Pillow Talk

I envy Greg. He can sleep anywhere, anytime. 

Me? The slightest noise wakes me up. The tiniest lump in the bedding will keep me tossing and turning. 

I use a Japanese buckwheat hull pillow because it can cradle my head at the right elevation without applying too much pressure. Too high and I can't move my neck the next morning. Too low and Greg says I snore like a 300 pound truck driver.

I desperately want a new bed but Greg and I can't decide which one. I've had friends rave about those Tempur-pedic foam mattresses, but they allegedly can also get too warm. 

Greg would never tolerate that. As it is, I have to sleep bundled in heavy blankets because he cranks the air down to Eskimo level. We are true opposites when it comes to sleeping arrangements.

Strangely enough, by morning I'm nearly naked, while he buries himself in all the blankets I've thrown off. Sometime during the night he gets colder while I get warmer. Weird!

Even a traditional bed would be hard to fit for both of us. I like my beds firmer, while he prefers a softer mattress.

All this is to explain that I haven't been sleeping well for a while. 

Usually when that happens it's because of troubling premonitions of something awful that's about to happen, but if there've been any nightmares, I don't remember them.

I think it's just the bed. It and I have had an unhappy relationship for years. I can't remember the last time I've had a good night's sleep. It's been that long.

It's time to replace that torture device, but since it's such a costly investment, I want to get something that's comfortable for both of us.

Any suggestions? What kind of bed brand do you use? Do you ever have trouble falling asleep--or staying asleep?

 

Comments

Marian Perera said…
Wow. I don't think I'll take my ability to fall asleep for granted again.

I don't have any bed issues, other than needing to buy new pillowcases. I've only ever had insomnia a few times, and that was usually because I was worrying about something. Hope you find a better bed soon!
Maria Zannini said…
Marian: If it weren't for the scorpions, I'd sleep on the floor. :)
We're also in the market for a new bed. My husband is a blanket thief most nights though he always denies it. I wish I had some advice for you. I fall asleep when my head hits the pillow and often wake up without having moved which leaves me with a stiff shoulder but I'm not complaining.
Maria Zannini said…
Susan: If you get a new bed before us, I hope you'll let me know how you like it.

Re: blanket thief
At my house, the blanket thief is usually the dog. :)
I've heard Sleepnumber beds allow each person to adjust each side to their preferred firmness. I haven't used one myself, though.
Another direction to consider (which helped me). Maybe your body just doesn't need as much sleep, and going to bed too early keeps you restless?

Try reducing the amount of your target sleep-time. See what happens.

-good luck (I've never been a good sleeper either)
Maria Zannini said…
Sandra: I tried one of those sleep number beds. It was comfy, but I worry how long the mechanism will last under normal wear.

Plus I have dogs that jump on the bed too so it needs to made of tough material.

Learned that from my waterbed days from long ago. :)
Maria Zannini said…
Mac: That's just it. I don't get much sleep. On average 5-6 hours max.

Hubby used to get mad at me because I was never in bed when he woke up. But once I'm up, I'm up. There's no point in trying to force sleep.

I'd settle for less sleep if I could just get comfortable during the sleep I do get.
Angela Brown said…
Oh, sleep advice. Dear me, I will have to send you some positive thoughts and hopes.

Sleep and I have not been the fondest of friends. Sleep visits for a couple of hours after I've spent about an hour trying to lure it to my pillow. Then it sneaks out in the dark of night leaving me to toss and turn, grappling at snatches of naps until 10 minutes before the alarm goes off. Then sleep drags me into some awesome slumber only to have the alarm yank me awake.

Truly, good luck with the bed hunt.
Maria Zannini said…
Angela: Oh, I'm sorry, Angela. Believe me, I know how it is.

To talk to you I would've never known you had a sleeping problem. You're always so cheerful and positive.
Angela Brown said…
I try to be positive despite the nightly battle with sleep. :-)
I can sleep on anything as long as I have at least 3 pillows.
Maria Zannini said…
Angela: You're a better man than me, Gunga Din. I'm just cranky. LOL.
Maria Zannini said…
Karen: My hubby is the same way! It hurts my neck just watching him sleep on all those pillows.
Stacy McKitrick said…
Can't say our new bed has helped me any, but then I'm going through hormonal changes. I'm not sure ANY bed would work at this point.
Maria Zannini said…
Stacy: I know what you mean. Until those hormones settle down nothing is right.
B.E. Sanderson said…
Ugh, I don't envy you. We got a new bed when we moved last year and it was nice at first. Now it's almost as bad as the craptastic thing we left behind.

Good luck!
Maria Zannini said…
BE:

Re: Now it's almost as bad as the craptastic thing we left behind.

I'm glad it's not just me. Within a year from when we bought our current bed, it became uncomfortable. But what can you do? After you spend that much money, you have no choice but to live with it, or spend many nights on the couch.

It's a conspiracy!
Unknown said…
The secret is in the mattress rather than the pillow. I make a point to never spend less than $1000.00 on boxspring/mattress combination.

Question: Has Greg encountered sleeping arrangements with a 300 pound truck driver? Just saying. :D
Maria Zannini said…
Diane: Oh, I know it's the mattress. It's the thought of spending a big wad of cash on a loser that makes me skittish on investing.

Re: 300 lb truck drivers
Where he works, sadly, yes. Unfortunately most of them are delivering very dangerous chemicals too. Not a good combination.
Unknown said…
We haven't bought a new mattress in about ten years, because they're so expensive. Husband asked me the other night to look up those sleep-number beds (because he saw a commercial on them), but I don't think I want a mattress that comes with financing.

I snore too, but those breath-rite strips seem to do the trick, or so Husband says. :D

This might sound strange, but have you thought about two single beds put together?
Maria Zannini said…
Darke: Single beds would be okay with me but I think hubby would balk at not being able to steal more of my real estate. Bed real estate is a constant battle between us. LOL.

But the single beds wouldn't be a bad idea.
Sarah Ahiers said…
ooh i want to try one of those buckwheat pillows!

Also, tempur-pedic now makes cooling mats to go on top of the matress, to combat their warmness. I also would really love to try one of them, too
Maria Zannini said…
Sarah: I can recommend the buckwheat hull pillows. Very comfortable.

Re: cooling mats
I just saw a commercial for one of those things! It sounds expensive, but I'm going to look into it.
Mike Keyton said…
I never have trouble falling asleep. I'm in bed by ten listening to radio news which sends me to sleep by twenty past. My problem is if I wake up at 4.30 or thereabouts. Then it's fifty fifty whether I get back to sleep again.
Ref pillows. I'm intrigued. If you snore for Texas I snore for Wales forcing my son in the adjoining bedroom to come in and punch me. Your tip on pillow adjustment might just do the trick. Then again it mightn't :)
Maria Zannini said…
Mike: I know what you mean. If it's close to when I'm supposed to wake up I might as well get up. I always lose the fight for more sleep.
I've heard some of the memory foam mattresses have fixed that heat problem. Sleep number bed?
Maria Zannini said…
Barbara: I went reconnaissance shopping yesterday. I learned a lot about foam mattresses and the not-so-successful cooling gel top they advertise. I am leaning toward a hybrid bed but I'll wait for Greg to get back so we can try them together.

PS Talk about sticker shock! How did beds get so expensive? The cheapest comparable mattress is more than twice what we paid 15 years ago.
Rula Sinara said…
I'm thinking that if you're waking up nearly naked, it might all be part of Gregg's master plan LOL ;).

Kidding aside, I haven't been sleeping well either. We bought our current mattress years ago, back when I was very pregnant and a very different weight and shape. Now, it makes my back ache, which results in a lot of twisting and turning all night. I do have to use one of those therapeutically shaped, neck support pillows...but I'll need to check out the buckwheat hull type.
Maria Zannini said…
Rula: The buckwheat hull pillows are comfortable, especially if you normally only use one pillow.

I've been testing a lot of different beds. I can't believe how expensive they are though--especially the foam beds which is probably what I need.

We'll probably buy one in the next few weeks. It's time. And I need to get some sleep! LOL.