Brush up on your pillow talk, as we reveal options and bust jargon for the ultimate good night’s sleep.
Mattress
Experts recommend changing your mattress every seven years to ensure optimum support and sleep quality…
Innerspring: This uses steel coils inside to support you while you sleep, which is then padded for comfort. Look for mattresses with the greatest number of coils as the more points of support it offers, the better night’s sleep you’ll have.
Memory Foam: Also known as viscoelastic mattresses, this variation uses a high-density polyurethane foam both in the support system and the layer of upholstery, which allows the mattress to contour around the sleeper.
Gel: As its name suggests, this variety of mattress comes filled with a gel added to the foam within the support system. And within the gel family of mattresses, you can opt for gels which offer different comfort levels, textures and also heat dissipation.
Under the sheets
Give your bed linen cupboard a boost by brushing up on the terminology of sheets…
Thread Count: This refers to the number of horizontal and vertical threads per square inch of fabric, with a higher thread count meaning higher quality sheets.
Single-Ply or Two-Ply: Plying is when more than one strand of material is twisted together to create a single thread. Two-ply fabrics are heavier than single-ply, but the quality of the fabric used should be the overriding factor when considering ply.
Weave: The most common types of weave are percale, also known as plain weave and soft and smooth to the touch; flannel, soft and pliable and made with a plain or twill weave, and sateen, the smoothest of the weaves, thanks to the four-tread technique used to create it.
Pillow Talk
Get your head around these different pillow types, before you get your head down on them…
Synthetic: The cheapest of the bunch, synthetic pillows are versatile enough for many different sleeping styles, but won’t last as long as their pricier counterparts.
Memory Foam: A memory foam pillow acts in the same way as its mattress counterpart, shaping closely to the sleeper’s head. On the negative side, they can be expensive and lack good ventilation.
Feather: These pillows are super soft thanks to their natural filling, durable and long lasting. However you may have to contend with the occasional feather quill poking through, and they’re not recommended for allergy sufferers.
Duvet Design
It’s all about the fill when it comes to selecting your desired duvet…
Feather and Down: If you crank up the air con in the bedroom, but want to stay warm in bed, opt for a feather and down filled duvet. Ones with a higher percentage of down are lighter, with feather-heavy options denser.
Wool: It might sound odd to buy a wool-filled duvet in such a hot country, but its ability to retain air, means it can remove excess heat and moisture when you get too warm, with the added bonus that they are hypoallergenic.
Synthetic: A popular (and cheap) duvet option, if you go synthetic, experts recommend opting for microfiber or hollowfibre, with the former akin to a feather and down duvet, and the latter thicker and longer lasting.