Getting a great night’s sleep is what everybody wants and few people get every night. For many, many people I have found that a core reason is they didn’t put as much energy into selecting the pillows, sheets and covers as they did selecting the mattress. The mattress gets all the notoriety for sure, but, these other components are what make your mattress perform for you.

In the last few years, the world of bedding has taken on a lot of new “technology” and capabilities in manufacturing. If you currently are finding yourself not waking up refreshed, if you get hot or have aches in the morning, any of these new developments could make all the difference between the sleep you are getting and the sleep you wish you had.

We’re always here for you to come by to touch and feel these different concepts to fully understand how your personal needs can be met best and what feels best. Hopefully this guide is helpful.

Pillows – A Game Changer

Finding your perfect pillow has become far more possible. When you consider the obvious 3 ways people sleep – back, sides or stomach – you’d think this would be a straightforward selection process. Sophisticated engineering has tailored today’s pillows for different sleep styles with different approaches to firmness, temperature, materials and allergenic needs.

Firm mattresses require thinner pillows, but cushy mattresses don’t. For side sleepers, there are pillows with cut-ins to cushion your head right smack in the middle of the pillow. For allergy sensitivities, activated charcoal pillows are allergen-reducing.

Look at what is inside pillows now. No longer medium foam or down. All kinds of foams, gels, shredded gels, and shredded latex as base materials and can be combined with sleep-enhancing treatments:

• Lavender, peppermint or chamomile herbal sleep enhancements
• Activated charcoal or carbon to regulate moisture, odor and temperature
• CBD to manage restlessness, pain and stress
• Copper ions infused into the covering.

What is the benefit of copper ions? When bonded with textiles, copper naturally eliminates or repels harmful microbes and bacteria.

Do you sleep “hot”?  Ventilated pillows have pencil-width holes in precise locations to pull heat away from your head.  Some pillows add a coating and reduce the heat at your head by an additional 10 degrees!

This only scratches the surface of possibilities. The right pillow, where you head spends every night, is a game changer.

Sheets – The Difference They Make

Percale, sateen, supima, thread count. Here’s how they influence your nightly sleep.

Thread count is not particularly good for measuring sheet quality. It’s a partial description since it can be counted. Threads are spun into yarn before they are woven, so whether there are 10 or 50 threads to a strand of yarn may make for a completely different texture and feel in the sheet, both of which could be great.

Here is the key. Sheets with longer fibers create stronger, more long-lasting sheets without rough patches and pilling. In the range of cottons, Pima, Supima and Egyptian cottons (from Peru, the Western U.S. and Egypt respectively) all have long fibers which can lead to high quality. Supima is generally softer and Egyptian cotton sheets are generally lighter. Both are very good quality when labeled 100%.

For eco-friendly options, Tencel™ (made from botanical fibers) is our favorite. It is heavier, feels like silk and pulls heat away.  Rayon sheets made from bamboo have a great texture and a silky quality while providing very strong breathability and temperature regulation.

Brushed microfiber is a synthetic option that provides a very soft finish, wrinkle resistance and allergen-proof performance.

Finally, the weave is a big personal consideration. Percale is a plain weave used by most 5 star hotels. It sleeps cooler, feels crisp against your skin and is great for durability. Sateen is a weave with more vertical threads than horizontal that creates a satin-like finish for a smooth lustrous feel.

There are many great choices in sheets.  Consider buying several to test and see which give you the best comfort.

Mattress Protectors – Be Sure It’s Breathable

Immediately beneath your sheets and the mattress or pillow, you want temperature management, moisture control, allergen protection, and breathability. When you sleep, your body generates heat and moisture. Managing it to be away from your body produces greater sleep.

Copper ions are often infused into these coverings in better mattress protectors.

Choosing the right materials to dissipate the heat and manage the moisture can make all the difference in your sleep, from summer through winter.

The Easiest Way to Improve Your Existing Mattress

Do you wake up with a stiff back?  It is so easy to modify your existing mattress with Toppers!.

You can insert a specially designed topper between your mattress and your protector. Memory foam or down, cooling, infused with copper ions, or infused with CBD, this topper can provide you with a spa-like experience at home, in your own bed every night.