With time pillows become unhygienic and often lose the support they once provided. Generally speaking pillows usually last 2-4 years depending on wear.

Tips to look for :
• Is your pillow discolored? We lose up to pint of sweat each night, which inevitably stains and dirties the cover and allows unhealthy bacteria to grow within the filling.
• Do you wake up with a neck ache? It may be because your pillow has become flat or lumpy and no longer support your neck in the way it should. It may also mean that you have the wrong pillow for your sleeping style.
• Do you wake up wheezy or with a runny or blocked nose? You may be allergic to house dust mites living in your pillows.

How to keep your pillows at their best

Natural pillows will keep their shape and will offer the same level of support for longer that synthetic, but you should plump all pillows up daily. Once a week put your pillows in a tumble dryer for 15 minutes to kill dust mites and freshen and fluff your pillows.

The range of synthetic generally runs from the very inexpensive fiberfill that over a short period of time turn into mini rocks. Our favorite pick is the Karessa Gel, A mid priced Hypo allergenic pillows that really mimics down.

New on the Market for side sleepers: The Doctor Mary pillow is specifically designed by a chiropractor and neurosurgeon and constructed in a boomerang shape. This side sleeper pillow relieves tension and aches from your neck and shoulders while keeping your head in line with your spine. Filled with a 650 white goose down available in three sizes.

Why Doesn’t My Duvet Fit My Duvet Cover?

There is a new four-letter word in town – Standard. Okay, well, eight letters. You purchase a brand new, top of the line, fluffy, standard king duvet for your brand new gorgeous, designer, standard king duvet cover. You get home, throw in the duvet and with great anticipation toss it up in the air, over your bed. It falls…flat. The duvet cover droops over the side of your bed and that fluffy duvet seems almost non-existent. What happened?

Unfortunately, linen and down suppliers have their own interpretations of what qualifies as standard. While there are general parameters for sizing, even an inch or two in width or length can make a world of difference. For example, these are three sets of dimensions that claim to be standard, king sizing: 112 x 97” / 106 x 92” / 102 x 85” Generally, luxury linens are very generous in their sizing. Just when you think you have a handle on it, some brands throw in a California king or Jumbo sizing.

So – what is the key to all this madness? The rule of thumb is to make sure that your duvet is 1—2 inches wider than your duvet cover. If you can find the extra inches in width and length, even better. In doing so, you will gain optimal loft (a.k.a. puffiness) and aesthetics.

Sleep on it,
Ingrid

Building your own duvet is an example of a customization program at Toile. You can choose the fill, the loft, and the casing. Here are some basics to help you build your perfect duvet:

Goose down is the soft, light, fluffy undercoating of the goose. It is a superior fill to duck down or feathers because it offers large clusters that fluff up or “loft” to product better insulation. There is no difference in quality between white and gray goose down; however, white is usually preferred since it does not show through the duvet shell. When shopping around, unless a duvet is specifically labeled “goose down”, it is probably duck down.

There is a wide variety of down and feather blends for various purposes and budgets. Generally, the more down, the softer and fluffier the duvet. The more feathers a duvet has, the firmer and springier it will be.

Synthetic fibers are ideal for people allergic to down. These innovative synthetics are more like down than ever before; they simulate the softness, fluidity, and loft of down because the fiber is formed in small individual clusters.

Plush upholstered headboards are a fantastic and simple way to add the “wow” factor to any bedroom.  Finding the right headboard to coordinate with custom bedding and window treatments achieves a beautiful, professionally designed look that is pleasing to the eye as well as restful…

More than just a design detail, a headboard is a focal point that pulls together the design elements in a room and makes it complete.  Custom headboards allow you to add a personal touch to your room, and give you limitless options, from simply classic to absolutely extravagant.

If you have ever considered organic sleep products but weren’t quite sure how they could contribute to a healthier lifestyle, keep reading! As a consumer, it is very hard to distinguish between ‘natural’, ‘green’ and ‘organic’ products. At Toile, we carry ‘certified organic’ mattresses and bedding; We want to help you understand what this means.

In 2002 the USDA created a list of standards and regulations to ensure that when consumers see the term ‘certified organic’ they have a way to determine what it actually means. Labels will indicate the level of purity based on a percentage factor.

• From farmer to product processing, any certified organic component undergoes regular certification inspections to ensure correct practices. In Canada this inspection is annual.
• Detailed records must be kept to confirm that the products remain untainted.
• No man made pesticides, artificial fertilizers, or harmful chemicals have been used on the farm for at least 3 years prior to certification.
• Ecologically friendly methods and materials must be used in all aspects of cultivating, harvesting and processing certified organic products.

Source: http://pbs.naturaworld.com/an-organic-sleep-environment-4600

Organic Sleep = Healthy Sleep

Did you know that we spend almost 1/3 of our lives curled up in bed asleep? While asleep we breathe very deeply, taking in the surrounding air and whatever it happens to contain around us. Several studies have indicated that dust in our homes contains lead, pesticides and a plethora of toxic chemicals. As we place more products into our home and the chemicals get released we are fulfilling a process called off-gassing. This means that our furniture, carpet and mattress release chemicals into the air we breathe. Buy purchasing organic products, we can greatly reduce this process. Organic products, such as a mattress, not only reduces chemical exposure but they actually have many other health and comfort functionality to ensure you get a rested sleep.

Natura makes natural mattresses with organic latex, which is antimicrobial and hypoallergenic. The organic wool also naturally repels dust and other allergens by eliminating the moisture in your mattress thereby eliminating the environment these allergens thrive on. It will also create a temperature balance in your bed and greatly reduce sleep disturbance due to temperature issues.

We invite you to watch this short video on Organic bedding by Natura, available at Toile now!

Natura Organic Bedding Collection (Click)