I absolutely hate to climb into an unmade bed. Hate it! So… I make ours every day. Toney was previously more agnostic on the subject, but she’s come around on it, too. Once in a great while I’m rushed and have to be somewhere earlier than normal, and it gets forgotten. And she doesn’t like to climb into that clammy mess either. But it’s my job to keep the shit maintained. Somehow.
I’ve gotten pretty good at it through the years. In fact, I know all the military tucks, and everything. I’m not saying I always do that, but it’s in my repertoire. The only thing that throws me off is the quilt we use as a comforter. An old lady who lived down the street from us when I was growing up made it for us as a wedding present (I think). It’s a handmade quilt, and very cool. She’s gone now, of course. She’d be roughly 120 years old if she were still around. Anyway, that thing is SLIGHTLY rectangular. You can’t really tell by looking, but if you put it on wrong you’ll notice it. So… I’d say four days out of seven I do it the wrong way, which triggers some bitchin’. “Why is this thing not square?!” I’ve shouted a million times.
But I do good work. I’m quite accomplished in the art of bed-making, thank you very much. I’m not sure I could change the oil in my car, but we all have our areas of expertise. What are you feelings on this subject. Is it simply mandatory that the bed be made daily? Please bring us up to date on this important subject.
I also have a few additional sleep-related questions. Don’t feel compelled to answer them all. Just pick and choose the ones that interest you. Here ya go:
- How many hours of sleep do you believe you require to function well, and how many do you usually get? I need 7 or 8, and get 5 or 6. And it’s mostly my own fault.
- What time do you generally hit the sack? It’s after 1 am for me. Sometimes as late as 2:30.
- Do you read in bed? I do, almost nightly. I’d say six nights per week, generally. I use a Kindle Paperwhite, one of the greatest inventions yet.
- What’s your standard sleep position? I start off on my side, but Toney says I eventually end up on my back. She has a big problem with this, and says it’s weird.
- What do you wear to bed? I know… completely nude. I’ve asked this question before, and everybody claims to sleep naked. Is this really true? I sleep in underwear and a t-shirt.
- Do you wear socks to bed? If so, why in God’s name?! I can’t even imagine such a thing.
- How often do you wash your sheets? We’re inconsistent with it, but nothing ridiculous. I knew people during the Greensboro and Atlanta years who claimed to have not washed their sheets in years. Years! That was back when I was in my 20s and associated with people in their 20s. Ridiculous.
And that’s all I can muster, my friends. Please share your thoughts on these sleep-related items.
I almost didn’t make this Friday update, but got it in with 54 minutes to spare! I hope all’s well in your corner o’ the world. I’ll see you guys again soon.
Have a great day!
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I am so not a bed maker – never have been. I am also a weirdo who loathes a top sheet. I have a fitted sheet, down comforter in a duvet cover, and in the winter another blanket on top of that. If I’m in a hotel room, the first thing I do is untuck the flat sheet from the bottom & sides of the bed. You can tell Lupe I said NO TUCK. Even when it’s cold, I like to have a foot out. No idea why, it’s just a thing.
If it’s very cold, I will wear socks to bed, but I prefer not to. I actually prefer to sleep in *something* – it varies depending on mood, season, etc, but nightshirt, nightgown, flannel PJ pants & a tshirt, lingerie if I’m not alone, just something.
I have always been a terribly night owlish sort and was one of those kids who brought a flashlight to bed to read under the covers. These days it’s mostly Netflix until late but I’m still fighting early bedtime and might make it to sleep before 2 on a really good night or if I have to be up at some ungodly hour.
Side or stomach sleeper, and must have approximately 8 or more pillows, preferably all feather. It’s probably a good thing I’m not married as I’m sure I would drive any man who shared my bed on a regular basis stark raving mad with the pillow allotment alone lol.
We are peas from the same pod!
I don’t make the bad, although I did when I was single.
A couple of years ago my wife asked me why I don’t make the bed before I leave. I explained to her that she’s still in the bed when I go to work.
I also told her that I’m quite capable of changing the sheets and making the bed while she’s still in it, but she probably wouldn’t enjoy the process.
I like to get 8 hours, 9 if I’m really beat but no more than that. I’ll be stiff and sore if I stay in bed too long. I usually get about 7, but I’ve got 8 a couple of times this week.
I’m generally on the Ben Franklin plan, early to bed, early to rise although health, wealth, and wisdom are elusive at best.
If I’m up past 10 there’s something going on. Some nights I’m in bed by 8:30. That’s more likely in the winter when it’s good and dark. In the summer it’s easier to stay awake while the sun is still up.
I wear drawers and pj pants to bed with a t-shirt. I don’t like my legs getting sweaty and rubbing together. I am however, sockless.
I also keep the window open most of the winter and if the bedroom gets to between 50-55 I’ll throw on a light sweatshirt and uncover to about the waist. I love me a cold bedroom.
On night like this my wife uses a heated mattress pad meant for massage tables and a weighted blanket over her regular covers.
It works out nicely, we both stay comfortable.
I too use a paper white white the brightness on about 5 or 6. I’ll read until I get drowsy enough that the kindle slips out of my hand.
I start out on my side but often wake up on my back.
My sheets get washed whenever my wife feels it’s time. I pay no attention, it just happens. I come home from work and she’ll mention it. I’ve never kept track of the frequency, although it’s more frequent than if it were left to me.
My biggest issue is pillows. I need a firm but playable , slightly thicker than thin pillow that stays cool.
I’ve had the same pillow forever and it’s in its final stages of deterioration. I’ve tried memory foam, memory foam with the cooler top, the Chillow, the My Pillow and several others. I still wind up with stiffness and an overly warm ear. Recommendations are always welcome.
How many hours of sleep do you believe you require to function well, and how many do you usually get? 8 and 8, with generally a potty break at around 3 a.m.
What time do you generally hit the sack? 10-11, most nights
Do you read in bed? Almost never.
What’s your standard sleep position? right side. If I wind up on my back you can hear me snore down the end of the street.
What do you wear to bed? nothing frilly.
Do you wear socks to bed? I don’t wear socks at all. They pinch my feet.
How often do you wash your sheets? Weekly. Saturdays are for washing sheets and scrubbing the stovetop.
the bed is currently unmade, but that’s because it’s Saturday. Once I heave out of this recliner and get going with the day, it will be stripped and re-made. Onward!
How many hours of sleep do you believe you require to function well, and how many do you usually get? 8 hours, and I’ve been getting 9 or 10 recently thanks to late starting cyber school
What time do you generally hit the sack?
If I’m up past 10:30 that’s a late night
Do you read in bed?
No
What’s your standard sleep position?
I can only sleep on my left side
What do you wear to bed?
Nothing. Wearing clothes in bed is weird
Do you wear socks to bed?
Of course not
How often do you wash your sheets?
The dog sleeps on the bed and she likes to swim in the creek, so often.
I’d love 7-8 hours but the reality is, if I get 5 or so and can at least drift the rest of the time I’m functional. When I drink on the weekends I get about 9 hours so I guess it evens out, if that’s possible. “Turn in” (WTF?) around 10 PM regularly.
Indeed the Kindle Paperwhite is God’s gift. Read in bed every non-party night. Brightness around 4-5 for night reading, full blast for day reading. Had it since 2013 and it’s still going strong with no battery replacement yet.
Right side only. Used to insist on stomach sleeping but latent sciatica told me no more.
Buck wild naked and weekly wash on Saturday mornings, so they’re in the washer as I type.
Socks are for babies.
How many hours of sleep do you believe you require to function well, and how many do you usually get? I get between 7 and 8 hours of sleep every night.
What time do you generally hit the sack? 9:30 – 10:00 PM.
Do you read in bed? No reading, but I usually fall asleep listening to a book on the iPod. I set the timer on the TV because my wife likes to fall asleep to HGTV or the Food Network.
What’s your standard sleep position? I start off on my back, but usually end on on a side.
What do you wear to bed? Shorts and a t-shirt.
Do you wear socks to bed? No socks unless it is -20F.
4 to 5 hours tops. I go to couch at 10, and wake up at 5. I am up throughout the night to to constant insomnia. Sleep on my back, since I am sleeping on a couch. No clothing, no socks.New sheet and cover sheet daily, on the couch, more comfortable that way. The matress in my bedroom is on the floor and broken down.No reading, but I do watch an episode of All in the Family on my tablet before closing my eyes.
Damn, no wonder your angry!
I don’t read in bed very much anymore due to the fact that I am too tired and bleary eyed by the time I roll into bed. However, I do need to listen to the radio or a podcast, often the one presented by our host here.
There are a couple of silly things that I am a little obsessive about, but I really don’t care if the bed isn’t made, as long as it’s clean and the pillows are fluffed up.
Have a Kindle question. Has anyone else ever have one become possessed, suddenly rapidly turning pages on its own, over and over and over again, then start exhibiting gibberish text?
Got my first Paperwhite in 2013, and replaced it during an upgrade promo in late 2018 or early 2019. Kindle #2 briefly worked fine until the demonic possession; free replacement #3 never downloaded books properly. Free replacement #4 has been going strong for two years.
So yes, I always read in bed. And wear socks. Because who can sleep with cold feet?
Clue,
This distortion could be due to tachyons, particles that cannot travel slower than the speed of light. I’ve noticed this on my iPod, which I cannot get to sleep without. Every once in a while, the device acquires a surfeit of tachyons and starts skipping whole episodes of podcasts. It was a mystery until my friends pointed out that at my age I’m prone to dozing and that I was sleeping through various podcast episodes. I was forced to admit that that explanation fits the facts better than tachyons and there goes my Nobel Prize in Physics. First they laugh me out of the Peace prize and now I get screwed out of the Physics award. What the hell am I supposed to do? Go to med school and invent an artificial inflating penis so I can win in Medicine, even though Heaven knows I could use an artificial penis. Mine seems to be wearing out and I can’t find the warranty. Also it’s possible that your socks are too tight.
love,
John
Aw, sorry to hear about your thwarted dreams in the Nobel Prize department. The money really would’ve come in handy.
I never make the bed….I figure it’s just going to get trashed in a few hours anyway. And I immediately untuck the top sheet if it is made. I can’t stand my feet being scrunched, and I’m not a tall guy. As for the rest:
– Need 7-8 hours of sleep to feel well rested.
– Never read in bed and don’t have a TV in the bedroom. When I go to bed I’m ready to sleep.
– I always start to fall asleep on my back and sometime during the night roll over onto left side.
– Sleep in underwear during the summer but long sleeve baseball shirt and pajama bottoms in the winter. But NEVER socks! Feet need to breath.
– We wash sheets every month or so.
Mike
7 hours of sleep would be nice. Especially all in a row. I’m a bad sleeper. I thrash around a lot, knocking pillows onto the floor, twisting the sheets and blankets. If I get really bad insomnia, I toss my pillow onto the foot of the bed and completely change position.
I wear a pajama set to bed made out of some kind of cotton. If I’m really cold I’ll start out wearing socks but they usually get peeled off/
I usually make the bed – I have to detangle the mess my side of the bed makes.
Sleep on my right side but end up on my stomach.
Was the sheets every 2 weeks.
Definitely read in bed. Kindle Fire.
Jeff, you were absolutely correct about the weather. Even the weatherman on the news said something like “Hey, May! Thanks for dropping by. Hope to see you again real soon.” That gave me a chuckle as it was 70 degrees on Thursday and 22 when I got to work this morning.
I like 8 or 9 hours a night; usually get 7-ish. Undies and a T-shirt, generally not the socks unless it’s wicked cold. I usually don’t make the bed, but I usually do “make” the bed. Sheets get washed from time to time.
I know everybody loves summer, but honestly: fuck a bag of heat, humidity, mosquitos and yard work. I’ll take 72F during the day and fifties at night, if it ever happens.
I prefer uninterrupted 8 hours of sleep, but I can function on 7. I prefer that the bed be made daily, but if I don’t do it – I don’t berate myself. I change the sheets when I am able, or when my daughter(s) help me. I broke my wrist in September and I still don’t have full use of my right arm. I sleep in a nightgown, and I am sockless unless I am sick and have chills. I do have a heated mattress pad, so socks are usually unnecessary. My bed problem is my cat, who won’t let me brush her and consequently, she drops great wads of cat hair all of my comforter and pillows. Nearly every time I lie down, I get a mouthful. I sleep on my left side, ending up on my right. I put a pillow between my knees every night. I laughed at (formerly) Ashley’s 8 pillows. I use four. I do read in bed; but mostly on my phone, and I play Scrabble and other similar word games. Most of the time I go to bed at 11:30 or 12, but I turn the light off at 1 a.m. or later.
I usually aim for about 7 hours.
Bed at midnight (‘or you’ll turn into a haggis!’)
I like to read in bed, but lately I’ve been playing Scrabble on my phone, which isn’t as good, but is weirdly addictive.
I start off on my front, in ‘the hanged man’ position, but what I’m like when I wake up is a mystery. I also love turning my pillow over. ‘Cooler than the other side of the pillow’ is a great phrase!
What do I wear to bed? Completely nude, or boxers. No t-shirts! I must spin in my sleep and they can become very restrictive. Who likes dreaming about pythons? Not me!
I wear socks to bed in the depths of the cold winter, but take some enjoyment from removing them with some nifty toe work when my feet get too hot!
I change my bedding once a week generally. More often if I’ve been engaging in ‘bed-sports’!
I’m a couple days late in writing an obit for Sally Grossman, who slinkily appears on the cover of Bringing It All Back Home. She was married to Dylan’s manager Albert Grossman until his death in 1986. She is arrayed on a chaise longue, which doesn’t require making for sticklers of stickling to the topic.
The album, which was released on March 22, 1965 was about half acoustic and half electric, and contained classic songs like Subterranean Homesick Blues, Mr. Tambourine Man, Maggie’s Farm and Love Minus Zero/No Limit. The album was, in fact, the first of three Dylan albums released in a little over a year (which included a busy international touring schedule) that changed popular music forever. The next two albums, Highway 61 Revisited and Blonde on Blonde, were mostly electric. The trio of releases represents Dylan’s best writing and best work.
I see we’ve left Sally Grossman behind here, but once she appeared on the cover of that album, she was doomed to be remembered with Dylan. It doesn’t have to be that way with women in the music business; it just happens to be in this case.
Dylan is still on the road, heading for another joint . . .
John
I saw that story in the paper. I think she was 81. RIP
I always make the bed when I get up. Don’t know if it’s the Navy that did that to me, but there it is. My grandmother showed me how to do “hospital corners” when I was just a kid.
I’m surprised no one has mentioned Admiral McRaven on why you should make your bed…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sK3wJAxGfs