What bedding materials are best for allergy sufferers?

We associate a chronic allergy mostly with the world outdoors, with the increased pollen count during the spring and summer known colloquially as "allergy season". Those who suffer from allergic reactions tend to avoid certain foods, plants, trees, and grass in order to stay safe and healthy.

While certainly good advice, it should not be underestimated how easy it is to come into contact with allergens indoors and in the home - especially at bedtime. Your bedding in particular can be an attractive spot for germs and allergens to gather and hold firm, undoing any progress made during the day to keep irritants at bay. 

Knowing how your bedding can trigger your allergies is half the battle - and that's what this guide is for. This article will explain how to ensure your bedding doesn't create avoidable health issues or irritations, as well as what types of bedding - from materials to thread count - can prevent or worsen an allergy, and not just during hayfever season. 

Your bedding has a large surface area, making it an easy and attractive spot to trap allergens. When you get into bed, especially if you have been wearing your current clothes for some time, you will be carrying allergens with you into bed, such as dust, pollen, or pet hair - especially if your pet likes to lie on your bed. Bad personal habits, such as not showering, going too long between washing your bedding, or wearing daytime clothes in bed, can significantly worsen allergy symptoms.

Bedding made from synthetic materials have an unmatched ability to trap allergens and irritants, such as dust mites and pet hair, making them difficult to remove from the fabric. An allergy to feathers is a common affliction, which makes goose or duck feather-filled bedding, known as down bedding, unsuitable for some. Certain bed linen types use a mixture of feathers and cheaper fillings, so be sure to read the filling type on any new bedding that you purchase.

Due to their size and thickness, duvets can be particularly bad at trapping allergens, as well as difficult to clean thoroughly to get rid of said allergens. However, this doesn't mean you have to swap for simple sheets (unless you want to), as there are plenty of anti-allergy duvets available on the market.

Your bed is often a warm, humid area - which is ideal for a cosy night's sleep, but it also attracts the wrong type of visitor, too. These environments are prime real estate for dust mites to thrive, eating your shedded skin cells, with their feces triggering allergic reactions in humans. Yuck!

Allergic reactions vary from person to person. The most common reactions in response to contact with an allergen include, but are not limited to:

• Itchy and irritated skin
• Wheezing
• Frequent coughs and sneezes
• Runny nose
• Nasal congestion
• Swollen, red, or watery eyes
• Itchiness in nose, mouth, and ears
• Increased symptoms in asthma sufferers

If you find that these symptoms tend to crease at bedtime, especially while in your bedroom and making direct contact with your bedding. Similarly, if you find yourself waking up the next morning with the symptoms listed above, it is likely you have spent several hours in contact with harmful allergens in your sleep without realising, even if you may have felt fine while in bed.

Adapting your daily habits, such as showering before bed and changing clothes before bed, can help prevent the spread of allergens. Medical aids, such as antihistamines and nasal sprays, can also be purchased at pharmacies.

Asthma experts recommend making minor modifications to the bedroom before getting into bed. These include: 

• Using HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) air purifiers
• Maintain ideal humidity (30-50%), which can be achieved with the use of humidifiers or dehumidifiers
• Keeping the room temperature below 70°F/20°C

The best way to prevent an allergy from developing or worsening in bedding is frequent washes and changes of bed linen - ideally at a hot temperature to kill germs. Additionally, the right kind of bedding is necessary to keep beds an allergy-free zone. 

If you enjoy a duvet or you don't know anything about bedding types or materials, there's no need to panic. The products listed below are examples of hypoallergenic bedding that will keep nasty irritants at bay, even if you're still bringing allergens into bed with you. 

This mattress received an Allergy UK stamp of approval due to its soft-knit hypoallergenic fabric sleep surface, ensuring that allergens that come into contact with the mattress will not stick to its surface. These mattresses are also easy to clean and wipe down when necessary, without trapping dust mites deep within its surface. 

Silk is an ideal material for allergy sufferers due to its sericin proteins, which form a natural barrier to block and repel allergens. For example, this MayfairSilk silk bedding set uses 100% long-fibre mulberry silk, the highest-grade silk available for purchase. 

Bamboo is another example of natural hypoallergenic bedding. This Panda London example is ideal material for a pillow - as thick, long pillows are notorious for trapping skin, hair, and other allergens into its filling, making it difficult to clean effectively. This memory foam pillow learns to adapt to the contours of your natural sleeping position for ultimate comfort, making it both easy to sleep with and maintain for a quality, healthy night's sleep. 

Tencel is a fabric derived from wood pulp, and is used for both bedding and clothing, such as pyjamas. Its soft, smooth material prevents skin irritation and wicks away moisture, helping to keep allergens out of the way rather than give them something to stick to.