Roll in the Sheets….

Oh my words I’m so tired ya’ll.  Seriously…all day I feel like this…

But somehow I feel it literally in every single joint, every single muscle…I think even the action of yawning is exhausting to me.  I forgot how pregnancy does this to me.  So fatigued these first few weeks that I fall into bed at my baby’s naptime.

After we put our kids in bed tonight, I dragged myself down the hall (at a whopping 8pm) and literally collapsed into bed.  I even groaned for added effect for my husband….he assured me it wasn’t any more impressive with the groan.  Maybe I’ll skip that part next time.  Seriously though…I did fling myself into the bed…and i nuzzled down into the sheets and I had this thought….

“I’m so glad that I’m a sheet snob.”

The truth is out.  I confess that I am a total sheet snob. I really only like good sheets.

My mom pretty much always bought 100% cotton sheets for us as kids anyways, but as I got older, I began to realize that when I cozied up to my parents in their bed to watch a movie or something, their sheets were significantly more awesome feeling than mine.  So one year, I asked for a set of really pretty cream dotted sheets with a lacy looking trim from The Company Store for my birthday.  They were 350 threadcount supima cotton….and thus began my love for soft sheets.  I still have that set…they keep getting softer.

And as I’ve continued my quest for amazing sheets over the years, I’ve learned a few things that I thought I’d pass along.

A bit of preliminary deconstructing of the lingo for you here too….straight from the website of The Company Store (who by the way have phenomenal sheets.)

“What is Thread Count?

It’s the number of threads (strands of cotton) woven together in a square inch. Generally speaking, the higher the thread count, the softer the fabric. But it’s important to note that thread count alone doesn’t tell the whole story. The quality of the cotton used is just as important.

What is Egyptian Cotton? And Supima Cotton?

Egyptian cotton has long been recognized as one of the finest fabrics available. It has a longer staple: this refers to the length of the cotton strand. A longer staple means that the spun fabric is both stronger – and softer – than shorter cottons. Supima is American-grown, having descended from its Egyptian cousin. Both are superior choices for the finest of luxury bedding and high thread count sheets.”

Now for my personal research and development…which has basically come from extensive sleeping over the years.

• I’ve tried everything ranging from 200-1100 thread count, I think my favorite ones are in the 400-600 range. They get softer faster, and only improve with each washing.  While the 1100 ones are amazing now, they were too stiff for several years and not quite as cozy for a long time.  You can often find great deals on the 400-600 range as well.
• Egyptian Cotton or Supima Cotton Sateen sheets are my favorite.  Notice I didn’t say “satin”…but “sateen.”  I’m not into jumping onto the bed and sliding right off the other side of my sheets.  This particular kind feels so silky and soft without the sliding factor….you will love. Trust me.
• Good sheets equal great sleep.  Face it, you spend almost 1/3 to 1/2 of your life sleeping….it’s like buying a good pair of running shoes, or a good bra…it just needs to be done.  Your bed should be cozy.  And if you really want to know the truth, my most perfect bed ever is actually the one in our guest room…it’s like sleeping in a cloud.  Ask anyone who has ever stayed here.  There’s a good mattress, a mattress pad, a featherbed, and a down topper….and that’s just what’s under the fitted sheet.  Add comfy pillows and soft sheets, and you’re in dreamland in no time.  My Hubs doesn’t like to sleep in a cloud (after almost 9 years, I still can’t comprehend that,) but we compromised and have a mattress with a tempurpedic foam 4″ topper…and of course my insistence on fabulous sheets.  I still like the guest room bed the best though even though I don’t actually sleep in it….it’s the way I always did a bed up before I got married.
• Nice sheets don’t pill.  You know those awful little tiny balls that get all over crappy sheets?  It’s pilling….and if yours do that, then you need to get some new ones so you can know the awesomeness I’m talking about.  For real though…good sheets only get softer and smoother over time.
• Don’t get too crazy with sewn in patterns on great sheets.  We have a set that have a window-paned stitch on them, and while they’re 500 threadcount, I don’t like them.  The raised stitching to add visual interest keeps them from feeling as smooth as the plainer sheets.  I’ve gotten to where my most favorites are solid or have a tone on tone stripe or dot…sateen of course!

Listen, I’m not an expert or anything, and I can’t tell you about 15 different kinds of cottons and weaves…but I can tell you that I’ve easily slept on a LOT of different kinds of sheets over the years….everything from polyester to flannel to jersey knit to egyptian cotton…so while my research isn’t wildly specific…it’s tested!  And here’s what I’ve determined over the years (and confirmed even more over the past couple of weeks when all I can think about is crawling into my bed)….it matters…threadcount matters…fabric matters…good sleep REALLY MATTERS!

So I thought I would pass it along.  And honestly, I’m really so stinking tired that I can barely think beyond my bed right now anyway…so that’s what you get….a post written on my bed…about my bed.  And now…I think I’m going to go to bed.