Boomers Can't Stand This Millennial Bedding Trend

If you ask boomers, millennials are missing out on top sheets. Much like avocado toast and designer coffee, a top sheet-free bed is a trend that baby boomers simply don't understand. In a 2019 poll of 1,000 people conducted by mattress brand Casper, nearly 67% of Americans 55 and older (which are Gen Xers and Boomers) agreed that a top sheet is essential, but only 26% of 18- to 34-year-olds regularly used them.

Yet experts suggest that millennials wouldn't rest so easy if they understood the purpose of the top sheet. Meant to create a barrier between you and your comforter, it's not just about having an extra layer. Bed sheets are something of a breeding ground for bacteria, with one study published in the European Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology discovering at least 47 species of fungi on used pillows. And with the average human sweating to the tune of 278 gallons each year, it's safe to assume your sheets are collecting a bit of that. In fact, one study (via Phys.org) discovered that humans were more likely to harbor certain bacteria in their beds than chimpanzees.

So, no, you shouldn't monkey around with your regular sheet-washing schedule. Laundering your bedding set, even at low temperatures, has been shown to kill bacteria like staphylococcus — which is why you should be washing your bed sheets at least once a week. But since people don't always clean their comforter as frequently as their sheets (only 9% of respondents in an Amerisleep survey reported weekly comforter washing), those living in a top sheet-less world are exposing themselves directly to that bacteria.

If you dare to bare yourself directly to your comforter, you should also be running that through the wash every week. But if that feels particularly burdensome since your average comforter is far bulkier than your sheet set, you could consider an alternative bed cover, such as a duvet. An insert with a more lightweight, machine-washable cover, a duvet not only keeps your bed warmer but also is designed to be laundered frequently. So you can sleep with visions of sugarplums dancing in your head rather than images of bacteria.

Or you could try the solution that Gen X designer Nate Berkus dreamed up. While the HGTV star prefers a top sheet, Berkus revealed in an Instagram video that his millennial husband, Jeremiah Brent, "cannot stand a top sheet." He continued, "I don't know why he's vehemently opposed to it." But to handle their divergent preferences, Berkus explained, "I always sort of use it, and then he doesn't use it. So our bed is like lasagna. I'm in one layer; he's in a totally other layer."

But no matter the setup that you cook up for your sleep space, it's crucial you regularly wash whichever linens you use. After all, you don't want to lose sleep over the state of your sheets.