ODE to OCD

You may have noticed that I tend to lean towards more adventurous sleeping environments and am seldom bothered by my circumstantial surroundings. To me it's part of the challenge. However, I do realize that not every competitive sleeper out there is as low-maintenance as myself and I can certainly respect that. Some sleepers worry about the level of hygiene of their dozing quarters and need to have their bases covered before they can even begin to imagine breathing evenly, let alone relax, let go and snooze. These types of dozers usually go for the traditional sleep basics: mattresses, pillows and comforters. The familiar is important, but age and material are even more crucial here. Did you know that between the time we buy our mattresses to the time we throw them out, they double in weight? Why? (you ask hesitantly) Dust mites. They move in the same day you do. To avoid even an inkling of this unappealing image, an O.C.D. (obsessive compulsive dozer) opts for the tempur pedic matress made out of viscoelastic memory foam (that mites don’t care for) and a tempur-pedic pillow. Comforters or duvets on the other hand tend to be a bit tricky. Down duvets keep you cozy and warm, but they are not necessarily OCD’s first choice for they too are dust magnets and are a pain to clean. OCD is more comfortable with layered wool blankets and cotton quilts. I am not berating this approach to competitive sleeping since I have an appreciation for quality. I just prefer a more bohemian, open-minded approach for myself.