Do you realize that you spend a full one-third of your life in bed? That's a lot of time, and knowing that, wouldn't it make sense to make sure that you're as comfortable as possible while you're there? We've all slept on scratchy sheets or those that are so thin you can almost see through them. But a good night's rest requires a certain level of comfort that simply can't be had with poor quality bed sheets.

Is it time for you to buy new ones?

Size Matters

If you're more than twenty years old, you'll remember when beds only came in standard sizes. You likely had a twin, double, queen or king. But with today's mattress improvements, you could have a king sized bed, but the standard king sized sheets may not necessarily fit it. Why? Because mattress manufacturers have made vast improvements to mattresses including things like pillow tucks and extra thickness.

Knowing this, you will have to take care when buying your bed sheets, otherwise you might have sheets that won't quite wrap around the edges, or do, but continually slip off.

Each package of sheets will provide the exact measurements of the sheets, so it's important for you to pay attention to them. Measure your mattress before you go shopping so that you will be prepared to make a decision. In other words, if you have a queen-sized bed that has a pillow tuck on both sides of the mattress, you may have to buy king sized sheets!

Thread Count

Have you ever had the privilege of sinking into a soft bed and wondering how in the world it was so comfortable? Was it a new kind of fabric softener? A perfectly worn in mattress? In all likelihood, it was the sheets!

The thread count is what will determine just how soft your sheets are--the higher the thread count, the more comfortable your sheets will be. Sometimes called the TPI, this factor measures how many threads are used per every square inch of fabric. They can range anywhere from about 150 all the way up into the thousands. In general, you should always avoid any sheets that have a lower count than 200 because they won't feel good on your skin, but scratchy and uncomfortable. If you buy sheets with a thread count of over 250, you should have a pretty good night's sleep.

Material

The type of fabric that you select when buying your sheets will make a huge impact on your comfort level. And with so many materials available, you should think hard about what type of sleeping experience you desire. The most popular choices are cotton, flannel, and silks and satins.

Cotton is by far the most popular because it is snuggly in the winter and cool in the summer (although they have to be warmed up in the winter first). There's just something about sinking into a bed with high quality cotton sheets! In addition to being comfortable, manufacturers tend to produce them in more styles and colors (than other sheet types) to keep up with the consumer demand.

A winter just isn't complete without warm flannel sheets. Most people exclusively use flannel sheets in the cold months, because they will become "sweaty" in hot ones. In addition, many manufacturers have begun to produce flannel comforters and blankets to match the patterns on the sheets.

Finally, a silk or satin pair of sheets is considered the ultimate in luxury. They are silky soft and will keep you from sweating in the summer. You can literally slide into bed and if you have a satin or silk pillow case, lay your head in pure luxury. The only downside to satin and silk sheets is that they tend to slide off of the bed if not fitted properly.

What about you? Are you a cotton person or silk? Do you want a frivolous thread count, or will 250 do? Think about your options carefully before you shop for bed sheets and then enjoy your choice!