Remember when all of you urged me to say “YES” to the boyfriend’s offer to build a bed for me? Well, almost six months after he drew these sketches below…
He finished building the bed!
There’s just one little drawback: my 10-year-old mattress on this beautiful new bed. Yeah, that’s one old, tired mattress.
So, I was thrilled to get this Tweet from Julia Rosien (my former Editor at ePregnancy, who’s now Communications Director at Natura): “Would LOVE to send you a mattress!”
She went on to explain that this would be a special “bio” mattress called “The Cloud.” A bio mattress?
Clearly, I’ve been dozing because I’d never heard of a mattress made of soy-based ingredients. Have you? Much of the foam in upholstered furniture, mattresses, pillows, etc. is made from petroleum-based chemicals. BiOH® polyols , on the other hand, are made from a renewable resource: soybean oil.
But that’s not all. In addition to the soft bamboo/cotton knit blend ticking and Natura wool lining, Julia told me that this particular mattress comes with a latex “topper.” (Yes, my first thought was: “Sleeping on something that feels like a condom? No thank you.“)
Well, any day now, this Natura mattress will be showing up on my doorstep:
In the meantime, while writing this post, Dr. Leah at Singlemommyhood pinged me about Arianna Huffington’s sleep challenge, which started this week. For the New Year, she’s asking women to resolve to “get a full night’s sleep every night for a month.”
Why? “Americans are increasingly sleep-deprived, and the sleepiest people are, you guessed it, women. Single working women and working moms with young kids are especially drowsy: They tend to clock in an hour and a half shy of the roughly 7.5-hour minimum the human body needs to function happily and healthfully.”
It’s rare for me to get more than seven hours of sleep. How many hours of sleep do you usually get?
I’m resolving to get more sleep this month. Are you?
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The bed is beautiful! Thrilled for you.
As for sleep…I’m a little deprived. What single working mother isn’t? If only there were some way to manufacture time so that I could accomplish everything and still get enough sleep…
I’m just doing the best I can with what I’ve got.
I must, must, must have my 8hrs of sleep, at least 5 nights a week. During the week this means not everything around the house gets done, but I’ve learned the repurcussions for skimping on sleep are not worth all the laundry and errands being done on time. Fortunately, my son requires a lot of sleep as well, so sticking to a strick bedtime for him helps me to get some quiet time every night to get a little done. He’s in bed by 8, I’m in by 10.
@Debra: Thanks for the inspiration! It’s so true that dishes and laundry need to take a back seat when it comes to your sleep. Yeah.
@Nicki: Let me know if try to get at least half an hour more of sleep at night. Check back in, ok?
I am fully committed to this sleep challenge … so far, I absolutely do feel better. More energy and definitely a “brighter” outlook.
Beautiful new bed! The mattress looks so comfy. Enjoy!
Dr.Leah http://www.singlemommyhood.com´s last blog ..Should I give my kid an allowance in the New Year?
Rachel, I’m told your mattress is on it’s way to you – along with the healthiest sleep you’ve ever had.
Unfortunately, I can’t do much about the interuptions to your sleep – but maybe there’s a fairy godmother for moms out there who can help……Let me know if you find her, okay?
On the upside, even if you’re awake in bed, you’ll be very, very comfortable.
Julia
How timely, this sleep challenge, considering I was up BEYOND late last night. It would be easier to break away from the computer if I had a fancy-schmancy bed like that to drop into!
Desiree @ Writing to Sanity´s last blog ..Look kid, if you’re going to commit forgery… at least get the name right
So excited about the new bed!! And a fireplace next to the bed?!? How romantic!!
I was just thinking that I should get more sleep. I get about 6 1/2 hours per night but I definitely catch up on the weekends. I have a hard time getting off the phone with my man though! We should have a cut off time but with chores and all, sometimes, I don’t even begin our regular nightly conversation until 11:30! I’m still amazed that we have so much to talk about after 8 months of dating…
Good resolution. I will aim for it. More sleep!
T´s last blog ..Lessons in judgment
@T: the fireplace doesn’t actually work, although I’m thinking about something creative to do bring some warmth into the room…
I rarely get eight hours. It is far more common for me to function on around 5.5 or six.
Come to think of it, the mattress is becoming an issue. This one is about 13 years old. Just added one more item to things I need to buy this year.
BTW, I like the bed. It would be nice to have more storage.
Jack´s last blog ..Recent Posts
Are you going to leave the bed with a natural finish, like that? It’s gorgeous and totally holds “major design piece” potential, especially with the new mattress (I’m totally envious, I admit it – I sleep on a futon).
As for me, since I’ve started taking some medication at night time, the nights that I sleep usually include between 7 and 10 hours. The problem is that some nights, I don’t go to bed at all!
Zoeyjane´s last blog ..On promises
Totally cool mattress… totally.
Sleep deprivation? No, never… just kidding. I love sleep when I can get it; and to resolve to get more sleep – 8 hours minimum every night for a month?! Count me in.
What about the laundry, carpets, floors, pets, and children that will all be deprived in the process… do we have a an answer from Houston for that one? Just kidding… I promise not to deprive the kiddos. Seriously.
Katherine SOLO dot MOM´s last blog ..back to normal?
The frame looks like it’s made for a platform mattress (no box spring), but the photo of the bed you’re getting looks like it has a box spring. Won’t that make your bed REALLY tall?
I probably get 6 1/2 hours on the week nights, and catch up on the weekends like others have mentioned. But I fall asleep when I fall asleep, so if I have been pushing myself too hard then I will fall asleep earlier and my boyfriend wakes me up and makes me go to bed
Honey´s last blog ..Beautifulpeople.com gives 5000 Fatties the Boot
SO jealous of your new bed!! Mine has aged significantly in the last year or so. Sadly, I won’t be getting one any time soon….
I seem to NEVER feel rested, no matter how much sleep I get. I haven’t felt “caught up” since my first daughter was born.
MommaSunshine´s last blog ..Balance
Actual sleep? Maybe six hours. Even on days when I can sleep in I still manage to wake up early. Nice bed!
Michele´s last blog ..Whitner’s Barbecue
Is it flame retardant? I was looking at mattresses and in my yuppy little neighborhood “organic” is all the rage,but a freind pointed out that those organic mattresses are fire hazards.
5-6 hours a night. Not enough. So thankful the twins school doesn’t start until 9 this year the extra hour is the difference between tired and zombie. Grateful for the automatic coffee maker and large travel cups too.
This school year, I’ve slipped into going to bed when the kid does. Doesn’t leave much “me” time, but I’m getting enough sleep, so it’s a trade-off.
Jeez…took him long enough.
Believe me @CBG, I told him the same thing… he’s a perfectionist when it comes to wood-working.
Me? On average probably, 6 hours sometimes less. You know, that’s a good question because I never really have kept track of my sleeping pattern and how much it has changed since I don’t mess with ish anymore. I can say that I now sleep everyday even if it’s just for a couple hours. I am a college student and don’t always get the sleep I want and need.
and right now, I sleep on the sofa at my friend’s house. I just moved back in with her.
I get a whopping 4-5 hours a night. It’s going to kill me.. I’m sure of it.
Travis´s last blog ..I Come Around Catching Sparks Off You
I love the bed! That is sooo nice, and I know you’re glad it’s finally done.
I only get 5-6 hours of sleep every night and the boyfriend is always on my case about it. (Mind you he mainly works nights so we often talk late at night…)
I am not one to leave dishes in my sink, then comes the homework and bath, and every night I prepare the snack for the next day, sometimes the lunch she elects to take, and I lay out my and Mini Me’s clothes for the next day. These are essential tasks since I’m up at 5 a.m. and we’re out of the house by 6. By Friday eves I am exhausted! My routine is rather set in stone and works for us, so I don’t see how I can vow to get more sleep, but I do strive to catch up on the weekends that we’re home.
@LEM, is that the first time I heard you call him “boyfriend”? Woo eee!! I hear you about doing as much as possible the night before. It helps a lot.
Rachel, what a beautiful bed! I love the clean modern spa look of it–all white sheets and natural wood (and how special that the LG made it for you–very sweet!).
Since I kicked out my ex-husband 4 years ago (who was a chronic never-sleeper and also a wake-up-everyone-in-the-house at all hours jerk), I’ve gotten close to 8 hrs most nights. Pure bliss! I generally go to bed right after the kids do (and after all the dishes, laundry and other chores etc are done)–and then I get up at 4 or 5 am to drink a cup of coffee by myself, read the news, and catch up on work before getting up the kids and doing the off to work/school routine. It’s working out pretty well!
I do stay up later and get less sleep when my BF, Mr Swayze, is over, but I don’t really miss the zzz’s on those nights, somehow!
Wow, that is impressive! He did great work on the bed, and congrats on the new mattress! Those are costly!
QTMama´s last blog ..A Peekie Peek
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the bed, and I really wish I could have a cloud of my own.
We live in a culture that tells us every day we need to work 24/7, parent 24/7, have the perfect house, have the perfect life, and still look great doing it. Something usually has to give, and it is usually sleep. I am guilty. I tend to stay up late so I can have a few minutes of “me” time. I can read. I can watch True Blood. I can paint my nails. I am up for the 30 day challenge, and I will start today.
Robynbeth´s last blog ..Snow Day Remberance
That is a beautiful bed. Very nice! I’m envious. I’m still sleeping on the crappy double bed w/ metal frame that I inherited when I left my ex; it used t be the guest bed, rationale being that we never had guests often enough to justify spending a lot of money on it.
(sigh)
I should get myself a decent bed, I suppose.
IN the meantime–I read that article, and I read a response elsewhere that says (truthfully enough) that there’s a reason that single working women and moms (and, I presume, especially single working moms) get less sleep and resolutions aren’t going to solve that. I have a huge workload and only one person to get it done, and as it is all kinds of stuff already slides aside because I don’t have time to deal with it. Sleep suffers too. Any solution, any real solution, would mean not being a single working mom anymore. This is sadly not under just my control.
As it is I get 6-7 hours a night. It’s not bad, but it’s not enough.
Andrea´s last blog ..a temporary fix…
So happy to see that you have received your new @NaturaWorld mattress. It looks super comfy!
My social media client is BiOH Poylols and I would like to invite your eco conscious readers to find out more about why foam (whether it’s for furniture or mattresses) made partially with BiOH soy is so much better than 100% traditional ALL oil based foam (which is why @NaturaWorld uses it in their mattresses!) by visiting http://experiencebioh.com. There’s tons of good eco tips there about all sorts of topics related to more sustainably living, furniture and mattresses. There’s also a great retailer locator there in case your readers want to find out where they can buy eco conscious mattresses or furniture in their home towns.
Thanks for writing this post and if anyone has any questions or comments re: foam mattresses or furniture made with soy, please follow @BiOH4ALLjk to ask her or comment right on her blog! Thanks and sweet dreams!
Congrats it looks great.
Mike´s last blog ..Catching Up
Your bed looks great! And so does the mattress. But as one who suffers from a sleep disorder, one which has reared its ugly head again with a vengeance, seven hours of sleep seems like a pipe dream, much less more.
Restless Leg Syndrome, which impacts more than 12 million Americans, is a very real problem. Night after night of 3 hours, 4 hours, or possibly 5 hours of sleep, month after month and year after year eventually take a terrible toll. For single parents, everything that is already challenging is that much more so.
For those who suffer from some sort of prolonged insomnia, I hope they will speak to their physicians about it. There are a variety of sleep disorders – many of which can be alleviated (at least for periods of time), and that helps quality of life improve. And of course – not only for us – but for our kids.
BigLittleWolf´s last blog ..Parenting Tips (and Burst my Bubble)
P.S. I don’t like the term, “boyfriend” because to me it’s so high schoolish, but I don’t have an appropriate term for him right now. (I referred to him simply as my “friend” last weekend while introducing him to someone in the grocery store, and he went ballistic!) Perhaps significant other is better…;-)
This is such a good point. I always try to get 8 hours of sleep and I have oftened been crticized for it by people because I will delay plans if I do not get enough sleep. I mean not if it is important but I am not going to show up like a zombie either! PEace and girl power, KyleO— BTW if you want to read about dating disasters that I have been through check my site.
I love the bed “boyfriend” made you, a bf that can make all sorts of things must be useful and worth keeping around
I may not be American, but I am definitely sleep-deprived!
Alet´s last blog ..10 Things I love about me (meme)