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You’ve upgraded your pillows. Started indulging in relaxation-inducing candy (it’s a thing!). Even slathered on beauty products laced with melatonin—and yet good sleep is as elusive as ever. If you’ve tried everything and still wake up with dark under-eye circles, it might be time to think simpler. A new study delves into the bedding habits of Americans, and it turns out, there’s a direct correlation between washing your sheets regularly and better z’s.
SleepJunkie polled more than 2,700 people in 25 of the country’s largest cities to compile the report. It came up with a number of surprising stats—including that nearly a third of people have entirely forsaken the top sheet—but we’re most interested in this idea of laundry-aided snoozing. Apparently, those polled who were “very satisfied” with their sleep reported washing or changing their bedding every 12.8 days on average, while those who were “very unsatisfied” averaged 19.9 days between washes. Time to scrounge up those quarters.
Experts recommend doing the wash every week to keep bacteria at bay—but just swapping out your sheets for one of these hardworking varieties is a good start.
Silver
Don’t knock it till you try it: Antibacterial linens are one of the hottest tickets on the market right now and could be exactly what you need to calm your inner germaphobe.
Linen
If you’re ready to up your laundry frequency, you might as well opt for a material that actually gets softer with each wash, like linen. Not only does it feel luxurious, but the airy fabric is said to soothe hot sleepers.
Eucalyptus
Buffy’s eucalyptus bedding is literally made to help you breathe easier—it’s naturally dyed, hypoallergenic, and generally toxin-free. You’ll still have to clean the sheets, of course, but at least they’re made with sweet dreams in mind.
See more ways to get better sleep: This Skin-Care Ingredient Gives a Whole New Meaning to Beauty Sleep I Asked a Sleep Doctor What I Was Doing Wrong—Here’s What I Learned The Key to Better Sleep Is Not a Bedtime, It’s a Wake-Up Time