I have a zoned foam mattress with about 900 gsm of woolen underlay loft on top of it.
Suffice to say, i like it. It’s comfortable.
One issue i have is during summer. It can be quite warm.
I have taken some steps to address this. fans. a savvy rest bed rug. linen sheets. With middling success.
My question is, would a 2 inch cotton topper help? if the layer sat between the foam and the wool? or between me and the wool…?
ADMIN NOTE: Removed 404 page link / Archived Footprint: naturalbedding.com.au/more-information-2/about-our-mattresses/.
i came across this information that suggested the cotton topper idea.
An excerpt from the site:
'Is latex hot to sleep on? If I get hot on my latex mattress, what can I do?
There are competing theories but latex is an inert material which means it is more likely to absorb heat than it is to reflect it. In all our years producing natural latex mattresses, we have hardly had anyone come to us with complaints of latex being too hot. Most of the time there are other factors that make a person hot whilst sleeping (such as wearing too-warm pyjamas or not having enough air flow in the room). With the majority of our mattresses, there is a layer of wool between you and the latex anyway and wool is a great temperature regulator. [b]If you do find yourself getting too hot on latex, a simple but effective solution is to purchase a 2" cotton mattress to sit on top of your current mattress. This works well as cotton does not allow the heat to pass through and keeps your cooler all year round.’
A simple question, with a very complicated answer that would contain more “it depends” than definitive responses.
Using a coir bed rug beneath your mattress will certainly help with air circulation under the mattress and assist with humidity control, but the farther away the coir bed rug is from your sleeping surface, the less of an impact upon overall temperature regulation it will have. You’d probably notice more of a difference by placing the coir bed rug between the wool and the foam of your mattress, but that would stiffen up your comfort quite a bit and probably not be quite so comfortable.
Placing a thin cotton mattress/topper on top of your mattress can help increase surface tension, which can assist with you not sinking in quite as much to your mattress, which can assist with sleeping cooler. This, of course, would also change the comfort of your mattress. Cotton will compact more than wool, is quite breathable, but is not nearly as good at humidity regulation as wool.
Wool is among the best temperature regulating materials but I would also keep in mind that it regulates temperature in both directions (it’s used in the desert and also in cold climates because of this) so while it may not feel “cool” … it generally doesn’t feel “hot” either and it also helps to regulate moisture (which can trap heat) and reduce the perception of temperature that comes from higher humidity levels (similar to how temperatures feel cooler on less humid days than they do on more humid days). Thicker layers of wool can feel a bit warmer than thinner layers.
As the article you quoted mentioned, items closest to your skin will have the most dramatic impact upon your sleeping microclimate. There is more about the many variables that can affect the sleeping temperature of a mattress or sleeping system in post #2 here that you may find interesting.
I shall call you google from henceforth. Youre a veritable treasure trove of bed information. I bow before you…
I have to say, if it were a choice or a trade-off between humidity and temp regulation vs surface tension and ‘sinking in’ i have to side with comfort over temperature. Wool sinks better dependent on its loft, fill and grain, so to speak. But it becomes a false economy. Too much and you dont compress enough into the mattress. Poly foam for all its heat inducing faults (It’s not that bad) will compress and in turn relieve pressure well.
I found a product that tries to provide all things as it were.
I has wool that has been ‘airlofted’ a bit of polyester to keep it from depressing flat. it has a cotton fill side for summer.
it may tick all the boxes or it may have too much surface tension… its all too much at the mercy of subjectivity.
That’s an interesting topper. It’s always fun seeing what products are produced in various regions of the world to address the prevalent sleeping climates.
I’ll be interested in learning of your experience with this product should you choose to try it out.