Until a few weeks ago, I still slept on the mattress I had in college. When I moved from the dorms to an apartment just before my senior year, I was finally able to persuade my parents to buy me an “adult” mattress. As in, one that was bigger than twins.
They bought me a dime, and less than a month after I got it, my college friend had already spilled at least a six-pack of beer on it and scorched it twice with this cigarette. When I complained to my parents they told me to turn it around and deal with it; that was the only mattress they would buy me in my life.
My mattress has seen a lot of action, not just in my single years, but luckily he’s lived in New Hampshire for a while, an even shorter time in Boston, and made his way to New York City, where he’s seen the insides of three several East Village apartments.
It’s also seen quite a bit of urine, thanks to my dog, Hubbell, who peed on the bed when he was nervous, meaning there was a fly or mosquito in the apartment every time, and even a run-in with bed bugs during the summer when it was seemed like half the city was infected. It has also comforted me through many breakups, the shingles, mono, and easily 1,000 hangovers.
When my mattress and I finally parted ways, it was stained, almost worn out, and had not one or two, but three mattress toppers, as a means of making it somewhat comfortable.
I was sad to see it go, but my husband, excited by the fact that he would be the only one sleeping in a new bed with me, was delighted to drag it down the five flights of stairs and put it on the curbside with a sign that read, “No bed bugs! I promise!”
Now it was time to fall in love with a new mattress, and after hearing such great things about this mattress from other friends who recently upgraded (and swore it was the best mattress for sexy times), I knew that this is what we wanted.
And in a queen size of course, because two adults shouldn’t be sleeping in a double bed, especially if one hates sharing a bed (that would be me!)
The day it arrived my life changed. I didn’t know a new mattress could have such an impact on my life, but I was wrong.
Here are 5 ways my mattress has changed my relationship:
1. I am well rested
When we first got the mattress we were a bit surprised. It will be delivered to your home in a box. Yes, a mattress in a box. Once you open it, it unravels before your very eyes. Even before we officially got it on the bed frame I threw myself on it and just lay there… where I promptly fell asleep because my husband wasn’t home and I really didn’t see the need to get up from where I was.
When he came back, he woke me up and we put the mattress on the frame… where we both repeated over and over, “OMG. OMG. This is the best bed in the world.” Admittedly, our last mattress was the pits, but after traveling quite a bit and trying hundreds of mattresses on those trips, it was definitely the best. This night owl has been in bed before midnight most nights since we got him, and that rest makes me less grumpy and hornier.
2. I want to have more sex
This applies to both my husband and me. Not only do we both want to have more sex, but we also want to do it more in bed. We used to feel that the sofa or the kitchen table would brighten things up, and it does! But who the hell needs a pick-me-up when there’s a magical wondrous land of comfort just a room away?
3. The sturdiness is great for awkward positions
For all its firmness, it’s also the right amount of squishy. While other mattresses don’t have the necessary material to hold you in place or even get you where you want to be in the first place, our new mattress is very welcoming and supportive, allowing us to experiment more in our sex positions. It gives the support a floor would combine with the comfort of a pillow – if that makes sense.
4. It’s a wonderful part of foreplay
I’m pretty sure I’ve made it very clear that my greatest love, apart from my dog, is food. I love it. And while I’m not one to eat in bed, our mattress and its firmness usually allow food to be consumed in bed without making a big mess. What do you want to do after having Chinese in bed while watching Netflix? Take a nap, and of course act silly. We’ve found our new mattress to be an integral part of our foreplay.
5. We can’t seem to figure it out
It’s true! And while that’s great on some days, especially the cold days ahead, it can be a real hassle on Mondays. But the bottom line is that we definitely spend more time in bed, and, let’s face it, the more time two people spend in bed, the more sex they’ll have. I’m pretty sure it’s a scientific fact.
Amanda Chatel is a writer who splits her time between NYC and Paris. She is a regular contributor to Bustle and Glamour, with bylines at Harper’s Bazaar, The Atlantic, Forbes, Livingly, Mic, The Bolde, Huffington Post, and others.
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