Bedding – pillows, toppers quilts etc

It is important, not just to buy the right bed and mattress, but also to complement these with good bedding accessories.

Pillows

After the mattress and bed frame, pillows are the next most important bedding item. bedding They support the head and neck and act with the mattress to keep the spine’s double S shape maintained.

Pillows should be considered as a critical part of bed furniture, and cheap and overly soft pillows should be avoided.

Today, Latex and memory foam pillows compete with traditional feather and standard foam pillows. Most consider the former to offer superior orthopedic support. Few experts regard feather pillows as good head and neck supporting bedding.

Latex foam pillows are spongy and bouncy and memory foam pillows can be purchased with a head support profile built into them. This is designed to offer maximum support benefits to the head, neck and upper back.

Also, see the index at the top of the page for more information about pillows.

Quilts

A quilt regulates the body's temperature during sleep. As the body becomes inactive the body temperature drops. The job of a quilt is to maintain a comfortable body temperature that induces and supports sleep. Many people alternate between summer and winter quilts to aid this requirement.

Quilts also have advantages over blankets. Many quilts offer superior hypo allergenic properties and can be treated to prevent mould and dust mites.

The density of a good quilt can be adjusted and regulated by shaking it to move the insulating material into different sectors of the quilt. This allows a heavy quilt to sleep cooler or warmer at different times of year.

Quilts are usually bought with a Tog rating. This determines the thermal qualities of the quilt.

Sheets and blankets

These are the old fashioned alternatives to quilts. They are not regarded as enabling the body to breath, or the air to circulate around them, as effectively and as efficiently as a quilt.