Everyone's sleeping over! Help!

It might be over the holidays, or for a special family gathering. Your nearest and dearest all descend on you. Overnight, your home becomes a makeshift lodge. It’s a bustle around every corner. It’s so exciting to have everyone together. And so overwhelming.

You want things to be easy going without “slumming” it. It’s just for a week or so, or perhaps a few days. Everyone will just, you know, get along. But there really are practicalities to consider and plan for. Sleeping arrangements, however informal, can be the make-or-break of a memorable time together. Consider this for starters:

• Be realistic about the additional sleeping space you have available.
• Accommodate everyone as comfortably as possible.
• Besides the beds you already have, how many more mattresses would you need to fit in?
• Consider your available ablution facilities. A ratio of 4 people to one bathroom is doable. Bathrooms also likely double up as changing rooms.
• Give proper thought to the different needs of seniors, adults, couples and kids

It’s unlikely you will offer up your home for a big sleepover if you really don’t have the space to sleep everyone comfortably. But there are ways to switch things around depending on who’s coming to stay:

• Convert a larger, main room for sleeping. With a couple of sleeper couches in a lounge, TV or activities room, your visitors have a ready and dedicated sleep space.
• Use additional bedroom floor space to accommodate an extra mattress or two. Ideally, mattresses should be seal-wrapped and packed flat when not being used. If you don’t have a storeroom, adapt the rafters in your garage to store your spare mattresses.

If there are several youngsters joining, consider renting an outsized tent for an exciting, garden sleepout. Leave the kids to their own mayhem. It could also double-up as a nifty outdoor, covered dining area. Enjoy rowdy mealtimes around one, long, extended table. That way you could also free up more sleeping space inside your home.

Everyone will have their own sleep routine. Even adults must agree on and observe "lights out" and quiet time. Of course, there’s always someone who wants to get up during the night. Have torches or battery lamps readily available so no lights are switched on. They’re also handy during load shedding.

Browse through www.dialabed.co.za and take a look through the options that might work for your available sleeping space and needs. Find a few extra single mattresses, or a sleeper couch or two that can be cleverly, and comfortably, used to accommodate your visitors. You’ll find just what you need to suit a realistic budget.