Here’s the thing – all our bed-linen collections are outstanding quality. It’s what we do. We source the best fibres, to create the impeccable fabrics and pay minute attention to the obsessive details that make our bedding fantastically durable, washable, beautiful and comfy to sleep in. Now, no one wants to admit to having a favourite child… and yet, for its rather exceptional sleep-promoting skills, linen might just pip it. Let us explain.

If you’re a hot sleeper, linen is cooling, airy and breathable. Its individual fibres are hollow, which means it can absorb more moisture than other fabrics without feeling damp or heavy. Hot flushes and stifling summer nights are easier to handle in linen sheets. Handy, right? But it gets better. If you’re a cold sleeper, linen is warm. Those hollow fibres are thermo-regulating, insulating you on chillier nights. It’s literally warm when it’s cool, and cooling when it’s hot.

Next up, linen is so deliciously soft. The first time you change your sheets to linen ones is a revelation. But the next is even better. The more you wash this fabric, the softer it gets – and you can wash it for years and years. We love lived-in linen sheets even more than pristine new ones. As if that’s not enough, the structure of linen fabric actually stimulates the skin, a bit like a mini massage. The breaks in the fabric stimulate blood flow, relaxing you. That is thought to be the reason why some studies have show that people fall asleep faster –and deeper – when sleeping in linen.

Finally, linen is so relaxed. Unlike cotton which looks its best when it’s laundered and primped to smooth perfection, linen has a languid feel that actually benefits from being unironed, softly wafted over the bed and left gently rumpled, for the ultimate chilled-out-sanctuary feel. Conversely, it’s undeniably luxurious. Ancient Egyptians referred to this fabric as ‘woven moonlight’, enchanted by its lustre. With its distinctive, slightly slubby weave, it encapsulates laid-back finery – almost like it knows it’s so fabulous that it doesn’t need to try.

*Just to clear something up here:
Bedding is often referred to as ‘bed linen’, even when it’s not made from linen. This comes from the fact that the linen flax plant is one of the oldest fibres used to make fabrics, so originally 'bed linen' referred to bedclothes that were actually made from linen. Now it’s become a catch-all term, just a slightly confusing one. Look for 'linen bedding', or 'linen bed linen', and check fabrications to be sure. Linen also blends well with other fibres such as cotton, to create linen blends that combine the benefits of more than one material.