What's the point of managing your wardrobe and maintaining your style if you have to return to a mattress and boxspring on the floor with some sheets you've had since the end of college? I personally think that the number one most important piece of furniture you can invest in is a proper bed. You'll wont gain more energy (and rejuvenated appearance) from any other source than a good nights sleep, so why skimp on the important stuff? Each aspect, from the pillows, to the sheets, to the mattress and bed frame can have a huge impact on the quality of your sleep.
Lets Start with the Mattress
The key component of any night's sleep. Picking the right mattress can be a chore, and it's often hard to tell if a mattress is right for you after just a few minutes of laying on it in the store. This is why I suggest foregoing a regular mattress or department store and going straight to Tuft & Needle. They offer a full 100 day sleep trial to test out the mattress before you commit to it. In addition, they have eliminated all the middle-men in a traditional mattress purchase so that their mattresses are priced well below industry level but contain all of the high-end features of your Serta or Sealy beds. Plus, since you order online the mattress is shipped to your door in 7 days. No strapping it to the top of your car or paying extra for delivery from the store you bought it from.
Choosing the bed frame.
You're past the point at which you can get away with using the cheap metal bed frames that you buy from any Walmart or Target. Now you want something that is sturdy, something that wont start creaking after a few month's use, and something that looks good. I know it is very tempting to purchase one of those modern-looking beds for $150 that is made from particle board. But don't. I made this mistake right after college and I regretted it about six months later when the bed would creak every time I rolled over in bed. If your bed is waking you up during the middle of the night, then it is negating it's purpose for being. Instead, make sure that your new bed is made from solid wood. It's okay if it has some metal legs or other pieces, as long as they are fastened properly. Function over fashion - as I've noted in some articles about your wardrobe, function should beget fashion, not vice versa. Above all, make sure that your bed frame is going to do what it needs and fits in the bedroom that you have. Although I'm a huge fan of modern-styled bed frames, some of them are just too wide for a normal sized apartment bedroom. That being said, 2Modern has some great, quality beds that pass both the function and style tests.
Pillows, Sheets and Other Essentials
Pillows are all a matter of preference. I personally like to sleep with at least three pillows, but some people only need one. As with all aspects of upgrading your bedroom, make sure that you use pillows that are comfortable for you. Don't suddenly start using memory foam if you sleep comfortably with feather pillows. If you happen to go to a sleep specialist and they recommend a specific pillow then definitely take their advice.
Generally speaking, the higher the thread-count of your sheets, the better and more soft they are supposed to be. Good sheets generally range from 400-800 thread counts, but some brands will tout their 1200+ thread counts. In my opinion, anything above 800 generally feels about the same. I've definitely splurged on those 1200's before, but didn't see the value. When choosing your sheets and blankets, keep an eye out for cotton-type and chemicals used to treat or color the sheets. Some people have been known to have negative skin reactions when coming in contact with sheets that have remnants of certain pesticides or were treated with a certain coloring chemical. If you've never had issues with then then it's not something I would worry about too much. Overstock and Amazon are some of my favorite places to get great value on quality sheets.
