Bedding for Allergy Sufferers: What Should You Choose for Your Allergy?

What bedding should you choose if you suffer from allergies? No bedsheet can prevent an allergy, but the right bedding can help reduce the allergens that accumulate where you spend seven to eight hours every night.

Rather than relying solely on the word "hypoallergenic", look for a few practical features: bedding that is easy to wash (at 60°C if you have a dust mite allergy), a comfortable and breathable fabric, and no unnecessary chemical treatments.

The best choice also depends on what triggers your allergy: pollen, dust mites, pets, feathers or sensitivity to new textiles.

What Bedding Should You Choose for Different Allergies?

Pollen Allergy: How to Keep Pollen Out of Your Bed

Around 20% of the Swiss population currently suffers from a pollen allergy.

Pollen is not produced inside your bedroom. It enters on your hair and clothing or on laundry that has been dried outdoors. Once it settles on your pillowcase, it stays close to your nose throughout the night.

A few simple habits can help during pollen season:

• Wash your hair in the evening before going to bed.
• Change your clothes when you get home and keep the clothes you wore during the day out of your bedroom.
• Dry your laundry indoors, especially your bed linen.
• Adjust ventilation according to local pollen levels. Check pollen forecasts and open the windows when concentrations are lowest, as these vary depending on the plants, weather and where you live.
• Change your pillowcase more frequently than the rest of your bedding.

A blocked nose can also make it difficult to fall asleep. Our article Sleeping with a Blocked Nose explains why this happens and offers advice for sleeping more comfortably.

Dust Mite Allergy: Why Wash Bedding at 60°C?

People with a house dust mite allergy react to allergens produced by dust mites, particularly proteins found in their droppings. Dust mites live mainly in mattresses, pillows and duvets, where they find warmth, moisture and flakes of human skin.

They thrive in warm, humid environments. Keeping indoor humidity consistently low, ideally below 50%, can help limit their reproduction and survival.

Bed linen also collects dead skin cells and dust mite residues. For people with dust mite allergies, the German Association of Allergologists (ÄDA) recommends bedding that can be washed at temperatures of at least 60°C. The Immunology and Allergy Department at Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) also recommends washing bedsheets, duvet covers and pillowcases once a week.

Other recommended measures mainly concern the bedroom itself:

• Ventilate the room for at least one hour a day.
• Keep the bedroom relatively cool, at around 19°C.
• Use a damp cloth for dusting rather than dry dusting.
• Vacuum with a HEPA-filter vacuum cleaner.

Percale or sateen, thread count, chemically treated or untreated "anti-mite" bedding: we explore these choices in more detail in our article What Bedding Should You Choose If You Have a Dust Mite Allergy?

Mattress and Pillow Covers for Allergy Sufferers

Regular bedding and a specialist dust mite cover, also known as an encasing, serve different purposes. A dust mite encasing completely surrounds a mattress, pillow or duvet to help reduce contact with the allergens inside.

CHUV recommends using this type of protective cover for mattresses when someone has a dust mite allergy. Similar covers are also available for pillows and duvets. Depending on the product, these covers can be washed at 60°C. CHUV mentions replacing them after approximately ten years, although you should always follow the manufacturer's instructions and replace any cover that becomes damaged.

A dust mite cover can reduce allergen exposure, but it cannot guarantee that allergy symptoms will disappear.

Your fitted sheet, duvet cover and pillowcase go over these protective covers and should be washed much more frequently. Pillowcases deserve particular attention because your face rests directly against them throughout the night, close to your eyes and airways.

Feather Allergy: Should You Avoid Down Duvets and Pillows?

Reacting to a feather pillow or duvet does not necessarily mean you are allergic to the feathers themselves. Feather and down fillings can also harbour dust mites, which may be responsible for the symptoms.

Some healthcare services advise people with allergies to choose synthetic pillows and duvets instead. However, a Cochrane review published in 2000, with its literature search updated in 2009, concluded that the available evidence was insufficient to determine whether feather or synthetic bedding is preferable for people with asthma.

The most reliable approach is to have the allergen identified by a doctor or allergist and then choose the filling accordingly. For further guidance, read our articles about pillows for allergy sufferers and wool duvets for people with allergies.

Pet Allergies: How to Reduce Allergens in Your Bedding

It is not usually animal fur itself that causes an allergic reaction. Instead, the triggers are proteins found in substances such as an animal's saliva, skin flakes (dander) and urine. These allergens can attach to fur and then spread to textiles and household dust.

To reduce your exposure:

• Keep pets out of the bedroom.
• Wash any bedding they have slept on regularly.
• Use a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter and ventilate your home regularly.
• If symptoms persist, speak to your doctor or pharmacist.

Can New Bedsheets Cause Allergies? Why You Should Wash Them Before Use

Itching or redness after sleeping in new bedsheets may be caused by substances used during textile manufacturing or finishing. When analysing clothing and footwear, the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (Anses) identified substances that may cause allergic reactions or skin irritation, including formaldehyde and nonylphenols. The agency recommends washing new textiles that will come into contact with the skin before wearing them for the first time, while following the manufacturer's care instructions.

The same precaution makes sense for bed linen: wash new sheets before sleeping in them for the first time. If you have sensitive skin, consider using a suitable laundry detergent, preferably fragrance-free if necessary, and avoid using more detergent than recommended.

GOTS and OEKO-TEX certifications have different requirements concerning textiles and certain potentially harmful substances. They can provide useful guidance when choosing bedding, but neither certification guarantees that a textile will not cause an allergic reaction.

Zizzz Bedding for Allergy Sufferers

Our bed linen is made from organic cotton, a natural, breathable material that feels comfortable against the skin. Although it is not a treatment for allergies, it offers an easy-care bedding option.

We offer two types of fabric, both washable at 60°C and free from chemical anti-dust-mite treatments:

• GOTS-certified organic cotton percale: 220 thread count, 132 g/m², with a crisp, cool and matte feel. A good choice if you tend to feel warm at night.
• Undyed organic cotton sateen (ecru): 276 thread count, 120 g/m², with a smooth, silky feel.

Both fabrics are available in our bed linen range as duvet covers, fitted sheets and pillowcases.

Frequent washing at 60°C can wear out cotton faster than washing at 40°C. If you change your bedsheets every week, alternating between two sets can help extend their lifespan.

When Should You See a Doctor?

If you regularly sneeze, have a blocked nose or cough mainly during the night or when you wake up, or if you have asthma, speak to your doctor. Allergy testing can help identify the specific allergen responsible for your symptoms, potentially saving you from replacing all your bedding unnecessarily. aha! Swiss Allergy Centre also provides information and practical advice for people living with allergies.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Are the Best Bedsheets for Allergy Sufferers?

Choose comfortable, breathable and easy-care bedding, such as cotton percale or sateen, without unnecessary chemical treatments. Wash new bedsheets before using them for the first time. If you have a dust mite allergy, choose bedding that can be washed at 60°C and wash it weekly. A specialist dust mite cover for your mattress and pillow may also be recommended.

Can You Be Allergic to New Bedsheets?

Itching or redness may be caused by substances used during manufacturing or textile finishing. Wash new bedsheets before using them for the first time. If your symptoms continue after washing, consult your doctor.

Should You Avoid Feather Pillows or Down Duvets If You Have Allergies?

Not necessarily. A reaction may be caused by dust mites living in the filling rather than the feathers themselves. Have the allergen identified by a doctor or allergist before replacing your duvet or pillow.

At What Temperature Should You Wash Bedding If You Have a Dust Mite Allergy?

Wash bedsheets, duvet covers and pillowcases at 60°C, provided the fabric can withstand this temperature. This is the recommended temperature for killing dust mites. For other allergies, regular washing according to the product's care instructions may be sufficient.

Does a Dust Mite Cover Replace Regular Bedding?

No. A specialist dust mite cover completely surrounds the mattress, pillow or duvet, while regular bedding is placed over it and washed much more frequently. The two serve complementary purposes.

How Often Should You Change Your Bedsheets If You Have a Dust Mite Allergy?

Wash your bedsheets, duvet cover and pillowcases once a week. During pollen season, changing your pillowcase more frequently may also help.

Sources

• CHUV, Immunology and Allergy Department – Dust Mite Avoidance Measures: recommendations on protective dust mite covers, weekly bedding washing, bedroom temperature and ventilation (in French).
• Textination – Do Bedding Products for House-Dust-Mite-Allergy Sufferers Have to Be Washable at 95°C?: the German Association of Allergologists' (ÄDA) recommendation to wash bedding at a minimum of 60°C.
• Swiss TPH / Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences – Factsheet Pollen (2024): approximately 20% of Switzerland's population is affected by pollen allergies (in French).
• Helsana – Pollen Allergy: What Can You Do?: advice on washing hair, changing clothes and drying laundry during pollen season (in French).
• HSE Ireland – Allergic Rhinitis: Prevention: practical recommendations concerning pollen, dust mites, pets and bedding.
• Cochrane – Feather Versus Non-Feather Bedding for Asthma: review published in 2000, with literature searches updated in 2009 (summary in French).
• Anses – Footwear and Clothing Textiles: Better Protecting Consumers Against Allergy Risks (2018): potential allergens and irritants found in new textiles (in French).

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Enhancing quality of life and well-being through better sleep

At Zizzz, our mission is to improve quality of life by promoting good sleep as an essential component of overall well-being.

We offer products and resources that promote restorative and revitalizing sleep, recognizing it as one of the three pillars of a healthy lifestyle, alongside a balanced diet and regular physical activity.

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