There is nothing more annoying than waking up in the middle of the night to find your sheets in disarray and wrapped around your body. Fitted sheets are supposed to stay in place, so the mattress does not become exposed. If you're having trouble keeping your fitted sheets in place, there is an explanation for why it is happening. We will give you all the potential reasons and provide tips on preventing this from happening in the future.
Here are some of the reasons fitted sheets come off.
- Silk sheets slip off easily
- The sheets are the wrong size for your mattress
- The fitted sheet depth is too shallow
- Active sleepers move around more while sleeping
- Old sheets are now too stretched out
You want to have the right size and kind of fitted sheets to ensure your mattress is protected from sweat. There are not that many reasons why a fitted sheet is falling off of your bed, so it a problem that is easy to diagnose. We will discuss all the potential problems causing your sheet to come undone, and we will give solutions to keep the sheet in place while you sleep comfortably.
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Silk Sheets Slip Off Easily
Silk sheets are very smooth and comfortable, but that is not helpful if the sheet continually slips off the surface of the mattress and wraps itself around your body. You don't necessarily need to opt for a different material sheet, but you can add another sheet underneath to help the silk sheet grip to the surface of the mattress. A flat plaid sheet could be laid underneath your silk sheet, and this can help keep the fitted sheet in place through the night.
How Should A Fitted Sheet Fit?
Fitted sheets should have a tight fit and reach to the bottom four corners of the mattress. You can achieve this by making sure you buy the right size and kind of sheets. You should measure the length, width, and depth of your mattress to get started. The length and width will determine what kind of mattress you have, whether it is a California king, king, Olympic queen, queen, full, twin, or otherwise.
Once you determine your mattress type by the length and width, you will need to measure the depth to determine what kind of sheets to buy. The depth is higher at the center than it is at the edges, so it is not an accurate measurement to measure the depth at the mattress side. You must use a long flat edge that can rest on the center of the mattress and extend to the side. Then you can measure from the bottom of the mattress to the point where the flat edge extends to the edge of the mattress.
Regular fitted sheets say they will work for anything 12 inches in depth or less. It is recommended that if your depth is at 12 inches that you get a deep fitted sheet that will work for anything up to 15 inches. If your depth is 15 inches, you should buy an extra deep fitted sheet that will work for mattresses with depths up to 22 inches.
Premium Hotel Quality Fitted Sheet
What If I Am An Active Sleeper?
Moving around frequently while you sleep will be more likely to cause a fitted sheet to come undone. This does not mean that an active sleeper cannot have fitted sheets that stay in place. Non-silky bed sheets that are correctly sized to the mattress shouldn't come loose with most active sleepers. If you are still having a problem, you can purchase sheet suspenders that hold the sheet in place by latching onto all four corners.
How Long Should A Fitted Sheet Last?
All bedsheets, including fitted sheets, are recommended to be replaced every six to eight years. There is no specific time frame that the fitted part of the sheet will last and work effectively. The lifespan of the sheet is based on normal wear and tear to the fabric. This is based on years of continued use, which can be extended by interchanging two sets of sheets. Read this post for more information about how long bed sheets last, how to make them last longer, and how to choose the best sheets when shopping.
What Do You Do If Your Fitted Sheet Is Too Big?
One way to shrink sheets that are too large is to run them through a hot cycle on the washing machine and dryer. You can try this up to two times to see if it shrinks the sheets enough to fit on your bed. If that doesn't work, you can purchase adjustable sheet suspenders. They will stretch underneath the mattress and clip onto the corners to hold the sheet in place. If you have two pairs of suspenders in your dresser, you may be able to stretch them underneath the mattress and allow them to hold the sheets in place.
Raytour Bed Sheet Straps
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How Do You Alter A (Too Small) Fitted Sheet?
Measure the width and depth of your mattress to determine how big your fitted sheet should be. Multiply the depth of the mattress by two. Add this number to the width of the mattress. If your mattress width is 76 inches and the depth is 14, then the equation is 76 + (14x2) = 104. Subtract the width of your fitted sheet from this number. If your fitted sheet is 95 inches, then your number is nine. Add two for an extra inch on each side to get a final number of 11.
You will buy fabric that is 11 inches wide and the same length as your sheet. Fold your sheet in half lengthwise and cut the sheet along the fold. Lay the two sheet parts flat and sew the new fabric in the middle of the two sheet halves. Lay the sewn sheet flat over the bed and cut off the elastic in the corners. Measure how much fabric you need on all four corners. This fabric will not be visible and does not need to match your sheet's color or design.
Pin the fabric and sew the corners onto the sheet. Cut the corners edges to be round to get the best fit. Then you can sew a 1/2 inch pocket seam onto each corner, but leave the ends open. Thread elastic through these corners and close the seam. Now you have altered the fitted sheet to your mattress.
Can I Repurpose A Flat Sheet Into A Fitted Sheet?
The steps listed to alter a small fitted sheet can also be used to repurpose a flat bedsheet into a fitted sheet. Start with a flat sheet that is already large enough to reach the corners of the mattress. Then you can cut the sheet down to the appropriate size and round the corners. Then you will add elastic to each corner to finish the transformation. If you have extra flat sheets and not enough fitted sheets, this method doesn't require you to buy any new fabric.
In Closing
A fitted sheet isn't very useful if it isn't fitted. Your sheet is either too silky, too large, too small, or too old. If any of these things are true and you are also an active sleeper, then the sheet is more likely to come undone during the night. The first step is to make sure you have the right size sheet for your mattress. If you have a silky sheet, place something with a slightly rough surface underneath. You can place a flat plaid sheet underneath to help the silky sheet grip.
Bed sheets last for six to eight years, so it might just be time for some new sheets. You can read this post for a comprehensive list of the places to buy bedsheets online. The last possibility is that your sheets are too large or small. It is possible to alter and sew your sheets to make them fit. You may also add elastic to flat bedsheets to repurpose them.