“We didn’t get much sleep, but we had a lot of fun on grandma’s feather bed.”

Remember this old song? When I was a kid, I dreamt of having my very own feather bed to jump on someday.

Now, though I don’t recommend jumping, I still say feather beds are a great way to go … to sleep.

Feather beds are magic: they can transform any old mattress into a luxury bed. Even the princess from the old fairy tale wouldn’t have felt the pea beneath those mattresses if there had been a feather bed on top.

Of course, luxury isn’t cheap … so if you are on a hunt for your own feather bed, it’s best to shop around – they come in a wide range of prices, so take the time to find one that is in your range but still of great quality. If you have allergies or just prefer not to use animal products, fiber beds, which are stuffed with synthetic down, can be just as nice.

So long as you have a traditionally-sized bed, you won’t have to worry about matching your size; feather beds are made to fit standard mattresses. However, if your bed is not a Full, Twin, Double, Queen, or King, you may have to have your feather bed custom made or altered. Look for one with a high thread count (210 or above) to ensure that the feathers won’t poke through.

The first thing you will notice when you sink down luxuriously into your very own feather bed is how warm it is. This is great in the winter or for those who get cold easily. If you generally tend to overheat, try covering your bed with a cotton sheet to cool things down a bit. Another factor here is thickness – the thicker the bed, the more you will sink down into it. Some people love to feel swallowed up by their bed, and some are just looking to soften up their mattress a little. Six to eight inches makes a nice, deep bed, while a couple of inches can completely change an old mattress into a bed fit for a princess.

Give it a try and you will see … a nice feather bed at night is not just for the birds!