You are probably aware that a good night’s sleep is vital for your well-being. Getting the recommended seven to nine hours of sleep per night can help improve your productivity and concentration, maximize your athletic performance, regulate your appetite, and help you keep healthy body weight. Moreover, it can decrease your risk of stroke and heart disease, improve your immune system, and lower depression levels.
However, if you’re not satisfied with the quality of sleep you are currently getting, it’s time to look into various factors that might be affecting it. For instance, perhaps certain things you do before bed are detrimental to your sleep. Eating too close to your bedtime, consuming caffeine and nicotine too late in the evening, having the bedroom temperature too high, and using technology in bed are all considered bad sleeping habits. Then, you might have to change your mattress. If it’s older than eight years, you should probably get a new one. More affordable alternatives include getting a mattress topper or some new bed sheets.
In case you’ve noticed that the bed sheets you currently have are not that comfy, upgrade them. Getting new sheets will make crawling into your bed at the end of the day much more pleasant and you could fall asleep in a matter of minutes. But how do you choose the right ones with such a wide array of options? Don’t fret – if you’ve decided to get new bed sheets in order to try to improve your sleep quality, here is a guide that will help you pick the right ones. Take a look.
Choose the right material
When you start your search for the perfect bed sheets, you want to look into the materials and read the fibre content first. For example, 100% cotton is always an exceptional choice as it is both soft and very affordable. Moreover, cotton is very breathable and easy to clean. However, it’s important to note that regular cotton is often full of harmful chemicals, which is why going for organic cotton sheets is a much healthier and eco-friendlier choice. Plus, this material gets softer with time.
For even softer sheets, you can opt for extra-long staples (ELS) cotton such as Pima or Egyptian. If you have a bigger budget and want a luxurious feel, this might be the right option.
Another material that is better suited to those with a bigger budget is silk. It is soft and breathable as well as hypoallergenic. Compared to cotton, it is lighter and more durable but also more high-maintenance. If you want some shine and shimmer in your bed, consider silk. However, get a set with a higher momme count as that means that the weave is more durable and fabric suitable for heavy-duty use.
If you get cold during the winter, consider flannel. Made of cotton, wool, and other synthetic materials, it’s a popular choice when looking for a material that will trap body heat. Flannel is also quite affordable. Instead of focusing on threat count, look into ounces per square yard when purchasing it.
You can also go with linen as it can help you feel comfortable during the summer with its cool and absorbent nature that will draw moisture away from your body. It comes with excellent durability and looks better after every wash. As the fibres are thicker here, linen has a lower thread count than cotton, for example.
On the other hand, if you’re sometimes too hot and sometimes too cold, think about bamboo sheets as they have heat-regulating properties that wick moisture away from your body and prevent sweating and shivering during the night. They are also very soft, durable, and hypoallergenic.
As some of these options can be a bit pricier, you can also look into the cotton/polyester blends which are inexpensive, less prone to wrinkling, and pretty durable when compared to some other alternatives. However, it is not as breathable and anything with less than a 180 thread count will not survive pulling.
If you visit a local store, you should be able to find all the information you need on the label. However, when purchasing online, the information might not be readily available so don’t hesitate to contact the seller to see what you can expect. What is more, keep in mind that there have been cases of mislabeling cotton as Egyptian so make sure you do business with reputable companies.
Pick a type of weave
Just like there are different materials you can opt for, there are also different types of weaves. They play a big role in how soft and comfortable the bed sheets are and how they look. Two types of weaves are most commonly used when making sheets: percale and sateen. It’s important to remember that no weave is superior – it all depends on your taste. Find them on display and touch to see which one you’d prefer to sleep on.
Percale is more of a casual option that comes with a no-sheen finish. While it gives a crisp feel to the sheets, it is also more susceptible to wrinkles. Percale feels fresh and cool against your skin.
Then, sateen is a weave with a subtle sheen on top that gives it a bit of elegance while the reverse side has a plain finish. As it has more vertical than horizontal threads, this unique pattern is more wrinkle-resistant.
Don’t focus only on the thread count
While we have long been taught to get the sheets with the highest possible thread count, it is not all that matters. There are now manufacturing techniques that allow companies to make sheets with a high thread count without actually improving the quality. Many people agree that the range between 300 and 500 is just right when it comes to strength and softness. Moreover, you can even find 200-thread-count sheets that will suit you. On the other hand, unless you find a great deal, there is no need to go over 500 as that might not improve your sleeping experience much.
Measure the fit before purchasing
Another thing that you have to pay attention to before purchasing bed sheets is their size and fit. Check the label to see what kind of mattress the linen is made of. Whether you have a twin-, queen-, or king-sized mattress, you also want to account for mattress height. Furthermore, if you use a topper, you should definitely measure everything to make sure the size fits. Lastly, remember that some shrinkage after washing might happen.
Think about the aesthetics
Of course, you cannot neglect the aesthetic of the sheets you are buying. Fortunately, they come in many styles and designs. No matter if you want to keep your all-white bedroom or add some patterns to it, a lack of options is not a problem. As a matter of fact, you might have trouble deciding with so many great choices. Something else you can think about is getting some seasonal sheets. This will give you the chance to change the sheets according to the occasion. For instance, Christmas- or summer-themed sheets can add more character to your bedroom.
Check the return policy
Something else to keep an eye out for is the brand’s return policy. No matter how much time you take to touch and explore every single option, you will not know whether you like sleeping on the bedsheets until you give them a proper try. With that in mind, you can also find companies that let you return the product for a few months after the purchase, regardless of the reason. Many brands that are available only online have adopted this practice.
Learn to care for them properly
Finally, once you’re sure that the bed sheets you’ve chosen fit your mattress properly, go nicely with the rest of your bedroom, and feel pleasant on your skin, you want to ensure they last you a long time. For that to happen, properly taking care of the sheets is of the essence. However, as different types have different maintenance requirements, you want to take this into consideration as well before you make your purchase.
For example, polyester/cotton blends are a great choice if you want sheets that are easy to care for and require minimal fuss. On the other hand, if you’re willing to put in some extra effort into taking care of your sheets by hand-washing them and letting them air dry, silk and cotton might be what you need.
Moreover, while all bed sheets come with instructions that you should follow, it’s a recommended practice to avoid washing them in hot water and drying them in high heat, as that causes threads to break. Plus, while using softeners seems logical as it should make your sheets even cozier, it can actually damage the fabric and wear it out faster.
Getting the right sheets is often not as easy as it sounds. There are a few factors that you want to take into account such as the material, thread count, weaves, fit, required care, and looks. Use this information to ensure you get the best sheets that will help you improve the quality of your sleep.
