Sleeping with Swedes

Quality sleep is essential to our health and two Swedish companies are out to set us straight on the necessary equipment to achieve it. New to Toronto’s Distillery District is luxury bed maker Hästens, the family-owned company that still makes their signature blue-checked, horsehair mattresses by hand in Sweden and sells them for between $3,800 and $69,000 (Their biggest seller is about $30,000). If that’s not in your budget, Ikea has just launched a new sleep series that features pillows, comforters, duvets and Canadian Physiotherapy Association-approved mattresses. They’ve done their research on how people sleep and taken advantage of advances in foam and latex materials. As usual, they’ve come up with the smartest designs for the lowest prices. I haven’t decided which mattress is right for me yet, but I love the Mysa Ronn 1+3 quilt ($80): with a thin quilt that can be used on its own during the hot summer months; a thicker partner for fall; and the combination of the two for maximum winter warmth, it's a three-in-one quilt for all seasons.
- Andrea Mills, Home Associate

Gosa Syren standard pillow for back sleeper, $14; Ikea 365+ Mjuk ergonomically-shaped pillow, $25; Gosa Raps standard pillow for back sleeper, $40; all Ikea, ikea.ca.