The Written Podcast: Sleeping in a Different Bed

I've stayed in many hotels in my life - ranging from 1 star to 4 stars, with varying degree of perception on what those stars actually mean. I've stayed in hotels where the quality was incredible, and then there's the complete opposite where you wonder how the hotel is still going.

But, no matter where you stay, what level of excellence the hotel can provide or terribleness on some occasions, there is always one constant thing throughout; you're not sleeping in your bed.

Sleeping in a any other bed from yours may be an uncomfortable experience, especially if you're not familiar with the mattress. Whilst this as been automatically, instantly sorted into the extreme category by many people, but not having the right mattress can keep you from getting the decent night's sleep you need to function properly the next day - and there is nothing worse than having to force yourself to stay awake when someone is talking. Although, you may get away with it of the person in question who's talking to you is incredibly boring and sleeping is an out for you. On the other hand though, if you need to concentrate profusely throughout the day, then you're going to need to put tooth picks between your eyelids - may scare your fellows in the room; you have been warned.

It may not be the bed that's keeping you from getting your much needed rest, it may just be because you are in a different location. 

You may not experience it much when travelling by car, but going to an entirely new timezone can throw your body clock out the window. Most commonly associated with plane journeys, having that feeling it's 5 O'clock in the afternoon when actually it's 1 O'clock can be difficult to handle, for various reasons, most acknowledged when attempting to sleep.

Some people can drop into a coma-like state the moment their head hits the pillow and don't wake up until many hours later, other people unfortunately have the issue of tossing and turning every five minutes because they can't find that sweet spot in the mattress. With your bed, no matter what time of day it is, taking into account any other factors getting in the way, you can sleep no matter what. You can lie down in the correct position every single time, close your eyes and nod off.

What also can upset your schedule is, when in a different timezone, and it gets light when your body is used to it still being pitch black, than can screw your system up for the whole day, making it seem as if you might as well have not even bothered going to bed, just stayed up all night instead.

If you're staying in a hotel only for one night, your room's bed is highly noticeably different to if you are staying for a week or more. Whilst obviously it takes years of sleeping to mould your mattress to the perfect condition for instant sleeping, a week won't come anywhere close, but you have to sleep - it's human nature and cannot be avoided without some serious consequences. Unless you ship your bed to every hotel you stay at in the future, which goes without saying the hoteliers are not going to be happy with, you have no choice but to tolerate the different mattress for a few days.

But after a week, things start changing, and you don't even know they had until it happens. On the final day, there is a chance that you wouldn't want to get up out of bed, because you are just too comfortable, relaxed, lazy. The bed has won the battle you did not even know you were losing the moment you cambered under the covers on the first sleepless night.

Now what do you do? Do what you do back at home? Begrudgingly drag yourself from the bed, peel the covers from your warm body and let the cold air around you make you wish to climb back under?

If feel as if this article has gotten rather unintentionally, unnecessary dramatic. I'll end this here.

Thanks for reading

Antony Hudson

(TonyHadNouns)