What is Full Bedding Set?

If you follow Martha Stewart or routinely watch her show, or if you love exploring interior design idea in Instagram and Pinterest, chances are, you have at least once stumbled into a picture of elaborately made bed, that looks so pleasing to the eye you can only imagine how amazing it would be to sleep on them.

Now we’re sure that your own bed in your room is already comfortable, and we’re also sure it’s one of your favorite place in the world already, but what if you can upgrade its level of comfort and looks to be just like those Pinterest bed? We aren’t exaggerating if we say it would be like having a private heaven on earth!

Some of you may probably have tried to make your bed and style it to be Instagrammable or Pinterest-able, but if you never did this before, the end result probably still left much to be desired. Those drool-worthy beds always look so meticulously made, with seemingly thousands of layer, and pillows that seems more than you ever need, and you just don’t know what to make of them all!

Well, to make bed like that, you’re required to get a full bedding set containing all elements necessary to create those Martha Stewart beds into reality. But what is full bedding set and what does it contain?

Don’t let it concerns you anymore, because today we’re going to talk about bedding sets!

The Purpose of Bedding Set

Why do we bother ourselves with bedding set? That’s because we’re looking for these three purposes: to ensure our sleeping environment is comfortable and hygienic, to ensure or mattresses are not getting dirty (since they are hard to wash), and to make the bed looks better for the eyes.

Mattresses are not something you wash, even periodically. Washing cotton-filled mattress will bloat the filling, and because it is thick, it will be nearly impossible to dry. Even if they do dry, they will lose the fluffiness and made the mattress hard on the surface. It’s the same case with sponge-filled mattress. Meanwhile, for spring bed, it’s nowhere near possible since water will lead the spring inside to corrode. So, to protect the surface of the mattress from dirt and stain, we cover the mattress with sheet.

We use the sheet not only to protect the mattress, but also to protect the user. Aged and unwashed mattress may have layer of fine dust and other undetected grime. The surface is usually rough and uncomfortable to lie on. Putting bedding set on top of bed creates comfortable environment that is not only safe to sleep on, but also very comfortable to the point it improves the quality of your sleep.

And finally, we can use bedding set to change the interior of a bedroom more easily. Mattress is massive and expensive, and people generally are not looking to change them every season. Bedding set is cheaper and easier to change, and comes with variety of colors, patterns, and designs that suits the season, your taste, or your mood of the month.

What Full Bedding Set Contains

When you go to a bedding set shop, you will find variety of bedding sets with various number of items. You can get 3 items bedding set, 5 items bedding set, 7 items, 8 items, and even 12 items!

Do you need all of those pieces?

Maybe yes and maybe not. It depends on your preference. However, standard bedding will have at least items mentioned below:

1. The First Layer: The Sheet

Right on top the mattress, you are going to put the sheet. Many people also call this “the bottom sheet”. It is simply a flat layer of a fabric, laid over the mattress, to prevent direct contact between our skin and the mattress.

There are two types of sheets: flat sheet and fitted sheet. Flat sheet is a sheet that is not sewn on the four corners and therefore to put it on you simply just have to lay it on the surface. To prevent it from getting messy as we usually we move when we’re sleeping, you may want to tuck the corner snugly under the mattress.

The corners of a fitted sheet is sewn into “pockets” so all you need to do to make sure the surface of your sheet stay smooth is by hooking those pockets into the corner of the mattress. More and more people prefer this kind of sheet these days, but fitted sheet can be trickier to fold.

2. The Second Layer: The Top Sheet or The Duvet Cover

After the bottom sheet, you can lay the top sheet over it. Put it so it covers ¾ of the surface of the bottom sheet (the exposed part of the bottom sheet is where you’ll put pillows and sham later).

Top sheet is not fitted, but flat. The purpose of this sheet is to be a protective layer between you and duvet, since duvet, just like mattress, is not designed to be washed every so often. Having a top sheet keeps duvet clean from sweat and stain from your body.

Some people prefer to skip top sheet, and use duvet cover instead. Duvet cover is like a pillowcase but for duvet. It’s a large rectangle with an opening on one side to insert your duvet. Duvet cover is popular because it can change the overall look of a bed, and more secure in protecting a duvet compared to top sheet. You can unconsciously kick your top sheet in your sleep, but you can’t do the same with a duvet cover.

3. The Third Layer: Comforter or Duvet or Quilt or Blanket

The third layer is what makes your bed so comfortable. It’s the thick layer of blanket that will protect you from cold (oh, and monster under the bed!). There are two most common types of blanket: comforter or duvet and quilt.

Comforter, also often referred as duvet, is a thin bag of fabric, usually is made using cotton or polyester, or combination of the two. The filling is usually also made either from cotton or polyester, although there are also slighty more expensive option of natural filling like goose feather. People love comforter due to the thickness of it that can act as barrier from cold weather. The slight weight also offers comfort for the user.

Another choice for the third layer is quilt. Quilt is made from several layers of fabric: the back, the batting in the middle to provide warmth, and finally the top layer that offers design for visual. The thickness depends on the materials used. Some quilts can be quite heavy, but the snug warmth they offer is heavenly.

During summer, people may want to swith the heavy duvet and quilt for blanket. Blanket is a single layer of thick fabric that offer you warmth when you’re sleeping, and while it might not be adequate for winter, it’s more comfortable in the summer.

4. The Fourth Layer: Throw Blanket

There is a special blanket that is smaller in size, and also thinner than comforter, duvet, or even usual blanket. This is called a throw blanket.

In colder area, throw blanket is folded thinly, and then “thrown” on top of comforter, or sofa, or other surface where people usually sit down or lie down. The purpose is of course for people to get easier access for warmth without having to move to the bedroom.

In warmer area, throw blanket is also still in fashion, although the function is more for decoration rather than for providing warmth. Because it’s for decorative purpose, the number of variation is limitless, unlike comforter or duvet. It can be made from cotton or flannel or wool, basically any thin materials that still offer warmth.

5. The Fifth Element: Pillows & Shams

Last but not least, is another important element: pillows or many people also refer as shams. Pillow surface often made from cotton or polyester, with fillings either from feather, cotton, or polyester.

The function of pillows is to support your head and neck while sleeping, so you will be more comfortable, and not waking up with a crick on the neck. We call this pillow as bed pillow. They are available in several standard size, though the standard can be different for each country. In US, for example, bed pillow is available in Standard, Queen, and King size.

Another function of pillow is for decorative purpose. The size is usually smaller, and not very comfortable if you use it for head support. You can use these pillows on couch as well, and they are also known as cushion.

When you’re arranging pillows on the bed, you stand the bed pillows on the bed, leaning to the headboard, and put the thrown pillow leaning to the larger pillow.

Some full bedding set includes the pillows themselves on their sets, but cheaper options only offer the cases. Choose the set according to your need.

Increasing Your Sleep Quality

When talking about improving sleep quality, people usually focus on the main item: bed and pillow. People are willing to pay expensive prices for bed and pillow that can fix their back or neck problem. And they are right, because the way we sleep does contribute to our posture and freshness for the next day. Investment on bed and pillow are one of the best investments you can make in life.

However, bedding set is also important to keep your sleep quality high. However, instead of dealing with the physical aspect of your sleep like bed and pillow, bedding sets deal with psychological aspect – they work by giving you ideal sleeping environment that makes you sleep very comfortably.

Around 60 millions of Americans are currently suffering from insomnia, according to NPR. The busy life of big city, along with pressure it brings, could take a toll on any of us. Many people don’t think they’re not one of those people, since we often think that insomnia is a sleeping difficulty disorder where people can’t fall asleep easily and we aren’t like that.

However, insomnia actually also applies to people with these symptoms:

  • Difficulty falling asleep, these are the most commonly known symptoms.
  • Difficulty staying asleep, they often wake up for unknown reason in the middle of the night
  • Difficulty getting back to sleep after waking up at night for toilet or water
  • Waking up too early, and couldn’t get back to sleep, so they’re not getting enough sleep overnight.

While insomnia is a medical illness and must be treated professionally, having a good sleeping environment certainly has positive effect for your sleep quality. High quality bedding is softer to the touch and cooler to the skin. It will never make you get headache or neck ache in the morning due to wrong sleeping position as well. You’ll be less likely to wake up in the middle of the night due to discomfort or because it’s too hot, or because you’re too sweaty, which is very helpful for those with insomnia.

Finding Good Quality Bedding

Of course every one of us want to have good quality full bedding set, not only for comfort and visual, but also for health reason. If you’re wondering where to look for good quality bedding with affordable prices, you can head to Google and search for “bedding sets” displays top branded bedding sets websites like

Amazon.com

target.com

westelm.com

potterybarn.com

walmart.com

macys.com

wayfair.com

bedbathandbeyond.com

jossandmain.com

nordstrom.com etc…  and browse from thousands collection there.

Do regular people sleep on these elaborately made beds every day? Some of them sure do! We are regular people as well, and we make sure our bedding is well made and of high quality.

But why do spend time and effort to make that bed when you can sleep normal in regular bed? Well, why settle for less if we can get the best? We sure love our bed well made, because just for a little bit more effort, it makes a huge difference in the morning!

Also, although it looks complicated, in reality full bedding sets is easy to assemble. High quality ones will last for a long time, and the bottom line is they are one of the few heavenly luxuries we can afford in this world.

So, ready for a whole new experience on sleeping?

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