Hosting Holiday Guests: How Everyone Can Get Proper Sleep

The many demands of the holidays can bring on some serious stress. Along with the obvious pleasure of having visitors, comes the challenge of ensuring all your guests are comfortable and happy.

To guarantee that your holiday is not spent chasing your tail and tending to their every need, here are some workable tips to get your home guest-ready. With a bit of planning, you can enjoy the festivities without being run off your feet. You’ll find these quick tips easy enough to tackle before everyone arrives, and your guests will appreciate that you went out of your way to make their stay special.

Be a good host: Act like a guest

Try spending the night in your guest room. It’s the best way to identify any shortcomings of the space that could use some attention. You might not realize that the sheets are scratchy, the pillow is lumpy and that old alarm clock has an irritating, low-level humming noise until you actually try sleeping in that environment yourself.

Cover all the essentials

One vital part of getting quality sleep is the bed. So start there when outfitting your guest room:

• Lay out an extra blanket after you freshened it up with a fine mist of linen spray or placed it in the dryer on fluff cycle for a few minutes
• Go the extra mile by making the bed with several pillows of varying firmness
• How old is that mattress in the guest room again? If it’s at least 7 years old, it may be time to update it. Why not take a look at one that cleans itself to make your life infinitely easier – the WHISPER mattress
• Take a good look at the window dressing in your guest room too. Blackout drapes keep the room dark and more conducive for sound sleeping. Insulated curtains cut down on any nasty drafts common at this time of year
• Clean, comfortable sheets are a must

Add a few creature comforts

Your guests will come with baggage. Clear some closet space or empty a drawer in the guest bedroom if you can. If that’s not feasible, put a luggage stand or garment rack in the room. It’s a small touch that makes a big difference.

In a dream world, electronics would stay out of the bedroom to prevent blue light brain stimulation, but your guests will most likely end up taking their smartphones and tablets to the bed with them. Place a power strip on the night stand to put a charging station within easy reach. Write down your Wi-Fi password on a card as well. No one will have to feel like they’re bothering you to ask for it.

Admit it

You sometimes stub your toe on the way to the kitchen or bathroom at night. Imagine having to navigate a dark and unfamiliar home. Spare your guests the hassle and the dangers. Put a few bottles of water in the guest room the day your guests arrive. And to make those inevitable trips to the bathroom easier, install a nightlight with a yellow- or orange-hued lightbulb that illuminates the path without a jarring blast of bright light.

Be attentive to their schedule, especially if they are sleeping in the living room.

Remember that the common area is their bedroom; be sure they aren’t struggling to stay awake while waiting for everyone to clear out so they can go to sleep. Be considerate of their privacy, schedule, and space, even if that means having to turn in early because they are ready for bed.

Put some bedroom-like touches in your living room. Making a living area into a guest room can be tricky, but think of the few things that make a bedroom convenient and cozy, a lamp next to the sleeping area, a place to plug in cell phones and laptops, and a set of extra pillows, towels, and quilts close at hand.

Let some things go

Let the house get messy, be okay with losing a little bit of privacy (and possibly sleep), put some of your daily routines on the back burner while guests are there. Trying to keep everything going as normal while trying to entertain guests can be very frustrating, so keep the things that keep you sane (your morning run, for example) and let everything else go temporarily. Focus on enjoying your time with guests and ensuring they are comfortable, and everybody wins.

No guest bedroom? More than one guest?

You may not have the luxury of having a dedicated guest bedroom for everyone who will spend the night. So you’ll have to be a bit more creative to ensure everyone can get some rest.

If you’re feeling generous, give up your bedroom to your guest and you take the sofa. You probably fall asleep watching tv shows out there a lot already.

Set up a temporary bedroom using an airbed or feather bed that is easily stored when not in use. You may even have room for an extra WHISPER mattress under your bed that you can slide out when company comes. All these options benefit from the addition of a mattress topper.

It’s the thought that counts

Keep in mind that there is no such thing as a perfect holiday. There’s no such thing as a perfect host, either. Focus on enjoying the extended time you get to share with family and friends when they spend the night. Regardless of how well everyone sleeps, your guests will be grateful that you went out of your way to open your home for the holidays.

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