There are many factors involved in getting an excellent night’s sleep, and the way you make your bed and which bedding you choose is one of the most important. This article is here to show you how to make your bed the proper way. The result is inviting, elegant looking and practical.

First of all, make sure that all your bedding is the correct size for your bed, if you are unsure what size of bed you have, you can check here. Start making your bed by fitting the bottom sheet. You can use a fitted or flat sheet but usually a fitted silk sheet is the simplest solution. Fitted sheets are laid by stretching them snugly over the corners of your mattress. Some people may struggle with this, so here is a top tip for making this easier:  fit one corner first, then the corner diagonal to it. Fitting the other corners will be much easier this way. If you are using a flat bottom sheet, lay the sheet on the mattress so it hangs evenly over each side. Flatten out any creases. Now tuck the sheet under the mattress at the top and bottom of the bed first. Smooth the sheet between the base and the mattress rather than scrunching them under. Now when you do the same with the sides of the length of the bed, you will need to make hospital corners. Pull the excess sheet at the corners against the side length of the mattress at a 45 degree angle. Now bring the sheet which hangs down the side over the top of this while lifting the mattress at the corner and smooth under the bed again. Repeat for the other three corners. This should ensure neatly folded tight corners.

The next step in making the perfect bed is fitting the top sheet. This sheet should always be a silk flat sheet (not fitted at the corners). Fit this sheet in much the same way as described above, but this time lay it out with its finished side face down (both sides are ‘finished’ when Silkwood Silk’s habotai silk sheets are used). The top end level of the sheet should be in line with the top edge of the bed, with equal lengths hanging over each of the long sides. Tuck the sides under the mattress as described above and make hospital corners for the corners at the bottom end of the bed. Leave the top corners untucked, and fold the sheet down over itself at the top. Tuck all the sides of the sheet smoothly under the mattress.

Either blankets or duvets can then be laid over the sheets, though some people use both. Due to their thermal properties, silk blankets are incredibly practical all year round, in the winter use one or two, and in summer just one will ensure a comfortable and cool nights sleep. Lay the blanket over the top sheet with the top edge in line with the top edge of the bed and the blanket sides hanging over the bed sides equally. You can either tuck the sides and corners under as with the sheets, or leave them hanging loose according to your preference.

Next, put your duvet inside the duvet cover. For the most comfortable nights sleep, silk duvets are the best choice as they are incredibly soft, they reduce night time sweating and they are naturally hypoallergenic. A handy tip for placing the duvet inside the cover is to start with the duvet cover inside out. Put your arms inside the cover until your hands are inside the two far corners. Then tightly grab the corresponding corners of the duvet and shrug the cover over the duvet. Shake the cover whilst still grabbing the corners. Then you can pull the cover the rest of the way down into the other two corners and zip it up. Lay the duvet evenly and smoothly over the bed and fold down the top at about a third of the length of the bed. Leaving the covers pulled down airs out the sheets after a night’s sleep.

Finally, put your pillows inside your pillowcases and lay them at the head of the bed as you like them. Now you can enjoy a beautiful neatly made bed ready for a perfect night’s sleep.