What to put on the bed when the duvet is too much and a bare sheet is not enough

The forecast is in, and the UK is bracing for another run of tropical nights. You know the ones. 

The air sits heavy in the bedroom, the sheets feel sticky within minutes, and by three in the morning you have kicked everything off and are lying there wondering if you should just go and sit in the garden. 

Most of us, when the temperature climbs, reach the same conclusion. The duvet has to go. And once it is gone, we sleep with nothing on top of us at all, convinced that this is the cooler option.

It turns out we have been getting it wrong.

What the Simba study revealed 

A study by the sleep brand Simba looked at how Brits actually sleep through summer heat, and the findings were surprising. 

Sleeping under nothing at all is not the answer. In fact, we are better off sleeping under something lightweight than under no cover whatsoever. 

The reasoning is rooted in how the body regulates temperature overnight. 

A light cover helps absorb the small amount of sweat the body produces, keeps a gentle layer of air circulating against the skin, and prevents the sudden temperature swings that wake us up at unsociable hours. 

Without a cover, the body has nothing to wick moisture away, and the skin ends up clammy rather than cool.

The study also highlighted what that lightweight cover should be made of. One hundred percent cotton. 

Not a polyester blend, not silk, not bamboo, not a synthetic summer throw, but pure breathable 100% cotton. 

It is the fabric that has kept people cool in hot climates for centuries, and there is a reason it has never been bettered.

 Why sleep matters more than ever

In 2026, wellbeing is not just about what you eat or how much you move. It is about how well you sleep. And with warmer nights on the rise, especially during heatwaves, sleep quality is suffering. Sleep experts agree that the ideal temperature for deep, uninterrupted sleep is around 18°C, and anyone who has tried to sleep through a heatwave in a British bedroom knows just how far from that figure the reality can be.

Part of the problem is that British homes are built to hold heat in. Thick walls, double glazing, insulation in the loft. All wonderful from October to April, and a real problem in late July. Bedrooms upstairs become the warmest room in the house, and by the time you go to bed the walls themselves are radiating warmth back at you. Add a synthetic duvet cover, a memory foam pillow, and pyjamas made from anything other than natural fibre, and you have created the perfect conditions for a sleepless night.

The good news is that small changes make an enormous difference. A few simple habits during the day, the right cover on the bed and you can transform how you sleep when the heat arrives.

A few thoughts for sleeping through a heatwave

• Sleep under a lightweight cotton cover rather than nothing at all
• Put a water bottle in the fridge before bed
• Pop socks in the freezer, as cooling your feet can help cool the whole body
• Take a warm shower before bed, so the air feels cooler when you step out
• Keep windows and curtains closed during the day, then open windows at night
• Try to eat at least two hours before bed, as digestion can warm the body up
• Use a cold flannel on the forehead to help cool down
• Place a bowl of ice in front of a fan to push cooler air around the room
• Run cold water over your wrists and inner elbows before bed, as the pulse points cool the blood
• Keep a spray bottle of cool water by the bed for a quick mist on the face and neck
• Unplug electronics in the bedroom, as even on standby they give off heat

Any one of these will help. Put a few together and you have given yourself a genuine fighting chance against the heat.

Where the Dohar comes in

This is where the Dohar quietly becomes the most useful thing you can have on your bed all summer. Originally used by Maharajahs during India's monsoon season, a Dohar is a lightweight, triple layered blanket crafted from ultra soft mul mul cotton. Unlike a duvet, its clever construction traps cool air between the layers to regulate body temperature, helping prevent overheating, tossing, and disturbed sleep. It is the answer to the question of what to sleep under when a duvet is too much and a bare sheet is not enough.

The breathable and thermoregulating properties of the Sleep Dohar work with your body's natural rhythms to help maintain that optimal sleeping temperature all night long, even during a heatwave. The triple-layer voile traps cool air and allows heat to escape, reducing night sweats and overheating. The mul mul cotton is naturally hypoallergenic, gentle, breathable, and ideal for sensitive skin or allergy sufferers. And it is wonderfully layerable too, a perfect summer duvet alternative, or a breathable extra layer when the temperature dips.

Every Sleep Dohar at Shades of Cool London is hand block printed in Jaipur using the same techniques that have been passed down through generations, with azo free dyes and compostable packaging. Every purchase supports the Pink Rickshaw Company in Jaipur, providing jobs for women in low income households. Craft meets consciousness, in every sense.

The practical side is just as compelling. A Dohar is wonderfully easy to wash. It goes in the machine on a gentle cycle, no special care required. It hangs out on the line and dries extraordinarily quickly, often within an hour or two on a warm day, which means you can wash it in the morning and have it back on the bed by the afternoon. There is no bulky duvet to wrestle into a cover, no thick blanket that takes three days to dry. It folds down small enough to live at the end of the bed or slip into a cupboard when not in use, and it travels beautifully too. Plenty of customers tell us their Dohar comes with them on holiday, on long flights, on weekends away.

And then there is how it feels. The mul mul cotton softens with every wash, becoming more and more like a favourite worn in shirt. It is light against the skin, never scratchy, never heavy, never warm in the wrong way. On a tropical British night, it is the difference between lying awake and actually sleeping.

Shades of Cool London is one of the only UK brands designing and producing authentic Dohars, blending traditional Indian craftsmanship with modern wellness values. We also do Baby Dohars. If the heat is coming this week and you cannot get one in time, save these tips for the next stretch. There will be another one. And when it comes, you will know exactly what to put on the bed.