Bed Time Bliss

Oh, the deep joy of the lie in. Wake up, think you've got to go to work, then a wave of pure happiness washes over you as you realise you can roll over and doze off again. You can indulge in a little concern about whether you should nip downstairs to put the kettle on and retreat back into duck-down heaven with a cup of tea. If you do, make sure the tea is just the right shade of brown, which is a little stronger than for the rest of the day. (It's helpful to have a bed time assistant who's good at taking instructions and can do this for you).

Bed-time happiness is down to the knack of buying the best bedding. You spend a lot of your life in bed, so don't be scared to indulge. When buying bedding, find the duvet and pillows that most closely resemble clouds. The bliss of your head sinking into your pillow as the edges come up and caress your face is worth every penny. Don't be alarmed by that off-putting over-tight packaging, it's fun to tear open the plastic and watch your pillow or duvet inflate out like a life-raft. The duvet should waft up when you snuggle in, but need batting down gently with an elbow to ensure uninterrupted air flow for breathing (this avoids those tiresome help-I'm-being-suffocated-by-a-monster dreams).

The mattress should make you feel like an astronaut floating in space, all your worries sinking into those handy pockets with the springs in (it's been proved in laboratories in America that they can't get back out again).

If you lie on your side to get to sleep, you should choose your wallpaper with care, as you need something relaxing to look at. Children have novelty wallpaper with teddy bears and cartoon characters on it. Perhaps adults should have wallpaper with old masters on it, Leonardo Da Vinci would be delighted to know he could have a job anytime with B&Q, turning the Mona Lisa into a printed motif for 'finest' wall coverings. It would make decorating fun too, can you get the two halves of that smile lined up properly, or will she forever look like she has forgotten something at the shops and is chewing her lip? Regular patterned wallpaper should be avoided - it's annoying when you're going to sleep as you can't help but make geometric shapes by mentally joining up the flowers/blobs etc. That's too stimulating for bed time (and I'm sure you'll agree, the last thing any of us need at bed-time is over-stimulation).



Don't be disheartened, I don't always look this good in the mornings, I'd had time to do my make-up before the photo was taken.