The Basics of Bedding Down

By Maria Moy, College of William and Mary

Your bed is more than a spot to get your groove on: It’s your crash pad and your room’s focal point. So get it made .…

Your bed’s important -- you sleep there, maybe you study there, and you may even entertain guests there. (Hey, we’re not judging.) Your bed needs to look good, smell good and feel good because it’s gonna be your sack for at least a couple of semesters. You’d be surprised how much a well-kept bed can pull your whole room together … and help you snooze so much sounder. Here’s our guide for keepin’ it fresh.

A Rad Pad

School mattresses can get pretty gnarly, so you should invest in a mattress pad as an added barrier between you and the yuck. It also gives you an extra layer of softness and sometimes even helps keep the sheets in place. There are lots of varieties of pads: vinyl waterproof (for the bed wetters), memory foam, fiber filled, down feather (avoid if you have allergies!) and egg-crate cushioning. After all the technical stuff, which really can make your head spin with so many options, the best advice we got was when a customer service rep at a linens store said to “go for feel.” If it feels good, buy it!

Sheets Happen

As Ashley Post, a junior at William and Mary, says, “It’s crucial to have pretty sheets for a toga party!” All joking aside, buying sheets can be a hassle, especially if you don’t know what you’re doing. First things first, learn to appreciate the significance of a high thread count. The number of threads used in a fabric determines its smoothness and softness. So a higher thread count is considered more desirable, since it keeps sheets durable and prevents those annoying “pills” that form on low-count versions. Most linen stores recommend thread counts of 200 or more.

I always go for 100-percent cotton because it “breathes” and absorbs moisture better than polyester blends and other synthetic fabrics. Tons of different colors, textures and patterns are available, so have fun with it! One of my roommates had bright-pink sheets, and they really gave the room some personality.

Size Does Matter

Another factor to consider is mattress size (duh). College students don’t usually sleep in king- or queen-sized beds, so realistically, you’re looking at either a twin or an extra-long twin. (But if you’re living in a dorm, be sure to check with your school’s Residence Life before you go off and buy the wrong sheets.) Also, if your mattress pad is exceptionally thick, you may need to go for “deep-pocket” sheets, which have more room for fitting corners.

Twin-size sheet sets usually consist of a flat sheet, a fitted sheet and one standard pillowcase. A twin set can run anywhere from around $30 up to $100 or more, but we’ve seen quality sets on clearance at bedding stores for as low as $12. Check discount stores, which often carry high-quality sheets (sometimes irregulars, but who cares?) at affordable prices. Spring for at least two sets so you can immediately replace dirty sheets on laundry day. Plus, a spare set offers variety when you finally decide those ’N Sync or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle sheets you brought from home have seen better days -- and that they really aren’t so cute anymore.

In the Fold

Don’t know how to fold fitted sheets for storage? Here are the step by steps:

1. Fold the sheet in half and match up both corners on each side by slipping them over your hands until taut.
2. Fold the sheet in half again, this time in the opposite direction, and flip one of the folds from one hand onto the other so all four corners are stacked neatly into each other.
3. Lay the sheet on a flat surface and neatly straighten out the sides.
4. Fold in half, then fold again in the other direction. Smooth out before stashing away so sheet is compact.

Heads up

Your choice of sleeping pillow will either enhance or inhibit your beauty sleep, so you want to get the right one. The name of the game is straight spine, and your pillow should play along: Back sleepers need a pillow that supports the head enough to stay aligned with the neck without tilting the head up or down. Side sleepers should find a pillow that firmly fills the space between the mattress and ear, and stomach sleepers should stick with a thin pillow so the head is not tilted backward. Be sure your pillow makes it into a pillow case before you sleep on it. (Even if your pillow is washable, you won’t wash it as often as you do your sheets. And drool stains are so not cool.)

Besides the main event, consider other functional and decorative pillows: 

The body pillow is an extra-long rectangular pillow that gives your cot a daybed/couch look and makes for more comfortable lounging. Body pillows are most useful for beds positioned in a corner or with the long side against a wall.  

The boyfriend/husband pillow is a firm, high-backed pillow with arms. It’s great for elbow support while studying in bed or for making guests feel welcome on the floor. This pillow style is perfectly suitable for guys too, despite the name.

Throw pillows are decorative pillows that come in a variety of colors, shapes and sizes. These jazz up your room and add the “ahh” factor to make a bed feel inviting. Use them to carry a color scheme or prop up a book in bed but try not to sleep on them directly, as they tend to be less supportive than sleeping pillows and can be more difficult to wash.

A Clean Break

Keeping your bed clean is imperative, especially if you’re planning on having someone else in it. A lot of frat boys I know have awkward stains all over their sheets, and it’s the most disgusting romance killer ever. You really should wash the sheets every week. If you have a duvet cover, there’s no need to wash the comforter nearly as often; we suggest having it professionally laundered every three to five years.

No duvet cover? It’s still not necessary to wash the comforter weekly as it doesn’t come in direct contact with the skin and therefore isn’t as likely to attract dust mites and such. But say you’ve spilled something on it; comforters don’t always fit in a standard-size washing machine, so you may have to take a trip to the laundromat. And some comforters are dry-clean-only, so be sure to check the care instructions.

Making the Bed

Your parents aren’t around to enforce bed-making policies. But just because you can get away with thumbing your nose up at housekeeping habits, that doesn’t mean you should. There’s something about a well-made bed that makes the whole room look tidier. Even if you have a top bunk that's out of sight and out of mind, it’s still nice to crawl into clean, uncrumpled linens.

It’s also good to learn how to make “hospital corners,” a sheet-tucking method that keeps your blankets in place at the foot of the bed, even if you’re notorious for tossing and turning. Here's how: After putting on the fitted sheet, place the flat sheet on top, with the wide hem at the head of your bed. Push the bottom edge of the sheet underneath the mattress, then lift the hanging-side edge from the bottom corner and fold it up so it lines up with the top of the mattress, forming a triangle. Tuck the excess sheet underneath the side of the mattress, then let the rest fall. Tuck that in as well or leave it hanging.

It’s really no big deal to make your bed in the a.m. Just pull your sheets straight up and make sure your blanket and comforter are lying flat over them. Then fluff up your pillows and place them on top or underneath, whatever you prefer. Want to go one extra? Lavender-scented linen sprays not only refresh your sheets, but they actually help you sleep better. G’night.