Monthly Archives: September 2021

One of the biggest causes of allergies are dust mites, those tiny insects found in household dust. According to a report by the charity Allergy UK, they are the UK’s most common indoor allergen. The report has also revealed that there could be as many as 12 million of us who have a reaction to them, in varying degrees. Signs of an allergic reaction to dust mites include sneezing, runny nose, coughing, itchy eyes and congestion. Dust mite allergies can also aggravate the symptoms of asthma. What’s more, if you also have eczema, a severe allergy reaction can cause a flare-up of the condition. 

The report has also found that over half of indoor allergy sufferers said their symptoms were worse in the bedroom, with allergic reactions leading to disrupted sleep, which in turn will exacerbate the symptoms. Continued disruption to sleep patterns will eventually impact on daily life. It’s hard to concentrate on those all-important tasks at home or work if you are feeling tired and generally run down.

Of course, there are a number of things you can do on a day to day basis to help limit the number of dust mites in your home. As advised by the NHS website these include regular cleaning with a vacuum cleaner fitted with a HEPA filter, cleaning cushions, soft toys, curtains and upholstered furniture, and choosing wood or hard vinyl floor coverings instead of carpet.

In addition to keeping your bedroom clear of as much dust as possible, your choice of bedding will also impact on your sleep. It’s not just about duvets and pillows but the report also found that 13% of allergy sufferers had used their mattress for 11 years or more and 3% has kept theirs for 20 years or longer. This leads to a huge accumulation of dust mites and (yes, we must say it!) their droppings – not often something that we really want to think about!

When considering soft bedding, if you have a dust mite alle

We’re all aware of ‘fake news’ and so-called ‘experts’ giving advice on social media. There are quite a few myths about sleep – and we’ve found eight common ones that we’ve tackled below!

Myth One: You Swallow Spiders While You Sleep

This myth claims that you will swallow about 8 spiders a year whilst you sleep! This is very unlikely, as spiders are very wary critters and the noise and vibrations you give off whilst you sleep are more likely to keep spiders away.

Myth Two: Sleeping On Your Front Is Bad For You

This is often blamed for increasing facial wrinkles and contributing to neck aches. According to research, there is no significant difference between sleeping on your back, side or front. A slide sleeping position is best for snorers though. Whichever way you prefer to sleep, it’s important to ensure that you have the right pillow to provide support for your head and neck. At Devon Duvets, we do a range of pillows, including lower pillows for front sleepers and higher firmer pillows for those who need a bit of extra support.  If you’d like advice on which of our pillows is likely to be the best for you, just get in touch and the team will be happy to help!

Myth Three: The Older You Get, The Less Sleep You Need

It is true that sleep patterns change as we get older, this doesn’t necessarily mean we sleep less. Sleep experts recommend 7 – 9 hours sleep for the average adult. Older people may wake up more during the night (especially for trips to the bathroom!) or wake up early but they also tend to nap during the day, so the amount of sleep they have overall in a 24-hour period tends to stay the same. If you are having trouble sleeping, then perhaps take a look at your bedtime habits – such as watching TV in bed or eating late – and see if altering these will