Those of us who sleep on wool mattresses or mattress pads or under wool duvets will tell you we have more restful sleeps, but what does the research say?
Unfortunately, not much. Most who claim better sleeps with wool (for example, Why Sleep Under a Wool Duvet) mention one or both of two rather dated and relatively inaccessible sleep & wool studies.
It is poor practice to cite a document you haven’t read. The main point of providing references to documents cited is so others can find them and read them.
I have not been able to find any reference for the first from University of Hull Psychology Department, so have written off to the department asking for it.
The second is cited is without a date:
Ergonomic Comparison of Wool and Polyester-Filled Quilts, Polytechnic of Wales, Ergonomics Unit, published in IWS Technical Letter Number 26.
This one is more difficult to trace. The Polytechic of Wales became the University of Glanmorgan in 1992; the IWS is likely the International Wool Secretariat which merged with Australian Wool Research and Promotion Organisation in 1994.
I have identified a number of more recent studies that have explored the health benefits of wool bedding, and will begin to list them here in the “healthy wool” section.
Jackie MacDonald
lunenburg county woolen mill 