John Ryan By Design

12/10/2026

Can you really catch up on lost sleep? 😴 Swipe to find out 👉

Need 8 hours but only getting 6.5? By Friday, you're 7.5 hours down, and one Saturday lie-in barely touches it.

The bit that surprised us most: people who kept to six hours a night for two weeks became as impaired as going up to two nights without sleep, yet they said they only felt a little sleepy 🤯

Our favourite fixes are wonderfully boring:
⏰ Same wake-up time every day
🛏️ Bed 15 to 30 minutes earlier
💤 Naps of 10 to 30 minutes, done by mid-afternoon
☕ Coffee off by early afternoon

Still tired after 8 hours? Your mattress might be adding to the debt.

📖 https://buff.ly/MYf2KWY
📞 Or call our small team on 0161 437 4419

Save this for your next Sunday night struggle 📌

08/10/2026

🛏️ Would you buy a car without knowing what's under the bonnet?

Most mattresses are sold on looks and a quick bounce, and then dip within a few years. Here's what we'd check before spending a penny, from the people who make them by hand 👇

🔍 Ask what's inside, layer by layer, in GSM
🐑 Choose natural fibres over polyester
🔄 Pick a two-sided mattress you can turn
🧵 Look for hand side stitching
✋ Make sure it's hand tufted
🏠 60 Day Love it or Return it Guarantee
🛡️ Protect it from day one (Cotton protector, king size £55)

Save this for your next mattress shop and take the "ask the shop" questions with you 📌

Some of our customers are still sleeping on their Artisan mattresses after 16 years. Our Artisan Naturals is king size £2,180, and the Origins Naturals Comfort is king size £1,300, both handmade here in the UK. Questions? Drop us a DM or call our small, friendly team on 0161 437 4419 📞

https://buff.ly/rZTvC4e

30/09/2026

🍂 Is your bedroom ready for autumn?

The nights are drawing in, and the heating's creeping on. Here are the seven jobs we'd do this week to keep your sleep on track through the colder months 👇

🔄 Turn and rotate your mattress
🐑 Swap to a Wool duvet (king size £240 lightweight, £285 mediumweight)
🌡️ Keep the bedroom around 16 to 18°C
🪟 Air the room and the bed every morning (Cotton protector, king size £55)
⏰ Keep a steady bedtime and wake-up time
🧦 Warm your feet
🕯️ Dim the lights earlier

Save this for the weekend and send it to whoever hogs the duvet 😉

Still waking up clammy or achy once that's all done? Have a look at our Origins Naturals Comfort (king size £1,300), handmade here in the UK.

Questions? Drop us a DM or call our small friendly team on 0161 437 4419 📞 Link in bio 💛

19/09/2026

🛏️ "Chemical free mattress." It sounds reassuring, doesn't it?

Here's the problem. No adult mattress sold legally in the UK is entirely free of chemistry, because fire safety law requires it. The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 mean every mattress needs fire retardancy in its fillings, and BS 7177 governs the finished build.

So when a brand calls a mattress "chemical free", there is no legal definition sitting behind that phrase. It means whatever the marketing department wants it to mean.

What you can actually control is how much chemistry is in there, and where it sits 👇

🔹 Whether the mattress contains polyurethane foam
🔹 Whether the fire retardancy is synthetic or plant based
🔹 Whether the layers are glued together or hand tufted

Our new guide walks through all of it, including the October 2025 rule change that took baby and children's mattresses out of the fire regulations entirely, because the regulator judged chemical exposure to be the bigger risk for that age group.

Read it here 👉 https://buff.ly/DLCT6X2

Chemical free and non toxic are unregulated mattress claims. A UK maker explains what fire law actually requires, where the chemicals sit and how to check.

11/07/2026

Summer is when a lot of our customers are furnishing a spare room, a student let, or a smaller second bedroom, and the question we get asked most often at this time of year is whether a small double is actually big enough for an adult to sleep on comfortably. It is a fair question, and the honest answer depends on who is using the room and how often.

For comparison, our Artisan Naturals is £2,180 in king size, which shows the range available once you move up from a small double into something more substantial for a main bedroom.

A few things worth thinking through before you buy for a spare or second room:

📐 A small double suits a single adult sleeper well, but two adults sharing regularly will usually find it tight for long term comfort

🎓 For a student room or occasional guest use, a small double is often the sensible, space efficient choice

🛋️ If the room could eventually become a main bedroom, it is worth measuring for a full double or king size now rather than buying twice

🧹 Consider how the mattress will be used day to day too. A firmer feel tends to suit multi purpose rooms doubling as a study or sitting space

We have written an honest guide covering exactly who a small double suits and who should stretch to something larger.

Is a small double mattress right for you? Discover the ideal mattress size for your space, comfort, and sleep quality with John Ryan By Design’s expert guide.

08/07/2026

Waking up overheated in the middle of the night is one of the most common problems we hear about once the weather turns warm, and it is almost always down to what the mattress is made from rather than how thin your duvet is. Foam traps heat close to the body all night. Wool and Cotton allow air to move through and moisture to escape, which is why a natural fibre mattress sleeps noticeably cooler.

Our Origins Natural Comfort is £1,300 in king size and is one of the mattresses we recommend most often to customers who have struggled through summer nights on a foam mattress.

Here is what actually causes overheating, and what helps:

🔥 Foam mattresses retain body heat because the dense structure does not allow air to circulate underneath you

💧 Wool naturally wicks moisture away from the skin, which is why it has been used in bedding for centuries, long before synthetic fillings existed

🌬️ A breathable Cotton cover on top of natural fillings lets heat escape rather than building up through the night

🧊 Layering matters too. A lighter tog duvet paired with a cooler mattress will solve the problem far more effectively than the duvet alone

We have gone into the full explanation, along with practical fixes, in our guide below.

https://buff.ly/6tPf168

Overheating at night? Discover why your mattress feels too hot and how natural fibre mattresses from John Ryan By Design can keep you cool and comfortable.

07/07/2026

A tired mattress does not always need replacing. Before you commit to anything new, it is worth checking whether the base mattress itself is still doing its job properly. If it is, a topper is often all it takes to bring the comfort back for spring, without the cost or hassle of a full replacement.

Our Hotel Quality Dual Layer Topper is £145 in king size and sits directly on top of any supportive mattress to restore that fresh, springy feel. It works particularly well on a mattress that has simply lost its surface comfort but still has good support underneath.

For reference, our Origins 1500 mattress is £1,050 in king size, and pairing a sound base like this with a good topper will comfortably outlast a cheap replacement mattress bought on impulse.

A quick spring check before you decide what your bedroom actually needs:

🛏️ Press firmly on the mattress surface. If it springs back within a few seconds, the base is sound and a topper will likely solve the comfort issue

📏 Check for visible dips or body impressions over 2.5cm deep. This suggests the base itself has broken down and a topper alone will not fix it

🌡️ Think about how you have been sleeping through winter. If you have been waking stiff or achy, the fix may be firmness rather than softness

🧵 Choose a topper by material. Mulberry Silk suits those who run warm, while a Hotel Quality Dual Layer works well for most sleepers wanting a general refresh

We have written a full guide on choosing the right topper for your budget and sleeping position, covering every option in detail.

https://buff.ly/K5lMe5T

Not all mattress toppers are created equal! We explain how to pick the best mattress topper to improve your sleep and suit your bed type.

10/05/2026

Most people have never considered that how they sleep matters just as much as what they sleep on. 😴 If you’ve been waking up stiff, restless, or just not quite right, the answer could be simpler than you think. It might not be stress, it might just be your bed. 🛏️
Whether you’re a side sleeper, back sleeper, or someone who ends up in every position by morning, the wrong mattress tension can cause real problems over time. 😭💤👎

We’ve put together a full guide covering exactly what to look for based on your sleeping position, so you can stop guessing and actually wake up feeling rested. ✨

Read the full guide: https://johnryanbydesign.co.uk/understanding-beds/best-mattress-for-each-sleeping-position/

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Regardless of how you sleep, a mattress which doesn't suit your sleeping position is likely to cause problems. Discover the best mattress for your position.

06/05/2026

Simba is everywhere. The ads are on the telly, the discount codes are in every podcast, and the reviews look impressive. But strip away the marketing budget and what are you actually buying? 🔍

Our honest 2026 review gets into the detail.

Read the full review: https://johnryanbydesign.co.uk/understanding-beds/are-simba-mattresses-any-good-an-honest-2026-review/

Simba is the UK's most recognised mattress brand but there is a lot buyers should know before spending up to £1,299. Our honest review covers construction, the CMA pricing investigation, one-sided limitations, and handmade alternatives at every price point.