I Do Love You, My Soft, Sweet Bed

12 December 2011Taryn O

Brentwood life is hectic, from the moment we – the students – wake, to the moment we lay down our heads at night, we are busy. There are events and organized sports to attend, homework to do, and tests to study for. Yet I have found that many students, myself included, are not as preoccupied with the study for these tests as they should be, but we are, in fact, concerned about something much more important. Now, what could be more important than academics, you may ask? Sleep, of course.

For Grade 12 students, getting that extra bit of sleep can be easier: not having to get up to sign in at breakfast, and even a spare first block once a week: an extra hour of sleep? Yes please!

I am a self-professed sleep lover, and I have to admit that I have met many of my kind here at Brentwood. Perhaps it is just a common affliction among teenagers, a stage we shall eventually outgrow, but I question that; I believe that my love of sleep is much too deep to ever be broken, that it will not alter when it alteration finds.

For some it may be the allure of the bed itself which coaxes even the most proactive students to an afternoon nap, because what could be better than some warm blanket snuggles? For others, cuddling with stuffed animals is much preferred, and I’ve even heard Wendy C claim that Mr. Monkey (her rather large stuffy), is the love of her life.

The love of a bed can be made even larger by those extra touches of comfort: a pad of memory foam is a common love, as are pillows from home, which can be soft and squishy, or firm but bendable, whatever is necessary to fit the needs of the exhausted student.

Depending on the room in which one lives, you may find either separate beds, bunkbeds, or for those who really like their roommate: a superbed. Separate beds are the most common, giving each resident their own space in which to sleep. Some rooms come with bunkbeds – such as the grade nine dorms in Alex House – in which case each inhabitant really does have an area of their own, unless of course they are on the bottom bunk, with a roommate too lazy to climb “upstairs” for a nap. And then there are the superbeds, specially designed for Saturday night sleepovers. Two singles pushed together make one big cushy cot. This is definitely the best design when it comes to late night roommate talks.

As Brentwood life rushes on, occasionally students need some extra time to rest. The school does what it can, providing an extra sleep-in each Wednesday morning (along with delicious breakfast cakes), but still it’s sometimes not enough. For the growing bodies that occupy the rooms of the boarding houses, a normal amount of sleep may not be enough, but enforced bedtimes help to keep scholars well rested, and their beds properly appreciated. Perhaps our beds are simply Jedi masters, using the force to pull unaware students into their clutches, or maybe there are invisible lassos which slowly drag the Brentwood young into seas of blankets. Whatever the reason may be, sleep is a dominant force in the world of young adults, and even the best of us can’t resist the magnetic pull of our mattresses. Tayrn O

Where Students Choose To Be