Insiders' Guide.(Mattresses)

Insiders' Guide

Tips for wearing a hat well, cooking better at home, making a luxurious bed, and more.

How to Make a Comfortable Bed

An Interview With Erik Wood Wood is the executive housekeeper at the Four Seasons Hotel New York. Having a great bed is the best form of pampering. Soft materials next to your skin and cradling around your body make it easier for you to fall asleep. [yen] Sink into it. At the Four Seasons, we use Sealy foam mattresses that have individually wrapped coils for added comfort and springiness. If you donOt want to buy a new mattress, top your existing one with a feather bedNa down-filled cushion that provides similar fluffiness and contouring. Just remove it in the warm months (the feathers can make you hot at night). For year-round softness, get a mattress pad. Wool is the perfect fill: It absorbs moisture, which helps regulate body temperature in any season (foam pads can trap heat), and unlike down, wool recovers most of its thickness after being compressed. YouOll feel as if youOre sleeping on a pillow. [yen] Pick your materials. Thread count is importantNget at least 200 or more per square inchNbut itOs not the biggest factor in comfort. You should have 100 percent cotton sheets, not 50-50 polyester (we use 220-thread-count Rivolta Egyptian cotton). Well-made cotton irons easily and looks crisp on a bed; polyester blends donOt. IOd avoid satin sheets, tooNtheyOre very slippery and messy. After you wash the sheets with a mild detergent, air fluff them with no heat in the dryer, then iron them while theyOre still slightly damp. This ensures maximum crispness. Or for a little indulgence, consider having your sheets professionally cleaned and pressed for around $40 a set. [yen] Blanket the area. Everyone at hotels is using feather duvets now. Just be sure yours has quilting to keep the feathers in place. Shake it out every time you ...