National Bed Month
When the average person spends a third of their life sleeping, getting the right bed is an important investment. SuperyachtDesign speaks to luxury specialists Josephine Home, Naturalmat Marine and Aigre-Doux to uncover a few industry secrets...…
As the month of March rapidly approaches, Sweden-based Hästens has released some helpful tips to ensure a restful night’s sleep in anticipation of the National Bed Month, which begins on Friday 1st. When the average person spends a third of their life sleeping, getting the right bed is an important investment. SuperyachtDesign speaks to luxury specialists Josephine Home, Naturalmat Marine and Aigre-Doux to uncover a few industry secrets.
In the list of suggestions by Hästens – including the more obvious such as the correct bed width and length – the company stresses the importance of quality and firmness in a mattress in order to support the body. Mark Tremlett of Naturalmat Marine agrees: “Make sure you try before you buy, and that you know what the right feel and tension is for you. Don’t just leave it to the yard or rep to sort out, ensure that you have had a suitable bounce before you cast off.”
Tremlett goes on to advise that the cost for a good sprung mattress starts at around the 1,500 euro mark, with anything less in price not likely to offer the high quality materials needed for the ultimate bed. At the same time, Mark stresses that you start to pay for the brand rather than the mattress when the price tag is much greater than this. “Go for natural fibres in the mattress – more expensive but they are the best fillings and they breathe, which is essential on a yacht,” admits Tremlett. “Use a good mattress protector that is not filled with synthetics, as there is no point having a good mattress and a poor protector.”
With the right bed, your evening is almost set, but what about linen and pillows, and is it better to have a duvet or blanket? Size, filling and finish all play a large part when choosing the right bedding, as Stephanie Betts of Josephine Home reveals: “The pillows have to be Hungarian Goose down, as there is nothing worse in my book than feather quills or ‘bones’ poking out of fine linen. I would also have at least two pillows.” Betts explains that although this is great for sleeping, firmer wool-filled pillows (65x65cm) used by the Continentals, are better for reading, as they offer greater support when in an upright position. However, this type and size is not helpful to sleep on, and a 180cm or 200cm width pillow is better for a super king size bed or larger.
“In terms of duvet or blanket, it is really a question of weight,” says Betts, when we put the question to her. “For yacht cabins or any place with strong air conditioning usage, I think that a warm, enveloping duvet of medium to high tog (11-13) is a must.”
Weather appropriate linen is also key to a good night. “Natural fabrics are preferred such as cotton for example, instead of synthetic or polyester,” adds Pierre-Brice Ducuing of Aigre-Doux. “The number of threads per inch square (/inch²) is an important factor to take into consideration.” For warmer climates, a 300 or 600 thread count percale weave is recommended, with a 500 or 600 thread count satin weave required in colder climates.
How long you sleep is also a factor, as it is generally considered that eight hours of uninterrupted sleep is sufficient for an adult, but a recent feature article published by the BBC World Service challenges this. Journalist Stephanie Hegarty discovers that the best pattern of sleep is when it is split into two parts of four hours with a conscious period of two hours in between. This is nothing new however, but rather the norm prior to the industrial revolution (1750-1850).
Related Links:
Hästens - company profile
Josephine Home - company profile
Naturalmat Marine - company profile
Aigre-Doux - company website
BBC - company website
In the list of suggestions by Hästens – including the more obvious such as the correct bed width and length – the company stresses the importance of quality and firmness in a mattress in order to support the body. Mark Tremlett of Naturalmat Marine agrees: “Make sure you try before you buy, and that you know what the right feel and tension is for you. Don’t just leave it to the yard or rep to sort out, ensure that you have had a suitable bounce before you cast off.”
Tremlett goes on to advise that the cost for a good sprung mattress starts at around the 1,500 euro mark, with anything less in price not likely to offer the high quality materials needed for the ultimate bed. At the same time, Mark stresses that you start to pay for the brand rather than the mattress when the price tag is much greater than this. “Go for natural fibres in the mattress – more expensive but they are the best fillings and they breathe, which is essential on a yacht,” admits Tremlett. “Use a good mattress protector that is not filled with synthetics, as there is no point having a good mattress and a poor protector.”
With the right bed, your evening is almost set, but what about linen and pillows, and is it better to have a duvet or blanket? Size, filling and finish all play a large part when choosing the right bedding, as Stephanie Betts of Josephine Home reveals: “The pillows have to be Hungarian Goose down, as there is nothing worse in my book than feather quills or ‘bones’ poking out of fine linen. I would also have at least two pillows.” Betts explains that although this is great for sleeping, firmer wool-filled pillows (65x65cm) used by the Continentals, are better for reading, as they offer greater support when in an upright position. However, this type and size is not helpful to sleep on, and a 180cm or 200cm width pillow is better for a super king size bed or larger.
“In terms of duvet or blanket, it is really a question of weight,” says Betts, when we put the question to her. “For yacht cabins or any place with strong air conditioning usage, I think that a warm, enveloping duvet of medium to high tog (11-13) is a must.”
Weather appropriate linen is also key to a good night. “Natural fabrics are preferred such as cotton for example, instead of synthetic or polyester,” adds Pierre-Brice Ducuing of Aigre-Doux. “The number of threads per inch square (/inch²) is an important factor to take into consideration.” For warmer climates, a 300 or 600 thread count percale weave is recommended, with a 500 or 600 thread count satin weave required in colder climates.
How long you sleep is also a factor, as it is generally considered that eight hours of uninterrupted sleep is sufficient for an adult, but a recent feature article published by the BBC World Service challenges this. Journalist Stephanie Hegarty discovers that the best pattern of sleep is when it is split into two parts of four hours with a conscious period of two hours in between. This is nothing new however, but rather the norm prior to the industrial revolution (1750-1850).
Related Links:
Hästens - company profile
Josephine Home - company profile
Naturalmat Marine - company profile
Aigre-Doux - company website
BBC - company website
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