In conversation with SME Today, Catherine shares how a deeply personal parenting challenge became the foundation for Hygge Sheets, a fast-growing international brand supporting families navigating nighttime accidents. What started as a search for better solutions at home quickly uncovered a widespread but often unspoken issue affecting millions. Through honest dialogue, instinct and a commitment to helping others, Catherine has not only built a successful business but is also playing a key role in changing how we talk about sleep confidence and nighttime wellbeing.
- Hygge Sheets was inspired by your experiences as a parent. At what point did you realise this challenge was affecting many other families too, and could become a business opportunity?
As a parent, I became aware of how disruptive nighttime accidents can be for families. What started as an interest in finding better solutions quickly led me to see that many parents were facing the same frustrations. The more conversations I had online and at the school gates, the more I realised there was a real gap in the market for products that were practical, comfortable and genuinely made life easier.
What struck me was that almost every parent I spoke to had a story to tell. Whilst it wasn’t always something 
people talked about openly, nighttime accidents were a challenge many families were quietly dealing with behind the scenes.
That’s when I started to see the potential to build a business around solving a problem that affects millions of families.
- Many entrepreneurs talk about identifying a gap in the market, but turning that insight into a product is another challenge altogether. How did you validate demand before investing time and money into launching Hygge Sheets?
Whilst I have a background in digital marketing I did spend time researching market however with products like mattress protectors it’s actually quite difficult to know exactly what people are searching for. Some customers are simply looking to protect a mattress from everyday wear and tear, whilst others are dealing with bedwetting, potty training or incontinence. The search terms and analysis don’t always tell the full story.
What gave me confidence was the conversations I was having with parents. The same frustrations kept coming up time and time again, and my gut feeling was that the problem was far more common than people openly talked about.
Ultimately, there was an element of risk. If we’d waited until we had complete certainty, we might never have started. At some point, you have to back your instincts!
- What were the biggest hurdles you faced in moving from an idea around the kitchen table to developing a product that genuinely solved the problem better than existing alternatives?
The biggest challenge wasn’t just creating the product – it was helping to create a conversation around a topic that many people find difficult to talk about.
Of course, we spent a huge amount of time developing the product itself and have also improved it significantly over the years.
But alongside that, we quickly realised that bedwetting and nighttime accidents can be a confusing and emotional phase for parents. There is a huge amount of advice available, some of it conflicting, and many families feel like they’re dealing with it alone.
From the beginning, we’ve tried to be consistent in the information, support and education we share. We don’t see this as just a product problem to solve. It’s also about helping families feel informed, supported and comfortable talking about something that is far more common than many people realise.
Looking back, building that trust and helping to break down the stigma has been just as important as developing the product itself.
- Starting a business while raising a young family is no small undertaking. How did you balance the demands of family life with the pressures of building a new venture?
My husband Paul and I run the business together, so we’ve always approached it as a partnership. One of the biggest benefits of building our own business is that it allows us to be more present for our children, whether that’s school pickups, clubs or simply being around more.
What people don’t always see is that business doesn’t stop. We often take work with us on holidays, weekends and family days out, and there has been a lot of juggling over the years. But we’ve built something around our family rather than the other way around, and that’s been incredibly rewarding.
Our daughters have grown up around Hygge Sheets. They’ve seen samples arrive at the house, listened to conversations about new products and watched the business evolve from an idea into an international brand. As they’ve got older, we’ve included them in more conversations about what it takes to build a business, solve problems and support customers.
I think that’s been one of the unexpected benefits of the journey. They’ve had a front-row seat to the hard work, resilience and care that goes into building a business, and hopefully they’ve also seen the impact that can come from creating products that genuinely help people.
- Hygge Sheets addresses a topic that many families find difficult or even embarrassing to discuss. How important has it been to build a brand that not only sells products but also helps remove the stigma surrounding bedwetting and incontinence?
This has been incredibly important to us.
Bedwetting and incontinence are far more common than many people realise, yet many families can feel quite alone when they’re going through it. One of the things I’ve learned from speaking to parents in our community is that every story is different. What works for one child or family may not work for another, which is often why parents find themselves receiving conflicting advice.
From the beginning, we’ve wanted Hygge Sheets to be more than just a product brand. We want families and adults to feel supported, understood and reassured that they’re not alone. Whilst we share what we’ve learned through our own experiences and conversations with thousands of customers, we also believe it’s important to work alongside experts. That’s why we’ve spent time building relationships with charities, doctors, paediatricians and specialists who help us ensure the information we’re sharing is balanced, evidence-based and genuinely helpful.
If we can help families feel more confident, supported and comfortable talking about these challenges, then that’s something I’m very proud of.
- Looking back at the early days, what were some of the key decisions that helped transform Hygge Sheets from a self-funded start-up into a seven-figure international brand?
One of the biggest decisions was staying focused.
There were lots of opportunities to diversify early on, but we chose to become known for solving one problem really well before expanding further.
Another key decision was investing heavily in customer feedback. We listened closely to what customers told us and used those insights to improve both our products and the overall customer experience.
We also embraced e-commerce from day one, which allowed us to reach customers internationally far sooner than would have been possible through traditional retail alone.
- The e-commerce landscape has become increasingly competitive. What marketing channels or growth strategies have delivered the greatest return for Hygge Sheets, and how have these evolved as the business has grown?
In the early days, Amazon played a huge role in helping us reach customers quickly. It gave us access to families actively searching for solutions.
As we’ve grown, we’ve invested much more in building our own brand through social media, content, email marketing and partnerships.
What’s perhaps unusual is that we’ve never really sat down and said, “We want to build a business of this size” or set huge financial targets. Our focus has always been on helping customers, improving our products and providing support to families navigating what can often be a challenging phase.
When parents feel understood and find genuinely helpful information, they naturally build trust in your brand. That’s something we’ve focused on heavily and it’s helped us create a loyal customer base. In many ways, the growth of the business has been a by-product of putting customers first.
⭐ 8. Your business has expanded from children’s products into solutions for adults experiencing nighttime incontinence. What prompted that move, and what did you learn about entering a new customer segment?
The move into adult products came directly from our customers.
We started hearing from people caring for elderly parents, partners and relatives, as well as adults managing their own health conditions. It highlighted just how many people were facing similar challenges.
What struck us was that, much like parents navigating bedwetting with their children, many adults experiencing incontinence were quietly dealing with it behind closed doors. There can still be a lot of embarrassment and stigma attached to it, which often prevents people from talking openly or seeking support.
What we learned is that regardless of age, people want products that provide comfort, dignity and confidence. Those needs are universal, and that insight has shaped not only how we’ve developed products for adults, but also how we approach the wider conversation. We want to help make it easier for people to talk about these challenges and realise they’re not alone.
- Hygge Sheets has built partnerships with organisations such as ERIC and industry specialists. How important have collaborations and expert partnerships been in establishing trust and credibility within the market?
They’ve been incredibly valuable.
As a parent, I’ve spent years speaking with families navigating these challenges, but I also think it’s important to recognise where expert knowledge is needed. Working alongside charities, healthcare professionals and specialists helps ensure families have access to reliable information and support.
These partnerships allow us to contribute to the wider conversation while helping customers feel confident that they’re receiving trusted guidance.
- Every entrepreneur experiences setbacks and moments of doubt. Was there a particular challenge or turning point during your journey that tested your resolve, and what did you learn from it?
There have been plenty of challenges along the way. Building a business is full of highs and lows, and there are always things that don’t go quite as you expected.
Looking back, one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that progress rarely happens in a straight line. Some of our
best decisions came from things that didn’t go to plan. I’ve learned to focus less on perfection and more on listening, adapting and continuing to move forward.
One thing Paul and I often joke about is that when everything seems to be going smoothly, we know there’s probably another bump around the corner. That’s just the reality of running a business. The challenges never completely disappear, but over time you become more confident in your ability to deal with them.
Resilience becomes one of the most important skills you develop as a founder.
- As someone who built a successful business by solving a real-world problem, what advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs who believe they have identified a gap in the market but are unsure whether to take the leap?
Talk to customers before you talk to suppliers and know it’s an actual problem.
It’s easy to become excited about an idea, but the real question is whether other people care about the problem as much as you do.
I’d also say don’t wait for everything to be perfect. If we’d waited until we had all the answers, we’d never have started. Sometimes you learn more from taking the first step than from months of planning.
- Looking ahead, what is your long-term vision for Hygge Sheets, and where do you see the business, the product range, and the wider conversation around sleep confidence and nighttime wellbeing in the next five years?
Our vision is to become the most trusted brand supporting people experiencing bedwetting, incontinence and nighttime accidents at every stage of life.
We’ll continue developing thoughtful products that make life easier, but we also want to play a role in changing the conversation. In five years’ time, I’d love to see these topics discussed more openly, with less embarrassment and more understanding.
If Hygge Sheets can help people feel more confident, comfortable and supported, we’ll be achieving exactly what we set out to do.