As Ideal Home's Sleep Editor, you might think my house is kitted out with the best sleep setup going.
However, despite testing the best mattresses on the market for a living, the one thing I definitely haven't given enough attention to is the sleeping arrangements in my guest bedroom.
In my small home, that extra bedroom has to perform a lot of uses, from storage space to laundry drying area, and it also houses a single bed equipped with a mattress that has been passed from one relative to another as various family members moved house or downsized.
Most of the time, that bed has clean laundry piled on it waiting to be folded, so it doesn't really matter that the mattress has seen better days, but Christmas is coming, and overnight guests are on the horizon. This is what I'll be doing to make my guest bed more comfortable and improve my visitors' sleep.
1. Adding a mattress topper
Now, the main reason I haven't replaced this guest room mattress is that it's still in pretty good nick. It might be ten (possibly even fifteen!) years old now, but although experts say you should replace a mattress every seven years or so, because it doesn't get used much, it doesn't feel like it's quite reached the stage where I need to get rid of it.
However, it's a pocket spring mattress, and when you lie on it, a few springs are now slightly more prominent than they used to be.
Luckily, this can be easily solved with a mattress topper. The best mattress toppers can cost anywhere from £30 to £300, but I'll be opting for a relatively budget-friendly solution via the Panda Topper.
This is a 5cm deep memory foam topper that adds a decent layer of cushioning to a bed – certainly enough to mask those springs. And although I often find memory foam can trap the heat, this option features cooling micro gel capsules, which combat heat retention.
The bonus is I can also use this topper over my air bed when I go camping in the summer, so it will serve two purposes, which (to my mind, at least) makes it a better investment.
If I had a bigger budget, I'd opt for the all-natural Woolroom Deluxe Wool Mattress Topper. That's a wool-filled topper that adds cushioning and even better temperature regulation, but for now, the Panda Topper is more in line with my bank balance – especially pre-Christmas!
Even better, Panda Topper's memory foam topper is currently on sale, meaning I can save a little extra cash when I buy.
An even more affordable topper is this polyester Silentnight topper, although it doesn't add the same degree of cushioning as Panda's Topper.
Or, if you have more budget to play with, this topper is one of the best cooling mattress toppers going thanks to its breathable wool fill – perfect for hot sleepers.
2. Using an adjustable pillow
I'll also be letting my guests borrow my Simba Hybrid pillow for their stay. This is an adjustable pillow whereby you can add or remove memory foam 'nanocubes' from its interior to make the pillow the exact right height for your sleeping style.
This pillow isn't cheap, but it has been a big hit with my guests in the past, so if you regularly host, I think it's well worth the investment. After all, in my opinion, there's nothing worse than having to sleep on an unfamiliar pillow when you go stay somewhere overnight, and waking up with a cricked neck doesn't put anyone in a good mood.
Whether they're a side, back, or front sleeper, my guests can make this pillow the right fit for them, which hopefully means a better night's sleep.
3. Dressing the bed with festive bedding
And lastly, although I will definitely need to declutter my guest bedroom before anyone arrives, I'll be aiming to distract them from any remaining items I have to keep stored in their bedroom by dressing the bed in some festive bedding.
I actually don't usually like Christmas bedding, but this Habitat Robin Foliage Neutral Bedding Set is only £20 for a single, and I couldn't resist it. Plus, I think its design is more 'winter' than 'Santa', so I'll be able to keep it on the bed for longer than just the month of Christmas.
Hopefully, it will get my guests in the mood for the festivities, although I've also rounded up a few other options that have caught my eye below.
I think this M&S option gives a nod to the festivities without being too over the top. And its reversible design means I could use the striped side during the rest of the cold season.
Another Habitat buy, this red checked option says Christmas in an understated way, and it's another bedding set I'd be able to use all winter long.
I love Pottery Barn's more traditional Christmas bedding designs, and although it's an investment, I know I'd use this timeless winter snow scene duvet cover year after year.
Hopefully, all these amendments will ensure a successful hosting season and mean my past-its-best mattress gets full marks from my visitors.
And if all else fails, I'll just have to make sure their Baileys servings are especially generous so they're less likely to notice a few lumpy mattress springs!
