Combat Allergies Naturally: Sleep Better with Silk Sheets in 2024

One of the most important things you can do to fight seasonal allergies is controlling your sleep environment to minimize irritation. This article explains why sleeping on hypoallergenic pure silk can help keep your allergies at bay.

 

Seasonal Allergies: Earlier and More Severe in 2024

Here in the Northeast—where our Mulberry Park Silks offices are located—we typically think of allergy season as beginning around April 1. But not this year. While some of the country has experienced unusual cold and precipitation, our relatively mild winter means that seasonal allergies are hitting early and hitting hard. Just the other day we were walking our dogs and saw flowers blooming—a sure sign that pollen is about to fill the air. Even the legendary cherry trees in Washington, DC are set to blossom earlier than usual this year.

But you need not fall victim to the daily pollen count. Along with minimizing exposure and managing symptoms, sleeping on pure, hypoallergenic silk sheets can definitely help control your seasonal allergies. Read on to learn more about seasonal allergies and how silk bedding can be part of your solution to this annual inconvenience.

What Are Seasonal Allergies?

Commonly known as “hay fever” or allergic rhinitis, seasonal allergies affect approximately 25 million Americans. They are caused by an allergic reaction to pollen (found in trees, grasses, and weeds) as well as mold spores in damp climates. 

	Time of Year	Symptoms
Tree pollen	Spring	Runny nose, nasal congestion, itchy/watery eyes, sore throat
Grass pollen	Late Spring/Summer	Runny nose, nasal congestion, itchy/watery eyes, sore throat
Weed pollen	Late Summer/Fall	Runny nose, nasal congestion, itchy/watery eyes, sore throat

Other Types of Allergy Triggers

Along with seasonal allergies, many people are susceptible to other environmental allergens like mold, dust mites, pet dander, and insects. The symptoms for these allergies tend to mimic those of seasonal allergies. Topical allergies, which result in contact dermatitis, are another concern. This is a very broad category that encompasses irritations from soap, detergent, latex, creams, deodorants, lotions, cosmetics, perfumes or fragrances.

Tips for Controlling Environmental Allergies

While only your personal physician can provide specific medical advice, allergy experts agree that there are certain steps you can take to control your environmental allergies: 

1. Minimize allergen exposure by staying inside and not opening windows (we know this is a disappointment to fresh air fans but it does help).
2. Use an air purifier in your bedroom or home.
3. Change clothing after coming in from outdoors so you’re not transferring pollen and allergens to the home. Give “outside clothes” a good wash every time you wear them.
4. Your pet can also bring pollen inside on their hair or fur, so brush/bathe them regularly and wipe their coat daily.
5. Don’t allow mold to build up in your home by keeping the humidity low, avoiding humidifiers, and moving wet laundry along promptly.
6. Treat symptoms with appropriate OTC or prescription medication as recommended by your doctor.
7. During high pollen season, shower at night to remove pollen from your hair before you lie down in bed and transfer it to your bedding.
8. Reduce allergens in your sleep environment (where you spent 1/3 of your life!) with an allergy-proof pillow and mattress protector and hypoallergenic bedding like a set of pure mulberry silk sheets from Mulberry Park Silks.

Note: You can read more about controlling allergies here, here, and here.

Silk Bedding: A Doctor's Prescription for Allergies

 

 

Making a change to your sleep environment—where you spend 1/3 of your life—can make a big impact on alleviating allergy symptoms and the asthma that can accompany them. 

“Due to [their] hypoallergenic characteristics, silk pillowcases can greatly lessen the symptoms of allergies and asthma,” says Dr. Anna Chacon, MD , a board-certified dermatologist. "In addition to being inherently hypoallergenic, silk bedding is non-irritating and includes naturally occurring amino acids, making it an excellent choice for people with allergies, asthma, eczema, and other sensitive skin disorders.”

Dr. Po-Chang Hsu, MD, medical content expert at SleepingOcean, has this to say, “Using a silk pillowcase (or silk sheets) can help people with asthma alleviate the symptoms. Asthma can be triggered by allergens, dust mites, and mold. However, silk sheets can prevent those triggers from appearing. Natural silk is breathable, which means it doesn’t allow for moisture build-up in the fabric, pillow, and mattress. And less moisture prevents bacteria growth, reducing the chances of mold or dust mite infestation. 

He went on to discuss many of the features of mulberry silk that quell allergy symptoms, “Additionally, silk is naturally repellent to dust mites. Natural silk fabrics are hypoallergenic, so they aren’t likely to cause any unpleasant reactions or aggravate the existing symptoms. Additionally, because silk is breathable and does an excellent job of wicking the excess moisture away, it’s not likely to allow for bacteria growth (that often leads to dust mites or mold, two of the most common environmental allergens). Silk is also super gentle on the skin. Therefore, it’s suited for people who often experience allergic reactions in the form of rashes, breakouts, hives, etc. “

Silk Bedding- the Ideal Choice for Allergies/Asthma

One of the most rewarding parts of our job here at Mulberry Park Silks is the privilege of educating our clients and the public about silk’s many beauty and health benefits. Along with being the ultimate luxury sleep experience, our pure mulberry silk bedding has natural properties that make it a fantastic choice for anyone with seasonal or environmental allergies.

• Hypoallergenic. Spun from the cocoon of the silkworm, pure silk is naturally hypoallergenic. It contains a nourishing protein called fibroin that protectively coats each fiber to repel all forms of allergens and irritants.

• Resists mold, mildew, and mites. The unique, protein-based structure of silk makes it naturally resistant to common allergens like mold, mildew, and dust mites (a dust mite is a microscopic organism that feeds on dead skin cells and is a common source of allergies).

• Breathable and temperature regulating. Silk is a natural fiber that is breathable and—unlike cotton sheets that absorb moisture—silk wicks away moisture to keep you comfortable and dry. Silk also regulates temperature to keep you warm in the winter and cool in summer.

• Non-irritating to skin. The soft, charmeuse weave of our silk sheets, pillowcases, duvets, and bedding is gentle and non-irritating to even the most sensitive skin. 

• Naturally moisturizing to skin and hair. Unlike cotton, which pulls moisture away from skin and hair, silk fiber is protein-based and actually helps your hair and skin retain their natural moisture. Along with preventing skin irritation, the smooth surface of our silk bedding also helps prevent tangles, frizz, and bedhead and even minimizes sleep wrinkles for a true night of beauty sleep.

Choose Mulberry Park Silks: The Finest Silk at Fair and Affordable Prices

Purchasing a set of real silk sheets for managing allergies and asthma is a great investment in your health. Here at Mulberry Park Silks, we want you to be absolutely thrilled with any bedding you buy from us. We are completely transparent about our silk and happy to share why we think it is the very best value in the market:

1. All of our silk pillowcases, bedding, and accessories are made from 100% pure mulberry silk of the highest grade, 6A. We use only genuine silk fabric, never satin or inferior blends. We’ve also taken the extra step of ensuring that our silk is certified STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® as safe from harmful substances.

2. We offer silk in a range of 19, 25, and 30 momme weights. Similar to thread count, momme is a measure of weight in silk. You can learn more about momme weight here.

3. You can customize your bed with a stylish range of color choices, sizes (even for babies and toddlers) and limited-edition patterns. We offer complete sheet sets and individual bed sheets (one popular style is using a silk fitted sheet then topping with a silk duvet cover).

4. We are proudly headquartered in Branford, CT, with an office, warehouse, and an on-call design team here to offer personal guidance and advice as you shop and answer any questions you have either by email or on the phone. (Most silk manufacturers are located offshore with limited customer service and no in-person options). We will even send you complimentary swatch samples to help you choose the perfect weight and color silk.

5. Our silk is easy to care for! In fact, you can wash our silk either by hand or in your machine on a gentle cycle. We recommend using an enzyme free detergent like Heritage Park Silk and Wool Detergent and placing your items in fine mesh laundry bags before you put them in the machine. You can check out our care guidelines here.

Sleeping on hypoallergenic silk sheets from Mulberry Park Silks can help manage the symptoms of seasonal allergies, which are set to be earlier and more severe in 2023 in some parts of the country. Doctors suggest that switching to hypoallergenic bedding like a set of silk sheets can be an important step in helping to minimize the impact of seasonal allergies and even the asthma that can result. Silk pillowcases and sheets are inherently hypoallergenic, non-irritating, and include naturally occurring amino acids, making them an excellent choice for people with allergies, asthma, eczema, and other sensitive skin disorders. Silk is also breathable, doesn’t allow for moisture build-up, and is naturally repellent to dust mites. Mulberry Park Silks offers pure silk bedding in a variety of weights, colors, and styles to help allergy sufferers sleep well and feel better.