Sleeping Arrangements

When I met Someone, he had a queen size bed, which we’ve kept and have used ever since. He always sleeps on the right; I am on the left.  The nightstand is on my side as I like to read in bed, and he does not.  I also sleep on my left side while Someone sleeps on his right, so we never ‘see’ each other. Nor do we touch or hold each other. I hold onto a pillow, not unlike a child holding onto his teddy.

The bed sufficed until we got Harper. Now there are three of us. Harper has her own bed next to ours but she prefers sleeping with us rather than by herself. I am told dogs prefer ‘piles’ rather than solitary sleeping.

My hypothesis: Harper doesn’t see me as the other owner but sees me as the Other Dog. So Harper and I ‘fight’ for the left side of the bed. On the rare occasion Someone gets to bed before I do, Harper is in my space. Getting her to move is not easy. After she is pried off, she slowly squirms back while we are sleeping. I often wake up is an inverted “S” around her.  And if I get up she quickly ‘moves in’.  I sense she sees it as ‘first come first served’’

When I first met Someone I learned he is a ‘sofa sleeper’ viz. when he can’t sleep he goes there. The TV lulls him to sleep. I figured my arrival would alter her nocturnal whereabouts. This hasn’t changed in 14 years. We don’t have a TV in the bedroom, as TV does the opposite to me: it keeps me wide awake. Most nights Someone falls asleep on the couch while watching the boob-tube. He later wakes up and comes to bed. And, it is not uncommon for him to wake early (for he is a light sleeper) and go back to the couch. So most night I neither fall asleep or wake with him next to me. This feels like a sort of “Psyche and Eros” without the sleeping shenanigans. Worse luck.

Whenever either of us can not sleep there is always the guest room bed. It is my old twin brass bed. Sleeping in the guest room requires a night light for the west wing ghost will disturb my sleep without it. Normally I ignore him (I assume it is male) or tell him to knock it off but some nights he is too pesky to sleep there.

If it is warm enough, one can stretch out on the patio lounge chair.

Once in a blue moon I will nap in the ‘blue room’ which is the den/study.  Therein dwells a futon from my bachelor days. Napping is a rare luxury I would do more if I could get over the urge to get up for there is work to be done.