The Beds Of My Life – A Concise History

I’ve never owned a bed – usually, I just sleep in the one that’s provided at whatever stage I’m at in my life. You know what I mean. I’m talking about the cot that’s automatically provided for you at birth, and those beds on wheels that allow your parents to move you from the supermarket to the park to the back room of a smoky pub with ease.

I wrecked my first proper bed – a bunk bed – by literally shaking its supports loose. The sensible single bed I was demoted to after this is a good ‘un. It’s still used by my little sister as a base for her iPhone adventures. The beds I had in university all adequately provided a good night’s sleep – the only function they provided at this point in my life I can assure you. I never washed my bed sheets in university, which seems absolutely disgusting now but at the time was totally fine. I assume that as with hangovers, personal hygiene was less of an issue back then.

It’s Never Occurred To Me To Buy A Bed

When do people actually buy beds? Presumably when they find themselves without one. Like when they buy a house or break their old one. I’m not sure. When I was faced with a bedless bedroom upon moving to the Netherlands in 2009, buying a bed didn’t even occur to me. “Who buys beds?”, I presumably declared at the time. I simply took to the streets to source my mattress and bed frame. The Dutch Gods were obviously in a generous mood that day because it only took an hour or so to find TWO mattresses that had been dumped on the streets of the neighbourhood. One of my first jobs in the NL was to deliver about 500 IKEA catalogues to far-flung districts of the Dutch town I’d decided to move to. From one day to the next, my apartment became an IKEA catalogue depot. There were plastic yellow boxes everywhere, the contents of which I was expected to distribute to my newly adopted compatriots.

Once I’d quickly disposed of the contents of these boxes in a local recycling bin (seriously, whoever expected me to deliver that stuff for peanuts must’ve spent too much time in the coffee shop), I returned to my apartment to repurpose the boxes as a bed frame. Can you picture it? Two single mattresses lying on top of several yellow boxes. My bed. I spent nearly two years sleeping on this street-mattress-box contraption. I shared it with a mouse for a while too. A humble time in my life, and one that my back emerged from miraculously intact.

Anyway, let’s move swiftly forward to the almost present day. Late last year, Eve asked me if I was interested in trying out one of their beds. I’d been quite happy with whatever I’d been sleeping on for the past four years in Berlin, but I thought “why not?”.

For The First Time In My Life – I’ve Got A New Bed!

How do I rate having a new bed? I’m not really at home with the relevant jargon, but needless to say, my Eve bed admirably performs its role of ‘bed’. I can say this much – I don’t do nearly as much tossing and turning in my sleep. For the purposes of this article, I’m attributing this entirely to the quality of my Eve product, and not to personal, financial or spiritual factors. The comfy headboard comes in handy when I’m YouTubing late at night, whilst the stylish grey frame certainly adds something to my bedroom.

Getting a good night’s sleep in Berlin is a tricky one. It’s a city with a reputation that’s built on its nightlife, and more often than not I’m sleep deprived. I can find hardly any justification for staying in when there’s so much going on, and I’m grateful to come home to the Eve mattress every night. The time I spend in bed might be limited, but it’s quality time. I love my Eve bed, and life’s all about spending quality time with your loved ones, right?!

Tired of feeling tired? Starting to crave a proper night’s sleep? Look no further…

Written in co-operation with Eve.