You would think when you pay $100 to $200 a night for a hotel room, you will get a nice comfortable bed with nice fluffy pillows. The type of bed that will allow you to dream the night away and awake with bluebirds singing all around you, just like in the commercials. Unfortunately I found out the hard way, that may not be the case. On a recent trip to a very nice hotel, the bed they furnished was so hard, I actually considered sleeping on the floor instead. I even went so far as placing the cushions from the couch under me, but they kept sliding out from underneath me. I would have just slept on the couch, except it was too short. I didn’t even know they made beds this hard. And to make matters even worse, the pillows were just as bad. I literally spent the entire night trying to get comfortable. Or at least trying to get tired enough that I would just fall asleep anyway. Even though I was plenty tired, the bed and pillows were so uncomfortable, that I spent the whole night awake and did not get one ounce of sleep. When I came home I was talking to a friend who rarely travels and she said "I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU MEAN!" Apparently she had taken a trip to a casino hotel recently and experienced the same thing. Except she and her husband decided to leave at 4:00 am in the morning after coming to the conclusion that they would never get to sleep anyway.

So here’s a travel tip. If you are going on a road trip, bring an inflatable mattress and your own pillow from home. If you are going by way of plane, then be prepared to buy a portable mattress and pillow at a local store. I know it seems like a crazy idea, but you’ll thank yourself for spending the extra $30 if you’re ever in a position like I was. Even days later I am feeling the effects of no sleep that night. Quite frankly, it ruined what would have been a very pleasant trip otherwise. I should know better by now, but now I’m making it a rule. Without a good nights sleep, the next day was just short of unbearable. If you’re planning on staying at a motel / hotel for more than a day, judge your sleeping by the first day. If it was bad, do yourself a favor and spend the extra money for an inflatable mattress and pillow. cYou will be glad you did the next day.