Sleep Like a Pharaoh With the Best Egyptian Cotton

Some say that if you snooze, you lose. But getting enough sleep each night can help us be winners. According to the National Institutes of Health, at least seven hours of shut-eye per night supports clearer thinking, a better mood, and a reduced chance of serious health issues. Things like stress or too much light in our bedrooms can make us toss and turn; cozy bedding, on the other hand, can help ease us into a peaceful night’s rest. And that’s important, when you realize we spend an average of one-third of our lives in bed.

Between the Sheets, a luxury home goods store on El Paseo in Palm Desert, invites us to live like the pharaohs, who knew about the comforts of soft bedding as far back as 3500 B.C.

Bedding fit for Egyptian rulers has come a long way since then. And not all Egyptian cotton offers the same quality. “There are 22 grades,” says Teresa Cross, vice president of sales and merchandise at Between the Sheets. The company carries only the top three grades, including Giza, when possible. “The higher the grade, the stronger the fiber is, so you can weave a finer thread, which results in a luxurious sleep,” Cross explains.

Their sheets are created in Italian mills and are Italian woven. “We control every last bit of it — the gauge it’s woven and what dyes are used,” she continues. “Italians are superior weavers and sewers. It’s about the details — the extra deep pockets and extra wide flat sheets. These are the best sheets in the most generous sizes.”

Cross also shares another benefit to the brand’s sheets: no formaldehyde. “You can take ours straight out of the bag, with no odor,” she says. “The sheets just get softer and softer. One of our customers has had hers for 10 years.” Between the Sheets also has a seamstress in Palm Desert to work on special fittings for customers’ yachts, therapeutic mattresses, and more.

Upgrade your sleep experience with a merino wool mattress cover. Merino is lightweight with a loft that traps heat between fibers. It’s known to keep people warm in the winter and cooler in the summer by wicking away moisture. Some customers, Cross notes, say a merino wool mattress cover helps with their arthritis.

Looking for even more luxury? A Siberian goose down comforter will feel like sleeping inside a cloud. With no feathers or quills, there’s nothing to poke you while you rest. “These geese have the biggest down clusters,” Cross explains. The comforters are also baffle-boxed, which prevents the down from collecting in one area as you move.

Great evenings aren’t just about sleep, of course. More desert dwellers are entertaining at home than ever before. “People got a reset [during Covid] about what’s important. There’s not so much money going into what we look like. It’s more about staying home and inviting people over. People who had never turned on a stove are now coming in for server trays and nut dishes.” Between the Sheets has customers covered here, too, with everything from crystal to photo frames, vases, and hand-painted stoneware, along with a selection of easy gifts for under $100.

The brand can also help desert dwellers with home redesigns. Whether it’s a rental home or a casita for the grandkids, in-home consultations are available.