The Blissful Bed and Bath

Last month I talked about sleep deprivation and how a proper night’s sleep is a “quality of life” issue. In this season of graduations (seems I’ve been to so many!) I thought it would be a good idea to talk about the college-bound student in your life. What can we do to make sure he or she gets the rest necessary, not only to excel in their studies, but to become the leaders of tomorrow?

Maybe if she'd had a good night's sleep she'd notice class is over.

I remember my own college experience-I’d moved from sunny California to Boston in the middle of their most severe winter in history. Talk about culture shock! Freezing outdoors, but indoors they kept our dorms heated to a sultry 80 degrees 24/7. Which meant I slept with the windows open, sometimes with the snow blowing across my extra-long twin “bed.” Good times. As you can imagine,  I hardly got a good night’s sleep and was often dozing off while writing my lengthy papers (on my typewriter, remember those?) Now that I am spoiled rotten, sleeping on my 7 Layers of Bliss every night, I often think how much better my college experience would have been if only I’d had a few essentials. So here’s a checklist to help you kit-out your student for success:

-Allergen Barrier Mattress Cover: This one really doesn’t require explanation. I remember lying awake trying very hard not to imagine the scores of students who had tried to sleep on that mattress before me…ew.

-Fiberbed: I am a HUGE fan of Private Quarters featherbeds. My customers always write me to let me know what a tremendous difference their featherbeds have made in the quality of their sleep. Many of them host in-home presentations just so they can get the featherbed for free. For students, though, I recommend the microfiber-filled version. It’s less of an investment at $110 (page 8 in the catalog) and? It’s machine washable.

Dreaming of a Successful Future...

-Twin Extra Long Sheets: These were impossible to find when I was in school, but now you can get them anywhere. My personal faves for students are Private Quarters’ Modal Sheets for the warmer months and the Serenity Plush Sheets for winter.

-Sleeping Pillow: My favorite is the Deluxe Microfiber-filled pillow. At $35 it’s a very modest investment that makes a dramatic difference in one’s sleep quality. And, like the fiberbed, it’s also machine washable.

As far as blankets, comforters and the like-it kind of depends on the climate your student is heading for. In general, I always recommend machine washables for students. Another great gift? Rolls of quarters for the Laundry mat!

Here’s some other great things your student is sure to thank you for:

-A Microwave

-An Electric kettle

-TOWELS (my favorite are our Bamboo towels, which are naturally anti-microbial)

-Broom and Dustpan (it’s amazing how teenagers tend to forget these!)

-Sewing Kit

Fall will be here before we know it! Let’s send off our students with all the tools they need to succeed