Blue and Brown Bedding

Buying baby bedding can be a fun purchase to make before your baby is born. Bedding can form part of a layette, a mixture of clothing and bedding for a new baby.

Sheets and blankets
Although you can now buy baby sleeping bags for newborn babies, most parents start off with cotton sheets and cotton cellular blankets. They are easy to layer and keep your baby at the right temperature: you can simply add or take away a blanket if your baby is too hot or too cold. You could also cut and hem sheets from an adult bed if you don't want to buy sheets especially for a cot.

If your baby starts off in a carrycot or Moses basket, you can also buy special 'pram size' sheets and blankets. Generally speaking, you will need about four sheets and two or three blankets to start with. Sheets are usually made of either traditional woven cotton, brushed flannelette which feels warm to the touch, stretch cotton terry or cotton jersey. Stretch fitted sheets are very useful as they are less likely to come untucked while your baby sleeps and are quick and easy to put on and take off.

If your baby's bedroom is very cold, you can use acrylic cellular blankets rather than cotton ones, which wash well. If you buy traditional wool blankets, check to see if they can be machine-washed. Polyester fleece blankets are widely available too and are very useful for the pram on a cold day but they may make your baby too hot.

Sleeping bags
Sleeping bags are very popular with many parents nowadays. The great thing about them is that your baby can't kick them off, which means that he is less likely to wake up because he's feeling too cold. Although you can buy baby sleeping bags for newborn babies, most parents start using them when their baby is a few weeks or months old. If you are using a sleeping bag for your baby, you will only need a few bottom sheets for the cot as well. Or, if it is a very cold day, you may want to put a sheet or a blanket over the sleeping bag.

The Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths recommends that you should always use the right size sleeping bag for your baby and not put him in a sleeping bag which is too large, as he could slide down inside the bag. Also they state that you should never use a sleeping bag with a quilt or duvet, as it will make your baby far too hot.

Tip: A 2.5 tog sleeping bag is all the warmth you need, even in winter. If you buy anything higher than this, it could make your baby too hot. See our temperature chart below for more information.

Pros

No covers to throw off means your baby stays the same temperature all night

If you're away from home and your baby will be sleeping in an unfamiliar place, the sleeping bag will be something familiar to him

Cons

Older babies and toddlers might find sleeping bags too constricting and try and undo the zip fastener

Babies can't move around in bed as easily as if they were using blankets and sheets.
Room temperature and bedding guide

Room Temperature and Bedding Guide
Room Temp: 24 degrees C / 75 degrees F
Amount of Bedding: 1 Sheet
Tog rating for sleeping bags: 0.5
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Room Temp: 21 degrees C / 70 degrees F
Amount of Bedding: 1 Sheet w/ 1 blanket
Tog rating for sleeping bags: 1
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Room Temp: 18 degrees C / 65 degrees F
Amount of Bedding: 1 Sheet w/ 2 blankets
Tog rating for sleeping bags: 2.5
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Room Temp: 16 degrees C / 60 degrees F
Amount of Bedding: 1 Sheet w/ 3 blankets
Tog rating for sleeping bags: 2.5 & 1 blanket
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Duvets and pillows
Duvets and pillows are not recommended for your baby until he is a year old because they can restrict your baby's movement and may make him too hot. Once your baby is over a year old, you may wish to use a duvet instead of blankets and sheets or a sleeping bag. Quilts and duvets are available with a variety of fillings including a hypoallergenic version. If you buy a quilt, look for a cover made of 100 per cent cotton and buy a spare one so that you can have another to hand when the dirty one is in the wash.

Pros

Giving your baby a quilt may help him get used to it when you eventually move to a grown-up bed

Bed making is easier and quicker than with blankets and sheets

Cons

Not really a necessary purchase. You can stick with blankets and sheets or a sleeping bag until your baby moves to a "big bed".

If you live in an area that has climate changes from season to season, you most likely have winter clothes and summer clothes. You may even have a special area to store out-of-season things. Isn't it logical that you'd also change the clothes on your bed when warm sunny evenings turn to chilly nights?

You'll find information about how to dress your bed for cold weather with new and not-so-new products for ultimate comfort.

From wool mattress pads and cushy feather beds to lie on, to soft flannel sheets, down comforters and fluffy, wool blankets, there are lots of products to choose from. Only you can decide what combination is the right one for you.

Read on to find just the right products that you can use to create a cocoon for a wonderful, cozy winter's rest.

The Comfort of Down

Down is the light fluffy coating that protects birds from exposure to the outside elements, and it is probably the most popular product used for lightweight, warm blankets, comforters, and pillows.

Because down is able to retain just the right degree of warmth for most bodies, it's considered one of the most perfect products for comfortable bedding.

Down bedding products are manufactured in many qualities and prices vary drastically. Depending on your location, you should choose the weight and density for ultimate comfort. Down and feathers are combined for a less expensive product. The finest, most expensive products are made from 100% pure white goose down.

Down products are rated by "fill power". The term "fill power is used to describe the quality of down. The higher the fill power, the larger and stronger the clusters of down. Large clusters provide superior insulation, breathe better and last much longer than smaller, fragile down clusters."

Down blankets and comforters are sewn with baffles to keep the down filling evenly distributed. Baffle box construction means that the product has internal three-dimensional fabric wall boxes which allow for maximum thickness and comfort while maintaining even distribution within the boxes. Comforters and blankets with straight-through quilt stitching will have cold spots where there is no down.

Down comforters and blankets are sold in the same sizes as other blankets and bedding. Be sure to measure your bed carefully before you shop for a down blanket.

Down comforters are available in many colors, white being the most common.

If you choose not to use a sheet or other blankets with a down blanket or comforter, the comforter then becomes a "duvet." This simple blanket makes it easy for children to make their beds. A simple shake of the comforter over the bed is all that's necessary.

You might decide to cover your duvet with a duvet cover which is really just a big pillow case for a blanket. The cover can be plain fabric or decorative to compliment your room's decor.

People with allergies to animals might not be able to use down products. But the finest companies wash and rinse their down and feathers up to eight times, removing the dust, dirt and allergens that cause allergic reactions. Tightly woven fabric covers are leak proof, so down and feathers won't leak out.

If you love the classic feel of a soft wool blanket or the cozy feeling of climbing into a warm bed, you might like the choices here.

Classic Wool Blankets
Wickipedia says that "Wool is the fiber derived from the hair of domesticated animals, usually sheep." The hair is shorn from the sheep, spun into threads, and woven into a variety of grades, weights, and qualities of fabric.

Because wool has natural lanolin, it is both fire -and water resistant. A resulting unique quality of wool is that it retains its warmth even when wet.

According to Woolrich, "In the late 1700's, wool blankets were so important to comfort and survival that they were used as a form of currency between trappers and Native Americans." And today, fine wool blankets are cherished and passed from generation to generation.

Moths love to chew away at good wool blankets, so when not in use, the blanket should be stored in a cedar-lined chest or closet.

Wool blankets must be dry cleaned to retain their size and feel.

Learn more about the benefits of wool and how to care for fine woolen pieces from St. Peter Woolen Mill.

Luxurious Silk

A silk-filled, silk covered comforter has one half the weight of a comparably-sized down comforter. The sense of luxury and softness cannot be surpassed.

For over 2000 years, only the emperor of China could wear garments of silk, but now it is available for everyone's home.

Silk fibers are breathable, lightweight, very supple, and constantly equalize temperature. A comforter of silk conforms to the body and is not as puffy as down. All silk products are naturally hypoallergenic.

A silk comforter needs to be dry cleaned, so we recommend that you use a duvet cover to protect the comforter and prolong its life.

Space-Age Polar Fleece

Polar fleece is a man-made fiber of polyester. By trapping air in the hollow core fibers, polar fleece provides optimum warmth and softness.

A polar fleece blanket is very lightweight and can fold up into a small space when not in use. It washes up beautifully and does not pill.

Toasty-Warm Electric Blankets

The first electric bedding products were invented in the early 1900's, but the first model of blanket was invented in 1936.

Electric blankets and mattress pads are a great solution if you want instant heat! If you turn the blanket about 5 minutes before hopping into bed, the bed will be warm and toasty when you get in.

Though some people are concerned about sleeping with electric cords on their bed, I've used one for many years and find an electric blanket the ultimate solution to a chilly bed. And while electric blankets are not recommended for children, my two daughters have had them all their lives.

Don't try to find an electric blanket in your favorite shade of blue. Color choices are few!

Most electric blankets are machine washable and can be folded, taking care not to crimp the wires.

Electric blankets are available in all the standard sizes and come with a variety of heat controls. For double, queen, and king beds, there are usually two controls so that each sleeper can adjust their side. Some new controls have timers and go off and on as desired.

Soft Flannel Sheets

Most flannel sheets are made from cotton, and are warm, soft, and lightweight. They're perfect for a winter bed and help you feel like you've climbed into a pair of old PJ's. You can pop cotton flannel sheets in the washer and dryer, but the fabric tends to pill after several washings. Some may not like the feeling of the small, soft balls in the bed.

Mattress Pads

With a number of new products on the market to sleep on, you don't have to settle for a simple quilted mattress pad anymore. What you put over your mattress can go a long way in helping to keep you warm in the winter.

Traditional mattress pads are filled with down, wool, foam, cotton, or polyester.
They're made to soften the mattress, give a smoother feel for lying on, and protect the outer layer of fabric on the mattress. Some mattress pads have corner elastic to hold it on the mattress, while others are constructed to fit over the top and sides of the mattress.

Regular thin mattress pads should be washed regularly and rotated periodically to even the wear on the pad.

More costly mattress pads are designed for warmth and comfort. Some even have copper coils to radiate and hold in natural heat.

Wool fleece mattress pads offer the warmth of wool and the softness of a down pad. Because wool compacts, the loft of a wool fleece pad will become matted over the years.

Dry cleaning is required for a wool mattress pad, as with any fine wool blanket or apparel.

A Heavenly Feather Bed

A feather bed is common in other parts of the world, but a relatively new addition to American beds. As the term suggests, the first "feather beds" were made of feathers. But now polyester, down, feathers, or combinations of feathers and down are used to create a feather bed.

A traditional feather bed is about 4" thick and stitched in channels or a baffle box design. With this much cushioning, even a hard mattress feels soft and cuddly. But if you like a firm sleep surface, a feather bed may not be for you! You'll actually feel as though you're being hugged by the pad!

A feather bed protector will keep the over of the feather bed clean. But you will need to shake out a featherbed every couple of weeks, turn it over, and rotate it on the bed to keep the fill evenly distributed.

Some feather beds can be washed, but will probably require a commercial size machine. Or have the feather bed dry cleaned at least once a year to keep it looking and feeling fresh.

A cuddly down comforter is not just for people living in Alaska. Down bedding products are available in a variety of weights, qualities, colors, and sizes for a cool sleep or one that will warm you from the chilliest of night winds. Because down is so lightweight, it's one of the most comfortable and sought after fills for a blanket or comforter. Before you shop for a blanket, get some basic information from our tips on buying a down comforter for your bed.

How Warm Do You Sleep?
Some people sleep with layers and layers of blankets or with the electric blanket turned up high. Others are comfortable with just a light layer covering them, even in the coldest of weather. Since down blankets and comforters come in a wide variety of weights and fills, you'll want to have an idea of what will give you the most comfortable sleep. Don't buy a heavy comforter if you live in the tropics!

Measure Your Bed
Don't assume that you'll find a down comforter that fits your bed perfectly. Take careful measurements and look for the blanket that will most closely match your bed. If you have a Queen bed, don't get shortchanged with a "full/queen" quilt. If you have a California King bed, a "king" comforter may not be long enough. Keep in mind that you'll want some of the comforter or blanket to drop down the sides of the bed, so don't buy one that is too small.

How Much Fill Power Do You Need?
Pacific Coast Feather Company says, "Fill power is a term used to describe the quality of down. The higher the fill power, the larger and stronger the clusters of down. Large clusters provide superior insulation, breathe better and last much longer than smaller, fragile down clusters." So in order to get the proper warmth for your needs, compare the "fill power" that different manufacturers offer. There's no point in buying more than you need, but you don't want too little either.

Determine Your Budget and Choose the Quality You Want
The most expensive down blankets and comforters are made of pure, white, hypoallergenic goose down. If you're on a limited budget, you might find a down blanket with a lower grade of down, with less down, or with a combination of down and feathers. While these give a very comfortable sleep, you might feel that this is the time to stretch your budget and make a good investment. Look for special sales to get the one you really want.

Baffles Can Be Baffling
While simple quilts are made by sewing a filler between two layers of fabric, down blankets and comforters are made with long channels or a sewn-through box design which helps keep the down in place for an even distribution. Strips of fabric are actually sewn between the layers of fabric. These keep the clusters of down from shifting. With baffles sewn in, there won't be any "cold spots" in your down comforter.

Outer Fabric Thread Count
Even though down clusters seem soft and fluffy, they are able to leak through any fabric that holds them. It's important to buy a cover with a high thread count, tightly woven, providing leakproof coverage. Then you won't have to worry that the down or feathers will sneak out. Many companies take special care to seal in the edges, too.

To Cover or Not to Cover
A comforter without a cover is called a "duvet." In order to take good care of a new down comforter or blanket, we recommend that you use a "duvet cover," a large "pillowcase" that covers the large blanket. A cover will add some weight, and a decorative cover could add a lot of weight. But a duvet cover will protect the down blanket or comforter, and a cover is easier to clean than a large comforter.

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