Merepeka Raukawa-Tait: Can't argue after sleeping on it

Some people can sleep anywhere. Photo / File

I can kip anywhere. Any bed with soft or hard mattress, on the couch, on the floor.

If I'm tired, that's it. Out the monkey. Unlike many of my friends who tell me they never sleep well in a strange bed. I guess for many it's in their own familiar bed and surroundings where they sleep soundly.

When I moved house before Christmas, my friend, Erana, took one look at my bed and suggested I get a new one. I couldn't see why. It's a standard double bed that I've had for at least 20 years. It's not showing its age, hasn't been exposed to too much activity, so I can't understand why Erana thinks I need a new one. I do agree though that all the new beds I see advertised for sale seem a lot larger than mine.

During my recent US trip, I stayed in four different hotels. The rooms all had twin queen-size beds except for the last one in Los Angeles. This bed was so big you could have fitted a whole rugby team including the referee and two linesmen in it. It was huge and dominated the entire room.

And what wonderful sleeps I had. It wasn't just that I had busy days and got back to the hotel tired. It was quality sleep that can only be put down to the quality beds. For all of them, you just about needed a step ladder to climb into bed.

You couldn't sit nicely on the bed and swing your legs up. It was a real climb, bum in the air job. Hardly ladylike. You couldn't sit comfortably on the bed and pull your socks and trainers on either. I had to get off the bed to do that. I have no idea how long a bed, more specifically a mattress lasts, but mine has obviously seen better days.

I can't compare the sleep experience in the US with what I have in my own bed. There is no comparison. So that's it, a new bed will be bought shortly. It does make me wonder though if the quality of sleep, or lack thereof, does impact on you, especially after many years.

My niece thinks it does. Well she would, wouldn't she. She's very much into looking after the body beautiful.

When I told her how well I slept on my trip, I got an earful about needing to ensure the body is always well rested. And how important it is that we invest in a good bed. And good sleep is critical to our overall health and well-being. I ended up wishing I hadn't mentioned the subject. She did go on. Told me we spend more on our car and house repairs than we ever do in keeping our bodies in good repair.

This must be a priority, she said.

Point taken, niece.

I think for the last five years of Theo's life, I started to change my sleeping habits.

I always had my ear half cocked, on alert.

If he woke, stirred or got out of bed, I was instantly awake.

Slept more in short shifts rather than six or seven hours of uninterrupted sleep.

It's true I can sleep anywhere, it's just that I now don't believe it was quality sleep I was getting.

I saw where Winston Peters recently said he gets by with as little as five hours sleep a night.

That's pretty much me too. I don't wake up tired but now I can make a comparison. And I can only put it down to the bed.

Sleep is important, we all know that.

Too little can leave you tired, irritable and not at your best. Too much probably has a down-side too.

My niece gave me a parting shot when she said: "Don't think about the cost of buying a new bed Aunty, think of the investment you are making in yourself."

Can't argue with that, although I did try at the time.

- Merepeka lives in Rotorua. She writes, speaks and broadcasts to thwart the spread of political correctness