A Little About Quality Bedding
In this day and age, it can be difficult to find quality bedding. There are many cheap manufacturers out there who produce sub-par bedding. This site will help you determine what quality bedding actually is, and how you can distinguish between quality and non quality bedding yourself.
Rule #1 Thread count counts!
The thread count is vitally important to the quality. It has a drastic effect on both the feel of the sheets themselves, as well as their durability in the long run. Typically lower quality sheets have less than 200 thread count. You will be able to notice this right off the bat because the sheets themselves will feel rougher, more like a burlap bag.
Rule #2 Get quality bedding without the pricetag.
Quality bedding doesn't have to be overly pricey. For instance, you can buy the cheapest duvet you can find (make sure its higher than 10 tog if you get cold at night) and put a silk duvet cover on it. Then, combine that with 200-300 threadcount sheets and all of a sudden, you have a luxury bedding ensemble!
Rule #3 Its all in the eye of the beholder.
The definition of what quality bedding is changes depending who is doing the sleeping. Someone from north Africa for example, might feel more comfortable in Moroccan style bedding, while a 3rd grader might want only purple bedding sets. In these cases, the thread count and comfort may not be as important. For a guest bedroom at the beach, someone may choose something that is aesthetically pleasing, rather than comfortable (although those two can go hand in hand) such as lime green bedding.
Rule #4 Dyes and Danger.
Some people are sensitive to the dyes that manufacturers use in colored sheets. The side effects can be as severe as asthma, hives, and migrains. It is important, particularly when purchasing things like black and red bedding sets that you wash them in warm water to get rid of the dyes still present from the factory.
Rule #5 Know your materials.
Egyptian cotton has a much softer feel than cotton from elsewhere. Silk also comes in differing grades of quality and feel. Moroccan style bedding consists of linens. Flannel and goose down is for the cold, linens and cotton are typically for hotter climates. Duvets can be made with cotton, linen, you can even have a goose down duvet if your allergies can handle it.
The Importance of a Good Night's Sleep
It is vitally important to your health and well being to get a good night's sleep. No, this doesn't mean getting your 6 hours in, this mean 8-10 hours of restful, peaceful, and comfortable sleeping. Sleeping on quality bedding is essential here because it is the peice of the puzzle that will help you the most. Its effect on the quality of sleep is very subtle.
After a long day your body will be able to tell the difference between say that 140 thread count tropical bedding set, and the 450 thread count luxury bedding collection. Its literally the difference between waking up the next day feeling rested, or waking up and feeling more tired.
There have been numerous studies that have shown that getting enough restful hours of sleep not only is good for your health, but improves your mood and athletic performance. You have to take care of your body, you are your own racehorse.