The Importance of Bed Sheets to a Good Night's Sleep

Like pillows, sheets are especially overlooked when considering factors that contribute to a good nights sleep. But they are very important, they are your night “jacket”, providing warmth, insulation and comfort.

Bed sheets come in two main types: fitted or flat.

The fitted sheet, which lies directly on the mattress has four corners sewn with elastic, to hold the sheet on the bed.

A flat sheet (also called a top sheet) generally goes on the top of the fitted and is simply a piece of cloth with a hem.

The quality of a sheet is marking by its thread count- the number of threads per square inch of material, with the higher the count the softer the sheet. 200 plus is recommended.

Sheets also come in a variety of fabrics

Cotton Sheets

There are many different types of cotton, varying in quality, measured by the length of their staple (the longer the staple, the higher quality the cotton).

The best cotton type has to be Egyptian. Egyptian cotton is obviously produced in Egypt, grown on the Nile river valley.

High thread count Egyptian cotton sheets are a luxury everyone should experience if possible. They are silky soft, breathable and durable, making for a heavenly nights sleep. Cotton sheets tend to crease a lot when washing and can be a real battle to iron.

I get around this by putting them on the bed straight of the clothesline or out of the drier. Stretching them over the bed like this flattens them out in no time.

Flannel Sheets

While I am a great lover or Egyptian cotton in the summer, there’s nothing better then crawling into bed on a cold wintery night between soft, fluffy and luxuriously warm flannel sheets.

I use the same down duvet all year round and just switch to flannel sheets in the winter- shows how warm they are! Most high-quality flannel sheets are made from a wool and cotton blend.

The wool provides warmth and the cotton that ultra soft fluffy feeling. While flannel sheets are very warm, they are often not very breathable. People who find this a problem and better to go for the higher quality cotton with a warmer winter duvet.

Satin Sheets

I’m not a fan myself, but some people love the silky feel of satin or sateen sheets. They are great in the summer as are always nice and cool.

They also breathe very well and are very light, so you feel as though you are sleeping with nothing on you. Some people find sateen a bit scratchy and slippery, so once again, be sure to buy the highest thread count you can afford. Sateen sheets also have a beautiful sheen, so look great.

Be sure to buy sheets the right size for your bed, as there is nothing worse then the "creeping sheet", working its way off the bed in the middle of the night.

So that’s an overview of the main types of sheets. They are, of course, personal preference, but remember we spend just under half our life in bed, so be sure you’re comfortable!

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