Getting the best night’s sleep often starts before you even close your eyes — it starts with how your bed is made. We’ve all experienced bad beds: squishy mattresses, scratchy bedding, squashed pillows. You can pretty much tell immediately whether you’re in for deep, restful sleep or a night of tossing and turning. Hopefully none of those describe your current setup, but even if they don’t, there’s likely room for improvement. Here’s how to make your bed so it’s actually working in your favor.
You know the basic recipe: a bed is made with three simple ingredients: mattress, pillows, bedding.
How to Choose a Mattress
Here’s a short video from Consumer Reports with tips for buying the right mattress for you.
Also, remember to regularly replace your mattress. Most experts agree that after between five and ten years, it’s likely not providing you with optimal comfort and support. Consumer Reports recommends replacing your mattress if:
- You regularly wake up tired or achy—you make Oscar the Grouch seem as cheerful as Mr. Rogers.
- You tend to sleep better away from home, than in your own bed. Are you planning unnecessary business trips or looking for any reason to go on a weekend getaway?
- Your mattress looks or feels saggy or lumpy—it needs go on the Abs Diet.
- You’re over age 40 and your mattress is five to seven years old. Remember, your body tolerates less pressure as it ages. As if getting older weren’t tough enough . . .
How to Choose a Pillow
Here’s another short, helpful video from chiropractor Dr. Ian Sheppard.
In addition to regularly replacing your mattress, remember your pillows have a lifespan, too. Dr. Michael Breus (aka “The Sleep Doctor”) has some simple tips for testing to see if your pillow is “dead.”
- Begin by laying your pillow across your arm and look at how it’s folded.
- Does it have a slight fold, but still sticks out at the ends? If so, then the structural integrity of your pillow is fine.
- Or does your pillow fold—or flop—over your arm like an old saddle bag? Then you have a dead pillow and it needs to be replaced.
If you’re still unsure, Breus recommends this test:
- Lay your pillow on top of your bed and fold it in half.
- Now place a shoe on top and let go.
- If the shoe goes flying, then your pillow is fine; if it is stays put then you need a new pillow.
How to Make Your Bed for the Best Night’s Sleep
This one’s easy – choose what you love. Everyone’s different when it comes to bedding and there’s no science behind it other than the fact that you sleep better when you’re most comfortable. Love crisp, cotton sheets with a fluffy, feather duvet? Go for it. More of a slippery, satin sheet and velvet comforter person? That works, too.
The Final Secret Trick
Making your bed every single day is one of the simplest things you can do to set yourself up for the best night’s sleep possible. The National Sleep Foundation surveyed sleepers and found that people who made their bed daily also reported sleeping better overall. On top of that, 73% of people said they slept better on fresh sheets, and 91% changed their sheets at least every other week. You don’t need to go full military corners or Martha Stewart perfection — just make your bed, sleepy head.
Sweet dreams!
Sources:
- “How Long Does a Mattress Last?” Consumer Reports, www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2007/12/q-a-how-often-should-i-buy-a-new-mattress/index.html.
- “Make Your Bed for Better Sleep?” The Sleep Doctor, Dr. Michael Breus, http://www.thesleepdoctor.com/2011/02/22/make-your-bed-for-better-sleep/
- “Bedroom Poll” National Sleep Foundation, https://sleepfoundation.org/sites/default/files/bedroompoll/NSF_Bedroom_Poll_Report.pdf
All material on this website is provided for your information only and may not be construed as medical advice or instruction. No action or inaction should be taken based solely on the contents of this information; instead, readers should consult appropriate health professionals on any matter relating to their health and well-being.
Research tracking over 11 million nights of real sleep data found that most adults regularly fall short of the 7–9 hours recommended for a good night’s sleep — making every sleep habit, including how you set up your bed, count.
