Between the Sheets: The Basics of Couples’ Bedding

by Anne and Lauren Purcell

Topper tips
In the bed-as-battleground department, second to sheet spats are temperature tantrums. One partner prefers to set the A/C on “cryogenic” while the other lies shivering in flannel pajamas—in August. Clearly, this is grounds for a blanket intervention.

The most heated arguments we’ve heard between partners with a body-temp differential are caused by down duvets, which have taken bedrooms by storm. Unfortunately, no matter how “summer weight” a duvet claims to be, it always seems to make someone sweat. And try throwing off a duvet when you feel a little steamy. It becomes a fabric-andfeathers snowbank threatening to avalanche.

So we’re fans of the sheet-and-blanket combo. The enormous variety of fabrics and weights lets you fine-tune your comfort level: cotton for summer, wool for warmth and pleasing heft in winter. The point is to layer independently: cover the entire bed with a lightweight cotton blanket, then on your side, add a cashmere throw. (Electric blankets are a retro, but remarkably effective alternative. Equipped with dual remotes—no wires—you each control the temp on your half of the bed.)

Mattress matters
But even the finest bedding can’t make up for a bed with bad ergonomics. Unfortunately, buying a mattress (you need a new one about every ten years) can be as confusing as selecting a cellular plan.

What you’re looking for is a mattress that conforms to your spine’s natural curves. It should be neither so firm that your body touches down only at three or four points, nor so soft that you sink into it like marshmallow cream.