Now, more than ever, good sleep is conducive to a good life. It impacts on absolutely everything we do, from our relationships with friends and family, to how we perform at work, not to mention our own health and wellbeing. Never has it been more in focus, and quite rightly so. Good news, then, that Heal’s is on-hand with everything you need to get a head-start, from the softest pillows to the dreamiest beds and the most luxurious linen. Ahead of World Sleep Day – observed on 17th March to raise awareness of sleep health – we explore how you can sleep better every night of the week. Sweet dreams, guaranteed.
Invest in rest
Getting quality shut-eye begins with a quality bed. Luckily, our specialist makers combine expert heritage with modern technology to craft truly superior mattresses, meaning we’re confident in giving you a comfortable night’s sleep. What’s more, we’ve been making mattresses since 1810, when we were the first the introduce feather-filled models to London. We haven’t stopped innovating since, and we’ve now got a mattress to suit every kind of sleeper, all of them hand-sprung for better support and tailored comfort thanks to individual springs housed in separate pockets. In short, when you move, your bedfellow doesn’t, making for uninterrupted sleep from night ‘til morning. Better still, they’re all hypo-allergenic, meaning everyday irritations such as allergens, bacteria and dust are minimised courtesy of sterilised natural latex, while all being made from strictly natural materials. There’s a size for every space – from single and double to king and super-king – across six collections that offer varying levels of cushioning, support and contouring according to individual needs. But the best bit? All our mattresses are guaranteed to last for at least 10 years, offering peace of mind as well as a perfect night’s sleep.
Find a match
Not sure how to pick the right mattress for your preferences? Fear not: our practical buying guide will help you select the right model for your sleeping pattern at every step of the process, supporting you through key considerations such as the springs, firmness, size and materials. Then, simply choose and snooze…
Frame your mattresses
A mattress without a bed is like artwork without a frame. Whether wooden or upholstered, we’ve got a selection of frames for every style, from four-posters to fill a generous space to divans with handy storage beneath. Crafted by British designer Russell Pinch, the Wallis Bed combines soft curves and crisp lines with a signature headboard that can be upholstered in a range of luxurious fabrics, while the Store Storabed, exclusive to Heal’s, features a clever fold-away design that saves on space and complements all décor. Browse and buy here.
Pick a pillow
Arguably, a pillow and duvet are just as important as your mattress and frame, as it’s what you lay your head on and cosy up beneath, night after night. Our soft and sumptuous sets are positively dreamy, stuffed with either British wool or duck- and goose-down, while there’s a tog of duvet to see you through every season. Alternatively, the Chatsworth Wool Pillow and Chatsworth Wool Duvet are luxurious picks, made by the fourth-generation of a wool-merchant family in Bradford and featuring only the very best fibre from around the world. You can rest easy knowing that the collection has been created with the highest quality, sustainability and ethics throughout the entire manufacturing process. Plus, all fillings are traceable back to both farm and sheep, sure to have you sleeping with a good conscience.
Change your sheets
Made from soft and natural fibres, our range of designer linen is the finishing touch for dressing your bed, helping you to turn a bedroom into a boutique hotel. Our Washed Linen is carefully woven from European flax in northern Portugal, a centre of excellence for textiles, with every piece gloriously lightweight and beautifully soft; while our Velvet Quilt features seriously plush quilting and statement jewel tones, all hand-finished, for a classic bedspread that will endure for years to come.
Switch-up lighting
Low and flattering, the right lighting can be just as conducive to quality sleep as a decent bed or otherwise, so consider a scheme that feels restful and relaxing. Layered is usually best: a combination of bedside lamps for late night reading and all important pillow talk; a statement floor lamp beside an occasional chair for added cosiness and depth in a dark corner; and dimmers for dialling up and down the ambience throughout the space as and when required.
Add some fragrance
The power of scent is well-documented, especially when it comes its sleep-enhancing properties, so add a reed diffuser to distribute a constant yet subtle fragrance throughout the bedroom. Soft, understated scents are best for sleep, over rich, fruity alternatives, so choose something that enriches the air rather than overpowers it. We love this Scent Earth Diffuser from none other than self-taught British designer Tom Dixon, which is as stylish as it is effective, emitting an enigmatic concoction of mint, cedar and guaiac wood into the air.
Three more tips
1 Add a finishing touch to your mattresses with a topper or protector to bolster comfort and extend protection.
2 Sleep is about visual comfort as well as physical comfort, so cosy up the space with a scatter cushion or three, best in interesting textures and patterns.
3 Finally, avoid the feeling of cold feet in the morning by adding a rug beneath a bed on bare floorboards – the cosier, the better.