The Best Bed Sheets

Getting a good night’s sleep is crucial for maintaining both physical and mental health. Consistent, quality sleep has been linked to a reduction in risk for heart disease, diabetes, obesity, anxiety, cancer and much more.

Let’s face it — you can’t achieve quality sleep without quality bed sheets. Comfortable sheets promote uninterrupted sleep patterns, getting you one step closer to all the great health benefits that come with sleep.

There’s a number of important considerations to make before purchasing the perfect bed sheets for your needs. Options will depend on your budget and your personal preferences when it comes to style and material. Since there are so many sheet products on the market, it’s possible to find one that checks all the boxes on your list, though the search may be arduous.

Bright white sheets can make a bed look and feel extra cozy, promoting sound sleep. But spills are practically inevitable, so white or light-colored bed sheets need to be easy to clean. Most sheets are machine washable, but some materials, like silk, do require special care. It’s important to take fabric type into consideration when purchasing sheets.

Most high-quality sheets are either made from Egyptian cotton, like the Utopia Bedding Cotton Sateen Fitted Sheet and the Pinzon 400-Thread Bed Sheet, or Pima cotton, like the sheets from Peru Pima. Both materials have long individual cotton fibers, giving them a luxurious and silky feel while maintaining strength. These materials are resistant to tears, frays, pills, wrinkles and fading, making them a long-lasting sheet choice.

Pima cotton is mostly grown in the U.S. while Egyptian cotton is typically grown in Egypt’s Nile River Valley. It can often be difficult to verify the integrity of sheets labeled “Egyptian cotton” or “Pima cotton,” since many manufacturers falsely make this claim on their products to encourage purchases, but you can always count on the label “long-staple cotton.”

The length of the cotton’s staple is the best way to determine whether or not a sheet is soft and comfortable. The longer the length, the softer the sheet. Egyptian and Pima cotton are both considered “extra-long-staple” sheets. Sheets labeled “long-staple,” as is the Brooklinen Luxe Sateen Sheet Set, though not quite as soft, are also comfortable sheet choices.

Thread count is another term you see often when searching for sheets. The term refers to the number of horizontal and vertical threads per square inch. Sheets with higher thread counts tend to be softer and quality sheets tend to have thread counts between 200 and 800.

Higher thread counts may yield softer sheets, but they do hinder breathability. Those sensitive to heat when they sleep must do extra research to find a thread count that works for them, both in terms of texture and breathability. You may even want to switch your sheets to a lower thread count in the warmer months to help you stay cool at night, swapping them for warmer sheets in the winter.

Easily up your bed’s coziness factor by ironing your sheets. While some may think of ironing as a mundane task, others find comfort in it. For crisp, soft sheets, iron them when they’re still slightly damp and spray them with starch. Your luxuriously ironed sheets will feel just like the ones at fancy hotels.

With use, the number of fungi, bacteria and other debris can accumulate in your bedding. Allergens and dust mites can accumulate as well, which may lead to allergic reactions in the form of a stuffy nose, hives or asthma attacks. If you suffer from allergies, it’s important to wash your bed sheets often — about once a week. Those without allergies should still regularly throw their sheets in the washing machine to rid of accumulated germs, dirt and debris.

Believe it or not, the color scheme in your bedroom affects your sleep. Experts agree that blue is the best color to promote healthy sleep because of its calming effect on the brain. Yellow, green and silver also work well. While you don’t necessarily have to seek bed sheets in these colors, it’s important to consider your bedroom’s overall theme. However, you decorate, avoid the energetic color red in your bedroom.