Sleep expert shares exact date you should swap out your winter duvet for spring

25 February 2024 , 12:21

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A sleep expert has said that the beginning of May is when to change to a summer duvet (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

A sleep expert has named the date when you should switch away from your winter bedding to a set of covers more befitting the warmer temperatures. The date is based on data that shows the average sustained midnight temperatures above 10C for the past five years.

And according to that data, sleep specialist James Higgins, CEO of Ethical Bedding, the UK’s only B Corp accredited sustainable bedding company, says that May 9 this year is the perfect night to change your duvet for the warmer nights. B Corp Certification is a designation that a business is meeting high standards of verified performance, accountability, and transparency on factors from employee benefits and charitable giving to supply chain practices and input materials, and a company must be able to demonstrate a high social and environmental performance.

A couple happily settled down to bed (Getty Images)

James said: "When we looked into the data, there were a few factors that made it visibly clear when could be a good time to look at switching out your duvet tog from a winter thickness of 10.5-15 togs to a summer thickness of around five to seven togs.

"Firstly, monitoring trends of temperatures at midnight in spring for the last five years, we observed a significant temperature increase happening in the second week of May. Furthermore, examining the daily breakdown of May’s temperature at midnight, we worked out that May 9 is the average date which had consistently recurring higher temperatures above 10C in the days that followed. Based on these figures and historical weather patterns, we would advise that people look to swap their bedding on the second weekend of the month, which will be Thursday, May 9."

He said that when summer temperatures rise to the point where it is uncomfortable at night and the evenings turn clammy and uncomfortable, it is a wise move to exchange your regular duvet for one that offers a cooler sleep, adding: "Otherwise, you risk spending the entire night awake, feeling sweaty and struggling to fall asleep.

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"Opt for a summer tog duvet with a rating of 4.5 or less, which combats the high temperatures by allowing body heat to escape as you sleep. If the weather isn’t quite so warm, a duvet rated between seven to nine tog may be more suitable. Bamboo duvets are an excellent choice for any season. They are breathable and comfortable, and each bamboo-filled duvet is also resistant to dust mites and mould, making them ideal if you’re in search of hypoallergenic bedding."

Paul Donald