Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with bed

Are there any soft/plush hotel beds in Seattle?

Leenie — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 09:32:15 -0800

Just had an uncomfortable stay in Seattle on a firm hotel bed. Heading back in two weeks and need a better bed. My wife and I just returned from a stay in Seattle. We stayed at a nice hotel with a firm bed. I had the worst night of sleep in my life. (No exaggeration). The longest stretch I was able to sleep for was 90 minutes or so. I was normally waking up every 10 to 30 minutes.

She likes a firm bed and slept ok on it.

At home she has her side of our sleep number bed set to 75, my side is set to 40. I think the hotel bed was a 80-90 setting.

The sleep number beds at the Radisson hotel chain are not very comfortable. I think they are a much lower end model than the one we have. The Temprapedic beds are not comfortable at all. Everypart of my body that is in the material when I sleep, sweats. That is not an option.

We will be going back in two weeks and I would like to sleep better. Most hotels we stay at have firm or very firm beds. Does anybody know of a hotel in the Seattle area that has soft/plush beds? Are there any chains that have some in some rooms in their hotels?

Know a good B&B in the North Georgia Mountains?

shrimpsmalls — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 14:57:55 -0800

Recommendations for a bed and breakfast or similar lodging in North Georgia or Tennessee? I would like to gift a night or two getaway to my lovely parents for xmas. They live just north of Atlanta, so a b&b in Appalachian country would be an ideal place to send them. They regularly visit blue ridge and enjoy hiking there, but I'm still looking for a place that is more luxurious than it is "roughing it." Most b&b websites are pretty shoddy, so personal experiences or recommendations are greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Stabilizing a wooden bedframe

ocherdraco — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 14:24:09 -0800

How can I make my bed more stable? My bedroom set is all lovely blond wood furniture from the early 40s. I love it, and don't want to give it up. The bed, however, is becoming exasperating.

The substantial headboard and footboard are connected by long pieces (similar to but thicker than 1x6), each of which has a half-inch lip to hold the slats which support the mattress. There are only four slats, which are pieces of 1x3. When all four slats are in place, the bed supports the mattress quite well, with very little noise. The problem is that, over the course of a few months of sleeping on it (or fewer, if it's being used for more vigorous activity), the slats shift and fall out (usually one at a time, thank goodness), making the whole thing seem unstable, and creak like crazy. Re-setting them is a major hassle involving moving the bed, lifting the mattress and box spring, and shimmying the slats back into place multiple times on either side until they stay put.

How can I fix my bed so that I:
a) don't damage the frame
b) keep the slats from falling out
c) make the bed more stable than it currently is with all four slats in place

Should I add more slats? How can I stabilize them so they won't fall out? Would it make more sense to use a sheet of plywood which would be less likely to fall out, or would that be too heavy for the narrow lip?

Avoiding a bed bugs infestation

grrarrgh00 — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 22:14:13 -0800

I just woke up from a night in my Amsterdam hotel room and realized my bed has bed bugs in it. How do I make dead certain these things don't return with me to the US? Also, what should I expect from the hotel? I've spent the last two nights in a boutique hotel in Amsterdam.

Last night, I came back to my room and relaxed for a while reading on the bed. When I got up, I saw that there were bites down the back of one arm, but I didn't pay much attention; I thought an ant might have gotten into my jacket or something. I slept through the night, but when I woke up, I discovered another bite on my other arm. I suspected something was up, got up immediately, and inspected the sheets. I saw one dead bed bug, and several more live ones crawling around. (Ick.)

I'm downstairs in the lobby now, waiting for the hotel's housekeeping manager to arrive. I imagine I need to get all of my clothes laundered; they were on a seat touching the bed all night. What should I do with my luggage? How do I get into a set of uninfested clothes (I'm currently wearing the outfit I wore last night when I got in)? What other steps can I take?

Also, do you have any tips on interacting with hotel management about this? What should I expect from them? If they offer to launder my things, should I let them?

I had originally planned to transfer to another hotel today (this hotel was covered by the conference I was speaking at; I had previously reserved another room for myself at a place in a different part of town). Should I call them and explain the situation? Is there a chance I could get my things treated well enough today that bringing the infestation with me wouldn't be an issue?

Thanks much for your help with this. These things are so nasty.

Good NYC Bed bug exterminator?

Liquidwolf — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 20:06:45 -0800

Does anyone in New York City have any recommendations for a decent, reliable , honest bed bug exterminator? I'm concerned that a lot of these places are either lazy or just do a poor job to keep themselves in business. If anyone has any leads I'd greatly appreciate it.

DOG PERIOD BLOOD IN BED. CAN I JUST SLEEP IN IT?

defmute — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 03:15:08 -0800

my dog bled on my blanket (i think mine's called a com-fort-or). can i still sleep in my bed? my dog's been on her period for a while and we always kick it pretty good in bed and i thought her period was over but i guess not and i've actually been sleeping in bed with a few half dollar siezed dogperiodblood spots on the pillows, com-four-door, sheets and mattress. am i okay? do i need to disinfect my sleeping arrangements?

How do we compare and choose between two (almost) identical beds?

avoision — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 11:07:16 -0800

My wife and I are looking to buy a new (queen size) bed, and trying to decide between two beds from two different stores. Both are actually quite similar in terms of look/style and price. Here are the beds: Crate and Barrel vs. Room & Board

The big question is: how to choose? We like both equally, and we're not sure if one bed is better made than the other, if one company is better than another, etc. Are there certain things we should be looking for that might tip the vote, one way or another?

Additionally, we would love to hear any feedback from anyone who's purchased a bed from either store. Good or bad experiences, we'd love to hear about it.

ps: gotmarriedlastseptemberwoohoo!

According to tradition, which side of the bed should a man sleep on?

Sully — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 16:27:42 -0800

In heterosexual relationships, is there a side of the bed that men normally sleep on? Is there any kind of tradition behind it? Like, if you're standing at the foot of the bed looking at the pillows, are men supposed to sleep on the left or right side? My dad always slept on the left side. And myself, with my last girlfriend, I also slept on the left side. Am I unconsciously re-enacting some kind of old tradition as to what side I'm supposed to sleep on? I know that there's some kind of tradition regarding walking beside a woman on the sidewalk. Men were supposed to stand between the woman and the street so that if any mud was splashed up by a passing carriage, the man would bear the brunt of the mud.

One other thing - I've noticed that in both my father's and my case, we would sleep on the side closest to the door, which just happened to be the left side. Does anyone know if any studies about this have been made? I'm not saying that these ancient customs should be upheld, nor that they should continue. I'm just curious if historically, there's a custom of some sort. Thanks.

How can I wake up faster?

Solomon — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 08:06:47 -0800

How can I get going faster in the morning? What tips and/or tricks do you use to get you up, bright and awake early in the morning?

I've tried coffee (which makes no difference), showering in showers of various temperatures (which is unpleasant if cold), leaving the curtains open (which just keeps me awake because of street lights) and various different alarm clocks. My current MO is to turn the computer on and sit in front of it for a while, which seems to help. I think it must be the light from the monitor hitting my eyes that wakes me.

I haven't tried exercise, because I don't have enough spatial awareness to do anything that involved. I also once updated my Facebook status without realising it.

I have no problem getting to sleep whatsoever. I know I need at least 8 hours a night, so I go to bed at a relevant time, and always have crazy vivid dreams. It's just the next morning that's the problem. I also have the problem in a milder form after napping. It seems that the longer I'm asleep, the groggier I am when I wake.

Any thoughts?

I think I saw a bed bug, what do I do now?

Anonymous — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 20:44:32 -0800

I think I spotted a bed bug this morning. What do I do now? I've been getting itchy spots over the past couple of weeks and I just blew them off as being allergic to something here and getting mosquito bites since the itchy spots varies in sizes and location.

This morning I spotted a tiny bug on my comforter, about less than 1cm in size and it was a clear, light brownish in color. It was reaaaally small, and I wouldn't have noticed it if it wasn't moving around.
When I was leaving for class today, I spotted a bug, about 1-3cm [wasn't really paying attention to the size, was too freaked out about finding a bug on my portfolio bag] on my art portfolio bag and I got rid of it and flushed it down the toilet.

I am currently in a freshman at my college and i'm dorming here as well. I currently have 4 suitemates and no roommate in my dorm room.

Since now I think I spotted a bed bug[s], what do I do now? Should I sleep on the couch in the living room or the empty bed in my room tonight? Should I burn all my clothes? I'm afraid of finding more bugs since I have a fear of them. I'm seriously starting to freak out about this.
Throwaway account at stopthebedbugs[at]gmail.com

Looking for a keep-feet-warm in bed device (to keep on the bed, not just socks)

lrodman — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 21:44:05 -0800

I want something to put at the foot of my bed to keep feet warm - a throw would work, but something more designed for the purpose perhaps- like a giant "sock" that slips over the end of the comforter that you slip your feet into or something like that. down or equivalent preferable, but post whatever you have!

Do I have bed bugs?!

prior — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 15:20:29 -0800

Could a bed bug have made this bite? Forgive me for asking another long bug-related question. My girlfriend's apartment building has been having problems with bed bugs--there is definitely an infestation in one of the units, and though an inspector came and cleared my gf's apartment, I slept there on Tuesday night and woke up with what I believed were bed bug bites on my back and hands. They're in the typical bed bug bite formation of threes, don't really hurt or itch, etc.

I went home from work on weds. and took some precautions against spreading the bugs to my apt--washed and heat-dried all the clothes I'd worn in her house, as well as my comforter, sheets, pillow cases, etc. I went to sleep that night and woke up bite-free.

My gf slept over at my place last night, and though I know the likelihood that she brought bed bugs into my place on her clothes is low, she could have brought them in her bag, I suppose. Anyway, she left, and I went about my sick day, reading in bed, and at some point looked down at my hand, which was suddenly itching and swelling up, to see this bite.

It's not anything like the other bites--it's swollen, raised, white, the size of a dime, and has a "trail" of raised swelling more like a spider bite's. Sorry the picture quality isn't good.

Anyway, could this be a bed bug bite? Do they ever manifest as described above? Can't find any info online to affirm or deny. Any advice/info/encouragement appreciated.

when the sex towel is not enough

LBS — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 11:35:08 -0800

Preventing the wet spot, if by "wet spot" you mean "oh my god I just made Lake Michigan on your bed": a NSFW question about bedroom hydrodynamics. Female ejaculation. It happens. Sometimes in grand style. So, we use sex towels, but there are times when they aren't enough. On a good night, I can soak a bath towel, and the moisture goes right through to the sheets and the mattress.

I bought a Fascinator Throe (reversible velvet/satin sex blanket with moisture barrier in the middle) from Liberator, and it is a good invention, but it's not the perfect solution. The moisture barrier keeps fluids from soaking straight down into the bed, but even on the velvet side there's only a thin layer of absorbent material on top of the moisture barrier. This results in two problems: 1. Someone ends up with their butt wallowing in an inch-deep puddle, which is unpleasant and leads to interruption of the festivities. 2. Sometimes the puddle runs over the edge of the Throe and starts soaking around to the other side.

I'm starting to think that a bath towel on top of the Fascinator Throe is the likeliest solution, but I'm hoping that the good people of AskMe will have even better ideas. If you have champion Skene's glands, what has worked for you?

I've seen this previous question but the question and many of the responses (tissues? TP? hand towel? ha.) seem to be aimed at solving a different problem. I'm not asking about post-coital drips, I'm asking about mid-coital gushes.

Would someone die a gruesome death?

ThomThomThomThom — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 08:17:27 -0800

A handstand on someone's chest while lying on a bed of nails? Ok, so this came up in conversation with a street performer friend of mine. It's been a while since I've done any physics and figured that some of you might have been wondering the same as myself. So I am inclined to ask, dear AskMe! (In case you're wondering, I'm not planning on doing this. I'm just trying to settle an idle curiosity.)

Imagine, if you will, a young so-and-so lying on his back on a bed of nails. This bed of nails (as most do) extends the length of man's back - from the lower back, just above his buttocks, to his shoulders and the base of his neck. The nails' heads are approximately 1mm^2 in area at the point (we're talking longish ten-penny nails.) These nails are spread one per square inch on the bed (as are most standard beds-of-nails.) This fellow in particular weighs about 160lb, as does his friend, who now places his hands on the first young daredevil's chest and presses up into a handstand. Let's also assume that these young men (or women!) are shirtless. It's difficult to imagine people being so daring with clothing on.

Now for the million dollar question - did the first performer just meet a gruesome death? I imagine that the jolt of the handstand-er pressing up onto his friend's chest with his hands would add a considerable amount more force than would his simple bodyweight and gravity. Would that be enough to impale his friend? If that would be, what would the effect be like if the man on the bed of nails were to support the handstander's shoulders with his arms, while the handstand-er used his arms to brace himself on the lying-down man's knees? (knees which are connected to his legs, which are pressing against the ground, not touching any nails at all. From what I've researched, this pose is called the candlestick.) Would that take enough force away from the man's back that he wouldn't get impaled?

Thanks for humoring me, dear Metafilter. Inquiring minds simply *have* to know.

Ninja ants!

Attackpanda — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 17:48:05 -0800

Ants (or something) in my bed? For the past several nights I've been bitten by fire ants or some type of crazy huge ant. I have no idea where they have gotten in, but they are tearing up my legs, but only in bed. I have no food or water in my room, and my boyfriend doesn't get bit by them when he's over. I get bit a lot less by them a lot less when he's over as well. I've had my apartment sprayed, it does nothing.

My questions - why the hell are ants in my bed? How do I get rid of them, if I can't find the point of entry? I don't even see them during the day, only at night, if I'm lucky.

Simple bed frame or alternative to frame altogether?

bradly — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 17:17:43 -0800

I'm looking for a minimalist/possibly nontraditional bed frame that won't throw off the zen of my bedroom. What options do I have? So I just redesigned my room, and the bed frame is the final battle to be fought.

I'm looking for something simple that draws as little attention as possible while raising the mattress off of the ground.

I can buy materials, or even a manufactured bed frame (If so, budget is preferably <$100).

More details: The bed is twin sized and the mattress is of questionable quality (read: the 'frame' doesn't need to promote long term mattress health). Paint is light blue and I am male.

Thanks!

How to quiet my creaking loft bed?

raygan — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 00:30:48 -0800

How can I minimize creaking/cracking noises from my new IKEA STORÅ Loft Bed? So, it's my first real New York apartment, and my room is pretty small. Not a closet, but pretty small. I knew I still wanted a full size bed (I'm a tall guy) and that a bed that size would take up most of the room, so I opted for a loft bed, so I'd still have room for a desk.

I picked this bed, the Stora bed from IKEA.

Three days later, I have the loft bed built, and it's my maiden voyage up the ladder. Ceiling height checks out; so far so good, and then...

Every motion I make, going up the ladder, getting under the covers, rolling over, is met by a loud cracking noise. We're talking about more than a simple creak; it's a series of loud, sharp cracks, with every motion of the bed.

So this is why they don't let you go up the ladder of the one in the store! I expected the bed to make some amount of noise, but this is rather more than I can deal with. I'm afraid my housemates are going to be woken up by it.

Is there any way to lessen the noise? I've tightened the bolts to no avail. Should I lubricate the joints somehow? Put carpeting under the legs? Cover it in duct tape and foam baffling? Please help, before I have to take a saw to this thing and turn it into a regular bed!

Looking for a dustrpoof pillow cover that isn't annoying.

Fleebnork — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 16:27:35 -0800

Allergyfilter: Need recommendations for a dustproof pillow cover. I used to have a dustproof pillow cover, but a couple years ago, we got a king sized bed with king sized pillows, and I haven't bothered to get a dustproof pillow cover sized for king sized pillows.

One of the things I never liked about my pillow cover in the past was the "crackly" stiff fabric. It made noise and crackled when I moved my head, sort of like a muffled paper bag.

Can anyone recommend a brand of dustproof pillow cover that isn't "crackly" like this? Do they exist, or is it simply the nature of the dustproof covering?

Bed bugs on Craigslist?

AaRdVarK — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 07:21:53 -0800

There's a bed frame I want for a great price on Craigslist. Should I worry about bed bugs? I've been eyeing this bed at Ikea, and I just found someone selling it on Craigslist for a third the price. I was all ready to go pick it up, and mentioned it to some friends who immediately responded with an emphatic "NO." Their concern was bed bugs. I explained that I wasn't getting a mattress, just the frame, but they were insistent that it didn't matter.

I know this is this something I should be concerned about. How concerned should I be though? It's less than a year old and coming from a nice building in the financial district. I'll definitely inspect the apartment and the frame before I make the purchase. Is there anyway I can treat the pieces before bringing them into my apartment to kill anything on them before I bring them in?

European split beds?

anjiro — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 19:09:11 -0800

Mattress-filter: I recently took a trip to Germany with my wife and was fascinated by some of the hotel beds there. Unlike some other parts of Europe, there were not two single-person beds, but seemed to be two combined. It was like two mattresses stuck together somehow; they had separate sheets (both bottom and top), but didn't shift away from each other in the slightest. You could lie right on the crack and not notice a thing! I noticed that we slept a lot better, possibly since the two halves didn't influence each other as much.

How does it work, and can I get something similar in the US?

How do I best store a memory foam mattress topper

Nelson — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 08:05:08 -0800

How do I best store a memory foam mattress topper? Can I keep it folded, rolled, or otherwise compressed? I bought an inexpensive memory foam mattress topper for our foldout couch, for when guests come. (King size, 2 inch thick, 2.5 pounds / cubic foot density). I only need to use it every few months, so I want to store it in my garage. However, it's huge. Also it is a magnet for dirt. How do I store it out of the way?

I'd like to store it relatively tightly rolled up, or maybe folded. I don't have any place to store it flat and laid out. Is it OK to store memory foam compressed, or after a month of sitting folded / tightly rolled will it now remember that new shape?

Why is my bed performing works by Edgard Varèse?

winna — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 10:03:17 -0800

My bed sounds like a banjo made of metal being strummed by Edward Scissorhands whenever I turn over. Could someone else with the same model of bed tell me if this is a feature and not a bug? I have the queen-sized Heimdal bed from Ikea. I like it quite a bit.

The problem is that whenever I move once I am supine the bed goes SQUEAKSCRATCHCREAK quite loudly. It doesn't do it when I am sitting on it or crawling onto it, only when I am lying down. Do other people with this bed have this problem?

I have the Sultan Liared slats and a queen-sized mattress if that makes a difference.

Is sleeping on the floor medically approved?

KMH — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 08:16:45 -0800

Hard medical evidence about sleeping on a hard, flat surface? There's a good discussion of the anecdotal pros and cons of sleeping on the floor already, but I'd like to know if anyone can point me to something more scholarly / Government health department guidelines or anything vaguely authoritative?

Chair that converts to twin bed

cainiarb — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 14:33:19 -0800

I need a small scale chair that converts to a twin bed. We have a 500 sq. ft. cottage and need extra sleeping room for guests. There is room for two small chairs in the living area and we would like to replace these chairs with something that makes into twin beds. We like the way the ZzzChair converts to a chaise lounge and twin bed but it has a boxy look that isn't appealing. We do want a good quality chair/bed and not some flip type Styrofoam chair.

Any suggestions on where to find something to meet our needs?

Looking for a bed like this one...

You Should See the Other Guy — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 18:46:40 -0800

I love this bed. How do I find one like it? What kind of words should I be using in my search? Thanks!