Merino Wool Kids’ Sleepwear: Help Your Child Sleep Better

If you’re a parent struggling to keep their children sleep well at night, know that you’re not alone. You may have tried many things, from a calming going-to-bed routine that includes a warm bath, a massage, and a book or you’ve even gone the extra mile and tried supplements or essential oils. When nothing works, we feel helpless, but sometimes, the key lies in the simplest things, like helping your kid retain the right temperature regardless of the season and room temperature. 

If you haven’t thought about it, and often find your child hot or cold at night, the problem may be their sleepwear. You need soft and comfy organic kids’ pajamas made from gentle materials on the skin with temperature-regulating properties, such as 100% GOTS-certified organic merino wool or delicate blends of merino wool, silk fibres and organic cotton. Here’s what you need to know about this super fibre.

Is Merino Wool Good for Pyjamas?

Child's Top Long Sleeve - Organic Cotton/Merino/Silk (1-12 years)
source: woollykins.com.au

Organic merino wool is much different from traditional wool and other materials as it’s natural, non-toxic, and dye-free. It’s superfine, warm and cosy, and sourced from ethically raised merino sheep, known for producing the softest wool on earth. It also has the usual wool benefits, such as breathability and durability, and its self-cleaning and hypoallergenic properties make it a super fibre and among the best materials for organic kids’ pajamas. However, there are two more reasons wool and wool blend fabrics are many parents’ beloved choice of sleepwear material.

Merino Wool is Temperature-regulating

Merino wool fabric has fine air pockets that help create a microclimate around children’s bodies. These temperature-regulating properties help keep babies, toddlers and older children in their thermal comfort zone, retaining the heat their little bodies create for warmth and insulation. That makes it the perfect fabric for sleeping in for both winter and summer. How does it promote sleep? In two particular ways:

  1. It provides warmth in the winter and coolness in the summer for children. The participants in a three-year study at the University of Sydney were asked to sleep in various materials at various temperatures to test their sleep patterns. Researchers discovered that those who slept in wool bedding and sleepwear had their average sleep efficiency increased to 91% in neutral temperatures (22°C) and 92% in cold temperatures (17°C). Merino wool can release your child’s body heat into the atmosphere to prevent overheating. According to the the same study, people who wore wool slept longer and had higher-quality sleep while it was warm outside (29°C).
  2. As demonstrated by this study, another fantastic benefit of sleeping in merino wool is that it helps one fall asleep faster. One set of people in their 20s fell asleep in merino after eleven minutes compared to the fifteen minutes for those who slept in cotton or polyester clothing. When wearing wool, a different set of people, aged 65 to 70, fell asleep in just 12 minutes rather than needing 22 or 27 minutes when wearing cotton and polyester.

Merino Wool is Moisture-wicking

Wool can absorb up to 35% of its weight in moisture from its surroundings without getting wet. Your child will therefore remain warm and dry even in humid situations. It can also absorb sweat, skin secretions, and diaper leaks! The acidic environment created when sweat comes into touch with organic wool stops the building of fungi and germs. That keeps your child feeling clean and dry without promoting the growth of bacteria, making it the ideal fibre for diaper covers, children’s clothes and sleepwear. 

It draws moisture from the area around the baby’s skin and releases it into the atmosphere. Your kid will remain dry and warm even if their diaper has soaked through. And that’s the exact reason why babies sleep. Because the merino wicks away moisture and controls temperature, wearing merino wool pyjamas can help your child fall asleep, sleep through the night, and stay asleep for extended periods. 

What to Consider When Buying Merino Pyjamas for Children?

Child's PJ SET - 100% Organic Merino Terry - Natural (1-12y)
source: woollykins.com.au

You must consider several factors to get the best out of the merino wool super fibre properties. Choosing all-natural wool sleepwear products can be challenging with some suppliers promoting Superwashing and other wool enhancements. Here’s what you need to know to pick the best organic kids pyjamas made of merino wool and organic blends.

Opt for Natural, GOTS-certified Merino Wool

Children’s skin is thinner, and more sensitive and fragile than that of adults. When you choose GOTS-certified Merino wool sleepwear and other clothing items, you can rest assured your little one sleeps safe and protected from dyes, chemicals and other irritants. Moreover, organic wool is free from Superwashing. 

Over 70% of the wool on the market is super washed, meaning it has been through a chemical process removing tiny scales from the wool fibre to prevent it from shrinking and felting. While manufacturers swear by super washing to make the wool better and machine-washable, the truth is, that it reduces some of the wool’s amazing benefits, such as moisture wicking, making it no more chemical-free.

Natural Also Means Hypoallergenic

Baby Long Sleeve Top in 100% Organic Wool - Stripes (0-3y)
source: woollykins.com.au

First off, merino sheep are carefully bred to produce the finest fibres, which lessens the “scratchy” and irritating sensation on skin. Wool has earned this reputation because different breeds of sheep produce varying degrees of softness. Each has unique uses and benefits, but for babies merino wool is the best option. Additionally, it’s inherently resistant to mould, mildew, and bacteria, all typical allergy triggers. Wool’s inherent breathability qualities assist in controlling body temperature and neutralising perspiration, all of which can help ward off the growth of bacteria and allergens like dust mites.

GOTS-certified organic merino wool is hypoallergenic, in contrast to many popular misconceptions – the ideal partner for sensitive skin. According to a Murdoch Children’s Research Institute study, children with eczema who switched from wearing cotton to superfine organic merino wool saw a reduction in the severity of their eczema. Conversely, their eczema worsened when they switched from organic merino wool to cotton.