Down Comforter Bedding

A soft, comfy bed isn’t just for slumber.  Many people like to sink into their bed to relax and get away from it all.  When you close the door of your bedroom and slide between the cotton sheets and down comforter, the outside world feels a million miles away.

Consider a few common ways people unwind in bed:

 -Snuggling up to several puffy down pillows to feel like you landed in a cloud.  Before you know it, you’ll be taking a nap.

-Watching television propped up on a stack of thick down pillows.

-Reading a great book with no interruptions.  Make sure you have a good nighstand light.

-Cuddling up with your children and telling stories.  Plenty of giggling and snacking is encouraged!

-Lay in a prone position for 10 minutes of deep breathing and streching to feel energized and renewed.

A cozy bed with down bedding is an inviting place to escape reality and recharge your personal batteries.

You’ve probably heard the old saying, “Sleep tight and don’t let the bed bugs bite.”  It holds true because bed bugs really exist and can seriously disrupt your sleep.  These tiny, wingless bed bugs are the size of a poppy seed and feed on human blood.  Bed bugs next in your down bedding and cause skin irritations over time.

Bed bugs are white when molting then turn colors such as tan, brown and burnt orange.  When they bite you at night, they also emit a small amount of saliva.  This saliva makes your skin red, irritated and ridden with rashes with repeated biting.  Although bed bugs feed on blood, there are no reported incidents of them spreading disease.

Used mattresses and bed frames must be carefully examined for evidence of bed bugs.  Place a fresh mattress on a clean bed frame with new down bedding and down pillows.  Keep your bedding off the floor and wash your sheets and comforters regularly.  Be careful when you return home from traveling or visiting because bed bugs might reside in your luggage then nest in your bedroom.  With a few precautions, you can sleep tight under your down comforter and the bed bugs won’t bite.

Now that spring is here, everyone is cleaning up, putting away winter linens and displaying light-colored cotton sheets.  Make sure you follow the “three sheet rule”.  When you have three sets of bedding sheets for each bed, they last much longer.  There are also plenty of sheets to use when another set is in the laundry or someone gets sick in bed.

Before storing your sheets, make sure to wash them.  For cotton bedding sheets, wash with like colors in warm water and tumble dry on a medium setting.  Cotton naturally softens with each washing to be even softer and more inviting.  If your bedding sheets are a cotton/polyester blend, machine wash and dry on the warm/permanent press setting of your machines.  Before washing any of your sheets, make sure to verify the fiber content and washing instructions on the label.  If the weather is warm enough outside, you can hang your sheets on a line for a fresh air fragrance when you go to bed.  You also save money on electricity by drying your sheets on an outdoor line.

Store your winter bedding sheets in a chest or linen closet.  To keep pesky moths away, fill a pouch with rosemary or lavender.  Cedar chips and blocks also work well to deter moths.  If you keep your sheets stored in a wooden chest, make sure to line it with muslin so the wood doesn’t stain your sheets.  Consider luxurious, silky Egyptian cotton bedding sheets in an array of pastel colors for the spring/summer bedding season.

No matter how small or simple your bedroom is, you can still make it fit for royalty with decadent down bedding.  After all, your bed takes up a specific amount of space so you might as well dress it up in style.

Start with a fluffy down featherbed to top your mattress.  When you sit or lay down, you will literally sink into the warm softness.   Next, choose silky Egyptian cotton sheets.  The higher the thread count, the more luxurious the cotton sheets are to look at and touch.  Feel the breathable pleasure of cotton above and below you with decorative Egyptian cotton sheets.

Top your sheets off with a puffy down comforter.  Down is perfect for all season because it insulates which means you stay warm when it’s cold and cool when it’s hot.  Dress up your down comforter with a pretty duvet to match the color scheme of your sheets and bedroom.

Finally, add several fat down pillows to your bed to invite hours of lounging and resting.  With plenty of down pillows,  your bed is ready to make you feel like a king or queen.  Even a cottage can be transformed into a castle when you decorate your bedroom with delightful down bedding.

When you snuggle with that special someone for Valentine’s Day, you usually head for the comfort of the bedroom. A puffy down comforter keeps you warm while you watch television or go to sleep. But when you cozy up under the covers, you want the softest bedding sheets possible.

I prefer the breathable softness of pure Egyptian cotton bedding sheets. World famous for its comfort and quality, I purchased a set right before February 14^th last year. I decided to really make the evening special. I ran a bubble bath for two and lit plenty of scented candles leading from the bathroom to the bedroom. The craft store sold scented silk rose petals, which I scattered all over the bathtub and bed. My husband was amazed, impressed and definitely feeling romantic.

With soft jazz music in the background, we sipped wine from flutes and slipped under the covers together. My husband immediately noticed the difference and asked, “Wow are these new sheets? They’re so soft!” I told him they were Egyptian cotton and he said to never buy anything else. Of course the rest of our evening together is completely confidential…but it all started thanks to those sensual, high end Egyptian cotton bedding sheets!

With Valentine’s Day just a couple of weeks away, it’s already time to think about what to do for that special someone.  Why not give them a gift that keeps on giving all year long - a luxurious down bedding set.

Include a posh down comforter, soft bedding sheets and a puffy down pillow in the Valentine’s Day package.  Imagine how delighted that special someone will be when they see you treated them to a beautiful new down bedding set.  Get creative and include a few other loving essentials to ensure you have the most passionate Valentine’s Day ever.

Along with the down bedding set, give your lover a box of gourmet chocolates and a bottle of quality champagne.  If you are both eating healthy, give your Valentine chocolate covered strawberries and flavored seltzer.   Add a soft pair of silk pajamas and you know what will happen next.  Plenty of eating, drinking, snuggling and cuddling will occur under that new down comforter.

If your Valentine’s Day plans fell short in the past, make it up to that special someone this year with an evening of love centered around a new fashion bedding set.   Get down with your Valentine for loving memories that will last forever.

 As soft as cashmere, as smooth as silk . . . bamboo sheets are today’s luxury bedding choice.  It seems strange to those who haven’t slept on bamboo sheets or tried other bamboo fabric products, but when bamboo grass is spun into fabric, it is quite literally “smooth as silk”.  People all over the world are switching from cotton to bamboo sheets and bedding.  Once you try it, you’ll never go back.  Why bamboo?  For starters, did you know that bamboo sheets are actually temperature-regulating?  Bamboo fabric stays naturally cool in summer and warm in winter, making it the perfect choice for sheets. And let’s not forget that bamboo is naturally antibacterial and allergen-free. What more could a person ask for? But Bamboo sheets aren’t just heavenly to sleep on.  They are made of an easily renewable natural resource. Isn’t that amazing!  Bamboo plants can grow up to a foot a day.  Another interesting feature of bamboo forests is that they can grow more densely than hardwood forests - 40% more.  Bamboo doesn’t need pesticides and other chemicals, making it a naturally organic product. Think you’re doing the environment a favor by eating organic foods?  Your clothes, sheets, towels, and other textiles likely have more of an impact.  Bamboo sheets are also the vegan/animal friendly choice for luxury - unlike silk or cashmere.  This means you can sleep peacefully knowing no animals were harmed for you to sleep on your comfy bamboo sheets.

Recently a Reader’s Digest article reported around 40 percent of Americans get less than seven hours sleep on weeknights. Decreased sleep is associated with a variety of health problems including high blood pressure, weight gain, diabetes and increased risk of heart attack. A warm, cozy down comforter makes it easier to sink into a comfortable sleep.

In fact, an alluring down comforter is a solid investment because it helps you sleep more soundly to improve your overall health. Lawrence Epstein, MD, author of The Harvard Medical School Guide To a Good Night’s Sleep, stated, “The link between sleep and health, and bad sleep and disease, is becoming clearer and clearer.”

Doctors agree sleep is imperative for optimum health. Phyllis Zee, MD, states, “When people are sleep deprived, there are higher levels of stress hormones in their bodies and an increase of inflammation, both of which can decrease immune function.”

Decorate your bed with delightfully welcoming down bedding so you can’t wait for sleepytime. When your bed is more inviting, you will want to dive in and go to sleep longer to minimize your stress and maximize your health.

Egyptian cotton is a term applied to the extra long staple cotton produced in Egypt.  Ironically, this cotton species is the same as the native American species, and was introduced to by Mohammad Ali Pasha in the early nineteenth century.  During the American Civil War, Europeans purchased their cotton from Egypt, and the cotton became an important part of producing clothing in Europe.  Earlier Egyptian peoples made their clothing from linen. 

Egyptian cotton is often associated with luxury and high class brands in modern times, with Egyptian cotton sheets in constant demand for their warmth and incredible breathability.

 
Although many people cover their down comforters with a colorful duvet, you can also keep your down white. Pale duvet covers and the beauty of the down comforter itself is a great beginning to a beautiful room.

There are a variety of ways to decorate with white. If you decide to keep your down bedding white, here are a few suggestions:

-Place a colorful down blanket over your down comforter. When you lounge in your bedroom, you can slip under the blanket without disturbing your bedding. It also adds a splash of color to your bed.

-Use various shades of white throughout your room for a dazzling effect. If you use a single shade of white, your room looks sterile rather than pristine. From bright white to ivory, an array of shades adds interest and depth to your bedroom décor.

-Mix up your bedroom décor by season. Keep all your down bedding white and add accessories to customize your room. Floral curtains and pastel throw pillows are perfect for spring and summer. Bold colored throw rugs and matching curtains add appeal during the fall and winter. When you have white bedding, you can add a rainbow of other colors without clashing.

White is a good beginning for literally thousands of different bedroom designs. Be adventurous and spice up your décor more often when you choose basic white down bedding.