THE COMFORT OF THINGS
THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS IN YOUR HOME THAT ARE LIKE GOOD FRIENDS: THEY ALWAYS CHEER YOU UP. THIS MONTH WE FEEL THE LOVE FOR… A WELL MADE BED
There comes a time when staying up late loses its appeal. Watching the sun rise may suit students, hedonists or anyone in thrall to notions of late-night excitement, but for the rest of us, the lure of going to bed has a far greater pull. The thought of crawling under a billowy duvet, laying a weary head on a crisp, cool pillow and drifting off to sleep outweighs any lingering desire to stay up and party.
The call of the duvet is even greater when the bed is made up with a variety of delicious linens. Replacing limp economy duvets and fitted polyester sheets with duck down and high-thread-count cotton versions is a sign of maturity. It not only marks the transition from youthful grubbiness to adult sophistication but it also acknowledges that as you get older, the need for a good night’s sleep becomes greater – and harder to come by*. A well made bed may not deliver you from insomnia, but it certainly helps you along the way.
Take pillows. It’s easy to pay scant attention to these as your head hits the same one night after night, but a good pillow is the gateway to an untroubled night’s sleep. This is where you lay your head for a third of your life, so it pays to buy one that is supportive and cosseting. (To see if your pillow is past it, drape it over your forearm: if it folds over like a saddlebag, it is.)
The same rules apply to all items of bedding: go for the best quality you can afford and don’t forget to wash it. If you do forget, all manner of unattractive things build up and multiply. Hotels only use white bedlinen because it can be washed at high temperatures, thus killing anything nasty lurking within.
A bed takes up a lot of space and dominates the room, so dressing it can turn an indifferent room into a snug retreat. Once it is layered up with pillows, cushions and throws, cast your eyes around the surrounding space. A shaggy rug to ease the toes into in the morning, a task light to read by, and a posy vase of flowers on the bedside table all help create a place of ease, where sleep comes more easily. So much nicer than staying up late and feeling rubbish in the morning.
“The call of the duvet is even greater when the bed is made up with delicious linens”