Sleep Better, Live Better: Why Wool Is a Smart Choice for Canadian Families

Maite Feeney — designer of 15+ years, founder of Goldie Kids, and member of the IWTO Product Wellness Working Group — returns with another article exploring the benefits of wool for sleep across generations, drawing on her lived experience raising two young children and her work with wool as a design professional.

Good sleep matters for every family member — from babies and teens to busy parents and aging grandparents. Across Canada’s wide-ranging climates, the right bedding and sleepwear can make the difference between restless nights and truly restorative rest.

Backed by laboratory studies and human trials, wool offers a set of natural advantages that are particularly well-suited to family life:

• Stable temperature regulation, helping bodies stay comfortable through the night

• Natural moisture buffering, which manages humidity and reduces night sweats

• Lower allergen risk, supporting healthier sleep environments

• Long-term durability, standing up to frequent use and washing

For many households, simply swapping a few key bedding pieces to wool can lead to noticeable improvements — helping everyone fall asleep faster and wake feeling more refreshed.

I’ve dedicated my work to wool research and improving sleep health for busy families across Canada. When choosing materials, I work with suppliers who prioritise sustainable practices and favour natural, evidence‑driven fibres. Over years of designing sleep products and partnering with producers across the country, I’ve learned that a few smart textile choices—especially wool—can transform family sleep.

The science in plain language

Controlled studies have shown that wool helps people fall asleep faster and improves sleep architecture. For example, one study showed that when people slept in wool, they fell asleep in roughly 12 minutes on average, versus about 22 minutes in polyester and 27 minutes in cotton. Sleep-lab research has also reported that wool bedding (duvets and underlays), as well as wool pyjamas, can increase REM sleep by about 25% and support the skin’s natural cooling during deep sleep — changes that matter for memory, mood, and daytime energy.

All-season performance for Canadian homes

Wool’s crimped fibres insulate and simultaneously release moisture, offering incomparable thermoregulation:

In winter, wool keeps you cozy without the bulk. In summer, it wicks away moisture to stop overheating; and in rooms that fluctuate in temperature, wool smooths out sudden temperature and humidity changes so sleep isn’t interrupted.

This adaptability makes wool especially useful across Canada’s seasonal extremes and in bedrooms that vary in temperature night-to-night.

How wool helps reduce allergens and improve sleep hygiene

Families worry about dust mites, odours, and skin sensitivities — and wool helps in practical ways:

Wool’s moisture‑buffering keeps the sleep surface drier, which makes it uninhabitable to dust mites. Its breathability also helps prevent persistent smells and limits the conditions that encourage microbial growth, so bedding stays fresher between washes. 

And when you choose well‑finished wool, the fabric is soft and gentle for most people, with processing that removes most irritants.

As most of us would agree, busy households need long-lasting bedding. Wool’s natural resilience helps duvets, blankets, and underlays retain loft and insulation longer than many synthetics. Other upsides: wool resists odours, so it needs less intensive laundering, lasts longer to cut replacement costs, and adds safety and sustainability through natural flame resistance and biodegradability.

Canada’s growing wool and sheep industry — a local advantage

Canada’s sheep and wool sector is expanding, supplying high-quality fleeces across provinces. That means that customers have a chance to improve their sleep while supporting their local economies and strengthening our supply chains and homegrown businesses.

Practical guidance for family buying and care

When shopping for wool-based bedding and sleep products, keep the following considerations in mind.

• Babies and toddlers: follow safe-sleep rules — no loose blankets in cribs. Use certified wool sleep sacks or fitted wool layers designed for infants.

• Kids and teens: lightweight merino sleepwear and a midweight wool blanket is recommended for active sleepers.

• Parents: a wool duvet or mattress topper can reduce night sweats and aid recovery after late nights.

• Older adults: Wool underlays and toppers improve pressure diffusion and moisture control, boosting comfort and continuity of sleep.

• Wear superfine wool next‑to‑skin: choose lightweight merino sleepwear for soft, breathable moisture control and buffering during fluctuation of body temperature.

Small changes, big impact

Start with one or two pieces — a wool duvet, a mattress topper, merino wool sleepwear for kids — and you may notice faster sleep onset, deeper sleep stages, and fresher mornings. 

Choosing Canadian wool also supports a growing domestic industry producing products suited to our climate.