A Deep Dive into Top Sheets: Benefits, Drawbacks, and Expert Opinions
What's a Top Sheet?
Is It Necessary to Use a Top Sheet While Sleeping?
Burning question: What hides beneath your fitted sheet and comforter? The answer: a top sheet, or flat sheet, which offers an optional layer that dresses up your bedding ensemble. Some people are devoted fans, while others find them irritating to sleep with.
Does a Top Sheet Deserve a Space on Your Bed?
As someone who's been tucking in the top sheet edges to create a decorative crease, I never thought about the possibility of going without one. Sleep Junkie, a site dedicated to sleep research and sleep product reviews, stated that only 61% of Americans utilize a top sheet, leaving the remaining 39% top sheet-free [1]. And, even more curious: Their survey found that 18% of Americans don't bother with a fitted sheet at all. I've got a lot of questions for those people and will address them later!
Team Top Sheet
Arguments for a top sheet centered around improved hygiene and comfort. Many sleepers feel that using a top sheet prevents frequent comforter washing while offering an extra layer of coziness.
Against the Top Sheet
Those who oppose using a top sheet bring up the inconvenience factor-one more piece to deal with when making the bed, or that they tangle during sleep, ruining the peaceful slumber.
Our Editors'Take
The majority of our editors are avid top sheet fans, likening their love for a cool, soft cotton sheet on hot summer nights to Southern traditions, like buttermilk and cornbread. However, some are open to compromise, such as sleeping beneath their top sheet while their partner sleeps above it. Others have dropped the top sheet for the sake of convenience during a busy period in their lives.
The Experts' Opinions
- Sleep Comfort Is Personal: As everyone has a unique preference for how many layers they want, the heated debate over top sheets originates from the differing opinions on warmth and comfort. Red Land Cotton, a producer of heirloom-quality bedding, experienced such demand for flexibility that they introduced build-your-own sets, which include optional top sheets.
- Top Sheets May Save You Money: Some experts, such as interior designer Niki McNeill Brown, maintain that a top sheet protects your duvet, comforter, or quilt from wear and tear, making it easier and less expensive to maintain.
- Top Sheets Offer Options: For those residing in warmer climates or experiencing hot flashes during sleep, a top sheet offers the perfect solution for a lighter cover when comforters become too warm.
- Design Appeal: Designer Katherine B. Melvin loves the aesthetic of a folded top sheet, as it marks the transition from day to night and adds a touch of elegance to the bed.
Enrichment Data
Pros:
- Hygiene: Top sheets provide a barrier between your body and the blankets or comforter, aiding in a cleaner, fresher bed.
- Breathability: A breathable top sheet can help regulate body temperature and prevent overheating.
- Comfort: Soft, smooth top sheets enhance the overall comfort and feel of your bed.
Cons:
- Discomfort: Top sheets can be uncomfortable in hot weather or cause disruptions during sleep due to their tendency to bunch and tangle.
- Maintenance: Additional layers mean more laundry.
- Disturbances: Top sheets can disrupt sleep for those who find them intrusive or irritating.
Sources:
[1] Riley M. America undercover: What do Americans put in their beds? Sleep Junkie. Published January 16, 2023.
- In the heated debate over top sheets, proponents argue that they provide improved hygiene and comfort, serving as a barrier between the body and the blankets or comforter, promoting cleaner and fresher beds.
- Some experts, such as interior designer Niki McNeill Brown, assert that top sheets protect duvets, comforters, or quilts from wear and tear, making them easier and less expensive to maintain.
- For those residing in warmer climates or experiencing hot flashes during sleep, a top sheet offers an attractive solution for a lighter cover when comforters become too warm.
- Despite the design appeal of a folded top sheet, marking the transition from day to night and adding a touch of elegance to the bed, some people loathe them due to their discomfort in hot weather or because they tangle during sleep, ruining their peaceful slumber.
