Getting a good night’s sleep is essential for your health and vitality. You take great strides to ensure you’re doing everything you can to improve your family's sleep from limiting screen time before bed to getting some exercise into your day. But have you looked at your sheets lately? It’s easy to overlook the most important factor to a good night’s sleep. Let’s take a look at why you should update your bedding and what your options are. 

Why update bedding?

Is there anything better than sliding into bed after a long, hard day and snuggling into soft, clean sheets? It sets the tone for a restful and restorative sleep. But what if your sheets are worn, threadbare and bobbly? It’s hardly as relaxing and doesn’t help you get in the mood for a nice restful night’s sleep.

Your bedding does a lot for you. You probably spend a lot of time in between your sheets from lazy Sunday mornings to snuggling with your children. Because of the amount of use your bedding gets you also probably wash it fairly regularly.

The constant use and subsequent washing puts pressure on the fabric fibres, and over time your sheets will become:

• Threadbare (where you can see through them)
• Bobbly (where the cotton is pilled to make little bobbles)
• Torn 
• Faded 

This can make sleeping uncomfortable; no one wants to go to bed worrying they are going to rip their sheets! Updating your bedding, namely sheets, is an ideal way to give your sleep quality a little extra boost.

How often should bedding be updated?

How often your bedding needs to be updated depends on many factors:

• How often it’s in active use – you may have many sets you rotate
• How much you move when you sleep
• How much you sweat during sleep 
• How carefully you wash and dry them 
• What your sheets are made of

There is no magic formula that can determine precisely when to update your bedding, but as a general rule of thumb you should update your sheets every 2-3 years.

That might seem excessive but think of everything your sheets do for you. You wouldn’t wear your favourite shirt every other day and expect it to still perform perfectly after several years, so why would sheets be any different?

Of course, how often you need to update your bedding is mostly dictated by what type of sheets you buy and how you care for them. Updating your sheets is a big investment, so what should you look for in your new sheets?

What to look for in bedding

Your sheets are a very personal household item. It’s natural to choose a fun pattern or colour that matches your décor, but when it comes down to it, these aren’t the most important features if you want longevity and ongoing comfort. 

Material

What material you choose is critical in getting that quality night sleep you’re aiming for. When it comes to sheets material, there are 3 main options to choose from:

• Polyester
• Cotton
• Bamboo

Polyester fabric sheets:

• Are generally colourfast
• Have natural water-resistant properties
• Are long lasting

While this is fantastic for clothing, it’s not so ideal for sheets. Polyester tends to be less breathable and traps body heat throughout the night. 

Bamboo fabric sheets:

• Provide breathability 
• Are durable
• Are an eco-friendly choice

Bamboo performs similarly to cotton sheets, provided you get a sheet with a quality weave and thread count, however, they come with a much higher price tag.

Cotton fabric sheets:

• Are highly breathable
• Are durable
• Get softer with each wash

Cotton sheets, while being more affordable, also provide higher breathability due to their natural moisture wicking properties when compared to bamboo. 

Thread count

When you look at a thread count, you’re looking at the number of threads woven together in a square of fabric. 

The maximum number of threads that can be woven in a square inch is 500-600. You might see sheets advertised with a much higher thread count than this. When this happens it’s because of creative manufacturing, often using shorter threads to increase the thread count. 

Thread count is commonly used to consider how soft and comfortable a sheet will be. In reality, lots of things affect the softness including:

• Material choice – cotton often feels softer than both bamboo and polyester
• Quality and length of the threads used – shorter threads don’t feel as soft and are more likely to suffer from pilling
• The weaving method – percale and sateen for example
• The overall manufacturer’s process – how the sheets are made, and their stitching will impact on the overall quality

The ideal thread count for a good quality sheet is 180-300. 

Style 

The style of sheet you choose is going to make a big difference to the quality of sleep you achieve. Tangled flat sheets can leave you waking at night trapped with sheets wrapped around your legs and torso. 

Investing in a good quality set of fitted sheets is a decision you won't regret. Not only will you sleep better, but your bed will be easier to make in the morning too. Leaving you time for that much needed coffee before you launch into your day. 

Fit

How your bedding fits your bed is critical in achieving a good night's sleep. Sheets that are too small will pop off your mattress exposing you to your less than luxurious mattress cover. Sheets that are too big will pool and leave wrinkles and creases which are uncomfortable to lay on.

When updating your bedding, be sure that you get the right size for your mattress. If you have topper pads or an unconventional sized mattress, this could be tricky. If this is a problem you face, look at getting custom made sheets to get that perfect fit. 

Is there a sheet that ticks all the boxes?

There are a lot of options when it comes to updating your bedding, and it can quickly become overwhelming. Thankfully there is a one size fits all solution to your sheet conundrum.

Zipsheet’s range of double stitched bed sheets are the ultimate in fitted sheet convenience. Their patented design features a fitted sheet with the addition of a zipped flat sheet on top.  Made with premium 300 thread count cotton, these sheets are breathable, durable, and easy to care for. 

No more worrying about overheating at night, getting tangled in your bed sheets or how you are going to find time to make your bed in the morning. Zipsheet’s come in a range of sizes and colours so there really is a sheet to fit every member of your family, from cots to caravans. 

If it’s time to update your bedding and get that quality sleep you deserve, check out our full range of 100% cotton options. Once you try Zipsheet’s, you’ll never go back to regular sheets again.