Ah, the top sheet. Once a staple of the bedmaking process, the top sheet debate has become controversial recently. Do you or don't you? Should you or shouldn't you? Let's look into the reasons for and against using top sheets, and you can decide for yourself!
Given that top sheets are seemingly a dying trend, our younger readers, in particular, might not know what one is. Allow us to bring you all up to speed. A top sheet (or flat sheet) is a piece of linen, much like the fitted sheet (bottom sheet), but it lies between yourself and your blanket or duvet cover. The main aim of the top sheet is to keep your blanket or duvet cover cleaner for longer. Simple enough, right?
So why's there such a heated debate over whether to use one?
Why you should use a top sheet
People justify the need for top sheets for two main reasons. The first is hygiene. Remember that, at night, we shed dead skin cells and enough bacteria to create our own micro-universe. A top sheet provides an extra layer between us and our blanket or duvet, meaning we don't need to wash our duvet as often. Hurrah! We all know it can be a fiddly task that can aggravate even the calmest minds.
The second is that it helps regulate temperature. During the colder months, a duvet may still leave us with chills that won't stop multiplying. Instead of losing control, a top sheet can give us the warmth we want. They're also helpful during the summer when a duvet is too much. Clean and versatile, why wouldn't anyone choose to use a top sheet? I'm glad you asked!
Why you can ditch the top sheet
Truth be told, top sheets can be quite an inconvenience in our hectic, modern lives. Sure, they may keep our duvets clean and add warmth during the colder months, but top sheets add even more time to making our bed. Even worse, they tend to end up scrunched up at the bottom of our beds come sunrise - that's one extra sheet to wash that isn't even helping to keep our duvet clean!
Chances are, if you're reading this from a European country, you don't use a top sheet anyway, favouring only a fitted bottom sheet and a duvet. However, our transatlantic cousins in America are still more accustomed to their extra bed linen. Likewise, younger people are even less likely to use top sheets even less likely to use top sheets. If the inconvenience for the newer generations outweighs the benefits, maybe it's time for us to admit defeat and join the movement. But could you get by with just a fitted sheet and a duvet?
Do top sheets affect the benefits of a memory foam mattress?
Regardless of your loyalty to the infamous bed linen, there's no right or wrong answer regarding mattresses. Memory foam mattresses retain more body heat than other mattresses, so an extra top sheet could prove too hot to handle! Or maybe it's your duvet that is potentially sacrificed.
Never underestimate the importance of a good mattress, no matter which camp you're in. If you and your partner can't agree on the great top sheet debate, or if you're looking for a more comfortable snooze, why not try one of our king size memory foam mattresses? With enough space to sleep soundly with your top sheet whilst your partner dozes off without one, it could finally be the answer you've been looking for!
