However, flannel sheets can be made of cotton, wool, or synthetic fibers, leaving brushed cotton a  good balance of breathable and warm.

And once you’ve mastered the bed coverings, click over to our pillow formations chart, which provides ten different style schemes.

A term you're sure to come across when shopping for the best bed sheets is 'thread count'. The thread count refers to the number of horizontal and vertical threads per square inch of fabric, and higher thread counts often indicate softer high-end sheets. However, there is a happy medium at around 400-600 thread count that will give you a good balance between quality and price.