I slept on the floor for a year. Not on a blow-up mattress or on a padded mat—on the floor. I hadn’t planned on sleeping on the floor—it just happened. I had other empty beds in the house to choose from (and a couch), so it wasn’t as if there weren’t more comfortable options. Yet month after month, when it was time for bed, I put out a blanket and pillow and slept on the floor.
It all began simply enough. We were moving into a new house, and I decided it was time to finally graduate to a nicer mattress. The plan was to give my Queen mattress and bed to my son as an upgrade from his twin bed, and I would buy a new one for myself. After all, I had slept on this mattress for a long time, and it was time for a new one.
At first, I made excuses as to why I hadn’t bought a new mattress: I was too busy with my new job (I don’t spend that much time sleeping anyways)…There were too many mattresses to choose from…I didn’t want to test out a mattress in a showroom (awkward)…I couldn’t decide between memory foam and a traditional mattress…
My kids must have thought I didn’t have the money to buy a new mattress because for my 50th Birthday, they gave me the money. Yes, all of my kids contributed their hard-earned money to get me off the floor and sleeping like a normal person again.
The reality is, I can sleep pretty much anywhere as long as I have a pillow. I’ve always been like this. I can go camping and sleep like a baby as long as there’s a pillow underneath my head. These days, I’m so tired from working, that I crash as soon as my head hits the pillow, and I don’t ever remember falling asleep.
I’m in love with my bed but my alarm clock won’t let us be together — Anonymous
It wasn’t until my birthday came and went, and I still had not bought a new mattress, that I realized something might be wrong with me. My kids really wanted me to get a new bed, so why couldn’t I make this a priority?
Well, when I first started looking at mattresses and beds, I kept thinking “What if I buy a new bed and mattress and then I fall in love with someone who doesn’t like it? What if I buy a Queen bed and my husband-to-be only likes Kings? Or worse, California Kings? What if he likes memory foam, and I buy a traditional mattress? And of most concern, “If I buy a new bed, does this mean I’m accepting that I could be sleeping alone for the rest of my life?” I know this all sounds crazy, but at the time, these seemed like valid reasons not to buy a new bed. I guess you could say my thinking had become Skiwampus.
After months of these thoughts playing over and over in my head, I decided I needed to stop worrying about someone else and find a bed for me. After all, I had spent most of my adult life worrying about others. So, I decided to add “buy a new bed and mattress” to my List of 50 Things (after I published my original list, as number 51). I knew if it were on my List, I would actually do it.
Six months after adding it, I finally bought my new bed and mattress! My son was the first to test it and described it perfectly: “It’s like sleeping on clouds”—and it is.
At first, I thought the mattress might be too soft and debated whether I should return it. However, I changed my mind after my mom reminded me that when you sleep on the floor for a year, any mattress will feel “too soft.”
Like the best things we put off in life, I can’t believe I waited so long. My new bed has become one of my favorite places in my home. I get excited to jump into bed at night (yes, jump), and I love making my bed in the morning (so satisfying). In the words of Goldilocks…”This bed is just right!”
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