How to Choose Comfortable Bedding for Your Sleep Style
The best type of bedding to sleep on is influenced by several subjective factors, from preferred room temperature to whether pets are allowed on the bed. To choose the most comfortable bedding for your sleep style, prioritize which of these characteristics matter to you most, then narrow down your options accordingly. Here are our expert recommendations for which bedding is best based on some of the most common comfort and sleeping preferences.
Choosing Bedding Based on Sleep Temperature
While sleep experts recommend a room temperature between 63 and 68 degrees Fahrenheit, exactly how that temperature feels can vary widely depending on the person, the season, or the bedding you choose. A number of factors influence how warm bedding is, including the fiber, weave, and thread count. But, whether you sleep hot or cold, you want to choose sheets and other bedding that is made from breathable, natural materials for all-night comfort. Follow our quick tips for buying bedding based on your sleep temperature.
What to Look for If You Sleep Cold
Whether the weather’s cold or you’re simply prone to overnight shivers, here’s what to look for when choosing bedding:
- Warm, Breathable Fabrics: Durable, breathable cotton sateen and percale are ideal for cold sleepers in summer months; cotton sateen, with its tighter weave, is the warmer of the two. On chilly winter nights, cozy flannel bedding is a cold sleeper’s best friend.
- Lofty Layers: The combination of a duvet insert or comforter and a cover is the ultimate cold-weather bedding option. Luxurious, lofty down offers exceptional insulation, and our down comforters and duvet inserts come in warm and ultra-warm styles so cold sleepers stay cozy no matter how chilly it is outside.
- Extra, Extra! Blankets and More: Blankets and quilts make it easy for cold sleepers to customize their comfort. Layer a quilt under the duvet, or fold a blanket at the foot of the bed to quickly add extra warmth when needed.
What to Look for If You Sleep Hot
Hot sleepers should choose quilts, coverlets, and lightweight comforters designed for all-season use, and may even choose to skip a top bedding layer in the summer and sleep only under a flat sheet and thin, lightweight blanket. Consider these when choosing bedding if you sleep hot:
- Cooling, Breathable Materials: The coolest bedding to sleep with is made of breathable, loosely woven cotton percale or of temperature-regulating, moisture-wicking materials like linen, TENCEL™ Lyocell, and rayon made from bamboo.
- Lightweight Layers: A layered bed makes it easy to customize your comfort, but go light if you tend to sleep hot. Start with cooling sheets, then layer in a lightweight all-seasons comforter or quilt for the summer. In colder months, fold a blanket or coverlet at the foot of the bed to pull up for extra warmth when temperatures drop.
- Materials to Avoid: Memory foam mattress pads, toppers, and pillows retain heat, so they’re less than ideal for hot sleepers. If you love the supportive feel of memory foam, look for items made with cooling gel layers.
Choosing Supportive Bedding for Your Sleep Position
A mattress and pillows are foundational elements of a well-made bed, with major implications for the level of comfort and support it offers. The biggest consideration when choosing these essentials is alignment: You want to keep your neck, spine, and legs in a neutral position. Follow our recommendations for the best mattress topper or pad and pillows based on your sleeping style for better, more comfortable rest.
Mattress Toppers and Pads
A mattress topper or pad can firm up a too-soft bed or make one that’s too hard feel like a cloud. The ideal mattress firmness is determined by the amount of support you need (based on your sleeping position, among other factors), not the level of comfort you prefer. Back and stomach sleepers need a firm, supportive mattress, which thin hybrid or memory foam toppers can help achieve. For side sleepers, the thicker the topper, the better; memory foam mattress toppers and lofty feather beds provide the perfect balance of cushioning and pressure relief.
Pillows
Side sleepers benefit from thick, supportive pillows that fill the space their shoulder creates between their head and the bed, promoting proper neck and spine alignment. Stomach sleepers need a softer pillow to cushion their head and neck at a comfortable angle, while back sleepers should seek out supportive medium-density pillows that cradle the natural curvature of the upper spine.
The Best Bedding for Pet Owners
Pets make bedtime snuggles sweet, but they’re also the source of many sleep complaints, from allergies to pilling bedding. If you allow your four-legged family members on the bed, follow these tips to choose bedding that stands up to their paws, claws, and teeth.
- Avoid loosely woven fabrics that could snag on pets’ claws, opting instead for bedding made from more tightly structured materials—think cotton sateen, jersey knit, or rayon made from bamboo.
- Invest in protective covers for mattresses, comforters, pillows, and box springs. These guard against allergens and irritants as well as pet dander, dirt tracked in from outdoors, and spills or accidents.
- Consider bedding with colors or bold patterns to hide pet hair or fur as well as dirt tracked in from outside. If your pet has dark hair, opt for a dark comforter, or choose light colors or patterns if their hair is lightly colored.
- Machine-washable bedding makes it easy to clean up after messy pets who sleep on the bed. Be sure to wash your comforter, sheets, and other bedding (following the manufacturer’s instructions) on a regular basis to keep it in top shape.
Ideal Bedding for When You Sleep With a Partner
Sharing the bed means that the best bedding options must accommodate potentially conflicting sleeping preferences. First, look for temperature-regulating sheets made from linen, TENCEL™ Lyocell, or rayon made from bamboo. These materials help keep you warm when it’s cold or cool when it’s hot, making them perfect for partners with opposing preferences. A dual down or down alternative comforter has different warmth levels on either half, making it the perfect option for couples who can’t agree on an ideal sleep temperature.
The Best Bedding for Allergy Sufferers
Those who suffer from seasonal or year-round sniffles have various types of hypoallergenic bedding options to choose from, starting with protective box spring, mattress, and pillow covers that keep allergens and other environmental irritants out. Our bamboo-rayon sheets are naturally hypoallergenic and super soft and smooth to the touch, making them great for sensitive skin. Top it all off with a comforter or duvet featuring our premium down alternative or professionally-cleaned, RDS-certified down fill, both of which are hypoallergenic. If you’re prone to allergies, make sure you wash your sheets, blankets, duvet covers, and other bedroom linens on a regular basis to prevent them from gathering dust.
Whether you’re looking for bedding to suit your sleeping temperature, provide additional support, or balance your partner’s comfort preferences, we’re here to help. Invest in high-quality bedding made from premium natural materials and enjoy comfortable rest, no matter your style. For more tips on choosing comfortable bedding, explore our Guides.