Sleep tight with this pillow and bedsheet buying guide

A bedroom set would be nothing without the right pillows and bedsheets to match. Here are some practical ways to invest in the items that will be the most important in your bedroom comfort.

Always choose a pillow that conforms to your sleep position. If you sleep on your side, your pillow has to prop up your head, so it should be thicker than the pillow for a back-sleeper. There are even customized side-sleeper pillows available. Things to consider:

• If you have problems with your neck, opt for a smaller pillow, about 80 centimetres (31 inches) wide but only 40 centimetres (15 inches) long. Although you can position a larger pillow properly before you go to sleep, it can shift during the night, resulting in neck and back pain in the morning.
• If you've carefully selected a pillow but your neck pain remains, consult a doctor. Neck problems can be caused by a weak muscular system, which can be strengthened through exercise, but they can also be due to serious issues that require treatment.

Buying the right set of sheets is a question of balancing budget with needs. You will likely want sheets or blankets of different fabrics depending on the season as well.

• Feather and down comforters are warm, soft, and porous, while sheep and alpaca wool, as well as camel hair, provide dry warmth and are ideal if you have arthritis. Cotton absorbs moisture but doesn't provide as much warmth. Like linen and silk, it's better suited for summer temperatures. Of course, synthetic fibres are a boon for allergy sufferers. They transmit moisture and excessive body heat to the surrounding air rather than absorbing it.
• Sheets are made from all kinds of materials, such as terry cloth, flannel, satin, silk, cotton, polycotton and linen. Flannel warms you in the winter, but a linen or cotton sheet is the best choice in summer.
• Fitted sheets are very easy to put on. Their elastic bands make it easy to stretch them taut and wrinkle-free.

Fun fact: Many people dream of having a canopy bed. In former times, it was not only a symbol of wealth and nobility, it offered a degree of privacy — very desirable when many people had to live in the same room. Thick brocade curtains have now gone out of fashion, but a canopy bed still provides a feeling of safety and security, as well as a touch of old-fashioned romance.