Can bad bedsheets mean a bad relationship?

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As we all know, it’s the smallest things that can sometimes become an issue in a relationship. Here's mine: I prefer he sleeps at my place. And it's not because I’m lazy and don’t want to drive the 40 minutes to his house. (Okay, I am a little lazy.)

My issue with him has nothing to do with his love for his La-Z-Boy chair (surprisingly extremely comfortable!) and my love for contemporary furniture (These two trains shall never meet.) No, it has to do with his sheets. You know, bed sheets.

Now, yes, I paid thousands for my bed sheets because, well, I love sleeping, especially in high-thread-count sheets. Him? Not so much. He loves my bed, because of my duvet and sheets, and who wouldn’t? But, being the nice girlfriend I am, I still do sleep at his place. But with dragging my toiletries, a bag of clothes, and shoes for a weekend sleepover, I don't want to bring sheets to! (And don’t get me started on his pillows. Let’s just say I get kinks in my neck!)

It turns out that bed sheets are super important — not just in a relationship, but for everyday life! I’m not saying that his not-as-good-as-mine linens are a deal breaker — I’m not that silly! He’s a great guy! But it would be great if he bought a really nice set for his bed.

Why good-quality bedsheets matter
After talking to Joanna Goodman, of Au Lit Fine Linens I actually have expert backup to convince him to buy a good set of sheets.

Her mother opened the first Boutique Au Lit in Montreal in 1981. “In those days,” she says, “everyone slept on polyester and her mission was to convert people from polyester to pure cotton sheets,” says Goodman. She joined the business when they opened the first Toronto store in 1996. “The good news is, Torontonians embraced our cotton sheets and goose down duvets and got rid of their polyester.” (Well, not everyone. See above.)

1. Goodman says that quality cotton sheets are so important — and there is a distinction between authentic quality and inferior quality cotton. “You spend about a third of your life in bed. That's about 3000 hours a year!” she says. “Once you experience quality cotton sheets and real goose-down duvets and pillows, you simply can never go back to the old way. Investing in quality linens is really an investment in quality of life.” It's not even a question of luxury; it's about personal comfort. “What could be more important?” she asks. (Agreed!)

2. If you've never slipped between a freshly laundered set of Egyptian cotton, woven-in-Italy sheets, it's hard to describe what you're missing: personal comfort and quality of life. Goodman agrees. “Let's just say there's nothing like it in the world."

3. “Simply put, quality sheets last. My mom and I have had our sheets for literally decades. Remember the days when people actually believed in value and invested in authentic quality? Invest now and you won't have to replace them every year. Good sheets should last 10 years (at least), not 10 months,” she advises. 

4. Authentic quality looks good. You can't fool anyone with cheap clothes any more than you can with cheap, inferior linens. “And let's face it, for all those bachelors out there, you'll impress the ladies. A man who understand good linens is a man worth keeping,” says Goodman.

5. She tells women who have the same issue as I do to say, "Honey, your sheets are like sandpaper and they're chafing my soft skin" or "Honey, it's me or your grandmother's hand-me-down polyester sheets" or "Honey, get yourself some decent Egyptian cotton sheets or you can go back on J-Date."

6. I am not alone with my need for quality sheets. “One woman,” says Goodman, “came back to our store after having bought herself a set of our sheets and actually bought her dog one of our duvet covers for his doggie bed. Swear to God! Another woman told us that her husband, who was originally reticent about buying good sheets, now calls hotels ahead of time when he travels to find out if they've got cotton sheets. And finally, another woman's husband went on a camping trip with his buddy and while they all slept on whatever horrible foam pillows + rough sheets were available at the cabin, he had brought along his Au Lit pillow and sheets! In spite of much mockery from his friends, he was the only one who slept well on the fishing trip.”

FYI: Au Lit Linens also does a lot of custom work, so they can add coloured stitches, scallops, embroideries and monograms to their collections. All I can say is that if fine linens are good enough for a dog, then certainly they are good enough for a girlfriend. Just saying...

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