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Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Finding Sleep with a Fan

    In most relationships, each of the partners has certain preferences that are oftentimes non-negotiable.   Usually these are in regard to big issues like where they prefer to live or how many children they want to have.  But sometimes they are in regard to much smaller issues.   

Jason has one of these non-negotiables.  He has a habit of sleeping with the fan on.  In fact, he cannot sleep without one.  When we first met, I tried many times to convince him that the fan wasn't necessary.  I would burrow deep down under the covers because I was freezing, but he insisted he just couldn't sleep without a fan blowing directly on him when he slept.

I used to think he was lying, but then I tried to test his story by shutting off the fan in the middle of the night.  It's like setting off a smoke detector; he wakes up immediately.

As you can imagine, this whole fan business poses a bit of a problem when we travel.  No matter where we stay, Jason either requests a fan, or packs it in his suitcase.  In the rare instance that he forgets to plan ahead to make sure he'll have a fan at our destination, there are many sleepless nights for Jason.

When we go camping, Jason packs a small fan with batteries for the tent.  Yes, we have a fan in our tent.  Otherwise, my husband wouldn't sleep. 

This little habit has also rubbed off on Imani.  She too has found the comfort of sleep in a fan.

You're probably wondering what all of this has to do with decorating.


Because the fan is a permanent fixture beside my bed and this:





IS UGLY.


One of my non-negotiables is I refuse to have a ceiling fan in my home.  For all you ceiling fan lovers out there, please take no offense.  To each his own, but I just think ceiling fans are unsightly. 

I was thrilled when I was reading one of Layla's old posts from The Lettered Cottage and she had this to say about ceiling fans,

"I mean, really, who wants a four foot by four foot appliance that's shaped like a gigantic spider hanging from the ceiling? It looks like a helicopter crashed into the roof of our house!  I am ripping down every one by the time I'm done here.   Mark my words, it won't be long before someone finds another, less bulky way to circulate the air in our rooms, and then we'll all look back and go, 'Gosh, remember when we all had those HUGE PROPELLERS hanging down in the middle of the room!?'"


I couldn't have said it any better.  And so, because of my unwillingness to have a ceiling fan and Jason's inability to sleep without a fan, the fan must remain next to my bed.

A few years ago I found this stylish fan at TJ Maxx but the problem is I've come to hate it. 






It's just not my style.  Not only is it a little too Victorian for my taste, but it towers over my bed on a nightstand and just looks too big for the space.

So I've been on a mission to find a new fan -- something with character that will enhance the space in my bedroom rather than detract from it.  I wanted something with a vintage look, so I found this fan






but not only is it a little too worn for me, but Jason and I both question its safety.  Afterall, the thing looks ancient and who knows how old the wiring is.


So the mission for the perfect fan continues. 

Oh and just to let you know, I was traveling for work a few months ago and was alone in my hotel room and couldn't sleep.  I couldn't figure out why. 

Then I realized, I missed the slight breeze and soft humming sound.
 


13 comments:

  1. That was very funny! Good luck with the search for the perfect fan. You got the perfect man right, so how hard can it be?? I'm sure you'll find it somewhere, somehow, someday! Until then looks like you're stuck with FanUgly!

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  2. So glad we could reconnect today! Thanks for following...I am now following you as well. :)
    I am the fan lover in our household. My husband hates it and tries to turn it off at night and I wake up and turn it back on. If you find something, let me know...I could use a more decorative fan as well!

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  3. Good luck with your hunt! Cute post.

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  4. You have to check out LampsPlus.com for some very unique and fascinating fans. There is even one shaped like an owl and a dog! A little pricey, though. Aunt El

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  5. My husband has to have "white noise" when he sleeps. We just took down the ceiling fan in our bedroom, so now we use a humidifier at night for noise. So weird! Good luck on finding the perfect fan!

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  6. Oh, I hate our ceiling fans, but I get WAY too hot, esp. at night to part with ours. Since having our triplets, my temp gage is either freezing or sweating, so there is nothing like reaching for that remote and cranking up some breeze in the middle of the night. I will also rejoice the day when a better looking option is out there, but I'll take that propeller over the alternatives until one is found.

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  7. My sister is the exact same way... funny enough, her husband is too ( now that is LOL)

    I wish there were some better looking alternatives too... maybe some creative mom will start a new company?

    Have a great week!

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  8. Fans. I'm with you and Layla. They're huge dust collectors. Because our house was built in 1880 and never updated with central air, each room had a fan. Granted they were the more expensive and elegant ones, but as we add our own touches and make our way through the house, they are each being removed. I prefer circulation the simple way - open a window!

    Deborah

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  9. I'm with Krista. They are ugly, they do get dirty but my husband and I always sleep with the fan on. Even in the winter we have it on high. Sometimes even with one of the windows open. We keep our vents closed in the winter too! Who likes to sleep in a stifling room? This is comfort over design.

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  10. Thanks for leaving a post on my blog so I could find yours. I love that last fan. It looks really vintage and cool. It could easily be rewired if you are worried about the safety. It could also be painted!

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  11. did I write this?? I worked night shift for years and slept with a fan on now I cannot sleep without one like your husband!! I also have my husband addicted as well...when we travel I pack a small fan in my suitcase and if I forget sometimes the solution is turning on the bathroom ceiling fan and leaving the door open in your hotel room LOL. We don't tend camp but I do have a fan in our trailor and it sits right next me as I sleep. My husband says I am ruining my kids too, cause they now both sleep with fans on in there rooms...I too, looked at one of those darling vintage fans just a few weeks ago but was afraid my kids would stick a finger in it and with those metal blades was afraid of injury.

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  12. This is first time that i have read about someone that has my addition to a fan to sleep. I am 60 yrs old and have always done this; my dad had to go to bed early because he had to get up very early; he used the fan to block out noise from 3 children; so i guess that is how i got used to it. My husband hates it and i stopped for a while and i was miserable and now have it back on. So i understand this. veronica

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  13. There is a new product coming on the market for just this problem. This fan is actually MADE for helping people sleep, and it's really pretty. It's also made to have adjustable air and sound (for people who don't need the fan, but their spouse does). It's called a SleepFan. Check it out.

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Thank you so much for taking the time to visit and comment! I truly appreciate your feedback.

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