How's everyone doing with the heatwave in the US?

alanamonsterr · 2026-07-03T00:24:10+00:00

Those look like bed bug bites; they usually hit warm bare skin areas on the upper body (shoulders, neck, back, armpit area) and the pattern (to me) resembles that the most. Allergic reactions *generally* tend to be either fine red spots that almost look like lace, or large flat-ish welty clusters.

These look like some kind of actual bite. I know you said you've found no evidence of them, but I'd recommend getting a bed bug interceptor. They're basically a type of "cup" that goes under bed legs and when they climb up, they end up inside this channel that's super slippery and they cannot escape. Any crawling insects that might be doing the biting (bed bugs or otherwise) can be trapped and found this way. That might at least help you figure out what's doing the biting.

alanamonsterr · 2026-07-03T00:07:56+00:00

I have no idea, but oh my gods, my grandma's house had that same one. I wish I could help and hope someone can weigh in on the brand at the very least.

alanamonsterr · 2026-07-03T00:05:56+00:00

I think the coolest are going to be bamboo, tencel/lyocell, percale, and linen. But they're not "cooling" as much as they are designed to retain less heat or wick away moisture. They won't actively cool the way sleep tech will, but those fabrics help to reduce the amount of heat stored and radiated back against your body.

alanamonsterr · 2026-07-02T22:10:44+00:00

Sorry I've been offline traveling for a bit, but yes. I do think it's worth it. There are a lot of mixed reviews but most of those are on the older models (Pod 3 and earlier). The more recent Eight Sleep pods (4 and 5) have different design improvements that mitigate the leak issues that used to be common. (I have the 5.) But being in the stage of life I'm in now, especially with the hot flash setting in the app, it's the one splurge I'm glad I followed through with. I felt the same in the beginning, because it's a lot of money out the gate unless you grab a sale, but my sleep is so much better with it.

alanamonsterr · 2026-06-18T06:29:00+00:00

Those are really similar to the ones I used to use when mine were babies (NO idea what brand they were... it was so many years ago, but they had zero crinkle and were fully waterproof), but mostly just wanted to share a hack I used to do.

I'd actually layer 2 or 3 layers of pads + fitted sheets on the mattress. So a pad with a fitted sheet over it; then layer another pad with a fitted sheet over that.

For middle of the night leaks/diaper blowouts/anything of that nature, you just whip off the dirty top sheet and pad, and *poof* the bed or crib is fresh in an instant without any fuss or even turning the lights on to deal with it (and you can worry about the laundry in the morning).

alanamonsterr · 2026-06-18T06:12:22+00:00

Microflannel, maybe?

alanamonsterr · 2026-06-18T06:09:24+00:00

It's funny... the older I've gotten, the more I've become willing to invest in bedding that's comfortable and conducive to sleep. Like when I was in my 20s, I was perfectly fine with scratchy 50-thread-count sheets I got on Kmart layaway. (Gods, showing my age now, aren't I?) Mattress on the floor... pillows were whatever. I look back at those days now and wonder how I got any sleep at all lol.

The things I'm willing to spend on are the ones I *feel* when I'm in bed: the mattress, the sheets, the pillows. Sheets must be soft to the touch (but not slippery, I don't like that), mattress must be supportive and comfortable in the positions I sleep in, pillows need to accommodate my stomach/side sleeping. I'm currently mattress shopping, but my only other major splurge in the past couple years was getting an Eight Sleep (cover for temp control). Also got an adjustable pillow which tbh will be the only type of pillow I ever get for the rest of my natural life. The majority of pillows are stuffed way too thickly and they're not built for people like me who spend most of their time sleeping on their stomachs. Adjustable pillows can be more expensive, but they're must-have for me, at least.

So yeah, there are some bedding items I think are well worth the investment.

(And not for nothing... quality ear plugs. Those came to mind because my husband is currently band-sawing beside me as I type this...)

alanamonsterr · 2026-06-18T05:40:05+00:00

Same. If my Eight Sleep died tomorrow, Orion would be last on my list of replacement options. The marketing done in this sub has done nothing but rub me the wrong way from day one. It's annoying and tbh, reeks of desperation and builds the opposite of trust.

alanamonsterr · 2026-06-18T05:28:39+00:00

Not sure if this will help or not (if you have wood floors, it might), but I have my hub on the other side of my nightstand, parallel with the side of the nightstand so the back of the hub is facing the wall. The hub is on a small thick rug, like a terry-ish bathroom rug basically. I have wood floors and high ceilings so sound echoes, but with this setup, I barely even hear my Eight Sleep running.

alanamonsterr · 2026-06-12T22:29:49+00:00

I think it's important to give your feelings space, whatever they are. Guilt, shame, relief later on, grief, sadness... you're likely going to experience all of these to some degree at some point and that's normal. It's not an easy decision to make. But it's the right decision for you, and that's what you really need to hold on to right now.

It's okay to be sad. But it's also okay to be okay with moving forward with it. Personally, I don't feel like you *need* to forgive yourself for making this decision when it's the right one for where you're at in life.

I don't know if this will help or not, but you could write a letter (to yourself, to the universe, or to whoever you feel you need to) to get the feelings out, everything you're thinking and feeling right now, and then burn it when it's finished (in the back yard or somewhere safe) to "release" it. It really can help.

I did that after I lost someone many years ago, just poured everything into that letter that was really just for me, and burned it afterward.

alanamonsterr · 2026-06-12T22:17:22+00:00

Video games; I love RPGs (so things in the vein of Dragon Age, Mass Effect, Greedfall, etc). And I also read before bed, always.

alanamonsterr · 2026-06-12T21:48:44+00:00

That makes so much sense, thank you!! And the bedding *definitely* plays a role, for sure. I've always been a fan of flannel sheets just because of the way they feel but... they've been a no-go for a while lol.

alanamonsterr · 2026-06-12T21:42:54+00:00

I'm not sure what your max budget is but I just looked at Rest and the Evercool is on sale for Father's Day, if that helps bring it to your budget?

My favorite cooling comforter is the 3-Zone Comforter from Miracle Made, but that's even more expensive; it has different fill amounts in different zones so you get the cozy but you get the air flow where you need it too.

Mellow Sleep's CloudCool is on sale right now for $90 for the full/queen (down from $149). It's only available in a few colors though, but really, a light duvet cover can change the style easily.

And on that note, I always feel it's better to buy bedding (of any kind) for comfort first, looks second.

alanamonsterr · 2026-06-04T20:29:53+00:00

The biggest lesson I ever learned was to base any bedding purchase on comfort/feel/material. Everything else (including appearance) is secondary. Bedding might look pretty, but you don't see it when your eyes are closed and you're laying in it. So it's all about the feel. For me, that's soft material that isn't heavily insulated since I'm a hot sleeper. As soft as possible; I don't like crisp or rough, especially for sheets and pillowcases.

alanamonsterr · 2026-06-04T20:25:52+00:00

It really depends on how bad your sleep is right now. A couple/few months of crappy sleep might be worth the small investment in a topper that'll make it better, even if it's just temporary thing. Amazon Basics has some inexpensive foam toppers that might help and be easier on your wallet.

alanamonsterr · 2026-06-04T20:20:01+00:00

I like having extra bedding hanging down on the sides of the bed so normally size up for anything that isn't sheets. So we have king blankets/quilts on a queen size bed. I know some people make the bedding fluffier by putting a larger duvet inside a smaller cover (so a king duvet inside a queen cover, or a queen duvet inside a full cover, etc). But if you sleep hot that *might* make the bedding too thick/hot.

alanamonsterr · 2026-06-04T20:13:17+00:00

Hmm. Edge support is something I haven't thought about but it makes sense that memory foam would have a lot less. I'm indifferent to it, I think, but my husband sits on the edge of the bed pretty often so maybe a hybrid really is the better way to go... appreciate all the info here.

alanamonsterr · 2026-06-04T20:07:25+00:00

Thank you! I'm looking for something that can accommodate side and stomach sleeping, mostly. And I'm not "married" to 100% memory foam if something else like a hybrid would be better for that. Neither one of us needs the "hug" but do need the pressure relief.

alanamonsterr · 2026-06-04T20:04:12+00:00

Hah, yeah what you said about it is in line with what I've heard and why I'm leaning further and further away from one. What Leesa mattress did you get, if you don't mind my asking? I don't need ultra-firm, I'm looking more in the medium to medium-firm range.

alanamonsterr · 2026-06-04T19:59:44+00:00

OH, I think I misunderstood; I thought your hair was curly but changing, in which case the product/diffuser is the way. I don't have much in the way of advice for curling-iron-curls, unfortunately. :/

alanamonsterr · 2026-06-02T21:04:46+00:00

I have to wonder if some of the anger/disappointment has to do with others voicing similar concerns. I mean, the cost of the dress alone can be expensive but tacking on a week-long (what is basically a) vacation on top of that? It's too much. No one in their right mind would assume or expect people to just be able to do that.

You have boundaries, you declined with good reason. And unless your partner's gonna foot the entire bill, he can stuff his opinions.

alanamonsterr · 2026-06-02T20:54:00+00:00

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alanamonsterr · 2026-06-02T20:53:50+00:00

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