It’s been a while since I went to university, but one thing that’s still fresh in my mind is my student accommodation, and in particular, the less-than-ideal sleep setup.

Anyone who’s lived in student halls, or indeed any type of pre-furnished accommodation, will no doubt have horror stories to tell about the furnishings they inherited from previous occupants. But the most traumatic tales I’ve heard tend to revolve around the mattress.

Suspect stains, broken springs, and lumpy sleep surfaces soon paled in comparison when I heard friends' stories of bites, rashes, and bedbug-infested mattresses.

Thankfully, I’ve found a simple solution to this very unwanted risk: Dunelm’s £16 Fogarty Cotton Anti-Allergy Zipped Mattress Cover. And after it sold out online last year, I think it's well worth snapping up whilst it's still in stock.

Now we probably all realise student accommodation isn’t going to involve sleeping on one of the best mattresses on the market. Mattresses are expensive, and, understandably, uni accommodation will involve some cheap and cheerful fixtures.

But one thing I hadn’t factored in when I started uni was that, of course, the student accommodation provider also isn’t going to change the mattress in the room with each new occupant.

According to details on numerous university websites, I’ve discovered that mattresses in student accommodation are generally replaced every 3 to 10 years, which means a *lot* of bodies could have been lying on that mattress before you.

Yes, this could be deemed ‘character-building’, which is of course a key part of the uni experience.

But, based on the cleanliness and housekeeping skills of many of my fellow students during my uni years, we could perhaps also term the ‘pre-used’ mattress situation… ‘gross’. Extremely gross.

In fact, as I’ve gotten older – and especially since I became Ideal Home’s Sleep Editor and started learning about bed bugs, dust mites, and how much sweat the average person oozes each night (yuck!) – it amazes me how relaxed I was about the whole student mattress situation at the time. Ignorance is bliss, as they say.

Now I’m older and wiser, I would do things very differently, and this £16 Dunelm Zipped Mattress Cover is the one thing I’m advising all my friends with children starting uni this September to snap up whilst it’s still in stock.

You’re no doubt already familiar with the importance of a good mattress protector, which can protect a mattress from spills, stains, and general dirt and grime. But a zipped mattress cover, also known as a mattress encasement, is a slightly different beast.

Unlike a mattress protector, which only covers the top surface of the mattress, an encasement covers all six sides and zips up to prevent dust mites or creepy crawlies from penetrating the mattress.

And should you be dealing with a worst-case scenario, it should also keep any nasties already *inside* the mattress contained within the encasement too.

Unpleasant as it may be to think about, dust mites, dead skin cells, sweat, grime, and other bodily fluids (yep… yuck) can all seep into a mattress over time, and a mattress encasement provides another layer of protection between your body, and them.

An encasement can be a little awkward to get onto the mattress, but once it’s on and zipped up, you can leave it on and simply wash your mattress protector and fitted sheet as normal.

Dunelm’s isn’t the only option on the market; Soak & Sleep’s £35 Anti Bed Bug Mattress Encasement is one of the best I’ve tested, and it’s also waterproof. But if you’re looking for an affordable option, Dunelm’s is one of the most budget-friendly I’ve tried. Amazon also has plenty of cheap mattress encasements, although reviews tend to be mixed.

And of course, an encasement isn’t the only thing you might want to consider to make a student mattress more comfortable.

I’m pretty sure I didn’t know a mattress topper was a ‘thing’ when I was tossing and turning on my lumpy student mattress, but now I’d definitely add one of the best mattress toppers to my uni checklist.

In fact, my student bedding wishlist would now include: that all-important mattress encasement. A good mattress topper, and a mattress protector to cover it. Two fitted sheets so you can wash one and use one, a duvet with two duvet covers, a pillow and two pillowcases.

Get the essentials sorted before the new term starts, and then you (or your young adult who is flying the nest) can focus on fun, new friends, and of course, learning.