I’ve been letting my adorable dog sleep in my bed for several months now.  It might be more like a year.  Sometimes I worry about how much time he spends home alone, and adding a few hours of time together (even if we’re both asleep) makes me feel better about that.  It’s nice for the most part.  He’s cuddly and warm.  Then there are the nights when Peanut gets sick on the bedspread or when he can’t settle down and tramples on my back all through the night.

On Sunday, I got home from the wedding trip (post to come as soon as I have a few pictures) and remembered that Peanut had vomited all over my bedspread and blanket right before the trip.  Bedding was still in the washer, and it was way too cold to sleep with just a sheet, so I slept in another bed downstairs.  There are definite advantages to having a few extra beds around.

This other bed is taller, which means it’s the only soft horizontal surface in the house that Peanut can’t reach.  That, in turn, means that the prettiest bedding in the house lives on that bed.  It’s soft and just the right weight and off-white.  The newest mattress in the house is also on that bed.  It’s pretty awesome.

After waking up in a state of comfortable bliss on a Monday morning that should have been terrible, I’ve started to wonder about my sleeping arrangement choices.  I opted for the upstairs room because I like the wall color, it’s warmer in winter, the closet is bigger, and sleeping on a low bed means I can hang out more with my dog.  But the downstairs bed is really just more comfortable.  Now the question is, how much do I value a few hours next to my dog versus a truly good night’s sleep?  Hmm.  The answer seems simple, but you’re underestimating the power of the sad eyes.

Last night, for example, I fully intended to sleep in the awesome downstairs bed again.  After an evening full of activity, I settled in to watch a half hour of TV.  I love my DVR.  Twenty minutes in, Peanut curled up in a little ball right in front of me on the couch.  I looked down at those sad, sleepy puppy eyes and decided to sleep for a while on the couch and move upstairs later.  Then I woke up on the couch at 6:30 in the morning.  Oops.

So yeah, the answer to the “which bed” question isn’t as simple as it seems.  I’ll probably end up living upstairs again after a few guilty nights with the new mattress and the down comforter.  Sigh.