By producing the highest-quality bedding, this female-founded, female-led, Canadian business is helping to change the way we sleep.
If you’re not sleeping well at night, you might want to check your bedding. Poor-quality pillows, sheets, and covers can hinder a good sleep in many ways — from an unpleasant crinkly feel to lack of breathability and temperature regulation to poor head and neck support.
“Great bedding, on the other hand, will feel amazing, help regulate your body temperature, and ensure proper alignment of your neck and back, all of which contribute to a tranquil, uninterrupted sleep,” says Joanna Goodman, CEO of Au Lit Fine Linens, a family-owned bedding and bath store located in Toronto.
Finding the right bedding for you
With so many bedding options out there, selecting the right bedding to invest in can seem like an overwhelming task. “We typically recommend people start by identifying any sleep problems or concerns,” says Goodman. “A lot of problems like overheating at night, neck and back pain, and even fighting for covers can be addressed with the right kind of bedding.” A hot sleeper, for example, might do best with a linen or bamboo fabric, a lightweight duvet, and an all-natural mattress protector to add an extra layer of breathability and moisture-wicking underneath.
A lot of problems like overheating at night, neck and back pain, and even fighting for covers can be addressed with the right kind of bedding.
Another consideration is what you personally like in your bedding — crisp and cool sheets with a hotel feel or the fine and silky soft texture of sateen? A thick and firm pillow offering high support, or something flatter and softer? A duvet with some cozy weight or something bordering on weightlessness? Goodman also recommends doing some research on where the raw materials are sourced, where the fabric is woven, and where the finished pieces are made. “These details will provide a ton of insight into the quality of the bedding,” she says.
High-quality, natural bedding
Au Lit Fine Linens was founded in 1981 by Goodman’s late mother, Peggy Byron, in Montreal under the name Boutique Au Lit. On a mission to change the way you sleep, Byron was one of the first in Canada to offer pure cotton sheets instead of treated polyester.
That motto endures to this day with Au Lit offering bedding that’s made of the finest all-natural fibres here in Canada and in Europe. “Natural fibres are inherently more breathable and moisture-wicking than synthetics,” says Goodman. “They’re also typically stronger and more durable than synthetics, meaning longer-lasting, better-fitting sheets that are less prone to pilling and weak spots, not to mention less turnover at the landfill.”
The cotton used in Au Lit’s sheeting is a mix of long-staple Egyptian and American. “We exclusively use long-staple cotton for our bedding as the fibres are longer, stronger, and smoother,” says Goodman. As for where the sheets are woven, Au Lit has partnered with some of the premier textile mills in Italy and Portugal for the past 40 years. “Our mills have decades-long histories in the textile industry and produce the world’s best fabrics,” says Goodman. Au Lit also has a workroom in Montreal which allows them to offer a range of fabrics, fills, styles, and sizing to accommodate different needs and preferences, including extra-deep or oddly sized mattresses. “We understand that everyone has different needs, so having our own workroom in Montreal gives us the unique ability to customize bedding for the perfect fit and feel,” says Goodman.
It’s a universal fact of life that we spend nearly a third of our lives in bed. “Considering how much sleep impacts our lives, investing in exceptional-quality bedding will ensure that every second of your sleep counts,” says Goodman.
Let one of Au Lit’s seasoned bedding experts help you create your dream bed and change the way you sleep.
