every part of it, becoming the highest-scoring lab-tested mattress we’ve reviewed (it scored a 24 out of 25 in our Saatva Classic review). In 2026, the Saatva Classic is still the epitome of sleep comfort.

— Claire Davies, Managing Editor Sleep

Best mattress in a box

DreamCloud Classic

Good sleep needn’t cost the earth, and the DreamCloud Classic Hybrid is the perfect example of that. This hybrid mattress looks like a 5-star hotel bed, yet the price is more attainable at under $700 for a queen on sale.

At the beginning of this year we retested the newly updated DreamCloud Classic Hybrid and watched it ace several of our tests, from pressure relief to temperature control. It delivers a big wedge of comfort and support for the money, outperforming many luxury beds over four times the price.

This newer version of the DreamCloud Classic Hybrid is a little softer than previous models, so the lighter to average weight side sleepers on our review team love it the most. But honestly? We’ve yet to meet a person who doesn’t enjoy sleeping on this breathable beauty.

At a point in the economy where many of us are counting every cent, the DreamCloud Classic delivers an excellent performance for the price, once again taking home our award for the year’s Best Mattress In A Box.

— Claire Davies, Managing Editor Sleep

Best hybrid mattress

Saatva Classic

A good hybrid mattress offers the contouring support of a cradling foam mattress with the bounce and responsiveness of an innerspring bed. The Saatva Classic delivers all of this and more, earning its title as the undisputed Best Hybrid Mattress of 2026.

We’ve retested this handcrafted innerspring hybrid twice in the last year alone, and no other mattress comes close. It’s breathable, offers proper lumbar support to ease back pain, and uses high-density foam rails around the perimeter so that you can sleep right up to the edge.

The Saatva Classic is ideal for bedsharing couples and families. It reduces heavy motion transfer while still being responsive enough for you to move around easily without getting wedged in the bed — a rare feat for any hybrid we’ve tested.

With three customizable firmness levels and two height profiles, the Classic adapts seamlessly to most body weights and sleeping styles. Add in a feast of natural and organic materials, and free set-up in your bedroom (they’ll even remove your old bed for free), and it’s easy to see why the Saatva Classic’s knock-out luxury package is yet to be rivalled.

— Claire Davies, Managing Editor Sleep

Best memory foam mattress

Nectar Premier

Currently No 1 in our best memory foam mattress 2026 guide, the Nectar Premier Memory Foam Mattress is designed to both support and cushion back and side sleepers. After sleeping on the Premier for three weeks and putting it through vigorous lab testing, we have to say its design delivers what it promises.

The Premier is great at cushioning our pressure points when side sleeping, but it also kept our hips upright when sleeping on our backs. As for the overheating that memory foam beds can be prone to, the Premier’s cooling cover eliminates this problem and dissipates heat well.

Foam layers mean that a restless partner’s movements won’t travel to your side of the bed, too. Gone are the days when a memory foam mattress meant sleeping on a cheap, stuffy slab of quicksand, and the Nectar Premier Memory Foam Mattress proves it.

— Frances Daniels, Senior Sleep Staff Writer

Best mattress for side sleepers

Helix Midnight Luxe

We’ve tested and retested the Helix Midnight Luxe multiple times over the past two years and it still offers unparalleled support for those who primarily sleep on their sides, fending off some stiff competition (we’re looking at you, Saatva Classic).

The real star of the show here is the plush pillow top layer, which gently contours around the touch points of the mattress to remove pressure from your shoulders, hips and knees. The result? A superbly comfortable bed that you can stay sleeping on your side all night long.

The Helix Midnight Luxe is undoubtedly the best mattress for side sleepers on the market in 2026. However, it’s also comfortable and supportive for back sleepers, too. Which, for co-sleeping couples with different sleep needs, is a dream.

— Nicola Appleton, Sleep editor

Best mattress topper

Helix ErgoAlign Mattress Topper

The best mattress toppers should offer a literal slice of a luxury mattress, and the Helix Ergo Align Mattress Topper is a prime example.Premium sleep brand Helix adds enhanced lumbar support to its luxurious hotel-style mattresses with the trademark ErgoAlign Layer.

While Helix mattresses featuring the ErgoAlign upgrade can cost over $2,000 in a queen, a queen-sized Helix ErgoAlign Mattress Topper boasts this back pain-relieving layer for under $350.

Not only is the ErgoAlign Mattress Topper excellent for those waking up to back pain every morning, but it’s comfortable for all sleep positions and will keep hot sleepers cool, too.

Its cooling cover is made from GlacioTex, a heat-dissipating fabric that’s also found in Helix’s most deluxe mattress models. As tester Alison Barretta summarises in our Helix ErgoAlign Mattress Topper review, ”No matter your sleep position, the Helix ErgoAlign Mattress Topper will add meaningful support and pressure relief to an older or less-than-perfect mattress.”

— Frances Daniels, Senior Sleep Staff Writer

Best pillow

Helix Talalay Latex Pillow

With two lofts to choose from and crafted from natural materials, the Helix Talalay Latex Pillow is a responsive (read: bouncy) and naturally cooling pillow which suits practically every type of sleeper. Whether you opt for the low or high loft, the pillow immediately adapts to your new shape with every toss and turn — no plumping required.

Design-wise, it’s simple. Its core is a block of natural Talalay latex, which is known for its temperature regulating properties (that’s great news for hot sleepers). This is wrapped in a quilted and breathable Tencel layer, which you can remove to machine wash.

The Helix Talalay Latex Pillow isn’t a pillow that your head sinks into, like you might with a squishy memory foam pillow. Our lead teaser Ruth Jones describes sleeping on it as “a bit like resting your head on a bounce house...but we mean that in the best way possible.”

— Nicola Appleton, Sleep editor

Best sunrise alarm clock

Hatch Sleep Clock

As one of the best sunrise alarm clocks and a sleep tracker rolled into one sleek package, the Hatch Sleep Clock is one of the most exciting launches of 2026. It’s a sunrise alarm clock which delivers circadian lighting for brighter and easier mornings, while simultaneously tracking your sleep.

Lead tester Ruth Jones took the Hatch Sleep Clock for a spin and loved that she could ditch the health wearables and still get an overview of her sleep. Sleep tracking aside, the Hatch does everything you would expect from a sunrise alarm clock of this pedigree, with a vast library of sounds and light options at your fingertips.

In addition to helping you wake up, it actively helps you drop off, too. We love how you can program your own turndown service to activate on command, which initiates a sunset simulation with lights and sounds of your choosing.

— Nicola Appleton, Sleep editor

Best sleep tracker

Oura Ring 5

The Oura Ring 5 was launched this summer, promising more accurate sleep data and a slimmer design than the 4th generation. As we were blown away by the previous model’s sleep tracking, we started testing the Oura Ring 5 as soon as it became available.Three months of testing later, and we’re already convinced it’s the best sleep tracker we’ve tested..

Its improved sensor precision and extended week-long battery life are the new standout features, but we also love its streamlined, stylish build that’s much more comfortable to wear than chunky smart watches.

While the ring itself is screenless, the Oura Ring 5 has an intuitive accompanying app which presents visual breakdowns of sleep duration and stages via easy-to-read charts.

The smart ring also measures sleep debt, nighttime breathing, and heart rate, while the app’s library of bedtime stories and guided meditations is a nice touch beyond key sleep metrics.

— Frances Daniels, Senior Sleep Staff Writer

Watching your once snow-white pillow develop a multitude of yellow pillow stains is pretty gross – and your bedtime routine and laundry habits are high on the list of culprits for why pillows turn yellow.

From sleeping with wet hair to skipping regular bedding washes, there are five common habits that cause moisture and oils to seep into your pillow where they then oxidize and turn yellow.

The good news? Making a few simple changes to your routine will stop this discolouration from happening in the first place and keep your pillow brilliant white for longer.

Top 5 reasons why your pillows turn yellow

• 1. Sweat and natural body oils – breaks down pillow fibers overnight.
• 2. Going to bed with wet hair – trapped dampness causes bacterial growth and yellowing.
• 3. Skincare and makeup – transfers directly to the pillow, causing yellowing (retinol is notorious for this).
• 4. Not washing your pillow and pillowcases enough – stains set deeper and look more yellow.
• 5. Not replacing your pillows often enough – over time, pillows naturally decay and yellow.

1. Sweat and natural body oils

The two main culprits behind yellow pillow stains are moisture and oil, which we pump out hour by hour when sleeping.

Dr Shamsa Kanwal, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist at MyPsoriasisTeam explains it further: "Sweat, natural skin oils, saliva, dead skin cells, and moisture from wet hair gradually soak through the pillowcase and into the pillow, creating that familiar yellow discoloration over time."

All of this oxidizes when exposed to air. And when sweat and sebum react with oxygen, yellow pillow stains form — and overheating while sleeping can make the stains worse.

2. Going to bed with wet hair

I've all been guilty of this one, especially at the end of a long day when I'm tried and desperate to hop into bed.

But going to be with wet or damp hair not only makes your pillow feel soggy, it can also cause excess moisture from your hair to seep through your pillowcase and oxidize just like sweat and saliva does.

The result? Yellow staining on your pillow. If you keep doing this, your pillow will become yellowed regardless of whether you use a pillow protector.

3. Skincare and makeup

From skin-smoothing retinol to plumping overnight lip masks, beauty sleep products are a dream for our skin but a nightmare for our pillows.

Applying these skincare products right before bed means that the products' moisture and oils are still sitting on your skin, ready to transfer down into your pillow.

Same goes for sleeping with your make-up on.

The result? Yep, you guessed it: yellow stains. "Products that have not fully absorbed before bed can transfer onto the pillowcase and eventually seep into the pillow," says Dr Kanwal.

"Rich moisturizers, facial oils, leave-in conditioners, and other oily or pigmented products are more likely to leave residue, especially when combined with sweat and body oils."

4. Not washing your pillow and pillowcases enough

Skipping laundry day can mean that moisture and oils that have accumulated and oxidized on your pillow have a chance to really dig in to the fabric, causing deep staining that's harder to remove.

One survey found that 24% of adults admit to only washing their pillowcases every three to four weeks. While another found that only 15% of people wash their pillows on a regular basis.

To keep your pillow clean, fresh and free of yellow stains, you should aim to wash your pillowcase once a week and wash your pillow monthly. Keep in mind that removing yellow stains from a memory foam pillow requires its own specific method.

5. Not replacing your pillows often enough

If you've noticed that your yellowest pillow is also flat and unsupportive, it's no coincidence – yellow stains are one of the key signs that your pillow needs replacing.

The average lifespan of a pillow is up to two years, but one survey found that only 18% of 2,200 respondents knew this.

Meanwhile, the same study found that the average person keeps their pillow for around 14 months after the recommended time to replace it.

5 ways to stop your pillow turning yellow in the first place

• 1. Wash your pillow every 3 months – regular deep washes prevent sweat and oils from seeping deep down into the fill.
• 2. Use a pillow protector – this fabric barrier stops the majority of moisture and skincare from transferring to your actual pillow
• 3. Apply skincare routine an hour before bed – gives your products time to seep in, so your skin is dry when you lie down on your pillow.
• 4. Use breathable pillowcases – encourages better airflow and less nighttime sweating (a major cause of yellowing).
• 5. Replace your pillow every two years – ensures you're never sleeping on a decaying pillow that's yellow from natural old age.

1. Wash your pillow every 3 months

The first way to prevent your pillows from turning yellow? Start washing them more.

"I would wash pillowcases at least once a week, and more often if you sweat heavily, have oily or acne-prone skin, or use a lot of hair and skincare products," advise Dr Kanwal.

"Many washable pillows can be cleaned every 3 to 6 months, but always follow the care label because foam, latex, feather, and synthetic pillows need different cleaning methods," she adds.

For advice on how to clean your pillow, visit our guide on how to wash a pillow.

2. Use a pillow protector

Along with washing your pillowcases regularly, you can also try adding an extra layer of pillow protection.

"Using a washable pillow protector also helps keep sweat and product residue from reaching the pillow itself," explains Dr Kanwal.

While you can get pillow protectors that act as a pillow encasement, you can also get a waterproof pillow protector for more safeguarding.

3. Apply skincare routine an hour before bed

If skincare is a crucial step in your night-time routine, make sure that you've taken off your make-up and applied any lotions at least an hour before bedtime.

Dr Kanwal says that making skincare the first step of your evening regimen gives the products enough time to be absorbed by your skin and less likely to be absorbed by your pillowcase.

4. Use breathable pillowcases

Sweat is a big cause of yellowed pillows, so the more things you can do to sleep cool and dry the better.

This can mean switching your current pillow with a pillow featuring cooling tech like GlacioTex, or making sure that the fabric of your pillowcase is breathable.

Ditching heat-trapping synthetic bedding material like polyester or satin for naturally cooling, moisture-wicking materials like cotton, bamboo, linen, silk, or Tencel can help limit night sweats and overheating, meaning less discoloration from moisture build-up.

5. Replace your pillow every two years

As surprising as it sounds, I can understand why some people may want to hold onto their ageing yellow-stained pillow. It's comfortable, it's familiar, and if it ain't broke, why fix it?

However, even if you're happy to camouflage the yellow stains with a pillowcase, the truth is that an old pillow that's over two years old and covered in yellow stains needs to be replaced.

Trust me, it's much easier to invest in one of the best pillows every two years than to struggle with allergies, neck pain, and tension headaches from an old, unsupportive yellowed pillow.

Top 3 products to prevent yellow pillow stains

The hottest summer on record has turned my pristine white sheets into a yellowed mess. Even increasing my laundry schedule hasn't been able to banish yellow marks from my white duvet cover.

My first instinct was to grab the chlorine bleach. This strong chemical would effectively remove yellow sweat stains and turn my white sheets sparkling again. However, chlorine bleach is harsh on fabrics as well as stains, and overuse risks wearing holes in your duvet cover. That's even worse than stains.

The solution is a simple soak using a gentler chemical that helps lift stains without hurting the fabric. It returns your duvet cover to the bright white you enjoyed at the start of the summer.

• Too yellow to save? Check out our guide to the best bed sheets for our top tested picks.

Why you should avoid chlorine bleach in your laundry

Yes, chlorine bleach will strip the stains from your sheets. It contains sodium hypochlorite which causes a process known as oxidation. This changes the chemical composition of the stain to make it easier to wash away. It's an effective, albeit harsh, method.

But the stain isn't the only thing chlorine bleach removes. It breaks down dyes (so shouldn't be used on colored fabrics) and over time it can weaken fibers. If you regularly use chlorine bleach in your laundry routine, you might find your bedding begins to deteriorate, leading to holes.

Chlorine beach is also harsh against the skin. We advise always wearing gloves when handling chlorine bleach. And work in a well-ventilated area, as it can irritate the airways as well.

• Read more: My freshly washed bed sheets smelled sour — until an expert pointed out my drying mistake

How to remove yellow sweat stains without chlorine bleach

While oxygen bleach is gentler on the skin than chlorine bleach, we still recommend using gloves while handling it, particularly if you have sensitive skin. We also advice using it in a well ventilated area.

Clean yellow bed sheets with an oxygen bleach soak

When yellow stains are ruining your once-pristine bed sheets, use an oxygen bleach soak. While chlorine bleach relies on sodium hypochlorite to break down stains, oxygen bleach releases oxygen molecules to lift and remove unwanted marks.

It's a gentler oxidation process that leaves your sheets sparkling white without the wear and tear.

To begin, mix a scoop of oxygen bleach into a bath of lukewarm water (Avoid hot water — we'll explain why below). Supercharge your soak with a squirt of dish soap, to help lift any grease stains.

Immerse the duvet cover in the water and mix well. Leave to soak for up to six hours, stirring occasionally.

At the end of the soak, use a soft brush to scrub at any particularly stubborn yellow stains. Rinse thoroughly with cool water and squeeze out excess water.

Finish with a warm cycle in your washing machine

While hot water is best for removing stains caused by dirt or grease, when it comes to yellow sweat stains, it's best to use a cooler wash cycle.

Heat can cause the proteins in sweat to become set in the fabric, making those yellow stains even harder to remove. Cold (or lukewarm) water helps flush out the stain, for sparkling white sheets.

Once you've finished your initial, cooler, wash cycle, inspect your sheets and duvet cover for lingering marks. If you're happy with the white finish, follow-up with a hot cycle. Hot water (140°F / 60°C) is best for removing dust mites and allergens, but always check the care label for the right temperature.

White sheets are a hotel staple for good reason; they look crisp and inviting. And with this wash routine, you can enjoy those sparkling whites for longer.

For me, a good night's sleep lays the foundation for a productive work day. But lately, I've been tossing and turning at night and my sleep quality has taken a direct hit. I had a hunch my pillow might have something to do it, so I decided to perform a simple test that instantly tells you whether your pillow needs replacing or not.

Sure enough, my pillow failed this basic 30-second test.

A pillow that has lost its support and shape will force you to wake up multiple times a night to replump and reshape it. Long-term, a pillow that has lost its support can throw your neck out of alignment, causing morning aches and pains and poor posture.

Here's what the 30-second test involves, how to perform it yourself, and what the results mean for your pillow and the quality of your sleep.

The 30-second test explained

The 30-second pillow test is a simple way to find out if your pillow is supportive enough to hold your head, neck and shoulders in alignment with your spine while you sleep.

A pillow with an even fill distribution and good support will not fold easily. Instead it will snap back fast. This pillow is good for sleeping.

An unsupportive pillow, on the other hand, will not only fold, but also take time to spring back to its original position. This pillow needs replacing asap.

How to perform the 30-second pillow test

• Remove the pillowcase or any other protectors.
• Lay the pillow flat on a hard surface.
• Fold it completely in half and hold it closed for 30 seconds.
• Now release the pillow
• If it stays folded or springs back sluggishly, the support has gone and your pillow is no longer fit for purpose.
• If it snaps instantly back into shape, it’s still good for sleeping on.

Why my pillow failed the 30-second test

After several nights of broken sleep, I figured that it's time to put my pillow to the test. For reference, my microfiber pillow is over two years old and has overall lost its initial plushness. I laid it out on a flat surface and folded it in half. To my surprise, my pillow folded almost too easily, like a book.

Unlike newer supportive pillows, which instantly snap back, mine took longer to return to its original position. On further inspection, I figured that the filling inside was bunched up and uneven, giving a still-folded effect right in the middle. This made me realize that it's high time to replace it with another.

Why unsupportive pillows need replacing

A sagging or unsupportive pillow compromises your spinal alignment.

In order to correct your posture, your neck ends up bending unnaturally, straining the muscles— the major reason behind morning neck pain.

It can also lead to frequent wake-ups and tossing and turning, as it happened in my case, where I was constantly trying to find the right sleeping position.

If you're someone who already struggles with snoring, sleeping on an unsupportive pillow can also make your symptoms worse.

Other signs your pillow needs replacing

While experts recommend changing your pillow every one to two years, you can do it sooner if you notice any of these secondary indicators.

Clumping up of the filling is a strong indicator of a lack of support. Pillows with poor support can lead to those random 3 a.m. wake-ups because your head and neck fall out of alignment, and you wake to replump the pillow.

Another common sign is the yellowing of your pillow. This is due to a buildup of your sweat, body oils, drool and dead skin cells, which seeps through the pillowcase. Over time, this can create the perfect breeding ground for dust mites and bacteria, even resulting in a musty, bad smell.

And no, washing your pillow might not solve the problem, especially if you've been using it for a long time.

A constant need to re-fluff or plump your pillow also shows that it is not fit to provide you with the required comfort.

What to look for in a new pillow

As a professional bedding tester, I'm aware of the fact that finding a comfy pillow among a sea of options is tricky.

The key is to first understand what your sleeping position (side, back and stomach) is and then choosing the right pillow loft to support it.

Pillow loft is basically the height of your headrest. Lying on a pillow too low or too high for your sleeping position, once again, puts your neck muscles and spinal alignment at risk. This is why it's important to choose the right pillow for your sleeping position.

Side sleepers require a high to mid-loft pillow (4 to 6 inches) which effectively bridges the gap between your ear and your mattress.

Back sleepers need a low-loft pillow which is high enough to support your head, but keeps your chin in a neutral position.

Stomach sleeping is the least recommended position, but if it's a force of habit, you need a low-loft, soft pillow, which prevents any further strain on your neck muscles.

If your priority is long-term durability and support, look for pillows made of materials like latex and high-quality memory foam, known to provide responsive comfort consistently.

Still confused? We've curated the best pillows guide, which includes options for every sleep position and concern.

• Looking for a new pillow? Check out our Bearaby SoftForm Pillow review

Check your pillow tonight

If you've been waking up several times during the night or struggling with morning neck pain, it's a good idea to check if your pillow is at fault.

All it takes is 30 seconds of your time. Simply fold your pillow, hold it for 30 seconds and observe how long it takes to return to its normal position.

This simple fold test can reveal if your pillow lacks the support you need to have an uninterrupted night's rest.

I never put much thought into choosing bedding. Typically I'd pick my bed sheets based on price and color, never bothering to check things like thread count or material composition. That is, until I started waking up at 3 a.m. feeling stuffy, sweaty, and overheated.

Night sweats aren't something I usually deal with, so I initially blamed my awakenings on this summer's hot weather. Then I started testing a cool, crisp cotton bedding set. It put an end to my 3 a.m. wake ups and made me realize that my bedding was behind my disrupted sleep all along.

If you're thinking of buying some breathable sheets to help you sleep cooler, you've picked an excellent time. Today's Labor Day sleep and mattress sales are in full swing, with excellent deals on sheets we've tested and recommend. But first, here's the classic bedding mistake I made and how I fixed it....

The classic bedding mistake I made...

If you're anything like me, you probably buy the sheets that catch your eye when it's time to replace your old bedding.

And as you browse through the bed sheet selection on Amazon, Target, or Walmart, you'll find some cheap sets earning praise for their softness and wrinkle-free appearance. Sounds perfect, right?

However, the low price and smooth look are usually down to a certain material: polyester. This material comes in different types, including microfiber and polycotton blends, and is sometimes described as "cotton-like".

Now, there are a lot of advantages to polyester, such as its affordability, durability, and low maintenance. (Take a look at the pros list in our Utopia Bedding Sheet Set review.)

However, the downside is that polyester is not a breathable fabric. In other words, its notorious for trapping body heat.

I came to learn this the hard way when I was plagued by sweaty night-time awakenings throughout summer (and even during the colder months). And that's because my polyester sheets — even ones with a cotton blend — didn't have enough temperature regulation. Hot air was getting trapped in the material and causing me to overheat.

How I fixed it...

I must admit, I fixed my bedding mistake by accident. I like the look of the Brooklinen Classic Percale Core Sheet Set, now from $119.25 at Brooklinen and decided to test it out.

I never realized what switching to 100% cotton could do to your sleep until I made the swap. Cotton is naturally breathable and moisture-wicking, and when a bed sheet is pure cotton instead of a polycotton mixture, you can feel the difference.

In this case, I used sheets made from percale cotton, a crisp, matte-look weave known for its fresh, hotel feel.

Other naturally breathable bedding materials you can try include linen, bamboo viscose (like the Cozy Earth Bamboo Sheet Set), and natural silk. Tencel, though technically a semi-synthetic material, is also great at cooling.

3 top-rated breathable bedding Labor Day deals

Synthetic materials to avoid...

Of course, it's not just polyester that you should avoid. Other bedding material that can cause night sweats are nylon, satin, and acrylic. Nylon blends are often found in glossy sheets, quilts and travel blankets, while acrylic is found in faux fur blankets, bedspreads and throws.

Meanwhile, satin is often used for pillowcases to make them more skin-friendly and to reduce hair frizz. Satin pillowcases are often used as a cheaper alternative to silk pillowcase, but unlike silk, satin is synthetic and can retain heat.

To me, there's nothing better than getting into freshly washed bed sheets, but I recently discovered that my newly cleaned bedding was getting dirty again after just one night.

Why? According to infection prevention expert Dr. Shanina C. Knighton, PhD, RN, CIC, bringing these three key everyday items into bed at night can turn freshly washed sheets into a hotbed of bacteria. allergens, and germs.

So if you want cleaner bed sheets for longer, here are the three specific items Dr. Knighton keeps out of her bed – and would advise you to, too...

• Read more: 5 habits turning your pillows yellow — and how to keep them brilliant white for longer

What an infection expert bans from her bedroom for cleaner sheets

To help keep your sheets cleaner for longer, Dr. Knighton recommends you keep these three thinks far away from your bed.

1. Your phone

Whether it's for a sneaky pre-bed scroll or so you can check your messages first thing, many of us keep our phone close to hand at bedtime. But Dr. Knighton says that it's a magnet for things that have no place in the bedroom.

"People bring a filthy phone to bed, the same phone that has been on restaurant tables, in bathrooms, and in their hands all day, and they set it on the pillow or the sheets," explains Dr. Knighton. "A smartphone surface is one of the dirtiest things most people own, and they bring it right up to where they sleep."

Leaving your smartphone out of the bedroom not only locks out germs, but also keeps you away from numerous sleep disruptors. Light, sound, and social media temptation are all banished, alongside any nasties clinging to the surface.

2. Outside clothes

After a long day sometimes all you want to do is collapse directly onto the bed. But Dr. Knighton warns you should never let your outside clothes into your sleep space.

"I do not sit on the bed in [outside clothes], I do not sleep in them, and I do not sit them on or near the bed," she says.

Like your phone, your outside clothes pick up dust and grime throughout the day. And we're not just talking about the obvious coffee spills and dirty cuffs. Sweat, body oils, and other air pollutions can all get trapped in the fabrics before rubbing onto your bed.

"Whatever my outdoor clothes and my phone touched during the day stays out of the space where I sleep," says Dr. Knighton.

3. Bare feet

"Slippers are not optional in my house and serve a purpose beyond just comfort," says Dr. Knighton. "This is one people do not think about. If you allow outside shoes indoors, or you have pets, the floor is carrying everything that came in from outside."

The same goes for anyone who wears socks around the house and then sits on the bed in those exact same socks.

"Walking across the house barefoot and then climbing into bed means you have just dragged all of that up onto your sheets with your own feet," explains Dr. Knighton. "A pair of slippers between the floor and the bed breaks that chain."

How little habits contribute to a dirty bed — and why it matters

Your pillows, comforter and mattress are already the perfect breeding ground for bacteria and fungi, as Dr. Knighton previously explained to Tom's Guide.

Now add on an explosion of grime and allergens — that's what happens when you bring your phone, outside clothes, and bare feet into the bedroom.

Dr. Knighton explains that for most, this dirt build-up can cause "odor, breakouts, skin irritation, or allergy and asthma flares." But if you have broken skin or a weakened immune system, the hours of close contact with dirty bedding can lead to more serious problems, including a "real infection risk for the immunocompromised."

How often should you wash your bed sheets?

Dr. Knighton recommends washing your bed sheets at least once a week in summer. This helps prevent a build up of dirt, grime and moisture. Heavier items, such as pillows, comforters and duvets should be washed every couple of months.

She recommends washing at a temperature of 130°F/54°C at least, turning it up to 140°F/60°C if you're worried about dust mites. However, always check the care instructions on your bedding first, as some materials can't handle high temperatures.

Nothing ruins a cozy bedtime routine like pulling back the bed covers and unleashing an unwelcome odor. There goes your calm mood and out floats the musty scent of a summer spent sweating yourself to sleep. Is it time to uncork the lavender oil and drown your pillow in a more welcome scent?

Even the best mattresses act as a sponge for bad odors, absorbing everything from body oils to sweat to your unwashed feet. And while a quick spritz of lavender or sandalwood might mask the scent, the best way to prevent your mattress from smelling is this five-second hack.

The 5-second daily hack

When you wake up, your first instinct might be to turn around and make the bed. (That, or leave the sheets in a bundle until you’ve had some coffee.)

But this seemingly good habit could be the reason your mattress smells, notes Dr. Shanina C. Knighton, PhD, RN, CIC, an infection prevention expert and Research Associate Professor at the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing at Case Western Reserve University.

“If [the bedding] is still damp from sweat, pulling the covers up seals that moisture and warmth against the mattress,” explains Dr. Knighton. “You have just slowed the drying and handed odor, dust mites, and microbial growth a more comfortable place to sit all day.”

Instead, she encourages you to “throw the covers back.” This allows the bed to breathe, and for sweat and body oils to escape — so they won't sit stewing all day.

It's important to fold back the sheets properly. Don't just leave them screwed up in a ball. Once that's done, you can grab a coffee. When you come back, it's time to make the bed. But not, Dr. Knighton warns, until it's fully dry.

“A tidy bed should not outweigh a dry bed,” she says.

The weekly follow-up

Dr. Knighton recommends washing your pillow cover and sheets at least once a week, particularly during hot weather. This prevents sweat and moisture from building up, eliminating the risk of bad smells.

And while your bedding is in the wash, you can do a more thorough airing of your mattress. Strip it bare, open the window, and allow the fresh air to lift away any embedded sweat or odors. The result is a cleaner mattress with minimal effort.

The bad smell you should never ignore

Over time any mattress will start to emanate a slight odor. Often this will disappear with a quick airing and some fresh sheets. But there are two lingering smells that you should never ignore.

First, an earthy smell, like a damp basement. This is a sign that your mattress might be infected with mold. Look for black marks and spot treat them with a hydrogen peroxide solution. (Patch test a small area before using hydrogen peroxide on your bed).

Second, a musty, sweet scent, similar to spoiled raspberries. While it seems innocuous, this is often a sign of bed bugs. Diatomaceous earth can be used to limit a bed bug infestation but if the critters are calling your mattress home, you might need to contact the professionals.

While it’s possible your mattress can recover from mold or bed bugs, if you’ve noticed either smell, it might be time for a replacement.

I used to find that even with weekly washes, my dazzling white bed sheets quickly faded to gray. Months of detergent build-up to remove yellow bedding stains left a film on my bedding, a problem worsened in hard water areas, as mineral deposits add another layer of dullness.

My first instinct was bleach and a hot wash. However, while chlorine bleach can strip away soap residue, chlorine reacts with mineral build-up to lock in hard-water film. Despite the heavy washing, my gray sheets were even duller.

But I've found a fix. This simple two-step pre-wash soak starts with oxygen bleach and dish soap to lift leftover detergent, and finishes white vinegar to cut through gray film. My sheets are back to their sparkling white best — here's how.

• Read more: My freshly washed bed sheets smelled sour — until an expert pointed out my drying mistake

The 2-step pre-wash laundry soak

These ingredients are safe to use on most fabrics. However, oxygen bleach should be kept away from silk, wool and leather (plus anything with wooden buttons), while vinegar shouldn't be used on delicate materials such as silk and rayon.

Our first hero ingredient is oxygen bleach. This mild bleach contains either sodium percarbonate, hydrogen peroxide or sodium perborate, which form bubbles when mixed with water. These oxygen bubbles help gently lift away stains and gray film, without damaging the fabrics.

Adding a squirt of dish soap helps boost the stain removal. Dish soap is good at breaking down oils and grease (hence why you use it on your dirty dishes.) In this pre-soak, it helps lift the oily film left behind by your detergent.

Step two involves white vinegar. This kitchen staple is a cleaning must-have, used for everything from freshening up toilets to washing pillows. Vinegar contains acetic acid, which cuts through the gray grease of soap residue. It also breaks down mineral deposits, like the calcium left from hard water.

How to use this pre-wash soak

In my experience, the bright white results last for several months but if you're in a hard water area, your sheets may need regular soaks to stay sparkling. However, this soak shouldn't be completed more than every two weeks, as acidic vinegar can break down fabrics. Depending on the severity of your stains, the soak can take upwards of 6 hours. But only around 20 minutes of hands-on washing is required. Here's how to do it:

• Fill a basin or bathtub with warm water
• Add roughly half a cup of oxygen bleach and mix well (check packet instructions for exact measurements)
• Submerge the sheets completely and leave to soak for up to 6 hours
• Drain the water and rinse the sheets to remove any leftover oxygen bleach
• In a basin of warm water, add a cup of distilled white vinegar and stir
• Submerge the sheets and leave to soak for 30 minutes to 1 hour
• Rinse and finish with your usual washing cycle

The final step: Machine wash your bed sheets

Once your pre-wash soak is completed, the final step is to machine wash your bed sheets. We recommend opting for a hot wash, as hotter water is better at lifting soils and stains, ensuring even brighter whites. However, always follow the care instructions to avoid damaging your bedding.

How to choose bed sheets that won’t turn grey

It is possible to choose sheets that stay sparkling for longer. First, opt for natural fibers. Materials like 100% long-staple cotton or linen take longer to develop a gray detergent film than synthetic fabrics such as polyester and microfiber. It's a case of oleophilic versus hydrophilic: synthetic fibers attract and absorb oil, most natural fibers absorb water.

Weave is also important. A loose, open weave like percale allows laundry detergent to wash through easily. Tight weaves, like sateen, hold onto soap residue. This build-up will quickly lead to graying.

While eventually all bedding starts to dull, sheets made from natural fibers with open weaves take longer to develop a gray finish. That bright white will stay intact for years to come.

I love sinking into a fresh, bright white pillow, so imagine my horror when I discovered one of my pillows had yellowed and was covered in stains. A build-up of body oils, sweat, cosmetic products and more – or natural old age of the pillow – seeping into the fabric and oxidizing over time can cause pillows to turn yellow.

I tried a range of cleaning methods to see if any of them could restore my pillow to bright white again, and while some did lift a few stains here and there, only one ingredient worked all over... a $1 staple you'll find in most medicine cabinets.

Here's how I used this unassuming stain remover to restore my pillow to bright white – and why it works when other methods fail.

• Pro tip: To test if your pillow has lost its support and need a new one, try this 30-second pillow test.

The $1 ingredient that restored my yellowing pillow to bright white

Antiseptic 3% hydrogen peroxide is a medicine cabinet staple, but it's also excellent for removing yellow stains from pillows.

After being told by textile and cleaning specialists about its stain-busting properties, I decided to give it a try on my yellowing pillow.

To use hydrogen peroxide as a safe cleaner, always use a 3% concentration of hydrogen peroxide, avoid mixing it with other chemicals, and protect hands with gloves. As hydrogen peroxide has a mild bleaching effect, avoid using on dark-colored fabrics and delicate materials such as silk, wool and cashmere.

Turns out, there's good reason why 3% hydrogen peroxide has a reputation as a wonder ingredient. It restored my pillows to mint condition, and it required low effort and an even lower cost.

Here's how I used it to lift deep-set stains from my yellowing pillow...

How I used hydrogen peroxide to remove yellow pillow stains

It's important to note that I used this method on a microfiber pillow. Removing yellow stains from a memory foam pillow requires its own gentler method to prevent lasting damage.

To get rid of deep-set, yellowish stains out of my pillow, I placed it in an empty bathtub. I then filled a clean spray bottle with 3% hydrogen peroxide and spritzed it all over the pillow and then let it sit for 30 minutes.

After the half hour was up, I worked the hydrogen peroxide into the pillow with an old toothbrush. As the electric toothbrush scrubbed away at the pillow, I noticed the stains beginning to fade and flake off.

Following the pillow's cleaning instructions, I placed the hydrogen peroxide-covered pillow into the washing machine for 1 hour. Once the cycle was over, I opened the washing machine to reveal a bright white pillow that's back to its pristine self.

To dry the pillow, I absorbed any excess water with a light-colored towel and then place it in the dryer with three tennis balls for extra fluffiness (yes, the hack works).

Here's a very satisfying before and after shot of the formerly grubby pillow:

The kit you'll need

The pillow cleaning methods I don't recommend

The safest pillow cleaning method is following the care label to the letter, which usually involves an appropriate laundry detergent and water setting.

However, ingredients like 3% hydrogen peroxide are perfect if your pillow stains are too stubborn for laundry detergent.

That said, for the sake of science I tried the weirdest pillow cleaning ingredients that have been doing the rounds on social media. Unfortunately, the majority of them are best avoided...

For example, CleanTok heralds vodka as a stain remover. I was not impressed by the results. I also tested shaving foam after seeing so many videos hyping its stain-removing powers, only to be left disappointed by my still yellow pillows.

And while some hacks sort of worked, they came with a disclaimer. Like the viral lemon slice soak — research shows that citrus acid degrades fabric. Another popular cleaning staple, baking soda, should not be used on your memory foam pillows

My advice? If you want to keep the best pillows in top condition, follow the care label to the letter.

Over time, even the highest-quality white pillowcases inevitably lose their crisp finish. Sweat, body oils, and nightly skincare products slowly oxidize in the fabric, creating stubborn yellow discoloration that normal laundry detergent fails to lift. Running them through a standard wash cycle often bakes these trapped oils deeper into the cotton fibers.

Chlorine bleach can actually make the problem worse by reacting with the proteins in sweat and turning the fabric an even darker yellow. Keeping up with routine bedding care and cleaning is essential, but to bring yellowed cases back to bright white, the secret lies in stripping the embedded oils using a simple two-ingredient pre-soak.

The two-ingredient soak

This soak method is intended primarily for durable fabrics like cotton and polyester blends. Do not use this method on delicate or natural fibers such as silk, bamboo, viscose, modal, or fabrics containing elastane/spandex, as these materials can be weakened, damaged, or shrunk by exposure to these soaking ingredients.

To strip away that embedded oil layer, first fill a basin or clean sink with hot water to help loosen the hardened lipids (fats and body oils). For a quick pre-treatment, add half a cup of baking soda and one cup of distilled white vinegar.

The immediate rush of carbon dioxide gas creates rapid effervescent bubbles that help physically agitate and dislodge surface residue from the fabric fibers. Submerge your pillowcases completely and let them soak for 2 to 4 hours.

If you have stubborn, set-in yellowing and want to maximize the chemical strengths of each ingredient, try a sequential soak. To a basin of hot water, add half a cup of baking soda and stir until dissolved. Its alkaline properties will immediately go to work breaking down the greasy buildup. Let the pillowcases soak for 30 minutes.

Afterward, wring them out and transfer them to your washing machine, adding one cup of distilled white vinegar to the rinse cycle to dissolve any remaining detergent residue and completely lift the yellow stains.

Alkaline baking soda breaks down organic grease and body oils, while acidic vinegar dissolves mineral deposits and soap scum. Used in separate steps, they alter the wash water’s pH to chemically release and remove embedded residues from the cotton fabric weave.

The final step

Then simply run a normal cycle using your standard laundry detergent to flush out the loosened oils and chemical residue. For more tips on maintaining your sleep gear, read our comprehensive guides on how to wash a pillow and how to clean a mattress.

If weather permits, skip the dryer and hang your them outdoors on a clothesline. The UV rays from direct sunlight act as a free bleaching agent that naturally brightens white cotton.

Keep in mind that direct sunlight is not a substitute for proper washing. While UV rays help naturally brighten white fabric and kill germs, sunlight alone won't remove body soil.

Once dry, pillowcases emerge remarkably crisp and bright, completely free of dingy yellow patches.

Ready to revive your bedding? Grab some baking soda and vinegar, give your pillowcases a soak, and drop a comment below to let us know how bright they turned out!

More from Tom's Guide

• I restored my graying socks to brilliant white using one overlooked step
• How to keep your sofa spotless this summer — 7 expert hacks for stains and spills
• I tried deep-cleaning my white baseboards with vinegar — and brought back their bright white finish

I'm a side sleeper who needs an ultra-plush bed to cushion my shoulders and hips, and that's why I loved sleeping on Helix's softest bed. After sleeping on the luxury hybrid for over two months, I can see why the Sunset Luxe, now down to $1,874 (was $2,498.66) at Helix, is recommended to side sleepers.

I wasn't at all surprised by the Sunset Luxe's high quality, as Helix is a brand that features in our best mattress guide. As both a side sleeper and lead tester for the Helix Sunset Luxe mattress review, I was impressed by the relief it provided for my pressure points thanks to its plush, cradling foam layers.

So, if you sleep on your side and are shopping for a new mattress, here's why I's buy the Helix Sunset Luxe (plus, why I wouldn't wait until the Labor Day mattress sales are in full swing before buying it).

Ultra-plush comfort for side sleepers...

• Read more: Our mattress test results are in — this $360 bed beats a $999 rival at relieving pain for side sleepers

Want a mid-range alternative? Try this...

When I tested the Sunset Luxe at home and at our sleep lab, I quickly discovered that pressure relief is the highlight of this premium bed. Pressure relief scored 4.07 stars out of 5 as the Sunset Luxe soothes shoulders and hips, displaying the most sinkage out of all the tested mattresses in these key side-sleeping areas.

As for subjective feedback, I found the bed to have plenty of contouring, as did my fellow mattress testers. One tester even awarded the Sunset Luxe a perfect 10 or pressure relief.

However, stomach and back sleepers will find the Sunset Luxe far too soft. If you're a back and side sleeper, I recommend taking a look at the Helix Midnight Luxe mattress. The Helix Midnight Luxe is No 1 in our best mattress for side sleepers guide, but its medium-firm feel also packs plenty of lumbar support for back sleeping. It costs the same as the Sunset Luxe, too.

Whether you choose the Sunset Luxe or the Midnight Luxe, now is the time to invest in a Helix mattress. You don't have to wait until Labor Day itself to rake in the savings, as we've never seen a discount bigger that 25% on the Sunset Luxe.

Heading to college? You've probably crossed all the sleep essentials off your dorm room checklist: pillows, comforter, sheets. But what about a mattress topper? Dorm beds are notoriously uncomfortable and throwing a brand new bedspread over a mattress that's seen better days won't fix it.

The best mattress toppers can give dorm beds a shiny new makeover. While in an ideal world you'd be bringing one of the best mattresses to your dorm, mattress toppers are lighter, cheaper, and easier to set up. In fact, many bed toppers are designed with students in mind.

I'm a mattress topper tester and I'm sharing the five key reasons why every dorm bed needs a mattress topper — yes, even the brand new ones. Plus, I'll explain how to choose a mattress topper that's right for you in the upcoming Labor Day mattress sales, so you can stop poor sleep from getting in the way of your grades.

Key takeaways: At a glance

• Mattress toppers protect against all kinds of mess and germs.
• They also changing the bed's feel and firmness for better comfort and support.
• When choosing a mattress topper, make sure it contains foam, has some form of temperature control, and is not too thin or thick.

5 reasons why a mattress topper is a dorm room essential

1. Adds a germ barrier

The average lifespan of a mattress is seven to 10 years, so in all likelihood, multiple people have used that dorm mattress before you. As someone who has had to sleep on quite a few second-hand mattresses in her time, I'm unfortunately familiar with mysterious bed stains.

But stains are inevitable because mattresses collect everything, from sweat to spilled drinks, like stamps. Even if the person before you used a mattress protector and never ate in bed, bodily fluids like natural oils can still seep through and leave stubborn, yellow mattress stains.

That's where a mattress topper steps in. Toppers act as a thick germ barricade, protecting you against a grimy dorm mattress. Many toppers also have hypoallergenic, deodorizing, and antimicrobial properties. Consider one infused with antibacterial copper, such as the ViscoSoft Active Cooling Copper Topper or the Molecule CopperWELL Mattress Topper.

2. Softens hard beds

Even if you're the first one to sleep on your dorm mattress, you still might run into issues. New mattresses haven't gone through a break-in period, meaning they're can be unusually firm. You might feel like you're sleeping on a plank of wood (particularly if you're used to a well-used mattress at home).

Luckily, most mattress topper are made from body-contouring foams that are perfect for softening hard beds. Memory foam mattress toppers are also great for soothing side sleeper pressure points, moulding to your shoulders and hips.

3. Controls temperature

According to the Farmer's Almanac, we're in for more hot weather this fall. While many newer dorms are equipped with air conditioning, a large number of older, historic campuses have restricted AC or no AC at all.

If you find yourself struggling to sleep in a hot dorm room, the next best thing to a massive fan is a cooling mattress topper. Most mattress toppers have some degree of temperature regulation, but some go one step further and utilize state-of-the-art cooling tech. For example, Helix mattress toppers have GlacioTex covers, which are designed to dissipate body heat.

4. Adds support

If your dorm mattress has passed through a few users, it might have developed lumps and dips. A firm mattress topper can add support to an overly soft or sagging bed.

Choosing a firmer designs is also better for stomach and back sleepers, who need more lumbar support to avoid lower back pain.

Some mattress toppers, such as the Puffy Deluxe Mattress Topper, come in different firmness options. If a mattress topper doesn't have a choice of feels but does come in a variety of heights, go for the thinnest one for firmer support.

5. Protects the mattress

As I mentioned above, mattress toppers act as a barrier against germy dorm beds. That means they also protect the dorm mattress from your germs.

If you're someone who's accident-prone or likes to snack in bed, a mattress protector can provide a buffer between you and the mattress. That means when it comes to move out day, you won't be stuck with a fine for a replacement bed.

Many (but not all) mattress toppers come with removable, machine-washable covers, such as the Tempur-Adapt+ Cooling Mattress Topper. This means you can launder the topper's cover without having to clean the mattress itself.

Finish with one of the best mattress protectors for full safeguarding.

3 steps to choosing the right mattress topper

1. Choose a topper between 2" and 4" thick

A mattress topper's thickness is important when finding the right one for you. Too thin or too thick can both come with problems.

A too-thin mattress topper is unlikely to make any difference to the feel of the bed, while a too-thick mattress topper will be too squidgy and add unnecessary height to your mattress.

As a rule of thumb, don't choose anything thinner than 2" or anything thicker than 4".

2. Make sure it has foam

If you've been trawling Amazon for some cheap mattress toppers, you may find quilted ones that look good but appear awfully thin. That's because these are mattress pads, not mattress toppers.

These are often foamless — sometimes labelled as microfiber, synthetic-filled, hollow fiber, or down alternative mattress toppers — and the bad news is they make no difference to the feel of your bed whatsoever.

Instead, look for a mattress topper that is clearly labelled as containing foam, either memory foam or latex foam, to ensure it's capable of providing a thick layer of comfort.

3. Look for cooling materials

And last but not least, look for cooling materials or design features that keep your bed temperature neutral.

Some cooling features are better than others, however. For instance cooling gel-infused foam is no match against a specialist cooling cover made of GlacioTex or PCM.

Also, some materials are naturally cool, such as organic latex foam or moisture-wicking, breathable cotton or wool.

3 top-rated mattress topper deals

The best mattress protectors are the unsung heroes of the bedroom — coffee in bed becomes a much riskier prospect without one. So when it comes to keeping your mattress safe from spills and stains, is it better to save or splurge on a waterproof mattress protector?

First things first: a mattress protector is a non-negotiable. When liquids get into your mattress they can cause the materials to degrade, as well as potentially supporting mold growth. If you've bought the best mattress for your sleep needs, you need to keep it safe.

But before you splash the cash on a luxury mattress protector, we did some splashing of our own. I poured water, coffee, wine and other liquids on a $119 Purple Mattress Protector and a $21 Linenspa Mattress Encasement to see which kept our mattress sparkling clean. Here's the one I trust with my Sunday evening Syrah...

Meet the mattress protectors

How we tested our mattress protectors

We wanted to put our mattress protectors through the wringer: how would they cope if a very clumsy person had a feast in bed?

To do this, we wrapped each protector around a white mattress (to better show stains). We then tossed a variety of substances onto them both. Primarily liquids, we also tried some heavier, oiler substances as well — hand lotion and guacamole.

Each substance was left for five minutes, to give it time to soak in. We then blotted any excess and lifted the mattress protector to see what lay beneath. In other words, was there any seepage?

Finally, we washed the mattress protectors to see how easily each stain was lifted.

Test 1: Hand lotion

Greasy skincare can leave mattress stains, plus it's a nightmare to clean up. We rubbed a blob of hand lotion into our protectors to see what happens...

Test one, and Purple was off to a flying start. The waterproof mattress protector stopped any hint of lotion from reaching to bed. Plus, the shiny surface was easy to wipe excess from.

But the Linenspa wasn't going to get left behind. No hand cream made it to the mattress and we could wipe away the cream with ease.

Test 2: Guacamole

Chunky guacamole served as a counterpoint to our wetter tests. And, without being crass, has a remarkable resemblance to vomit. (I'm saying this as an avo-enthusiast.)

Easy to wipe up and zero seepage — a success for the Purple Mattress Protector.

Similarly, the Linenspa held its own against the guac test. So while we don't advice chips and dip in bed, it shouldn't end in disaster.

Test 3: Water

I keep a bottle of water by my bedside for the morning. If I take a sip before my hand-eye coordination has woken up, that can result in spillage.

You really don't want water seeping into your mattress. It can settle in the materials causing damp and, in some cases, mattress mold. If you've noticed yourself sneezing in bed, it's worth checking for signs of mold.

So how did our protectors do in the water test?

Purple kept the water spill contained and prevented it from going through to the bed. This is particularly good for families who might deal with bed wetting instances. Expect easy clean up and the mattress to stay fresh.

Again, the Linenspa prevented anything sinking into the mattress materials. However, the water spill quickly spread out and left a lot of the surface damp. If an accident occurs, everyone will know.

Test 4: Coffee

Who doesn't enjoy the occasional cup of coffee in bed? But if your lazy Sunday morning ends in disaster, here's what you can expect from these mattress protectors.

The coffee spill settled where we poured it on the Purple Mattress Protector, although blotting did cause some spread. But it all stayed on the surface, with nothing sinking into the bed below.

A splash of coffee turned into a swimming pool on the Linenspa Encasement but the good news is, it didn't sink into the mattress.

Test 5: Wine

Now for the big one — red wine.

No judgement if you enjoy a glass of wine in bed after a long day, but a wine spill is a big no-no for a mattress. Alcohol is not good for memory foam and red wine stains are difficult to remove.

We splashed a glass of bottom shelf Syrah onto each mattress protector and waited five minutes. Here's how it went:

One the Purple, the wine pooled immediately. And sat there. After five minutes we employed a barrage of paper towels to mop it up. But no wine made it to the mattress.

There was a similar result on the Linenspa, although the initial spread made blotting the wine trickier. No stain, though.

As a bonus, this video also shows just how long it takes one person to take a mattress encasement off a queen sized bed. I easily hit my step goal for the day after this.

Test 6: How well does each mattress protector clean up?

So you've spilled your wine and guacamole all over your bed. Thankfully, your mattress is fine. But, oh no, your mattress protector is covered in stains!

Fellow tester Frances Daniels took both protectors home and washed them that evening. This resulted in a few hours between the tests ending and the mattress protectors getting cleaned. (At home, you should aim to wash quicker.)

She placed the protectors in a cold wash using a non-bio detergent. Each mattress protector was left to air dry before being tumble dried.

The Purple Waterproof Mattress Protector showed more signs of staining than the Linenspa, even after cleaning.

We suspect this is because liquids spread further on the Linenspa, reducing the build-up in any single place.

On the Purple Protector, the liquids pooled. This made it easier to blot up but might have led to the darker stains you can see above.

Verdict: Which mattress protector should you buy?

We threw everything at these mattress protectors. Literally. There were no more liquids left in our Sleep Lab to test.

The result? Two sparkling clean mattresses:

Neither protector allowed any liquids to get through to the mattress beneath. Both beds were bone dry, meaning your errant spill is unlikely to sink into the materials. So being clumsy with a cup of coffee shouldn't lead to a moldy bed.

And while both protectors showed some signs of staining, for the most part they cleaned up well. If you clean quicker than we did (our Sleep Lab is equipped with a lot, but not a washing machine), expect less staining.

So it's conclusive, right? Save your money and go for something cheap?

If it's just waterproofing you want, the yes. The Linenspa formed a super effective barrier against all our liquids. If you want to protect against sweat, urine, or your Sunday morning breakfast in bed, it'll do the job.

But the Purple protector did better at containing liquids. A small splash of water spread far and wide on the Linenspa, making it harder to clean. (And potentially disturbing anyone else in the bed.)

The Purple Mattress Protector is also quieter and softer. And as someone who has wrested to get the Linenspa Encasement on a mattress, the Purple is much, much, much easier to use.

Our favorite sleep essentials

Sleeping on a hot, stuffy pillow in summer is a nightmare when I want to fall asleep fast. In fact, research shows that your body naturally cools as you go to sleep, so a heat-trapping pillow means you don't get the temperature drop you need to drift off.

The best pillows should avoid this problem, and we've found that luxury cooling pillows are top notch at regulating temperature. But is there a cheaper way to keep your head cool at night? Or is a fancy pillow packed with cooling tech the only way to keep you comfortable on a hot night?

To find out, I grabbed my $93 Helix Cooling Memory Foam Pillow, the $20 Beckham Hotel Collection Bed Pillow, and a trusty thermal cam. Here's how much heat each pillow absorbed and shed when our testers slept on these headrests in our lab...

Key takeaways: At a glance

• Hot temperatures make it difficult to sleep, as your body naturally cools before bed. Some pillow materials trap warm air rather than help it circulate. As a result, you get a hot head that can't cool down.
• Cooling pillows claim to use special materials that help wick away warmth, to keep you comfortable.
• However, our thermal cam tests showed for a neutral feel, a cotton cover might be enough.
• And flipping to the cool side won't always provide the relief you need — one of our pillows was actually warmer on the unused side.

How we tested a cheap vs a luxury cooling pillow

Temperature regulation testing is a key part of our rigorous mattress testing methodology. So when it came to analyzing our pillows, I turned to our tried and tested method.

In a comfortable environment, we ask a tester to lie on the pillow for 15 minutes. This is ample time for heat to transfer and cooling properties to kick in. The tester then gets up and we continue to measure the temperature of the pillow for the next 15 minutes. This allows heat to disperse (... or not).

For pillows, I also employed a flip test. After the above tests, I flipped the pillow to see how cool the other side was.

Meet the pillows:

I used two pillows for this test. One, a luxurious memory foam pillow packed with cooling tech. The other, an affordable pillow with 'down alternative' fill (that's probably fiber fill).

Test 1: How quickly does the pillow get warm?

For part one of the test, sleep writer Frances Daniels graciously agreed to lie on each pillow for 15 minutes. We used a side sleeping position as its the most common and a breathable but not cooling mattress (the DreamCloud Classic Mattress).

Click through the gallery to see what happened:

We marked the center of each pillow, which is where Frances rested her head. This is also where we took a temperature reading every minute.

Verdict

The Helix Cooling Memory Foam pillow is delightfully chill when you touch it. So when you first settle into that GlacioTex cover, it's going to feel great.

From there, the temperature gradually rose but never tipped over into uncomfortable. Frances noted (as did I during my testing period) that once the pillow had warmed to your body temperature, it hardly wavered.

The Beckham Hotel Collection pillow also impressed, and did so with the help of just a cotton cover. After a big initial jump in temperature (13.3°F), it slowly cooled and evened out. However, you won't get that initial 'aaah' of Helix's chilled cover.

Test 2: How quickly does the pillow cool down?

The work continues once our tester, the lovely Frances, has stepped away. For the next 15 minutes I monitored the temperature at the center of the pillow. This shows us how quickly the heat dissipates.

Click through the gallery to see what happened:

Verdict

A good cooling pillow should drop excess heat quickly. This means when you sit up in bed or step away for a few minutes, you can return to a blissfully chilled sleep surface.

You won't get that with either of these options.

The Helix Cooling Pillow took a long time to lose just 4°F of warmth. Even after 15 minutes, it wasn't back to the icy feel we started with. However, the edges and corners of the pillow kept cool. So if you're willing to move around, you don't have to sleep on the warm patch.

The Beckham Hotel Collection Pillow dropped to a cooler temperature quicker. After this initial heat shed, it remained roughly 2°F higher than when we started — that's a neutral feel.

These results back up our hands-on testing. If you get up to use the bathroom or grab a drink during the night, you won't return to a cool pillow. However, you should get back to something with an even, neutral finish.

Test 3: What about the 'cool side'?

There are few moments quite as satisfying as the brief relief of the cool side of the pillow. But in the spirit of investigation, I wanted to see just how cool this cool side is...

Having completed our tests, I flipped the pillows to reveal the so-called 'cool side'.

First up, the Helix Cooling Pillow. While the pillow wasn't as blissfully chilled on the other side as I expected, it did drop 1.4°F.

However, I was in for a shock with the Hotel Collection Pillow. A quick flip revealed the pillow was actually warmer on the other side. 1.8°F warmer, to be precise.

That's not a huge temperature jump. But it's not what you want when you're awake at 3 a.m.

Should you save or splurge on a cooling pillow?

So, should you spend or save on a cooling pillow? My test results show that cooling tech might not live up to its high promises. If it's a breathable feel you're after, cotton covers and airy fill can make a big difference.

However, I'd note I tested the Helix Cooling Memory Foam Pillow at home during some brutal weather. (It's been heatwave after heatwave in my city.) Throughout it all, my pillow stayed neutral, if not cool.

And we know from testing over 130 of the best mattresses online that cooling tech can make a serious difference to your sleep comfort. The best cooling mattresses we've tested feature either specialist materials or use natural fabrics to create a chilled feel.

And luxury pillows do have their benefits, including enhanced durability. After being tossed around our Sleep Lab, the Helix Pillow looked in better shape than the Hotel Collection alternative.

My advice? You don't need to splurge to sleep cool, but investing in sleep comfort pays off in the long term.

Our favorite cooling sleep products

Astronauts on the International Space Station experience sleep inertia (grogginess upon waking) because they work in shifts, are rolling a chronic sleep debt, and see 16 sunrises and sunsets every 24 hours, among many other factors.

I experience sleep inertia because my pre-schooler doesn’t believe in sleeping through the night. And that build-up of broken sleep makes me feel punch-drunk some mornings.

I tried easing the grogginess with caffeine, but it didn’t work. And after speaking with Dr. Erin Flynn-Evans, Director of the Fatigue Countermeasures Laboratory at NASA Ames Research Center, I now know why…

“Caffeine takes time to take effect, so it’s not the best tool to use if you have to wake up and act quickly,” Dr. Flynn-Evans explains, whereas light activates retinal pathways immediately.

Well, my job doesn’t require me to perform complex tasks straight after waking. But my son is full bore from the moment he opens his eyes — sitting on the couch to watch him play while I'm still struggling to wake up fully is not an option.

Let there be (blue) light

While caffeine isn’t a fast-acting off-switch for post-sleep grogginess, the right type of blue light within 30 minutes of waking is.

Yes light therapy glasses and lamps can help to reduce sleep inertia, but devices cost money. For a $0 solution, Dr. Flynn-Evans says to step outside your front door: “Going outside when the sun is out will expose you to blue light from the sun naturally.”

Even though it looks yellow from Earth, the sun contains blue light (and many other colours). “There are specialized photoreceptors in our eyes that are very sensitive to blue-wavelength light that are different from the rods and cones that we use for vision,” explains Dr. Flynn-Evans.

“They are most sensitive to blue-enriched light, because the light that we receive from the sun has a strong blue component. When these photoreceptors detect light, they send a signal to our internal clock (circadian rhythm) to indicate that it’s daytime.

“This initiates a cascade of other effects throughout the body that promote alertness. For example, our bodies immediately stop producing melatonin when the photoreceptors detect light.”

Little wonder that blue light is being studied as a powerful off-switch for melatonin production (a master sleep hormone), and a powerful on-switch for wakefulness signals.

Key takeaways: At a glance

• The biological switch: Natural morning light triggers specialized photoreceptors in your eyes. These instantly signal your brain to stop producing melatonin.
• The $0 NASA solution: While blue light therapy devices are helpful for night-shift workers and in the darker months of the year, natural light outside contains all the blue-cyan light you need to help ease sleep inertia.
• Blue light isn’t a 24/7 enemy: Reduce your exposure at least one hour before bed, then embrace it soon after waking to reduce grogginess.
• The weekend trap: Sleeping in creates ‘social jetlag’, which throws off your circadian rhythm and makes your sleep inertia worse on Monday.

6 a.m. cement brain

At the start of this year, my son started going through a rough patch with sleep and my father-in-law was receiving end-of-life care in hospital. I was stressed day and night, and my sleep took a hit.

It didn’t matter how many hours of sleep I got, either – because it was so broken, I felt deeply groggy each morning.

“Sleep inertia is the groggy feeling when somebody wakes up from a deeper part of sleep, and the body is still transitioning from sleep to wake, so they don’t feel fully alert yet,” explains Dr. Lindsay Browning, Chartered Psychologist, Neuroscientist and the founder of Trouble Sleeping.

It was winter when my grogginess drifted in. Sun-dappled mornings were replaced by deep black 6 a.m. skies, and I had lent my trusty Lumie Vitamin L light to a friend battling Seasonal Affective Disorder.

So I became reliant on a daily vat of caffeine to ‘power up’.

Call it divine timing (or forgetting that I had requested the product for testing), but a few weeks later I was sent a pair of 470nm blue-turquoise light-emitting glasses. My morning grogginess was beginning to ease up when wearing them, but they weren't an instant 'on' switch to take me from punch-drunk to instantly alert at 7 a.m..

“The circadian rhythm is a forward feeding cycle, so if you generally wake up at the same time each morning, your internal clock will anticipate when it’s time to wake up and begin to turn off sleep signals and turn on wake signals at your typical wake time," explains Dr. Flynn-Evans.

“You’re also likely to be exposed to light at about the same time in the morning if you get up around the same time, so any light you are exposed to may simply be interpreted by the body as the expected daily light signal.”

So if I always wake up at 7 a.m., my internal body clock already anticipates light at 7 a.m., so that burst of artificial blue light isn't a ‘shock’ system boost and won’t be as potent against sleep inertia as it would be at, say, 2 a.m. when I'm normally asleep.

The right light at the right time

“Bright light exposure soon after waking is one of the best ways of helping you feel more awake more quickly,” explains Dr. Browning.

Ok, but is there a difference between the blue light that helps wake us up versus the ‘melatonin-disrupting’ blue light we’re told to avoid before bed?

“Nope! It’s the same,” says Dr. Flynn-Evans. “The difference is that light in the evening shifts the drive to sleep and wake later. Light in the morning shifts the drive to sleep and wake earlier.

“As a result, most people need to minimize light in the evening in order to fall asleep, and maximize light in the morning to wake up.”

“Additionally, physically getting up out of bed and moving can also help you wake up and feel more refreshed,” adds Dr. Browning. “Staying in bed, repeatedly pressing snooze, is unlikely to help you quickly wake up.”

This is a trap many of us fall into on weekends; a time when we feel we deserve a lie-in, or have the chance to catch up on sleep.

Truth is, this ‘social jetlag’ confuses our circadian rhythm and perpetuates our sleep issues. A consistent sleep schedule, especially your wake-time, is arguably the MVP of good sleep hygiene.

“Sleeping in later at weekends can shift your sleep-wake schedule later, making a Monday morning alarm feel more like waking up during your ‘biological night’,” Dr. Lindsay explains.

“This effect may be more pronounced in naturally later chronotypes (owls) compared to earlier chronotypes (larks)."

Less is more: How long to use blue light for

It’s important to remember that Dr. Flynn-Evans’s work at NASA is focused around how to help astronauts reduce sleep inertia fast when working in space.

Using enriched blue-light helps them go from groggy to alert when they wake up for a shift in a place where they have few circadian cues, yet many physical stressors.

Back on Earth, shift workers who sleep in the day and work through the night might also benefit from blue light exposure.

So how long should a person be exposed to this light before their brain switches from ‘sleepy and groggy’ to ‘awake and energized’?

“We don’t know exactly, because it depends on the time of day and the stage of sleep that a person has awoken from,” Dr. Flynn-Evans explains, before revealing more about her team’s lab protocol: “Our studies typically use a minimum of 20 minutes of bright light exposure.”

For most of us, getting outside soon after waking is still the gold standard approach for easing sleep inertia. Dr. Browning: “At the end of the day, natural daylight is easy, free and one of the most effective practical options for most people.” 

Why some people experience sleep inertia more than others

“If you wake up from a deeper part of sleep, particularly slow-wave sleep, you are more likely to experience sleep inertia.” Dr. Lindsay explains.

“If you wake up from a much lighter part of sleep, typically at the beginning or end of a sleep cycle, you are less likely to experience as much sleep inertia.

“Also, if you set your alarm for a different wake-up time from your usual one, either earlier or later, you might find yourself waking from a deeper part of sleep and therefore experience more sleep inertia.”

Dr. Lindsay's point rang true when I had to wake up around 3 a.m. for a family flight to Spain—not even the excitement of a holiday could override that crushing sleep inertia we all felt.

“Our sleep cycles tend to have more deep, slow-wave sleep in the first half of the night, and sleep tends to get lighter and less deep with each subsequent sleep cycle towards the morning,” Dr. Browning reveals.

“Therefore, if you wake up when your body clock thinks you should still be in the middle of your night’s sleep, you are more likely to wake up from a deeper part of sleep and experience sleep inertia.”

I used my light therapy glass to power through at the airport, giving me enough energy and concentration to lug my sleepy son in a hip carrier whilst also dragging a 20kg suitcase up a steep hill.

Other ways to reduce sleep inertia

In the lighter months where mornings are awash with daylight early doors, sleeping with your curtains partially open is a great way to harness natural light cues.

“Even through closed eyelids, you can sense the sunlight increasing, which has been suggested to help pull you from a deeper part of sleep into a lighter part of sleep.” Dr. Browning then recommends opening your curtains fully as soon as you’re up. “This helps to shift sleep inertia more quickly.”

A good sunrise alarm clock is an excellent solution here.

Her other top tip is to keep a consistent wake time, even on weekends. “This helps your body get used to that time as ‘wake-up time’, and it helps your body shift to that time being a more natural waking point between sleep cycles rather than from a deeper part of sleep.

“So, in summary," continues Dr. Browning, "getting some natural daylight shortly before waking and as soon as you wake up, and having a consistent wake-up time, may both help to reduce the likelihood of sleep inertia.”

When to see a doctor

“People who consistently wake up exhausted often have an undiagnosed sleep disorder," explains Dr. Flynn-Evans, "so the first thing I would recommend is talking with your doctor about a referral to a sleep clinic.

“For those who do not have sleep disorders, it’s important to maintain a regular bed and wake time, with regular bright morning light exposure.

“Night owls tend to struggle with waking up in the morning, which makes it more important for night owls to turn down the lights before bed and maximize morning light exposure to adapt to their work or social schedule." Dr. Flynn-Evans says. "It’s also important to have an appropriate cool, dark, and quiet sleep environment.”

Dr. Browning adds: “If you find that you experience severe sleep inertia most mornings, or it doesn't shift after waking and the sleepiness and grogginess persists long into the day, then this might be a sign that you aren't getting enough sleep, you might have circadian misalignment, or you might possibly have another sleep disorder such as sleep apnoea.”

If you only occasionally experience sleep inertia, it’s nothing to worry about: “Making sure that you get enough sleep is more important than worrying about avoiding sleep inertia, because even if you wake up with sleep inertia, it will usually wear off fairly quickly.”

Sleep tech to help banish morning grogginess

Like most people, my evening routine used to resemble scrolling on my phone in bed at the expense of getting the quality sleep I need. Tired, wired and averaging six hours of sleep a night, I needed to take drastic action.

I felt as though modern life was working against me, and the blue glare from my screens was keeping me artificially stimulated long after it was time for bed. Caffeine and sugar propelled me through the day but left we wide awake at 3 a.m.

So, inspired by the Amish and their healthy relationship with their circadian rhythm (our body's 24 hour internal clock), I decided to rise and sleep with the sun in an attempt to fix my poor sleep habits.

I expected that I might get more sleep, but what happened to my focus and energy levels caught me completely off guard. Here's my story...

Key takeaways: At a glance

• Our circadian rhythm is our body's internal clock, primarily regulating our sleep-wake cycle.
• The rising and setting of the sun acts as a circadian cue, triggering the production of the key sleep hormones we need to fall asleep and wake up.
• For me, modern life and artificial light has resulted in a disconnect between the solar day and my circadian rhythm. This has led to poor sleep.
• To get more sleep and improve my energy levels, I took inspiration from the Amish to sleep and rise with the sun for 14 days.
• The result? I slept longer after just night one. After two weeks, my cognitive fog lifted and my focus returned.

• Read more: I kept waking up exhausted until a NASA scientist shared her $0 lab-tested tip for beating morning grogginess — here’s how it works

What is your circadian rhythm and what role does in play in sleep?

Your circadian rhythm is your body’s internal clock. It’s governed by the sun and regulates your sleep-wake cycle. It also regulates other functions, including hormone production, temperature and metabolism.

“Circadian means ‘around the day,’ and for humans and almost every other living thing on earth, it's aligned with the sun and controls two of our most fundamental states of being — sleep and wake,” explains Dr. Alex Dimitriu, a doctor double-board certified in Psychiatry and Sleep Medicine.

“At the core of the circadian system is sleep and wake,” says Dr. Dimitriu. "Sleepiness is reset by sleep, and builds up the more hours you are awake.”

The sleep-wake cycle is made up of two parts. First comes sleep pressure (your homeostatic sleep drive). It builds from the moment you open your eyes in the morning. As does a chemical called adenosine.

“As it gets later in the day, we build up more adenosine, which accumulates and makes us sleepy over time,” says Dr. Dimitriu.

He then adds that the second part of the sleep-wake cycle is aligned with daylight and melatonin, which, alongside adenosine, delivers a one-two punch of tiredness, making it easier to fall asleep.

“The system is designed so that when these two signals overlap — so you are sleepy, and it is dark outside — you enter and stay asleep,” explains Dr. Dimitriu.

The catalyst: Why I turned the lights off in my life

I write about sleep for a living, yet my own relationship with sleep is complex. An erratic sleep schedule, endless to-do lists and age-related hormonal fluctuations (I’m 40+) means I usually get in the region of six hours of broken rest per night.

And, no, I’m not one of those rare humans who manage to thrive on less than seven hours of sleep. I exist in a cognitive fog, my emotions sit close to the surface and I often find myself wide awake at 3 a.m. in a mild panic.

Ironically, the idea to shun artificial light in order to claw back my sleep quality could be described as a lightbulb moment. It was during a camping trip that I mulled over the fact that I always slept better in the great outdoors.

These camping trips tend to follow a familiar pattern; a busy day of outdoor activities — hiking, surfing, swimming — followed by a gradual wind down, perhaps a short walk, before getting into bed soon after the sun sets. I climb onto my air mattress and sleep like a log.

During my most recent trip, I clocked up an unprecedented 8h 47m of sleep, 1h 55m of which was spent in deep sleep (most adults aged between 25 and 64 require between 45-90 minutes of deep sleep per night, which suggests my body was trying to repay a portion of the mountain of sleep debt I’ve accumulated over the past decade).

For the first time in weeks, I woke up feeling restored. I had (unintentionally) corroborated a 2013 study that explored how following a natural light cycle could shift your circadian rhythm forward, resulting in more sleep.

It was then that I realised I was slowly suffocating my circadian rhythm with artificial light and tech back home.

"Bright lights, late meals, and highly stimulating activities can make it harder for the body to register that it's time for sleep," explains Dr. Alex Dimitriu, a doctor double-board certified in Psychiatry and Sleep Medicine. "Lightbulbs have changed our relationship to the sun, and screens and devices have made it worse.

"Bluish high efficiency LED lights do the same — they trick the circadian system into thinking it's daytime when it's night," he continues. "People need to be in dark dim sunset colors to sync their circadian systems, and align them for sleep."

With most modern homes packed with tech that actively prevents them from sleeping, could it ever be possible to apply the simplicity of a rustic camping trip — where I sleep and wake with the sun — to my busy daily life? I decided to try...

Sleeping like the Amish

In her quest to explore what life was like when humans had a closer relationship with natural light, health and science journalist Linda Geddes visited an Old Order Amish community in rural Pennsylvania. There connection to the electric grid is forbidden and their days are largely spent toiling the land and tending to the home.

It was here, while researching her book Chasing the Sun, that Geddes noticed how certain aspects of Amish life leant itself to quality sleep. Physical activity, a circadian rhythm closely aligned with the sun, and plenty of natural daylight.

In contrast, my life as a desk-bound journalist means I spend a large portion of my day hunched over a laptop under the glare of bright LED office lights. Instead of fresh air, I’m blasted by recycled air and survive on a staple diet of oven chips.

Sleeping and waking with the sun

When Geddes stayed with an Amish family, she noted how their attention isn’t absorbed by electrical gadgets. Their evenings weren’t punctuated by bright electrical lights, either.

Instead, they use a single, large, stand-mounted propane gaslight that they move between the kitchen and living space, where the family congregates. If anyone needs to use the bathroom, they take a battery powered LED lantern, a torch or oil lamp.

“Even so, once the sun goes down, most Amish households are far darker than the average American house,” writes Geddes.

As a result, a sleep schedule that closely aligns with the sun — around 9 p.m. until 4.45 a.m. — is standard, rising without an alarm before dawn.

Daily labor

Adenosine, a chemical that builds throughout the day and helps promote sleep, is a byproduct of physical activity. So sedentary lifestyles can impact sleep pressure, our biological urge for sleep.

Sleep pressure is a pillar of our circadian rhythm, so when we move less throughout the day, the delicate balance of our circadian rhythm — which regulates our sleep-wake cycles — is disrupted.

For the Amish community, who work, walk (for the Old Order, cars are forbidden), farm and do, this isn't an issue as they are constantly moving.

"The way many of us live today is almost the opposite of what our internal clock expects," Dr. Shelby Harris, a licenced Clinical Psychologist and Behavioral Sleep Medicine Specialist, tells me.

"We spend most of the day indoors, often under relatively dim lighting, and then at night we're surrounded by bright lights, TVs, laptops, and our phones. That evening light tells the brain to stay alert when it should be winding down."

Daylight exposure

While modern life has left many of us disconnected from the solar day and at the mercy of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a type of depression tied to a lack of natural sunlight, Geddes points out that the Amish population has the lowest prevalence of SAD of any Caucasian population.

And that could be down to the amount of daylight they're exposed to. According to Geddes, Amish people are exposed to an average daytime illuminance of 4,000 lux during the summer, compared to the 587 lux that Brits are exposed to.

In Winter, that drops to approximately 1,500 lux and 210 lux respectively, which, again, leads to a dysregulation of our circadian rhythm. "In other words, our waking hours are approximately seven times gloomier than those of the Amish," writes Geddes.

My experiment: What happened when I slept and rose like the Amish

I'm not about to disconnect my home from the National Grid, nor can I swing two weeks off work to grow my own food.

But there are aspects of Amish life that I can take inspiration from in order to improve my sleep — and that's sleeping and (hopefully) rising with the sun.

Instead of using artificial light to prop up a later bed time, I decide to spend two weeks going to bed as the sun goes down, just like I do when camping. Two weeks should give me enough time to settle into some sort of routine.

The night I start my experiment, the sunset takes me by surprise. Is it 10.15 p.m. already? I’ve accidentally left it until the light is practically non-existent before getting ready for bed.

But, like I would when I go camping, I muddle through with the little light there is and manage to get myself ready for bed.

I leave my phone downstairs out of reach, turn off my sunrise alarm (I’m just hoping that I wake up in time to get the kids ready for school) and climb into bed.

Normally, I would appreciate reading in bed (or, more accurately, scrolling on my phone) for a while in order to wind down after a busy day.

However turning on a light goes against the whole point of this exercise, so I lie in the darkness and wait for sleep to take me.

I sleep for longer from night one

The speedy bedtime routine (and earlier bedtime) means it takes me longer than normal to fall asleep. When I do, I’m aware I’m sleeping lightly as I’m worried about sleeping in and the kids being late for school.

Despite worrying, I wake naturally at 06:49, which is a little later than I would normally wake but still within the realms of my usual routine. My sleep tracker tells me I’ve clocked up 8h and 18 minutes of sleep and didn’t wake up in the night.

I question how accurate that is as I felt like I kept checking the time all night. Still, for me, 8h and 18 minutes of sleep is pretty incredible.

Waking up eventually stops being a struggle

Worrying about not setting an alarm is starting to impact my sleep. So I set my sunrise alarm clock for 6 a.m. as a safety net and hope that I don't need it.

I start my experiment on a Thursday and, when my sunrise alarm starts chirping away on Monday morning, I'm still dead to the world. I initially feel disappointed that I'm not waking naturally with the sun at 5 a.m.

But then I remind myself that I've been getting less sleep than I need for years, so paying off all that sleep debt won't happen within a few days.

However, as the experiment goes on and my alarm goes off, I begin to feel ready for it. For the first time in months, I'm waking with energy.

There are even occasions when I wake before my alarm.

When that happens I try to get out of bed straight away and enjoy my first cup of tea in the garden before anyone else wakes up.

While I would normally have spent that time on my phone in bed, I've instead been checking the progress of my dahlias and soaking up the early morning rays.

This, says Dr. Harris, is one of the most impactful ways I can anchor my circadian rhythm: "One of the biggest things is getting outside soon after you wake up. Even 15 to 30 minutes of morning light helps reinforce your body's schedule and makes it easier to fall asleep that night."

My cognitive fog is lifting and my focus is returning

Over time, the double whammy of sleep deprivation and underlying stress has taken a toll on my cognitive function. I've become forgetful, there are times I can struggle to focus, and I rarely allow myself the luxury of finishing a thought.

After a week of sleeping and rising(ish) with the sun, I begin to feel the cognitive fog lift.

For the first time in a long time, I feel creative again — ideas come to me and I allow myself the time to mull them over. I'm focusing on one task at a time and enjoying immersing myself in them, whether it's work, cooking or DIY.

This, says Dr. Dimitriu, is entirely expected: "Sleeping closer to sunset and waking closer to sunrise, is what we have been doing naturally for millennia, and it also helps establish deeper, and longer periods of sleep.

"More sleep, that is circadian aligned, has multiple benefits, physical and mental. Mood stability improves, anxiety is reduced, and there is more room to think before you react," he continues.

"People become more patient. Attention and focus, as well as memory and recall — the ability to learn, are also improved."

How to protect your circadian rhythm during the darker months

While attempting to align my circadian rhythm with the sun, I've been aware that summer is the easiest time to do this. After all, a sunset and sunrise time in the region of 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. isn't a million miles from my optimal routine.

Which leads me to wonder, how can I anchor my circadian rhythm around the sun during the winter months when the days are shorter and the sunlight is weaker?

"Winter definitely makes it harder because we're naturally exposed to less sunlight, especially in the morning," acknowledges Dr. Harris.

"My advice is to make the most of whatever daylight you do have. If you can step outside for a morning walk, that light is still much stronger than what you get indoors."

For those who notice that their mood and energy levels are impacted during winter, Dr. Harris recommends a light therapy box, which emulates natural sunlight for improved health.

"More than anything, try not to let your routine drift," concludes Dr. Harris. "Keeping a consistent wake time, getting some movement during the day, and limiting bright light late at night can go a long way in keeping your body clock on track, even when the days are shorter."

Tech to help regulate your circadian rhythm

If you've ever become engrossed in CleanTok, that TikTok community dedicated to strangely-satisfying cleaning videos, you've probably watched influencers dunk their old, yellowed pillows into a bathtub full of household items to make them sparkly clean.

So compelling are these videos that I sometimes forget that the people who confidently guide me through their hacks are not professional cleaners but simply TikTok account holders with a bathtub and some grubby pillows. In fact, many CleanTok videos go against expert-approved cleaning advice on how to wash a pillow.

"I would be cautious because these household products were not formulated or tested as complete fabric cleaners," says Shamsa Kanwal, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist and medical writer at MyPsoriasisTeam. "Standard laundering methods are more reliable because they are designed to lift sweat, skin oil, saliva, cosmetics, and other residue from fabric and rinse them away."

That's why I took bunch of old, grubby pillows with deep set stains to test five CleanTok hacks and to see how they compare against three gold-standard pillow cleaning techniques used by specialists and in hotels. Here's how it all went...

• Read more: The real reason your pillow stays yellow after washing — and how to fix it

Key takeaways: At a glance

• Viral TikTok pillow cleaning trends (like shaving foam and vodka) are mostly visually-pleasing, clout-chasing quick-fixes that fail to completely remove deep-set, stubborn stains.
• Spritzing a 3% hydrogen peroxide and water mixture, scrubbing it in, and running the pillow through a standard wash cycle outperformed all other methods, lifting tough stains and restoring brightness.
• While soaking pillows in a bath of soda crystals yielded weak results, adding them directly to the washing machine drum proved far more effective for fading severe discoloration.
• However, the safest expert-recommended approach is to follow the pillow's care label and make sure its dried completely before using.

The pillow stains I needed to remove

To begin my experiment, co-workers (not going to name and shame!) kindly sent me their old, grubby yellow-stained pillows.

These yellow stains (usually caused by a build-up of sweat, body oils, and drool) are the most common type of pillow stain.

However, I know that plenty of people eat and drink in bed, so I decided to kick it up a notch by staining each pillow further with tea, coffee, and smoothies.

I then allowed each stain to set, making them mega-tough to remove so I could see how effective each pillow-cleaning method really is.

Putting each viral hack to the test — see my results and how I scored them

Hack 1: Shaving foam | Test score: 0 out of 5

We all love a medicine cabinet staple that can double as a multipurpose cleaner, which is why CleanTok is full of shaving foam cleaning hacks. It seems simple, right? Just apply a dollop of foam to a stain, leave for 15 minutes up to 1-2 hours, and wipe away with a damp microfibre cloth.

However, when I gave this hack a go on a prominent yellow pillow stain, it did nothing but make the pillow smell nice. I had an inkling that this quick fix seemed a little too good to be true, plus health experts advise against it.

"Shaving foam may leave fragrance and surfactant residue, which can cause irritation," warns Dr Kanwal.

If you do want to give this no-harm, no-foul hack a try, make sure to use a white shaving foam (the kind that's already foamed up as soon as it's squeezed out of the can) rather than a shaving gel with added dyes.

Hack 2: Vodka | Test score: 1 out of 5

Next up is vodka, which seems a little counter-intuitive as a drink is usually what causes stains. However, plenty of CleanTok videos herald vodka as a stain remover for grubbiness. So, I chose a feather pillow (the yellowest of the pack) to see if a vodka spritz could remove the build-up of body oils and grease.

I spritzed the pillow with a cheap bottle of vodka poured into a spray bottle, and then I rubbed the pillow with a cloth dunked soaked with hot water. Did it remove any stains? No. Did it de-odorize the pillow and give it a little refresh? Yes. As Dr Kanwal puts it: "Vodka does not replace the oil and dirt removing action of laundry detergent".

Hack 3. Soda crystals | Test score: 2 out of 5

Now, this is the hack I had high hopes for, as soda crystals seemed the most legitimate of cleaning tips. These magic crystals are not only used to remove detergent build-up in washing machines but they also help remove stains and soften water.

So, I added 1 cup of soda crystals to a half-filled bathtub of warm water, swished the crystals around, and left them to soak for 1 hour. When I returned, I found that the stains were removed slightly, but I feel that the soda crystals didn't live up to their stain-removing hype. However, I wouldn't skip the soda crystal treatment altogether (as you'll find out later).

Hack 4: Baking soda and vinegar | Test score: 3.5 out of 5

Ah, the baking soda volcano. I don't think any other kitchen ingredients have been used in DIY cleaners more frequently than baking soda and white vinegar. However, I was a little sceptical.

I've been told by cleaning experts to avoid using baking soda on certain mattresses due to its fine particle. "Baking soda may help with odour, but using too much can leave residue that may irritate sensitive, acne prone, or eczema prone skin when the face rests against the pillow for several hours," Dr Kanwal tells me.

However, a vinegar and baking soda mixture can be a cleaning wonder when baking soda is used properly. So, here's how I preceded: I put a stained pillow in the bathtub and sprinkled a generous amount of baking soda on the stains and rubbed it into the fabric. Next I filled the bathtub with warm water and added 2 cups of white vinegar. I then left the pillow to soak for a couple of hours.

Unsurprisingly, the mixture did fade the stains significantly, but definitely not completely or quickly. While a couple of hours is a slog, I will admit that these are stubborn, deep-set stains that faded with low effort and minimal scrubbing. My verdict? Worth a shot.

Hack 5: Lemon slice soak | Test score: 4 out of 5

Out of all the pillow hacks I've seen grace CleanTok, this one is probably the most talked about. Lemons are kind of seen as nature's cleansers, so soaking your pillow in a bath filled with citrusy goodness seems like a good idea.

However, this hack has become controversial because research shows that citrus acid degrades fabric. That doesn't stop it from remaining one of the most popular TikTok cleaning hacks out there, so I figured it would be pretty remiss of me not to give it a try.

In the video above, the TikToker soaks a child's pillow in a bathtub full of piping hot water, baking soda, detergent, and sliced lemons. Naturally I did the same.

As I scraped the last of the lemon slices from a chopping board and into the bath, I noticed the bathwater had already begun to discolor. Surely just the lemon juice?

Then, I started to squeeze and press the pillow, and as I was doing so, I began to see the tea and coffee stains spurt out of the fabric. With my hands massaging the fabric and the lemons floating on the surface, I felt like I was giving the pillow a luxury spa treatment rather than a good clean.

Out of all the cleaning hacks I tried, this was honestly the most fun to do and the most TikTok-worthy to look at. Watching the bath water fill with lemon zest and filth was oddly satisfying and made me realize why the original video was such as hit.

So, it was fun and hypnotizingly gross, but does this method help remove stains? I hate to admit it, but...yes. It didn't remove stains completely, but it did noticeably lighten them.

Overall, a fun cleaning hack to try, even if the addition of lemons is a little dubious.

Bottom line

All the CleanTok pillow cleaning hacks I tried above may seem like miracle solutions, but trying them for myself reminded me that most of these "hacks" are made for visually-pleasing quick-fix social media content and won’t actually remove deep-set pillow stains. Most will leave you either disappointed...or low on shaving foam.

If you want to know more about how to clean pillows from experts rather than cleanfluencers, then visit our guide on how to wash a pillow, how to wash a memory foam pillow, or read on to see how I got on using the specialist pillow cleaning techniques used by experts and luxury hotels.

3 gold standard pillow cleaning methods that actually work

According to Dr Kanwal, the best way to clean a pillow is to follow what its care label permits.

"The safest approach is the warmest suitable water setting, an appropriate laundry detergent, a complete rinse, and thorough drying so the pillow is not left damp," she advises.

However, some pillow stains need extra help to budge, so I've tried the ultra stain-removing methods that health experts, cleaning specialists, and luxury five-star hotels approve of. Here's what happened and why they actually work...

Method 1: Hotel hot wash | Test score: 3.5 out of 5

Hotels get their bedding crip and white by using a hot wash of 140 °F for a minimum of 90 minutes, to remove germs and stains. I was a bit apprehensive at first as none of the pillows' cleaning labels advise a hot cycle, plus it's not very environmentally friendly.

"A hot water cycle can improve cleaning and reduce some allergens or microorganisms, but only when the pillow’s care label permits it," says Dr Kanwal.

After putting a stained pillow in the machine for two hours, I wasn't at all surprised to see that the high temperature faded most of the tea and coffee stains.

It definitely didn't get the pillow clean enough for a five-star hotel bed, but most five-star hotels don't have pillows this stained.

Method 2: Soda crystal + washing machine | Test score: 4.5 out of 5

Now we're back to the soda crystals. While this versatile powder didn't impress me during the TikTok method, I thought maybe the power of the washing machine would bring out the soda crystal magic.

"Soda crystals can support detergent by helping loosen greasy buildup, but it should be rinsed thoroughly because it can irritate skin or damage certain fabrics if misused," says Dr Kanwal.

Turns out, the detergent really did bring out the soda crystal magic. After applying half a cup of soda crystals to the drum of my washing machine and following the laundry instructions on the pillow label.

I was pleased to see that the pillow stains had faded almost to nothing (though a few stubborn stains did linger).

Method 3: Hydrogen peroxide | Test score: 5 out of 5

I've written quite a few cleaning articles in my time, and every time I interview a cleaning specialist about the best ways to remove stubborn stains, they always bring up hydrogen peroxide. "Three percent hydrogen peroxide can help break down some organic stains, but rinse thoroughly to avoid skin irritation," says Dr Kanwal.

So, I followed this guide on how to hydrogen peroxide as a safe cleaner, and then grabbed some gloves, a spray bottle and 3% concentration of hydrogen peroxide.

I spritzed a mixture of equal parts hydrogen peroxide and water all over the stained pillow and let it sit. After 30 minutes, I worked the solution into the pillow with an electric toothbrush.

As I scrubbed, I was surprised to see the stains start rub and flake off. I then popped the pillow into the washing machine (following the label's cleaning instructions) for an hour.

When I took the pillow out of the drum, I was shocked. Not only had it removed even the toughest of stains, it had also made the pillow whiter and brighter — something that the other methods failed to do.

So, the best pillow cleaning method in my opinion? Hydrogen peroxide all the way.

Top-rated products to keep your pillows stain free

Night sweats and allergens can ruin our sleep during the summer, and not washing your bedding enough can make these issues even worse. Sweat, oil, and allergens can build up if sheets and pillows during heatwaves, but how often (and at what temperature) should we wash our sheets in the summer?

While research has found that the average person changes their sheets every 24 days, an infection prevention expert says this is way too long a wait wash your bedding.

"Bedding collects normal skin bacteria, environmental bacteria, yeasts, mold spores, dust mites, and the allergens that come with all of it," says Dr. Shanina C. Knighton, PhD, RN, CIC, a Research Associate Professor at the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing at Case Western Reserve University.

So, to set the record straight, I've called on Dr. Knighton to tell us how often we should be washing our sheets and pillows during the summer. She'll also tell us what temperature to wash your bedding at, and three other ways you can prevent summer allergens from piling up and disrupting your sleep.

• Read more: My freshly washed bed sheets smelled sour — until an expert pointed out my drying mistake

Key takeaways: At a glance

• Wash your sheets and pillowcases at least once a week: but those with skin conditions, an active lifestyle, or allergies will need to change them more frequently.
• Duvet covers should be washes at least every two weeks: pillows and comforters can be washed every few months if they aren't visibly soiled or stained.
• Wash bedding at a temperature of at least 130°F: with 140°F being the optimal for killing dust mites.
• Make sure bedding is well-ventilated: this prevents moisture from encouraging bacterial growth, and use a waterproof mattress protector.
• Wear slippers: these stop your feet from picking up floor debris and bringing it into your bed.

How often should you wash bed sheets and pillowcases in summer?

"Wash your sheets and pillowcases weekly at a minimum during hot weather," advises Dr Knighton.

However, the infection expert stresses that many people may need to wash their bedding more frequently depending on their lifestyle, occupation, and conditions.

"Wash more frequently if you sweat heavily, go to bed without showering, have oily or acne-prone skin, have allergies or eczema, share the bed with pets, or work a high-exposure job such as healthcare, sanitation, childcare, or repair work where you carry the day home with you," she shares.

How often should other types of bedding be washed in summer?

While Dr. Knighton advises pillowcases and sheets be washed frequently, other types of bedding can survive a longer wait.

"Duvet covers should be washed weekly or every two weeks depending on use," says Dr Knighton. "Pillows and comforters follow the care label, which is usually every few months, and sooner if they become sweaty, stained, musty, or visibly soiled."

However, just because pillows, duvet cover, and comforters don't need to be washed as often as sheets and pillowcases, this doesn't mean they aren't immune to allergen and moisture build-up.

In fact, Dr. Knighton says that dense pillows and comforter can hold onto moisture far longer than thinner sheets do, trapping heat, sweat, skin oils, and dead cells without airflow.

These warm, moist conditions allow bacteria, fungi, and odors to thrive deep inside the fill — even if your sheets look completely clean on the surface.

"Over time, that same combination is what produces the musty smell, the yellowing, and the staining that will not wash out easily," explains the health specialist.

What temperature should bedding be washed at in summer?

As for what temperature you should was bedding at, Dr Knighton points to research that found that 140°F (60°C) kills all house dust mites.

However, she suggests following the bedding's care labels and opting for the warmest temperature the fabric can stand, with most allergy guidance pointing to 130°F (which is 54.4°C).

• I tested 5 viral pillow cleaning hacks to see if they work

What happens if you don't wash your bedding often enough in summer?

So, we know if we don't wash our bedding often enough, oil, sweat and allergens will start to accumulate in our beds, but what are the consequences of that happening?

"The risk is not the same for everyone, and that is the honest answer," Dr. Knighton tells me. "For a healthy person with intact skin, the usual result is odor, breakouts, skin irritation, or allergy and asthma flares.

"For someone with asthma, mold sensitivity, eczema, broken skin, or a weakened immune system, the picture is more serious, and there is real infection risk for the immunocompromised."

3 more ways to keep your bedding clean in summer

1. Wear slippers or socks

"Slippers are not optional in my house and serve a purpose beyond just comfort," says Dr Knighton.

She says this rule applies especially to those who have pets or allow outdoor shoes indoors, where the floor could be covered in debris.

"Walking across it barefoot and then climbing into bed means you have just dragged all of that up onto your sheets with your own feet.," she warns. "A pair of slippers between the floor and the bed breaks that chain."

2. Don't bring your phone to bed

You may want to skip your nightly doomscrolling session, as a phone's surface are "one of the dirtiest things most people own".

The same phone that has been on restaurant tables, in bathrooms, and in their hands all day, and they set it on the pillow or the sheets, " says Dr. Knighton. "My phone does not come to bed with me."

The expert also says she doesn't bring the clothes she's been wearing all day to bed either. " Whatever my outdoor clothes and my phone touched during the day stays out of the space where I sleep," she reveals.

3. Make sure your bed is dry

While washing your bedding is important, keeping it dry also prevents the risk of allergen buildup.

To prevent your bedding trapping moisture and encouraging microbial growth, Dr Knighton recommends using one of the best mattress protectors with waterproof protection and ensuring your bedding gets enough ventilation.

If excessive sweating at night means you're waking up to a damp bed, the infection prevention expert recommends allowing the bedding to dry before making it.

"After a sweaty night, throw the covers back, let the bed breathe for a while, and make it later," she advises.

For more cleaning advice, see our guide on how to clean a mattress. This is especially important if you've invested in the best mattress for your sleep needs and want it to last as long as possible to get your money's worth.

I thought my biggest challenge would be choosing between medium-firm and hybrid. Instead, my shiny new mattress arrived with an unwelcome guest: a harsh chemical stench that turned my bedroom into a paint factory.

While the support was sheer heaven for my aching back, the overwhelming scent made sleeping on it impossible. That lingering smell is off-gassing, a common nuisance with modern foam beds, but you do not have to just sit back and endure it.

Here is what actually causes that industrial odor, the rookie mistakes to avoid, and the practical steps I took to clear the smell from my bedroom.

What causes mattress off-gassing?

The moment you break the vacuum seal on a fresh mattress, synthetic materials suddenly react with room air. Most bed-in-a-box models rely on polyurethane foams, adhesives, and flame retardants that release Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) as they expand.

Trapped in heavy plastic packaging for weeks or months, those compounds escape all at once upon unboxing. While the scent is rarely harmful to health, it can trigger headaches or throat irritation, and it can certainly ruin a good night's sleep.

The initial mistakes that made the smell worse

My immediate instinct was to slap on a mattress protector, dress the bed with fresh linen, and shut the bedroom door to contain the problem. That was a mistake.

Sealing the mattress traps escaping gases directly inside the foam layers, prolonging the off-gassing process by days. Spraying heavy scented fabric refreshers only created a bizarre, nauseating mix of lavender and industrial solvent. To actually neutralize the odor, the mattress needs constant airflow and room to breathe.

How to stop the off-gassing smell

First, strip the mattress bare and open windows on opposite sides of the room to establish proper cross-ventilation.

Next, position a floor fan so it blows air directly across the top surface toward an open window. Pushing stale air away from the bed prevents escaping gases from settling back into the fabric, cutting the off-gassing timeframe nearly in half.

Foam acts like a dense, microscopic sponge filled with pockets of trapped gas. To speed up the release, walk barefoot back and forth across the mattress surface for ten minutes, or press down firmly with your hands.

This mechanical pressure squeezes trapped VOCs out of the inner core much faster than passive airing alone.

Once the room has aired out for several hours, sprinkle a light, even layer of plain baking soda over the exposed mattress top. Let it sit untouched for at least four hours (overnight is even better), so the powder can pull residual moisture and chemical odors out of the outer ticking.

Finish by thoroughly vacuuming the surface using a clean upholstery attachment, taking care to clean out the deep side seams.

How long does the smell really last?

By combining forced airflow with manual compression and a basic baking soda treatment, the heavy chemical scent vanished within 48 hours.

While a faint smell can linger for up to a week depending on the mattress density, taking active steps means you can sleep comfortably without sacrificing your air quality, or your lungs.

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