Finding the right bedding basics can do wonders for your sleep schedule, which can impact your everyday life in a big way. But what’s the right pillow density? How thick should a comforter be? To simplify the path to perfect sleep, we asked Lazette Phillips from Custom Linens to help us create a guide that covers everything from thread count to bedding care.

Her first tip: “Impeccable quality and comfort are key when shopping for bedding. Do not buy what you think you are supposed to be buying. Buy quality and what you like for comfort.”

For example, many believe that the higher the thread count, the more luxurious. However, Phillips disagrees. “Thread count can be a deceptive measure,” she says. “Remember that it’s all about your hand and what you feel.”

When purchasing pillows and duvets, Phillips says that the same philosophy reigns supreme: seek out quality.

“We have anti-allergy pillows and duvets filled with Sensofill. It’s a premium branded fiber that is a hollow-fill poly fiber, enabling the air to flow through for a comfortable night’s sleep,” she says. “Fill power refers to the down cluster, and the larger the fill power, the higher the quality of goose down. It will be warmer, voluminous and more durable.”

As we know down here in the humid south, the weight of our blankets is also of utmost importance.

“Weight or firmness refers to the number of ounces,” says Phillips. “You do not want something too heavy, but of course our bodies are all different.”

Another tip Phillips shares is to note the sizes of your bedding pieces. “If you are purchasing your duvet cover from a different store than your duvet and the fit is not right, you won’t be happy,” she adds. “It’s also important to know what you’re buying. For example, our vendors promote environmentally friendly textile manufacturing practices. Several of our vendors are moving to organic cotton made without toxic substances and polluting pesticides. It’s also hypoallergenic and grown in a healthier soil.”

When caring for these fabrics, Phillips advises that, “softeners and harsh detergents break down fine fibers. Hot water and hot dryers weaken fine fibers.”

In the end, she says, the goal is to simply make the bed your own. Whether ten pillows or just two, a blanket or no blanket, comfort is key. Now excuse us while we go have a little lie-down.

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