6 Reasons Why You Need Linen Sheets This Summer

True relief from the heat lies in your choice of bedding.

The best thing to sleep in during the hot summer nights if you’re the kind of person prone to overheat in bed is flax linen. Nothing strikes fear into the heart of a hot sleeper quite like summer, where all the stresses of falling asleep are amplified by scorching air, sweaty limbs and the overpowering heat of a sizzling evening.

If you haven’t taken the plunge yet and purchased a set of our 100% French Flax Linen Bedding, consider the start of the warmer seasons the proverbial push you need.

Not convinced? Here are six fabulous reasons why you need linen this summer.

1. Linen is breathable and lightweight

Legend will have you believe that the higher the thread count of your bed sheets, the better the quality of your sleep – but this isn’t necessarily true. In fact, sheets that boast astronomical thread counts in the 800 to 1200 range cannot be produced organically, with threads artificially woven into fabrics by machine in order to up the numbers.

When it comes to GSM – grams per square metre, the metric used to measure the weight of a fabric – there aren’t that many options that come lighter than flax linen. And the flax linen used by Bed Threads is particularly light, at just 170 GSM. What this means is that sleeping in linen sheets won’t be stuffy or heavy, and won’t weigh you down with extra fabric adding heat to the bed. The lightness of the sheets will promote airflow around you, keeping the air circulating as you toss and turn.

2. Linen is cool

There are a number of reasons why linen is such a popular fabric in the hot months, and they all boil down to the fact that linen is one of the coolest fabrics. The particular weave of the fibre, plus the low GSM, and the lightweight nature of linen’s wick, means that air passes easily through and around linen, keeping the body within it cool.

It’s also so light that the fabric dries easily, which in turns helps keep you cool if you’re the kind of person who sweats in their sleep. Linen can absorb up to 20 percent of its body weight before it starts to feel wet, so don’t worry, you won’t wake up with damp sheets.

3. Linen is natural, so no friction

Derived from the flax plant, linen is one of the great natural fabrics. While synthetics fabrics like polyester are derived from plastic – which can make a hot sleeper feel even warmer when they are wrapped up in them – linen is natural, breathable and won’t make you overheat.

Similarly, because of the softness of linen as a fabric – and it only gets softer the more and more you wash it – you won’t find your skin becoming too sensitive to unnatural fibres and there won’t be any excess friction. That means no heat rashes.

4. Linen is a perfect hot weather compromise

There are many hot sleepers out there who still need a sheet – or at the very least, something – on top of them as they sleep. It can feel strange to sleep above the covers or without anything covering you as you rest.

That’s where linen comes in handy. The lightness and coolness of the fabric makes it the ideal sheet to wrap yourself in, even on the hottest night of the year. With plenty of air flow and moisture wicking you won’t find yourself stifled as you might be from synthetic or heavier sheets.

5. Linen will also work if the weather changes quickly

It’s not unheard of for a sticky, humid summer night to switch gears into cool in a matter of minutes. Flax linen comes into its own here, as the fabric is designed to keep you both cool and warm, depending on the outside temperature.

Linen is temperature-regulating, which means that it takes its cues to what’s going on both on your body and in the air around you and adjusts its heat accordingly. If you’re a hot sleeper who often finds themselves flipping between too hot and too cold, linen is the answer.

6. Our linen colourways practically scream summer

Fine print aside, your Bed Threads Bedding will brighten any bedroom, and signal the start of the season before you’ve even stepped out in the sun. We’ve designed each set carefully with the changing climate in mind – that’s why you can now customise your own bedding set with our new build your own bundle option.