I am the same, I have the most amazing bedding, it stays cool when you need it too but is still cosy, I have hunted high and low for more in what could only be described as a journey to find the whole grail.

This has included both me and my other half spending stupid amounts of time and money only for it to end up at the charity shop. Where are you good bedding?

I have calvin klein sheets. They're the best, they're not cheap. The king size is actually $100 per sheet. We got them for our wedding and I'm crazy about anything happening to them. They are so nice though, I love them. You can get them at Macys and there is free shipping. The ones I have are bamboo flowers.

We have 2 sets of Wamsutta from Linens N Things. (I think they're called "Sateen" but don't quote me.) The striped ones are MUCH better than the patterned ones, but both are quite nice. They run around $90 up here, so I'm figuring around $70US.

Like I said, get the striped ones (they're not 2 colour stripes... it's like a shiny and less shiny). They have a fair number of colours, so there's probably something that'll work.

OK so my memory sucks when it comes to sheets. I just went to the website and realized we have the Damask Stripe:
http://www.lnt.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2068098&cp&fbx=1&fbn=Taxonomy%7CSolid&dropValue=32&f=Brand%2F95829%2F&f=Taxonomy%2FLNT%2F1331605&f=Taxonomy%2FLNT%2F1331625&f=Taxonomy%2FLNT%2F1385346&fbc=1&parentPage=search

Totally awesome sheets; wash really well. (Oh and my pricing was for queen, not king.)

We love the jersey knit sheets that you can get just about anywhere. But I have learned that these are either a totally love or totally despise sheet- but they are relatively cheap. We also have two sheets of Pottery Barn Sheets. The classic sheet set and we love them.

And I totally absolutely bring the sheets back because that is a lot of money for the scratch!

I have sheets from Target. They are cotton/bamboo. Not crazy expensive and those suckers are SOFT! Love them. Bamboo is supposed to be environmentally friendly - I honestly didn't expect those sheets to feel as good as they do. But they rock.

I have all kinds of sheets..some are Target some are more expensive but what I have found is I can't sleep any sheets that haven't been washed first. I find them too stiff right out of the package and that they have an odor to them. So any sheets get washed and a healthy dose of fabric softener before they go on the bed. And if I was my great grandmother, they would be ironed too. Thankfully I am not my great grandmother.

My problem with sheets is finding ones that fit. We have a huge mattress with a huge pillow top (Hate it) and I even sheets that say they have extra deep pockets end up falling short.

I can't help you. Sadly, I, too, am sheet challenged. Honestly, I think it is king sized sheets because we got ours (king size bed) in February and I have had this same issue ever since--I don't recall being a sheet idiot when we had a queen sized bed. I am anxiously awaiting the suggestions.

Also, waiting for the genitaila report. In case you were wondering, I'm guessing girl.

We just got our king size bed last weekend, now when my 4 year old comes in at 3:30 there is room for him too!

Anyway, I cannot decide on a comforter set, I have bought 4 and returned 4. But I did find some sheets on Amazon.com for a mere $30 and they are the softest ever! Beware of getting scammed on thread count there are only so many threads that can actually fit, according to my mother. And look for Egyptian cotton - shiny sheets always itch. I have some hypersensitive thing - bedding and towels have to be soft - or I am very disgruntled!

It is not jsut about the thread count it is about the cotton too. Egyptian cotton is the best. Do you use fabric softener? That may help with the soft part, or you may want to wash 2x before sleeping on them.

What brand did you use on your old bed?
I'm not picky when it comes to sheets, but I have heard the Egyptian Cotton is very nice.
I'd wash-dry-wash-dry with plenty of fabric softener and see if that helps any.

I have a California King and always have trouble finding both soft sheets and sheets that fit. I have also had luck, as mentioned above- with the bamboo/cotton sheets. I got them for my kids (queen sized) and they were about $60/set and they are awesome soft! I think the colors were limited, but I live in a very very small town. I also had luck, many years ago at linens & things for my cali king with the egyptian cotton, SATEEN (always softer for some reason), I dont think I've bought anything over 450-500 thread count tho. Had some 400 that felt like sandpaper.

Best of luck!

I would return the sheets.

I am a sucker for the jersey knit. I love them and they don't get cold in the winter. And you can buy them at Target. They seem to wear out quicker, so I have several sets that rotate. I know some people that hate the jersey knit, though.

I love my king size bed and I will never go back.

I hope Wally spreads his/her legs for ya!

My favorite sheets ever are Wamsutta sheets from Bed, Bath & Beyond. So soft and lovely, although I have no idea what thread count I have as I bought them years ago.

I'll second the bamboo blend sheets from Target. I bought a set for my son and just bought a blanket on-line. If the blanket is anything like the sheets...I may boot him out of his bed! They are very soft even before washing and they washed up quite nicely.

I've always had good luck finding sheets at TJ Maxx.

Okay, not sheets but about the bamboo thing, I just got some bamboo/cotton towels. O.M.G. So soft. So absorbent. Fabulous. I think I'm in love.

I have no idea about sheets. The ones we have been using for a while now came with our bedding, which is Bill Blass. Softest sheets ever!

I also just bought some 250 thread count, egyptian cotton sheets from Wal-Mart online, for 29.99. They were a nice color, what can I say?! I should get them sometime this week. I'll let ya know if they do not suck ass.

If ya get stuck with the expensive sheets, wash them like crazy and use tons of downey on them. That'll soften them up! We also bought a "Dream Puff" matress pad for our bed recently, that I absolutely ADORE!

Just to jump on the me-too bandwagon, I recommend jersey knit sheets. My husband loves them so much he whines when we go to motels because the sheets aren't soft enough. Just be sure that you get deep enough pockets for your bed. We got some from Lands End that were nice and held up pretty well, but they're not really carrying them anymore.

We have some bamboo sheets right now that we got at Bed Bath and Beyond. They're soft, but they look like ass after a year of washings. I probably won't do it again.

I was just at Target last night (went in for ONE THING and came out with $60 in stuff, minus the ONE THING because they didn't have it) and was very very tempted by the bamboo/cotton sheets several people have already mentioned. In fact, I would have bought some for our bed and my son's bed (he just transitioned from crib to twin bed!) except they were totally sold out of queen in every single color and the only twins left were lime green, which clash with his bedroom. Also, to help with your decision-making the sheets all had little sample swatches of fabric so you could feel them - fantastic!

I have always bought my sheets at Bed Bath & Beyond, either Grand Patrician or Wamsutta. They run around $100. I make sure to get 100% cotton (I think that is the key to softness) and 300 thread count. (I remember reading somewhere that if you go too much higher than that, the sheets will fall apart before too many washings.) And they have always been really soft. We recently bought a king set at Target for $60 that was surprisingly good for the price--I don't know the brand, but I think it was Fieldcrest.

Hi, I'm Pammer. And I'm a bedlinen whore.

Sheets that do not suck:

Ralph Lauren (NOT Polo brand) - but takes about 7 washings for softness to appear.
Anything by Charisma (hard to find 'xcept at Company Store these days and waaay pricey)
Laura Ashley (OMG)

You can check eBay for good deals on all...but Ralph Lauren is available in nearly every major decent department store.

I love all of the sheets I've bought at Ikea.

The few times I've purchase sheets elsewhere I have felt/touched the sheets in open packages I happened to "find" before purchasing.

i can't buy sheets either. you're not alone!
good luck today! hope eveything goes well!

I prefer the cheap jersey knit sheets. They wear out fast, but they are cheap so I can always buy more. Most importantly, they are super comfy.

My Mom bought me some 100 percent cotton Laura Ashley sheets some time ago. An absolutely gorgeous print! But no amount of fabric softener ever made them any softer. I finally gave up and went back to cotton blend sheets, which are always soft and super cheap ($10 for a twin set). I know they aren't 100 percent cotton, but you know what, I'm still alive and sleeping in comfort.

Of course, in Michigan, I use flannel sheets 9 months of the year anyway. Those are the best!

I got Target sheets 5 years ago (their brand) that are the softest nicest, stay on your bed sheets I have ever had. However, when I went to buy others like it, I couldn't replicate them. I don't know what to tell you.

The Ralph Lauren sheets that I bought as alternate sheets aren't as soft and they roll up on the corners after a couple of days.

We got great sheets at Bed, Bath, and Beyond. But I'll have to look at home for the brand, etc., because all I can remember is that they were on the left side of the store somewhere, ha.

I'm a newish reader but I'm so excited to find out what the baby is!

Overstock.com has the best 600+ thread count sheets for king sized beds at crazy cheap prices. We bought a couple sets from them. We're talking $50-$90 here, and they're COMFORTABLE.

Sheets are one of those things you just can't skimp on. And when you're spending 1/3 of your time on/in them, why would you want to?

Too many comments to read thru-too little time so sorry if I am repeating someone.

MY MIL had a similar debacle and after washing said sheets several times, they started to "pill". She was able to return them for a full refund (well, store credit). So, DO NOT FEEL EMBARRASSED TO RETURN THE SHEETS!!!

Another suggestion is to wash the heck out of them. Maybe several washings will make them soft.

According to Consumer Reports, don't be suckered in by high thread count. It's really the material that matters b/c there is not a strict guideline for companies to follow for threadcount, so some exaggerate theirs. Look for pima or egyptian cotton (affordable). We just got a new king size bed, too, so there also is the problem of finding sheets tall enough to fit the bed. My latest faves are from Costco, funny enough. They are the Costco brand (Kirkland) and I believe they are pima, perhaps even sateen. We have 3 sets b/c I love them so much and it's so freaking hard to find decent sheets! These are soft but not too warm (other sheets make my hubby too hot). Good luck on your search - it's so aggravating!!

I am a sheet snob, too!

Bed Bath & Beyond - http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=108725&RN=16 are the best sheets I've found for the best price. I adore these things!

And return them ... tell the clerk they're not what you thought they were going to be and leave it at that.

I swear by LL Bean flannel sheets, but then I live in the frigid, frigid north. They last forever and just get softer and softer and softer. It's probably still too warm in DC for them right now, though.

Next summer I am considering buying some of the above-mentioned bamboo sheets, which seem very soft. I've tried jersey, but I found that they stretched out very easily and by the third night they were trying to throttle me in my sleep. Also, they started to look pretty beaten up after just a few months.

http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=104324

I swear by these sheets. Super-soft, cool in the summer, and warm in the winter. You really can't get any better than that.

For real, get these sheets! you will find yourself humping the bed instead of your husband... they're that good!

http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&WRN=-2025819408&SKU=108725&RN=16

All the sheets I love are from Garnet Hill (www.garnethill.com). They have really interesting designs, and sometimes come out with a line of incredibly colorful patterns. Their sheets last forever, come out from the wash crisp, and even the cotton has a soft flannel feel. Last year, I bought cheap flannel sheet from Amazon.com. I suppose I didn't have time to go to the store. I was looking for black. I ended up with beige. But I tell you, those sheets are HEAVEN!

I strongly dislike new sheets. I find a set I think are nice, buy them and when I get home all I can notice is how they are not as soft as I thought in the store and the crinkly noise they make when I turn over in bed. I keep trying the soften them by washing them method, but that takes time. Sorry, can't help you there.
If it's not too late to guess on the fetus, I guess boy, just because.

I, too, live where it is cold a lot of the time... and when it is warm my Hubs has the a.c. so cold that we always have the flannel sheets on the bed!

Good luck on the bed sheet hunt... and, yes, for sure take those back.

I always get high thread count Sateen sheets. They are amazing. Like sleeping on soft pillows of love. They aren't always super expensive, but they can be. I don't know if you have Costco out east, but they sell these 600 or 700 count sateen sheets for $65/$70 that are bar none the softest sheets I've ever ever slept on. Rub your legs on the smooth softness all night kind of sheets. And I'm super picky about sheets. When I left for college the only thing I asked my mom for was soft sheets to fit my dorm bed. Wow, really long post there Anna. I'll stop now.

CHARISMA!!!! Big bucks, so worth it. You can find them online at the Company Store.
Good Luck!

I've never had problems with Target sheets, so I can't help you there. Maybe it's not the brand, but the material?

Good luck today.

As for sheets, I too am challenged and loving the advice from others here. :)

One thing I've discovered in recent years is to ignore the thread count. Sometimes it's high and the sheet doesn't feel good. Sometimes it's low and I'm surprised by the softness. The fibers used in that thread count make a big difference. Some of my favorite sheets these days are a bamboo blend - so soft!
Good luck!

We are also very sheet challenged here too but I did get some great tips just from reading the other comments. We bought some of the striped sheets and they are awful. The shinny strip is smooth and the less shinny strip is so itchy it drives me nuts. But we are in the process of painting our room so once that is done I will begin the great sheet search!

I second Wamsutta sheets from Bed, Bath & Beyond

There's a website that I really like for linens, and they have great sales, too. www.thecompanystore.com
I really like the jersey knit fabric, mostly because you can get a comfy sheet for relatively low prices. I'm too cheap to buy high thread count cotton.

Dude...I'm dying over here. Is it a boy or a girl.

Or both?!

I found an AMAZING set of sheets at Bed Bath & Beyond (sadly I have no idea who the maker of them is...I suck! sorry). They are like 1,000 thread count king size but they were on clearance so we got them for super cheap, maybe $60. They are the softest sheets ever. I will not put my other previous sheets on the bed at all. I'll wash and remake our bed with the same sheets because I love them so much. It's really hard to find good sheets where the fitted sheet actually fits the king size. Good luck at your appointment.

If you have a Bed Bath & Beyond, you can put your dirty little paws all over samples of each sheet, which is how I ended up with the best most softest awesomest sheets on earth, which I really wish I could remember the name of but of course I can't. Now if I could just find a down comforter that doesn't get all the down crammed in one side, I'd be set.

I am DYING to hear if you're having a boy or a girl. I have to wait TWO MORE WEEKS for my own test, which seems TOTALLY UNFAIR and worthy of CAPS LOCK SHOUTING.

Not sure if you have a JC Penney's or Macy's by you, but I've bought sheets from both and love them. My faves are from the JC Penney Home Collection. They're 100% Egyptian cotton that I got on sale, and they are SO comfy. In fact, I think they might be the only thing I've ever bought from JC Penney.

Anyway, good luck with the sheet hunt!

I'm a sheet snob. Overstock has some decent deals on 800 and 1000 thread counts. And they last awhile.

This is counter-intuitive, but I find the higher-thread-count sheets more touch-and-go than the lower-count ones.

Oh my God Beth, just get two sets from Pottery Barn and call it a day. When we got married, I got two sets of white sheets for our new bed. The more I wash them, the softer they get, and they stared out pretty damn soft and comfy to begin with.

Wow, either I'm a poor reader or nobody mentioned Chris's quote in the WaPo Express today! I did a double-take on this morning's metro ride when I saw the rudecactus quote. How 'bout them apples, huh? Did they...warn him at all before this?

Izzitaboyorizzitagirl????? Cummon this is the sixteenth time i have checked your site today!

We bought organic cotton sheets at Target this summer primarily to support a big box store's green efforts. Well, now we are saving money to replace all of our non Target organic cotton sheets because we really love the new sheets. Meanwhile, we've found ourselves washing this one sheet set weekly instead of using our formally cool, now reject sheets.

I hope that the ultrasound went well!

wow, as you can see by the comments, sheets make for a provocative post.

i don't know if anyone has suggested bed, bath and beyond's pure beech jersey set. they are wonderfully soft and inexpensive. but i found don't last as long as other sheets. i also have some pretty basic Macy's Charter Club damask stripe that keep getting softer and softer and were not TOO expensive.

I read this post first thing this morning and chuckled. We have similar threadcount issues here. Then I checked in, oh I don't know, 500 times since, to see what the baby is and an idea came to me.

First is Chris experiencing the same displeasure with the sheets? What if the sheets are fine it's just one of those weird pregnancy sensitivity things you're going through ? I'm not pulling your chain, one of my good friends had this with certain shirts, in fact she ripped off the hospital gown mid-labor because it was irritating her so. Not that I'm saying hospital gowns are all cozy, comfy...but I've heard all sorts of zany things - another friend had to have her bedroom painted because she suddenly hated the color with such a passion she wouldn't sleep in there. that might be a fun topic for future posts- crazy things people have done while pregnant.

ok when I hit post I am hoping it comes back to a a brand new post from YOU and you're telling us boy or girl!

http://www.anichini.com/products/mn_bedding.shtml

I heard Anichini was great but I love my Wamsutta and Hotel Collection sheets from Macy's at 400 thread count. I also LOVE my LL Bean flannels.

Ohh! Ohhh! I can't wait to see if it's sportin' a hamburger or a hotdog!! lol Good luck!

On sheets, I usually do the 300 count and they seem fine to me. My problem is we bought a Simmons World Class that is like 18 inches thick and 3 years later I still can't find a set that will stay on the thing. Very frustrating.

I, too, go to Macy's and feel the sheets and always seem to buy the ones that are described as Sateen, which must mean really soft cotton, because they're not satin.

Refresh. Refresh. Refresh. Still nothing on boy vs girl! Oh, woe!

I have to say, I never gave much thought to sheets until we got our new bed and bought a set of bamboo/cotton sheets at Linens'N'Things. They are truly AWESOME. So, so soft and nice. And there anti-microbial (not that that makes any sense to me, but it said so right on the package) and more environmentally friendly (or something like that.) Mostly, I'm just happy that they are soft.

it's all about the jersey knit sheets. cheap and oh so comfy.

I personally love my organic cotton sheets, purchased at Bed Bath & Beyond with my 20% coupons, of course. I have a set of organic cotton percale ones from Gaiam that I'm sure my mom spent more on, but they're not noticeably softer. What I have found is that (at least with cotton sheets), you have to use them about 10 times with washes in between to really get them soft. Tossing and turning helps. I wash them a LOT when they're new. Also, I found that all sheets felt scratchy to me when I was pregnant. Just another one of the joys of gestating.

AAAH! I thought I would wake up to news about Wally's gender. No such luck. Hope all is well.

BB&B will take back anything w/ a receipt. So will Target, although if you return too much in a year's time you will be black-balled and will no longer be able to make returns. "Too many" is determined by some evil algorithm, not a hard number.

We have insanely expensive sheets from Bloomingdale's Home Store. They cost about $400/set. Yes, that's fucking crazy. However, I am a sheet snob. We have 2 sets. One we received for our wedding and the other we bought after my husband received his annual bonus. I ask you, is there anything more important that a good night's sleep? (Ask Chris - he seems to be doing well in this area so perhaps he has some insight.) ha.

I'm not going to read all the many comments so sorry if this is a repeat. Have you checked out overstock.com? They have fancy sheets for good prices and lots of times people have reviewed the products. Just a thought.

Bed Bath and Beyond....Beech wood sheets... BEST SHEETS EVER! They are like $80.00 for a queen set and are so soft and silky, but not like silky satin which I hate! Good luck!

So, lots of people have said this, but, as someone who bought a new bed 18 months ago and went through a sheet buying frenzy:

1. Wash them first. Dry them. Wash/dry again. That gets all of the formaldehyde (sp?) out; yes, that's what they use to make things look New! and Crisp! in fabrics, both clothes and bedding.

2. My less-expensive favorites: Linens N Things Hotel line. Nothing fancy, I think the king set I purchased was about $100, and I love them.

3. My more-expensive favorites, except that they fit on my old, now-in-the-guest-room queen bed and not the new king: Calvin Klein. AMAZING. Everyone who sleeps in that bed loves them. I got them at the Macy's in Pentagon City, and they are fantastic. They are now about 8 or 9 years old, at least, and they are still in great shape and they still feel FANTASTIC.

Thing not to do? Go cheap. You just spent money on a new bed. Don't ruin the experience with icky sheets. But, definitely read rule #1 above, as I'd guess your skin could be more sensitive given the miabean-sibling on the way.

OK, cotton fabric is treated with formaldehyde to make it stiff, then it's sewn up (without washing) into sheets and treated with starches to make it even stiffer. The only way I'd sleep on sheets that hadn't been washed 2-3 times first would be on a reality tv series where they're offering me $1 million. YUCK! wash wash wash wash! Sorry, that's one of my squidgey things. I have a collection hundreds of yards of fabric because I sew like a fiend, and I ALWAYS wash the fabric before it gets put away in my house. I know too much about the chemicals they use in fabric factories overseas :(

Several have mentioned them before me, but I just have to stick my hand up also for the Jersey Knit sheets! They are just like a soft t-shirt! If you like the sounds of that, then they are for you. :D

Two words, my friend: egyptian cotton. I got a set from Target and we just wash them over and over -- all the other sheets are sitting, lonely and unused, on the linen shelf. Make sure the thread count is as high as possible, too.

Organic cotton sheets from Bed Bath and Beyond are way soft, as well as jersey knit sheets from Target. They feel like you're sleeping on your fave T-shirt!

Hi Beth,
I have the "Hotel" sheets too. I love them. I understand what you're saying though. I've found that after the 3rd or so wash/dry cycle, they're beginning to get really nice. We also like the Wamsutta Sateen (striped) sheets, but found that they weren't as deep pocketed as we needed for our King/pillow-top bed.

I haven't read through all of the comments, but enough to agree on the 100% coton suggestions (and preferably 300+ thread count)... any of the "blends" tend to be a little scratchy imho... I buy a lot of the Ralph Lauren sheets at wicked cheap prices at Ross..Just disovered the T-shirt sheets for winter!

well I have found the best sheets all around are ralph lauren. believe it or not, you can get them at marshalls for 49.00 a set. I am real picky about my sheets and these are by far the best I have ever used. You can get them other places I suppose but that is the cheapest place.. good luck!!

Whatever you do, don't be tempted to get satin sheets. They're so slippery that your neck compensates all night just to keep the pillow under your head and then you wake up and you can't even get out of bed because your neck is so sore but bed is the last place you want to be because that's what caused the problem and every time you sneeze the sheets all fly off the bed because they are that slippery. Clearly, I learned the hard way.

I found these "all natural" sheets at Bed Bath & Beyond for our guest room. They're 100% modal and they're so light and fluffy and soft that I'm totally jealous of our guests.
For our king bed, I succumbed to the "cheap sheets" temptation and am seriously regretting it.

You may want to try the kirkland brand costco sheets. I'm a total sheets snob. They have to be JUST RIGHT. If they aren't, they go back, and if they can't go back for whatever reason, I toss them/donate them, do not use them.

The sheets I like, I use until they get holes. Because it's so hard to find new ones!!

Anyway, love the kirkland sheets. sateeny (i've no idea what that means, but they do feel like it) and not too hot. I need to buy some more before they stop carrying them.

http://www.costco.com/Browse/Productgroup.aspx?Prodid=11067607&search=sheets&Mo=238&cm_re=1_en-_-Top_Left_Nav-_-Top_search&lang=en-US&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&Sp=S&N=0&whse=BC&Dx=mode+matchallpartial&Ntk=Text_Search&Dr=P_CatalogName:BC&Ne=4000000&D=sheets&Ntt=sheets&No=5&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Nty=1&topnav=&s=1

(they're in the store too, but thought i'd point them out online.)

Oh my God, I have been on this quest before as well! As odd as this may sound, I found the best sheets for the price at QVC. Honestly! I'm not a huge QVC fan but I've purchased enough of their sheets to say that if I'm ever in need to buy any more (now that I have two girls and twin beds will be my next quest for sheets) I'll be looking at QVC. Try them. QVC has the best return policy on the planet.