Cinderella’s Hearth: The Sheets Really Do Make the Bed, by Kate Wolford

Tossing and turning? Unable to get comfortable? Do your sheets cling to your body? Do they feel crispy or damp? Are they cool or hot?

Cinderella surely never thought of such things while sleeping in the ashes, although she may have once she hit the palace. Yet, for the rest of us, the answers to my questions are important for good sleep. Sheets are a key factor for a restful night. The truth is, most people don’t wash them enough and have fallen for the myth that high thread count always means better sleep.

But cool, crisp percale sheets may be the answer for you. They’re the only kind I sleep on, and a lot of other people with sleep issues have found comfort in percale. Percale is a 200-400 thread count cotton (never buy a cotton/polyester blend) fabric that admittedly, is a bit on the rough side, but is also very cool.

These are the kind of sheets you may remember from childhood. And maybe your mom, like mine, was a firm believer in percale sheets hung out to dry in the sunshine. The resulting super clean, cool, fresh, rough sheets were like a sleeping pill.

Sadly, many people consider hanging sheets out to dry to be tacky, but wealthy people do it all the time, and it’s much better for the environment than your dryer. My mother developed a clearing among the trees on our huge lot, and no one complained. (Also, you should know that many states have “right to dry” laws on the books, so no one can complain, legally speaking, in those states.)

So, percale is the answer. I get mine from Vermont Country Store. I admit that they aren’t cheap, but they do give hot sleepers like me a cool, crisp night—and heat and stuffiness are the enemies of good sleep.

Many people swear by high thread count sheets, saying they love the softness of that fancy Egyptian cotton thread, and if you have them and are enjoying blissful nights of sleep, then I’m both happy for you and envious of you. But if you are tossing and turning, if the ultra-soft sheets cling unpleasantly to your skin, if they feel a little dirty, even when they are clean, because they are too soft, then please do get percale!

And now that I’ve mentioned sheets feeling dirty, please know that sheets should be washed at least once a week for insomniacs, while normal sleepers can go two weeks. After than, the collection of body soils makes the sheets much worse to sleep on. I keep a fresh set of sheets handy and will change them in the middle of the night if I can’t sleep. So please, wash the sheets! (Here’s a detailed discussion on frequent sheet washing that should convince you if you’re skeptical.)

That’s all for now. I’m actually laying in bed on my sheets as I type this. I put a fresh set on yesterday, and yes, I did sleep very well last night.

Next time, I’ll focus on how cold your bedroom should be for good sleep. Until then, may your nights be cool and sleepy.

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Kate Wolford was the publisher and editor of The Fairy Tale Magazine for many years. She’s now enjoying being Resident Fairy Godmother.

Image from Pixabay.