Bedding - What to look for

Whilst the importance of a good mattress and pillows are evident, the importance of good bedding should also be recognised.

Whist the mattress and pillows give the body support, the bedding helps the body regulate its temperature by making sure that it never gets too hot or too cold.

If your mattress does not give your body adequate support during the night you will wake up in discomfort. Equally, if your bedding does not keep you warm (or if it makes you too hot) your sleep will also be disrupted.

Good bedding is essential and good bedding will cost more than lower quality bedding.

What to look for

Today most people sleep with a mattress cover sheet, a quilt, and possibly a further sheet between the quilt and the person in the bed. A pillow case or cover will also be required for each pillow.

Additional bedding items can include a throw that, whilst looking good on the bed, can also be used for extra warmth during the night (i.e. placed over the quilt on a cold evening).

Good bedding does a number of things. Naturally it keeps the body’s heat within the bed area, but it should also allow the body to breath. This means that air should be ventilated through the sheets and quilt and that any moisture or vapour (from the breath or through mild sweating) should evaporate off the body quickly and without the person feeling hot or sticky.

The parts of the bedding that come into contact with the skin, usually the sheets and pillow cases, should feel soft and smooth against the skin. Sheets that feel rough are not desirable.

Some people like cotton bedding, however other prefer a mix of synthetic and natural materials where the advantages of warmth, softness and breathability are maximised.

Quilt and duvet

The choice of quilt filling is another important consideration. There are plenty of options from duck feathers and down to synthetic foams and all have different advantages and costs.

Most feather based quilts have the facility to allow the feathers to be shaken down to the bottom of the quilt, or spread evenly throughout it. This enables as single quilt to have it s heat retention (TOG) value adjusted based on user preference and the ambient temperature.

With synthetic quilts it can be advisable to have a summer and a winter quilt - and in all cases it makes sense to have a blanket or a throw in the event that extra warmth may be required. E.g. it could be a very cold night, or your heating system may break down.

Multiple sets of bedding are also essential. You will need a minimum of two sets, but having more gives you the chance to have warm cotton sheets in the winter and cool feel breathable synthetic sheets for the warmer summers.

Bedding should be changed regularly and when it is this is the ideal opportunity to flip or (with one sided mattresses) swivel the mattress to encourage even wear.