Monthly Archives: December 2021

Winter is a wonderful time of the year – cosy nights in front of the fire, hot chocolate, comfort food and frosty days with bright blue skies.  We can also feel a bit more tired and less energetic - and there’s a reason for this change. Here in the Northern Hemisphere, we are tilted away from the sun as part of the Earth’s natural orbit, and this is what makes the daylight hours shorter and darker hours longer. It’s colder too, as a result, making it harder to leave your cosy bed! All of this makes us want to sleep longer.

Sunlight helps our bodies to make vitamin D, which is essential for good health, so we notice a difference when we don't get enough. Less sunlight also causes our brain to produce more of the hormone melatonin, which makes you feel sleepy. These changes in daylight and melatonin levels have an impact on our internal clock, also known as our circadian rhythm. As a result of the darkness our brain tells us that we should be tucked up and sleeping more. Although it’s nice to have extra time in bed, and whilst we sometimes wish we could stay in bed and not have to get up for work or get the kids to school we all have our busy daily lives. So, it’s all about managing that – and here’s some ideas to help:

• Let there be light! Firstly, make sure you are letting in as much light as possible throughout the day. Open your curtains as soon as you wake up and maybe even the window to let some fresh air in. You could even wrap up and try some meditation or yoga in the sun to allow your body to relax and soak it all up. The more sunlight you get, the better you will feel!
• Step up! Exercise is good for you and helps you feel fresh and revitalised. It’s so easy to slip into bad habits and practically hibernate during the cold weather but push yourself and you will feel much better for it. Why not try getting sunlight and exercise all within the same hour? Go for a light early morning jog – even a brisk walk will set you for th

Although we’ve been famous for our individually handcrafted 100% British wool duvets for over 11 years, more recently we’ve developed our range of alpaca duvets. We only ever use high grade, natural white 100% British alpaca wool that’s been approved by the British Alpaca Society and we receive a limited amount each year, so once it’s gone, it’s gone – until next year’s shearing!

Alpacas are from South America, and it is thought they were originally domesticated in the Puna region of Peru around 6,000 years ago. They are a member of the camel (Camelidae) family, although they are not strong enough to be ridden. They were first imported into the UK in the mid 1800s but did not arrive in larger numbers until the early 1990s, when they became popular for their appealing looks and luxuriously soft wool.

Ellie, one of our customer services team, has done some research and has found some facts that are less well known about Alpacas.

• Just your type: There are two types – Huacaya (Wah-ki-ah) and Suri (Soo-ree). Huacaya are most common and make up 90% of Alpacas. They can be crossbred and are then called Huarizo. Their fleece has long, soft fibres, comes in 22 colours and it is naturally breathable, hypoallergenic (dust mite resistant) and fire retardant. We choose white alpaca wool as it does not show through the duvet casing in the same way as the darker colours can – and, as mentioned above, we only use natural white alpaca wool, so that we don’t have to use bleach or chemicals to make it white.
• No Alpaca is an island: they are very social animals that don’t like to live alone but are best kept in groups of three or more.
• Within spitting distance: Alpacas have no teeth in the top front of their mouths, but they can spit up to 10 feet, although spitting at humans is generally rare.
• Alpaca talk: They hum, haw and ‘orgle’ sounds, but they can also screech loudly if they feel threatened.
• Alpaca love: Fe

Having a great night’s sleep is very important for health and wellbeing – and, of course, we know that 100% wool filled bedding will aid a better night’s sleep. Wool’s temperature regulating properties, combined with its resistance to dust mites and the build-up of micro bacteria means that it not only helps you to maintain a balanced core body temperature whilst you sleep, but it’s also more hygienic - and great for asthma sufferers.

However, we often forget that investing in a good mattress is also a vitally important part of creating the right environment for a restful sleep. There’s nothing worse than tossing and turning all night because you just can’t get comfy or waking up with backache because your mattress sags and dips, so doesn’t give you the right support whilst you sleep. There’s also the hygiene aspect to consider too. A mattress used over an 8-year period can accumulate 23,000 hours’ worth of sweat, dead skin…and dust mites. It makes us all feel a bit squeamish to read the cold, hard facts - but this is why the general guideline for mattress replacement is every 8 years.

So, how do you go about finding the ideal mattress for you and your needs? Here’s some top tips.

1. Research the different types of mattresses:

• Innerspring – these mattresses use coils, which provide a traditional ‘bounce’ feel and offer support. Many are made with natural materials so they are breathable and can help to regulate temperature - this is particularly so with mattresses containing wool.
• Latex – latex comes from rubber trees. Mattresses made from latex can offer ‘bounce’ and responsiveness but are more effective at temperature regulation if they have air-circulating innerspring coils.
• Memory foam – these mattresses are designed to contour to the body, but some users find that memory foam can ‘sleep warm’ as they can trap heat.
• Hybrid – these combine memory foam or latex layers on top of an innerspring mattr