I had seen a blog post, maybe on Pinterest or somewhere else a while back, about layering sheets. I thought the whole idea sounded crazy. Until I read it. Then I read it again. Then I thought about all my kids. In a crazy kind of way it makes sense!
On an adult's bed or maybe an older teenager, maybe not so much. However I have found that at 2 a.m. I am very thankful to have found this.
It's really a very simple concept.
- First you take a fully stripped mattress. Put your mattress protector on. I despise naked mattresses. every mattress in my house has a mattress protector. Mattresses are too expensive to not protect them. The mattress protector that touches the mattress is rather pricy (about $50 from Protect-a-bed, but it is waterproof). Put your mattress protector on.
- Cover it with your bottom sheet.
- Take your top sheet, you can either let it completely flat, or fold it in half. On my girls beds I have them fold it in half and lay it neatly on top of the bottom sheet.
- then you need a second mattress protector. You need to protect those clean sheets! What are you protecting them from? Who knows! at their ages they're too old to wet the bed, but you never know when you will get a nosebleed 3 a.m., throw up in the middle of the night, or have a dog and vomit on your bed when you least expect it.
- So on top of that second mattress protector you put another bottom sheet.
- then put on your top sheet.
- continue to layer your bed as such until you don't have anymore mattress protectors.
The first mattress protector is the only “good” one I use. it must be waterproof to protect the mattress. however, for the other mattress protectors, I go to the resale shop and spend less than $5 on each one. All I'm trying to do is keep the bottom sets of sheets clean.
Why do I do this? Yes it may seem crazy. When I wake up at 2 a.m. and the baby has wet through his clothes, and the sheet is soaked, I am very thankful that I'm not trying to strip his bed, and remake it. Since he still in the crib, I have a lot of crib size mattress protectors. he probably has five layers on his bed. He can wet the bed twice in a night and still wake up to a clean set of sheets for nap time.
On my bed I have two layers. Why? I haven't went to bed in over 30 years. However, if a sick kid comes into my room in the middle of the night and throws up on the bed, I don't have to strip the bed, look for sheets, and then remake it. all I have to do is take off the top sheet, the bottom sheet, and the now puked on mattress protector. Viola! clean bed ready to be slept in.
I have the kids keep this done all the time. we've been doing this for about 6 months now. there are days during the month that I question them “when was the last time you were bed was stripped?” If they cannot answer within ten seconds with a date in the last week, I have them strip their bed.
Does this mean that I will have time to wash, dry, and have them remake their bed before bedtime? No! However, if they have layered their bed the way I have been teaching them for 6 months, they will still have a clean set of sheets for bed that night. As matter of fact, when I read this article somewhere online, it was one of those nights when I had all the kids to strip their bed the sheets got washed, but they never made it to the dryer. which means they never made it back onto the beds.
Life happens.
When you've got a large family things come up and you don't always get done the things you want to get done. I don't like having them sleep on the sofa, in a sleeping bag, or, heaven forbid, on a naked mattress. This has saved us more times than I can count.
I wish I could remember where I originally read about this, so I can give them credit, and a ton of praise! However, I hope that helps you as much as it has helped me.
