Sleeping in the rain

Sleeping in the rain is romantic when you’re inside, warm and cozy by a fireplace. But if you’re out and caught off guard, then it’s no picnic. Make sure that you go to the bathroom right before the competition, or else the sound of running of water will send you to the john and get you disqualified from the race. There have been cases of participants relieving themselves in bed, and they too were disqualified. If you don't trust your bladder, use a waterbed and make sure to have waterbed sheets.

Sleeping in the wind

Sleeping in the wind is no easy task. There is a lot of self-protection to account for. Depending on your location at the time of wind, you need to know whether your surroundings are hazardous in terms of debris. If you’re in the woods under windy conditions, beware of falling branches, rockslides, etc. Having a sturdy low tent is a plus and then it’s all about positioning. If you’re in a mountainous region or a rocky beach, try to be adjacent to a side that goes with the wind and not against it. Bedding wise, just use your common sense. Naturally satin bedding would not do well in windy conditions, neither would canopy bedding, for obvious reasons.

Sleeping in the snow

Sleeping in the snow can be fun if you plan ahead. You need to be prepared and efficient. You’ll need warm flannel sheets and down comforters - optimal bedding for below zero conditions. Down comforters are good insulators, but nothing’s better than a partner to cuddle up to. If they like it, you can enter the couples sleeper cross division. But if you do end up solo and have a generator, then you could also plug in a Sunbeam electric blanket for a constant heat source throughout the night.

Sleeping in the sun

Sleeping in the sun requires proper hydration beforehand and smart sleepwear and bedding. Calvin Klein sleepwear is made from light breathable cotton,hence a perfect option for high temperatures and sun exposure. Choose white or pastel colors for less heat absorption. You should cover yourself as much as possible to avoid dehydration. The less your body is covered, the faster you lose water through your exposed skin. So please beware. I strongly suggest bringing along a camel water pack, a mosquito net and a good sunscreen. Bedding is as equally important; for extremely hot conditions I recommend Egyptian cotton sheets and a visco pedic foam mattress, because it takes on the shape of your body, which prevents you from tossing and depleting your energy and water supply. Be careful and all the best.

Sleeping in the elements

There is a whole science to sleeping in the elements. Over the next few posts, I will feature my recommendations for sleeping in the wild. So keep your eyes open and good luck.

If you’re too domesticated and spoiled and have self-doubts about sleeping in the wild, you can try out a couple of training sessions that will help you gain knowledge and confidence for the outdoor survival.

There are training centers across the country, and even abroad now, that can help you gear up for sleeping in the great outdoors. If you need contact information for the center nearest you, please leave a comment underneath this post and I would gladly help you out.

Kid's Bedding

That is not to say that all kid's bedding needs to be devoid of color or pattern. Boys are infinitely fascinated by cars, so they'll enjoy Nascar bedding resplendent with the latest sports cars and champions' signatures. And girls will love the abundance of color and fabric choices from Seventeen bedding, their favorite magazine's collections.

Sacred infant sleep

Having hypochondriac parents was quite a traumatic experience to go through as an infant and it most definitely left an imprint on me. For starters, i am hot blooded, so how on Earth was I meant to make it clear that I need ventilation and hydration. My attempts at sign language escaped my parents, no matter how hard I tried. Today, I highly recommend that future parents consider infant bedding a serious matter. It shouldn't be too busy or suffocating. Parents like to distract their babies by hanging toys and noise-makers, but forget about the zen sleep quality that their infants lack as a result. Just stick to simplicity, they'll thank you later.

A Dream of Car Repair

I'm far out west. A dusty town. Not even, just a roadside stop. My car is in the shop. The mechanic rolls out from underneath and it's not the burly cigar stubbed mechanic. Instead, it's this girl. The beautiful collaboration of the greasy leanedness of a hard working man with the wit and string curled smile of a woman. She's young but she's wearing the work of her years. Maybe born with a sticky wrench in her hand.

Tar between her teeth, oil under her finger nails. She's talking and talking. I don't even know who she's talking to cause she hasn't seen me yet. Cigarette in one hand, socket wrench in the other. She might be the mechanic that Wynona Ryder never was. And this is what she says:

"The way I see it is - you got ten fingers, you're gonna die with 'em. (at 'em she flashes a huge teethy grin that beams out from under her oil slick face.) Well ya got eight fingers, two opposable thumbs that is, ya get rid of those thumbs - you save a lotta money on nail polish. Ya figure, the average middle lower class woman paints her nails about fifteen hundred times till they're seventy-five. At least. Maybe more. You get rid of those thumbs. Save a lotta money. Still look pretty.

But ya see I'm supportin the proletariat. Those big men up there in the government, they know smokin's good for you. Makes you live longer. They all smoke. They tell all of you that it's bad. That it's gonna kill ya, printin up little messages on the boxes. It's all hoax damn it! Think I like smokin? (she spits) Pppppeh! It's nasty, but I do it to champion the proletariat. Somebody's gotta smoke. Be no one around to fix your car if I didn't."

That night I was sleeping in Jockey sleepwear on Hotel Collection Bedding.

Fairy Tale from the Dreamer

My mom tucked me in as I was wearing footy pajamas (or is it footed pajamas?). My mom rarely read me fairy tales but I repeatedly had dreams in which she would tuck me in and read me a fairy tale that I had written. After I told her about the fairy tale from my dream, she wrote it down and then from time to time she would read it to me as I lay tucked in bed. This is the fairy tale:"There are billions of little circles drifting across the big square. The big square has lots and lots of very tall triangles. The circles made the triangles white and soft and so the triangles are very very happy and will be for a very long time. Soon the cirlcles will come to the triangles again. And the triangles will be even happier. The funny thing is: These triangles are always happy... because they're so high all the time."

Free Dreaming

It's common knowledge that competitive sleepers, in their quest for controlled, elegant and statuesque sleep often lose their natural ability to dream.
I've decided to do a series of posts that will share and recount what we call "free dreaming." The casual sleeper has access to a wonder of wandering dreams. When I was younger and a free dreamer, my mother logged each dream knowing, that each one might be the last. When I look at these old records of my dreams I must admit that I wish free dreaming were a sport itself. My mother not only logged my dreams as I described them in the morning but she noted the details about my pajamas, mattresses or anything unique about that night.

Designer Bedding

As far as designer bedding is concerned, Nautica bedding is the most simple, summery, vacation-evoking of them all.
if that's what you're looking for, of course. But if your cup of tea is floral and feminine, then oscar de la renta bedding is the one for you.

Modern Bedding for Modern Man

" Modern man associates himself with the ancient world, not in order to reflect, like a mirror, but to capture its spirit and apply it in the modern way." Palladio 1564 A.D.

It's couldn't have been better said. Everything is borrowed and brought back numerous times... it's a recycle cycle. Look around, even the 80's made a comeback. But it's the way that it's done that makes it timeless and modern... When it comes to modern bedding, I lean towards classics like Calvin Klein bedding because I know what to expect: clean, fresh, no frills.

Star Wars remake

I was never a huge Star Wars fan, but I recall sleeping on Star War bedding as a little boy. At an age I couldn't choose for myself yet... There's a cute Star Wars video game out, LEGO version... and I'd be more likely to buy those sheets.

Navigate dreams

These Nautica catalogs have me keeping up with my new year's resolutions so far... heck, they even have me buying Nautica sleepwear! I've been working on my abs and buns of steel and this year I, too, will have Edward Burns' six-pack, marry Christy Turlington's twin sister, have 2 gorgeous kids, buy a yacht and a house in the Hamptons...Only I'll keep my baritone, thank you. (sorry, Ed, but you sound like a little girl on helium...) Then it'll be easier to "Navigate Life" ... with a whole new set of variables.

Wild West

I love travelling... for pleasure, for business, for sport... I've crossed this country numerous times, and on the last trip I fell in love with New Mexico. The rolling hills, auburn sunsets and coyotes... The colorful Native American wool blankets and western bedding inspired my dreams about Billie, the Kid galloping full speed through the deserty plains outside El Capitan.

Feather beds are for princesses

Feather beds are over-rated. Except, they remind me of a childhood story by Hans Christian Andersen "The Princess and the Pea". A tale of how a prince found his "real" princess, the one that was bruised by a pea through a towering pile of feather beds... "Fifty feather mattresses up and up she climbed..." It's a cute story for the little ones, but if you've kept up with my entries, then you already know that I'm a true visco fan. You just can't go wrong with a visco foam mattress. It forms to your contours and is built to last...so what's not to love?

You say night CAP, I say NIGHT cap

You say night CAP

I say NIGHT cap

Ralph Lauren or me?

My ex was a little compulsive, to say the least. She used to put me through hell with her sleeping rituals. At first I thought I'd get used to it, but it only got progressively worse with time. We met at one of the sleeper cross conferences in Singapore. She was soft-spoken, introverted and exotic... until I got to know her true colors. Here's a typical scenario: It was her turn to visit me and I had planned out a romantic practice session for the two of us in the Redwoods. I had sketched out the route up the scenic California coast, stocked up on supplies and was anxious to see her at the airport that afternoon... She finally arrived... with suitcases that were bigger than my SUV. When I jokingly asked her if she was moving in, she laughed, but made it quite clear that she was going nowhere without her ralph lauren bedding and her matching ralph lauren sleepwear (and everything else, of course). She said: "It's for GOOD luck, Barrett!" But I somehow interpreted that as a cover-up for her crush on a man whose teeth are whiter than mine. But "good" luck or "good" looks... was only half the trouble...you see, the real issue was that her obsessive attitude was stepping on my bohemian toes...and I like my feet, so I had to pick them over her.

Child prodigy sleeper

Some of us are lucky enough to know what we want to do with our lives at a very young age while others struggle their entire lives in search of a purpose. I was born lucky and am grateful to be gifted with a mission in life. Long distance sleeping is most often heredetary, yet there are also cases of competitive sleepers that are simply products of their environment. I am one of extremely rare cases (born asleep), hence my chances of passing this gene to my offspring are multiplied. I reckon I would be a proud father no matter what, but if I pass this down, I will prepare my newborn's surroundings to the T. In my quest to provide my future sleeping prodigy (I picture having a daughter) with the finest ingredients for sound sleep... I came across the most adorable hello kitty pajamas! Just too irresistibly cute to pass up.

Under-cover(s), part 2

For those who get cold easily there is always long underwear or long johns, if you like. You can buy them in cotton or silk, but if you need extra coverage, opt for ski thermal underwear, which is layered and conserves the heat better. My personal favourite is the original red union suit with a poop chute. There is something nostalgic about it...