Do you use a top sheet? Should you?
Travel enough and you’ll discover many cultural differences around the world: language, food, mannerisms, entertainment. And to that, add “bedding.” Specifically, top sheets. The top sheet is the flat sheet that goes directly on top of the sleeper. Some cultures use it and some don’t.
I grew up in the United States and, to me, a top sheet is an essential part of a bed. A bed without a top sheet is, in my opinion and experience, incomplete. But I recognize that many of you listening don’t know what a top sheet is, or why we use it. In fact, there isn’t even a word for “top sheet” in German. So let me explain what I mean.
In many parts of the world, a complete bed includes two sheets: the fitted sheet and the flat sheet. The fitted sheet has elastic on the bottom and fits snugly around all four corners of a mattress. This is the sheet you sleep on, and the elastic helps it to stay firmly in place all night long. The top sheet is flat; this is the sheet you sleep under. Some people prefer to tuck the flat sheet under the mattress; others prefer to let it lay loosely on top of them. But however you do it, the layering is the same: first the fitted sheet, then you, then the flat, top sheet.
You can put some combination of blankets and a comforter on top of the top sheet. A comforter is a thick blanket, usually stuffed with feathers or synthetic material—a comforter keeps you nice and warm on chilly nights.
Top sheets have several advantages. The most commonly-cited reason to use a top sheet is that it protects the sleeper from the other layers on the bed—and vice-versa. Sturdier blankets and comforters are harder to wash. Many comforters are dry-clean-only, so you might only wash those once or twice a year. Blankets can usually go into a washing machine, but you would typically wash those less often than you do your sheets.
The top sheet is an elegant solution: it protects you from dust or debris on the blanket, and it protects the blanket from sweat and skin cells that we naturally shed while sleeping. It’s easy to strip off the top sheet and wash it every week; if you do that, you can wash your blankets and comforter much less frequently.
Top sheets also help sleepers regulate their temperature. On a hot, humid night, it’s comfortable to sleep with just the top sheet, and nothing else. It gives you that covered feeling without trapping heat, and it lets air circulate. But on colder nights, the top sheet is a good additional layer, helping the blankets and comforters to trap heat.
Many people just like the feeling of being under a top sheet. Some people like to tuck them in tightly to the edges of the mattress, which gives them a nice, orderly tucked-in feel. Others say that makes them feel restricted: they want to swish and fluff the top sheet as they sleep, so they just let the flat sheet lay loosely on top of them.
Hard as it is to believe, not every culture uses a top sheet. In fact, much of Europe has ditched the top sheet in favor of a slimmed down bed. Most beds in continental Europe have a fitted sheet on the bottom, topped only with a duvet. The duvet is a thicker blanket, like a comforter—but the difference is the duvet has a removable cover. The duvet cover is like a giant pillowcase for the thicker blanket. And because you can wash the duvet cover frequently, you don’t need a top sheet.
There’s something to be said for simplicity, too. When you wake up, there’s no need to arrange multiple layers. Just smooth the duvet over, fluff the pillows, and you’re done.
Those whojust use a duvet say that top sheets don’t even do their job well. Many people who use a top sheet kick the sheet to the bottom of the bed in the middle of the night anyway, eliminating all the hygienic advantages and creating more work for themselves the next morning. It’s better to just eliminate the top sheet, and sleep under a washable duvet cover.
Where do people use top sheets? A top sheet is common in the United States, Canada, Australia, Spain, Portugal, and parts of Latin America. Sleepers in most of continental Europe, the U.K., and Asia slip directly under a duvet, no additional layer needed.
This is an approach that works in areas with cooler nights for at least part of the year. Sleepers in tropical climates, with hot, humid nights tend to have lighter covers, like just a top sheet or a very light, washable blanket.
In the U.S., the flat sheet is seen as essential—at least, by older generations. YouGov, a polling firm, recently conducted a survey about who uses top sheets. Here’s what they found. Among residents age 55 and older, 80 percent say they use a top sheet often or always. But only about half of people under age 34 say the same thing.
Unbelievably, the firm also asked about how people tuck their top sheets in. Top-sheet sleepers are evenly divided among three methods: tucking them into all sides, tucking them into the foot of the bed only, and leaving it completely untucked.
Jeff’s take
Who knew!
A lamentable part of modern life is that people tend to couple up with others just like them. Society is segregating: we tend tolive close to, and then marry, people like us. Similar race, education level, income level.
Anyway, YouGov—and I don’t know where and how they think of these questions—YouGov also asked people if they’ve ever had to share a bed with someone who tucked their top sheet in in a different way.
So, let’s say you like to rigidly tuck your top sheet in, so that you feel nice and tucked. What if you meet the love of your life, but he or she likes a loosely fitting top sheet? Do you have a future? Can you make this work?
Fifty-five percent of survey respondents said they have never had to share a bed with someone with different preferences on the top sheet. Only thirty-one percent said they had to share a bed with someone who tucked the top sheet in differently.
I’ll say, I’m team top sheet. In the winter, I like to sleep in a cool room, but I like to be warm in bed with a lot of layers. A top sheet is essential. In the summer, I try not to use the air conditioning too much. I just prefer the breeze coming in the windows, and a fan on in the room. But if the weather is warm, a duvet—even a light one—is too heavy. So I just like to use a top sheet and nothing else when the weather is warm. I don’t know what you’re supposed to do on a hot night if you only have a duvet.
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