Raise your hand if you live in an area of the world where temperatures reach below 50 degrees Fahrenheit for longer than a month. Keep your hand raised if you like to sleep. Ok. Keep your hand raised if you also like to feel all snugly in your bed.

I see that most of you raised your hand and kept it up. This is a good thing...no really it is. You have met all the requirements needed to enjoy a set of flannel sheets.

Almost all sheets are made from some form of cotton or linen. Today, the main component is cotton. Flannel sheets are particularly soft and comfy. They have the added benefit of keeping you very warm on those chilly winter nights. The warmth of your set will vary greatly on the quality and thickness of the set you purchase. It is advisable to purchase more than one set, one that is thicker and warmer and one that is less thick for those nights when it is cool but not frigid!

The care of your flannel sheets is very important if you want to keep them looking and feeling great for a long time to come. Pilling of the soft top is a particular annoyance to many people. The following is a trick to prevent this and/or help if you already are experiencing this problem. In order to prevent pilling you should wash your new sheets in warm water with a mild detergent and a 1/2 cup of white vinegar added to the rinse cycle or in a softener ball. These directions should be followed during each wash. If pilling has already occurred, then you should wash your sheets in white vinegar alone, no detergent, in warm water. This will remove the pilling and restore your sheets to their former glory. After this initial wash, follow that with the previous washing instructions to maintain your pill free flannel sheets!

If you are ready to store your sheets for the winter, first wash and dry them then place them folded with a dryer sheet somewhere in between so they are ready for use when winter strikes again!

When purchasing your flannel sheets you will want to pay special attention to the information located on the package. Today you can find a lot of cotton sheets made from organic cotton. These range from your standard 180 thread count sheets to satin sheets. Silk sheets are of course made from silk and are not included in the organic cotton sheets. Flannel sheets are too made with organic cotton or standard cotton. The organic will be pricier but that is a small price to pay for the ecologically minded person. For those of you who are more economically driven, then stick to your standard cotton sheets. You will not lose quality (unless the brand of organic cotton tends to be better quality to begin with) in purchasing the non-organic cotton flannel sheets.

The warmth of flannel sheets is unbeatable. You don't have to shiver when you first hop into bed and wait as your sheets warm up to body temperature, nor will you get a shock when you decide to move around in bed. For the ultimate in warmth and coziness, pair your sheets with a down comforter!  Deep pocket flannel sheets are also available for those with pillow top mattressess.