Bed linens enhance the décor in our bedrooms and help us to sleep more comfortably. Whether you enjoy the decadent luxury of 1,500 thread count Egyptian cotton or the natural softness of bamboo, bed linens impact your daily life. Getting a good night's sleep is an important part of being healthy and productive. Learn a few facts about bed linens that may help you enjoy a restful night's sleep.
Types
Types of bed linens include sheet sets, comforters, duvet covers, quilts, blankets, bedspreads and pillow shams. You can find bedding ensembles that include matching sheets, shams and bed cover or purchase linens separately as needed.
Thread Count
Thread count relating to bed linens refers to the number of threads used to make one inch of woven fabric. Higher thread counts translate into softer fabric. You will also notice that higher thread counts generally equal more expensive bed linens. Thread counts range from 180 to 1,500 for bed sheets. You can find 180-thread-count sheet sets at discount and home stores ranging in price from $20 to $40. Prices for the higher quality, higher thread-count sheet sets range from $150 and up. Thread count is one factor to consider when selecting bed linens, but it should not be the only consideration. Comfort, design and affordability are other factors related to selecting and purchasing linens for your bed.
Fabric
Cotton is the predominant fabric used to manufacture bed linens. Egyptian cotton is considered to be one of the most luxurious fabrics available for making bed linens. Other choices include polyester, satin, silk and flannel. Polyester blends and flannel bed linens are the most economically priced, while silk, satin and Egyptian cotton can be softer, more durable and more expensive. Bamboo is one of the most recent fabrics to become available for bed linens. It's soft, naturally hypoallergenic and eco-friendly.
Design
Bed linens can be designed to coordinate with your drapes, wallpaper and bath. Textile artists create bed linen designs, and then the manufacturers translate the ideas onto the fabric. Bed linen sizing is standard based on mattress sizes. Some sheets have deep pockets to fit pillow top or thicker mattresses. Duvet covers are designed to fit over a comforter and may be easily changed to fit the design of your room, while bedspreads and printed comforters are not as inexpensively changed.
Hypoallergenic Bed Linens
Dust mites and other allergens live in the fabric of your bed linens. Certain types of organic bed linens like silk and bamboo are naturally hypoallergenic but you can also purchase dust mite covers to protect against dust mites, and synthetic down comforters rather than authentic feather down and wool blends to prevent moisture and the growth of mole spores. Popular brands of hypoallergenic bed linens include Primaloft, Hyperclean and Alpaca. You can find these and other brands at online retailers and in local linen stores.
