To say things feel tense globally right now would be quite an understatement, but nothing seems to unite people quite like sports—especially cheering on their country at the Olympic Games. Perhaps it’s fortuitous timing that the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics and Paralympics is running from February 6 to 22, where athletes from around the world will compete for a chance to land a spot on the podium.
It’s absolutely critical for athletes to get the highest-quality sleep to recover and perform at their best. After all, years of training are on the line for one opportunity to engrave their names in history books.
The problem is that creating an optimal sleep environment in an unfamiliar setting is always a risk—from time changes to contend with to a mattress that may be either too firm or too soft, or pillows you don’t take to. Plus, athletes are spread out across three main hotels in two cities, sharing rooms with teammates.
For athletes in the Olympic Village, their sleep space is an especially high-stakes situation. Airweave, the brand behind the infamous cardboard beds used in the Paris and Tokyo Olympic Games, is listed as an official supporter of Milano Cortina—we've reached out to several athletes to confirm whether they are indeed sleeping on these cardboard beds again in the Milano Cortina Olympic Village.
Saatva will be providing all mattresses for the LA 2028 Summer Olympic Games, but as a soft launch, it’s stepping forward to provide Team USA Winter Olympics athletes with 400 graphite memory foam toppers. In addition to the mattress topper, athletes on Team USA Hockey and USA Figure Skating have received a specially curated Winter Olympics sleep accessories bundle. If you’ve ever been curious about what it’s like for Olympic athletes in the athletes’ village in terms of accommodations, this is the next best thing. Especially if you’re like me and aren't attending the Games in person.
I’m a former D2 collegiate volleyball player, a certified sleep science coach, and a professional mattress tester. Here are my thoughts on each item, its best use case, and whether it’s worth using in your own home.
A Cooling Mattress Topper
Photograph: Julia Forbes
Saatva
Graphite Memory Foam Mattress Topper
Mattress toppers add an extra layer to the top of your mattress, ultimately altering its firmness level to be softer or firmer for more support. I’d argue this is the most important part of the bundle for athletes, as everyone’s mattress preference varies greatly based on factors like sleeping position and build. A standard hotel mattress won’t provide that level of customization from athlete to athlete, but a mattress topper can help them get closer to it.
Saatva’s graphite memory foam topper is 3 inches thick and infused with graphite to help regulate temperature. It doesn’t feel cool to the touch, but it pairs well with Saatva's organic sateen sheet set and remains relatively breathable. That said, if you deal with frequent night sweats, you may get a little toasty with the topper, given its memory foam. Even with the graphite infusion, it still retains some heat. There are elastic bands on each corner to help it adhere more snugly to the mattress, but I did experience some shifting because I am constantly moving around. While athletes are hopefully sleeping like rocks, especially after a performance, pre-competition anxiety can cause tossing and turning. US athletes, if you’re reading this, make sure those bands are really snug on the corners of your bed.
The topper is meant to help with pressure relief—and it does—but it actually felt firmer when I tested it alongside a softer mattress. This is a good thing in my book, as it helps keep the lumbar zone lifted, as back pain is the last thing you’ll want to deal with while your body recovers.
Breathable Sheets
Courtesy of Saatva
Saatva
Organic Sateen Sheet Set
Saatva’s Organic Sateen Sheet Set uses a 300-thread-count sateen weave with 100 percent Global Organic Textile Standard–certified cotton. Right away, seeing this certification is a good thing, because cotton can harbor a lot of pesticides and chemicals from farming and production. The good news about cotton is that it is very breathable, which athletes usually want after super-sweaty, grueling workouts.
Cotton has a slightly more rigid feel. While these sheets don’t feel as starched or crisp as a cooling percale weave, they’re not as silky-soft as bamboo or eucalyptus. However, the 300-thread count is meant to balance airflow with a more luxurious feel—the last thing you want is to feel like you’re enveloped in a sheet of tissue paper.
A Waterproof Mattress Pad
Photograph: Julia Forbes
Saatva
Signature Mattress Pad
Mattress pads are similar to mattress protectors in that they ensure there’s a barrier between you and the bed. For those who run hot or even enjoy a protein shake in bed, mattress pads buffer accidental spills or fluids from infiltrating your mattress, reducing the need for mattress cleanup. Saatva’s Signature Mattress Pad is waterproof, adding some extra security and peace of mind.
This mattress pad offers a bit of cushion with a quilted surface, but not nearly as much as the mattress topper. It’s meant to be more of a deluxe mattress protector than anything. But for athletes competing who may find their mattress agreeable but want some extra padding, they could easily forgo the topper and use the pad instead. Otherwise, you can throw it on top of the mattress topper, but that is a bit too much cushion for me and can stretch the elastic sides, depending on your mattress’s height.
A Soft Pillow
Photograph: Julia Forbes
Saatva
Latex Pillow
Hotel pillows always seem to be either too soft or too firm. The Saatva latex pillows included with this bundle are meant to be a good middle ground. I found that the standard-loft option is very mushy, which isn’t a bad thing, but you have to know yourself as a sleeper to decide if it’s the best for you. If you prefer a higher loft because you sleep on your side, have broader shoulders, or want to preserve cervical alignment, a higher-loft option is available (about 6 to 7 inches). As for the standard loft (4 to 5 inches), I am a combination sleeper who adores a flatter, more malleable pillow that can adapt to me, whether I sleep on my side, stomach, or back.
The soft, “mushy” feel comes from the shredded latex core, surrounded by an organic cotton cover and microdenier fibers that mimic down feathers. Latex is a hypoallergenic, bouncy material that helps with pressure relief and is heat-resistant. All these qualities were present with these pillows, but if you are a truly firm pillow person, you’re not going to have a good time with these pillows.
Final Score
Altogether, the Winter Sleep Accessories bundle runs $940 for queen-size items, including two pillows, the mattress topper, the mattress pad, and the sheet set. You'll have to purchase all the bundle items individually, but I actually prefer this approach. Sleep is so deeply personal and, frankly, an investment. The mattress topper works well if you need to get more support from your bed but aren’t ready to replace it altogether. Pillows wear out more quickly than you think, and I thought these latex ones in the bundle were good for stomach and combination sleepers if they don't mind soft. I’m always a proponent of a mattress protector, but I think you could skip the mattress pad in this case—unless you are indeed a fan of them already. Lastly, the sheets are solid and are available with the alternative bestsellers bundle (pillow, sheets, mattress pad) if that’s more up your alley.
I’ll be tuning in to watch the Games here shortly and will report back with more on what Saatva’s up to in preparation for LA28. In the meantime, go Team USA, and here’s to all of us, near and far, sleeping better.
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