Our Beds, Our Lives

According to scientific studies done by major universities, the average adult has spent twenty-five years of their life in bed by the time that they have reached their seventies. While most of that time is dedicated to sleep, of course, there are times that we turn to the comfort and privacy of our bedroom when we’re wide awake. Our beds have become an important part of our lives, when you think about it. We go there to recuperate from illness, when we can’t seem to go on anymore. Our bed offers a relaxing place to regain our strength after an injury or even just to fight the common cold. How many times did you stay home from school with an illness as a child, your mom brining you chicken noodle soup while you watched cartoons on TV and recuperated? We turn to our beds in times of sadness, as well. When we just don’t know what else to do about the current issues that we’re having, we go to bed and cuddle up under the covers to try and make our way back to feeling like ourselves once more. Many times, just taking a “mental health day,” hiding out in bed can make us feel like a brand new person. Our beds are where we bond with our children and our spouses. Babies are nursed propped up against pillows, toddlers are talked into napping, important decisions are talked over and decided upon while stretched out on memory foam mattresses. Even the way that we choose to make our beds can speak of who we truly are. Simple and straightforward sheet colors such as tan, black, or white indicate that a person is uncomplicated and direct in their day-to-day lives, while bright-hued sheets such as red or royal blue can mean that a person is an individual that isn’t afraid to go against the grain and usually requires a lot of stimulation in their world. Many people even choose to work from the comfort of their bed, feeling as though the comforting atmosphere and soft pillows and sheets help them to bring out their most creative side. Making sure that you have the most supportive and comfortable mattress that you can seems to be an important factor in getting the most out of the time that you spend in the sheets, and also seems to encourage better recuperation, bonding time, and of course, sleep. Our beds are truly a huge part of our lives, and we make an extra effort to make them our own by decorating our bedrooms in soothing or stimulating colors and adding the perfect pillows and sheets. Spending some extra time in bed has been linked to higher levels of productivity, compassion, reasoning, and creativity. With those kinds of benefits, it’s easy to see why we spend so much time in the sack!