Message #1081
Thursday, March 11, 2004

"The only thing you done was yesterday / And since you're gone you're just another day / Ah, how do you sleep? / Ah, how do you sleep at night?"

John Lennon

Today:

We may never know whether the meddling Yoko put him up to it, but when John Lennon directed those dark "How do you sleep?" lyrics at Paul McCartney in 1971, you can be sure he wasn't questioning the condition of his fellow Beatle's Sealy Posturepedic.

The pair was feuding. And John's lyrical diatribe was, according to Fab Four aficionados, a response to Paul's not-so-subtle dig ("too many people preaching politics") directed at John on McCartney's earlier "Ram" album.

Nasty stuff. And it's a shame that John's untimely death prevented any chance of reconciliation or reunion.

But, alas, we're not here to talk about Beatle reunions, Paul's guilt, or the tragedy of John's death. Today, I'd like to discuss the very practical matter of how you sleep at night. And, in fact, I consider this to be such an important subject that I'm dedicating this entire issue of ETR to it, including:

How to put together the world's greatest bed

10 tips for better sleep

Why "thread count" matters

What "duvets" and "shams" are

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People Are Finally Waking Up to the Importance of a Good Night's Sleep

In Message #106, one of the suggestions I made for "living like a billionaire" is to spend $1,500 or so on a great mattress. Now, it looks as if baby boomers are doing just that.

"I had just gotten a new Volvo, and it cost a lot -- but I only spend a couple of hours in it each day," Mrs. Evette White, 38, of Nashville, TN, was quoted as saying in a recent New York Times article. "But we're spending six to eight hours sleeping every night, and I realized it's kind of silly that we don't spend more for our mattress."

The Whites decided on a king-size model from Hypnos of Britain. Mrs. White would only say that it cost at least $10,000. But, according to the Times, she and her husband thought it was well worth it.

You don't need to spend 10 grand to upgrade your bed. You can get yourself in good shape for much less than that by focusing on these three areas:

1. Your bed linens

If you've been sleeping on sackcloth from Wal-Mart, upgrading your bed linens will make you feel as if you've relocated to the Taj Mahal.

I'm looking at a catalog from Pioneer Linens of Palm Beach, in which they claim that their top-of-the-line sheets -- these have a thread count (see "It's Good to Know," below) of more than 1,000 -- are "the best in the world." At these prices, I hope so. For a king-size bed, you'll pay $565 for the bottom sheet, $1,185 for the top sheet, and $270 for a pair of pillowcases. Subtotal: $2,020 for one set of linens. That doesn't include the cost of a blanket, pillows, a duvet cover, or shams. (See "Word to the Wise," below.)

Even if you're not about to spend $2,000 for a set of sheets, you can still vastly improve your bedding situation by going with something a bit more modest -- say, with a 300 thread count. For example, a queen-sized set of Eddie Bauer Home 340-thread-count all-cotton sheets will run you about $230. And you don't even have to spend that much. Consumer Reports rated Sears' Colormate percale, cotton-polyester, 200-thread-count sheets -- at only about $45 for a queen-size set -- as its "Best Buy." And testers rated those sheets "excellent" for fit, "good" for softness, and "very good" for strength.

2. Your pillows

Throw out that foam-rubber piece of garbage and get a set of goose-down pillows. Pioneer has some beauties -- Hungarian goose down -- for just $1,160 each. Too steep? You can get "regular" goose-down pillows at Macy's for about $100 a pair. Well worth it.

3. Your mattress

Check around town for some mid-range and higher-end mattress stores. Plan to spend half a day or so on a weekend, driving around and testing mattresses. Keep in mind that (according to Consumer Reports) Sealy, Serta, and Simmons account for about 75% of the market, so you may start seeing the same thing over and over.

Here's your plan:

Try out a variety of mattresses. Don't be shy about lying down on each one for five minutes, 10 minutes, or even longer. This is where you're going to be spending a good part of your life during the next few years. Don't rush the evaluation process.

Rate each mattress based on three criteria: comfort, support, and roominess. You probably don't want to sleep on a sheet of plywood, but a mattress that's too soft can be just as bad -- or worse. With little or no support, you may develop back and/or shoulder problems.

Narrow your choices down to the three you like the most. Of these, purchase the best one that you can afford (keeping in mind that the higher-priced and better-quality ones may last longer and thus be cheaper in the long run).

Consumer Reports says that a high-quality mattress will run you at least $450 for a twin, $600 for a full, $800 for a queen, and $1,000 for a king. But never, ever pay list price. The mattress business is one of high markups, intense competition, and great deals for good bargainers.

Many stores have same-day delivery, so you could be enjoying your new "billionaire's bed" that night. You might even want to reward yourself by planning something a little special for the first night in your new bed. Champagne and caviar, anyone?

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Today's Action Plan:

It may seem outrageous to spend a couple of thousand dollars on bedding -- but not if you follow Evette White's logic. How much time do you spend in your car? Maybe an hour a day? Meanwhile, you're spending about a third of your life -- perhaps eight hours a day -- in bed. If you spend $35,000 on a car, you could make a mathematical argument for spending about a quarter of a million dollars on your bed.

That's obviously a stretch. But it certainly shows that spending as much as $5,000 on a bed makes sense.

The next time you're setting your goals and budget for the coming year, regardless of your financial status, I suggest you put "get a great bed" high on your list.

10 Tips for Better Sleep

Here are 10 tips from the Better Sleep Council (a sleep-industry umbrella organization) to help you get a good night's sleep.

1. Give yourself "permission" to go to bed. As hard as it may be to put away your "to-do" list, make sleep a "priority." You'll thank yourself in the morning.

2. Unwind early in the evening. Try to deal with worries and distractions several hours before bedtime.

3. Develop a sleep ritual. Doing the same things each night just before going to bed signals your body to settle down.

4. Keep regular hours. Keep your biological clock in check by going to bed around the same time each night and waking up close to the same time each morning -- even on weekends.

5. Create a restful place to sleep. Sleep in a cool, dark room that is free from noises that could disturb you.

6. Sleep on a comfortable mattress that's supported by a good foundation. It's difficult to sleep on a bed that's too small, too soft, too hard, or too old.

7. Exercise regularly. Regular exercise can help relieve daily tension and stress -- but don't exercise too close to bedtime; if you do, you may have trouble falling asleep.

8. Cut down on stimulants. Consuming stimulants, such as caffeine, in the evening can make it more difficult to fall asleep.

9. Don't smoke. Smokers take longer to fall asleep and wake up more often during the night.

10. Reduce your alcohol intake. Drinking alcohol shortly before bedtime interrupts and fragments sleep.

It's Good to Know: About "Thread Count"

"Thread count" refers to the number of horizontal and vertical threads in one square inch of fabric. In general, the higher the thread count is, the higher the price will be and the softer the fabric will feel. (But this has nothing to do with how well it will wear.)

Most bed linens have a thread count somewhere between 180 and 320.

Word to the Wise: Duvets and Shams

A duvet (doo-VAY), which comes from the old French word for "down," is a soft, often down-filled, quilt or comforter -- usually one with a washable cover. A pillow sham is a decorative pillowcase.

Protected by U.S. Copyright Law {Title 17 U.S.C. Section 101 et seq., Title 18 U.S.C. Section 2319}: Infringements can be punishable by up to 5 years in prison and $250,000 in fines.

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