Start Off Where You Want to End Up
We think any time is the right time for new bedding, but refreshing your bedding in January offers unique opportunities to get the new year off to a great start. There is no downside to setting yourself up for better sleep.
1. January Sets the Stage for the Coming Year
In our book Roll into a Perfectly Made Bed: All You Need to Know About the Art of Bedmaking, we quote Retired US Navy Admiral William H. McRaven’s instruction, “If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed.” We totally agree that routines and rituals are important to both beginning and ending our days.
If making one’s bed is an important way to start each day, January is the perfect time to refresh your bedding to start the year off right. Bed hygiene includes regular washing of bedding, including pillows and comforters, and replacement when they cannot be properly cleaned. It also means protecting your new, or newly cleaned, bedding with waterproof mattress pads and pillow protectors at all times to protect your investment all year. If one of your goals is to sleep more or to improve your sleep habits, start simply by creating an environment conducive to great sleep.
2. January’s Days Are Short and Nights Are Long
In the United States, January is the coldest month of the year. If you’re going to be getting in bed earlier, it’s the perfect time to feather your nest. Make your bed something you look forward to settling into, whether that means adding a decadent feather bed for a layer of cozy comfort or placing a knitted throw at the foot of the bed to reach for at night.
3. January Is the Month to Think of Yourself
You spent the holidays entertaining and shopping for gifts for everyone else. January is the time to focus on yourself. Your being well-rested will benefit everyone else in your world. Try something as simple as our Pillow Quiz to find the pillow that is right for the position in which you sleep.
4. January’s Other Resolutions Will Be Gone by Spring
At least one-third of Americans make New Year’s Resolutions. A survey from Forbes Health found most resolutions last only two to three months. Resolutions to eat right and exercise might begin to fade into memory by spring, but the sleep experience you create in January will continue all year.
5. January’s Investment in Fresh Bedding Will Pay Dividends All Year
You may not have the time or money after the expenses of the holidays to entirely redo your bedroom or to purchase a new mattress, but you can drastically improve the look of your bedroom, the feel of your bed, and your sleep experience with bedding alone. Something as simple as a winter-weight comforter or feather bed can make your bed look as fluffy and feel as sumptuous as a five-star hotel bed.
Feather beds are often seen only at the most luxurious hotels; however, they are also a wonderful alternative to immediate investment in a more expensive mattress as they are placed on top of the mattress and deliver an extra level of cushion and comfort. We continue to recommend a waterproof mattress pad, but the feather bed provides an additional layer between you and your mattress.
Create the bed that you want to make in the morning and to climb into at night. You can then spend the rest of the year focused on perfecting your bedtime routine.
-The Team at Down Etc
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