I WOKE UP LIKE THIS


Welcome to ‘I woke up like this’, a photography series. 

This project was started on a cold, rainy Sunday with the intent to capture people in a place that is normally off limits to those who aren’t your closest friends or family. 

Our bedrooms play such varied roles based on our living circumstances from being in a shared house, living with your partner to living alone. It’s an intimate space. It’s where we are our most vulnerable, where we hide from the world and recharge, where we dream, eat, Netflix and ‘chill’. 

It’s a place to shut out the rest of the world, or to scroll miles with our thumbs through social media before we go to sleep and as soon as we wake up. Our habits also speak volumes on who we are and all of our unique and defining quirks.

My bed and my space is a curated comfort cuddle puddle, and I love it. This side passion project is super fun to create and I work on it whenever I can find some spare time. 


* Nudity warning 
** If you’re interested in being involved in this project, I would love to hear from you. 


nizar

What side of the bed do you sleep on? 

I usually sleep on the right side of the bed

What’s your weirdest habits in bed?

All cupboards, drawers and curtains need to be shut for sure and i need at least 2 pillows if not 3

Morning or night person? 

I’m more of a morning person I would say, I go to bed on weekdays around 9/9:30 as I wake up very early in the morning between 5:30 and 6am

If you could invite 5 people to sit on your bed (dead or alive) who would they be?

My bed doesn’t handle 5 people lol but I def wouldn’t mind James Franco on my bed

What do you wear to bed?

On cold days I wear pjs on hot days I sleep in my underwear or no wear 

Favorite music to listen to in bed? 

I like listening to some jazz and classical music in the morning.

Fav sleeping position?

I can only fall asleep on my right side.


yoann



What side of the bed do you sleep on? 

I sleep bam smack in the middle of the bed if I’m riding solo, but if the man of my dreams is by my side, I like to be closest to the window for maximum oxygen 

What’s your weirdest habits in bed?

I prefer my feet not to be touching each other, so sheets are normally wrapped around one leg. I also like to count down from 10 if i cant sleep.

Morning or night person? 

Very much both, during the work week I’m up at 5am so in bed early, by say 9 but if i have a day off I’m a late sleeper on both ends.

If you could invite 5 people to sit on your bed (dead or alive) who would they be?

  • “The man of my dreams” who’s been away for 3 months.
  • perfume genius and his boyfriend.
  • Anohni
  • Highschool crush

What do you wear to bed?

Mostly nudey or some long johns if its cold.

What keeps you up at night?

My train of thought

Fav sleeping position?

Big spoon

Morning routine?

My morning routine starts at 5am with a joint in bed as i check the weather and visualise my look for the day. Then coconut oil for my hair and moisturiser for my face






leah

What side of the bed do you sleep on? 

When I’m away I stay furthest from the door because I’m a wimp and assume this will give me extra time to escape baddies. At home I move around a lot so its just wherever I land. 

What’s your weirdest habits in bed?

 I watch reality shows on my iPad and eat fruit, I need all the cupboards shut to sleep easy, no lights (cant handle a clock, or ambient glow from any devices) but I do burn a candle sometimes because I love sandlewood, have to have moisturised feet and hands, nothing too crazy (I dont think!). Probably the fruit is the weirdest, I’m a real fruit bat.When Gary (cat) is home we have the routine that he taps on my bedroom door when its time for me to get up for work. I like it because I don’t need the alarm set - he knows the exact minute I should be awake!!

Morning or night person? 

 Night, mornings are the worst. I’m all over the place though, sometimes I’mm up until 1, others I’m in bed at 930. Go figure. I don’t get up until I have to. 

If you could invite 5 people to sit on your bed (dead or alive) who would they be?

Probably Elvis. I love his movies! Not bothered to have anyone else - I love my own company. 

What do you wear to bed?

 Love me a silky camisole, jocks and a tshirt or just a sports bra. In the winter I often wear a hoodie, if I have training in the morning I sometimes wear my sports gear to bed so i can sleep to the last possible second. 

What keeps you up at night?

NOTHING. Sleep is king.  Actually, caffeine can be a bastard but I love it. And I don’t do jetlag well at all. But my thoughts never keep me awake!

Fav sleeping position?

Side, curled up hugging a pillow - but I’m trying to get into sleeping on my back. I always have mountains of pillows around me or a heavy blanket - I like feeling the weight of them. In the summer i always have to have a sheet regardless of how hot it is, but I just keep my legs hanging out the side of the bed to stay cool.

Fav music to listen to in bed?

 If I want to sleep I put on Mozart - for some reason it gets me dead to the world. Otherwise Odette, Powderfinger, Kingswood, Maggie Rogers and Lorde are all on high rotation. 

Do you spring out of bed or do you hit the snooze button?

 I set two or three alarms and i snooze them all… I need an army to get me up. Every day I outweigh whether its reasonable to quit my job in order to stay in just five more minutes…

Do you have a fav pillow/ blanket/sheet?

No, but I can’t handle not having a top sheet… who sleeps just with a doona cover!? Crazy. I’m also a sucker for a silk pillowcase. Once you get through the initial icy chill of that sucker it is the BEST. 

Any other random thoughts?

No, other than when I’m travelling I dream about my own bed, I just love it, I can spend all my free time there. I love being away but this home bird always is happiest back in my little nest! 


tommy


What side of the bed do you sleep on? 

Diagonally if I can. Otherwise on the left

Morning or night person? 

Both. I only need 6 hrs sleep so I tend to go to bed around 11ish and up at 530

What do you wear to bed? 

Usually nothing

What keeps you up at night?

Usually work. Sometimes music

 Fav sleeping position? 

Reverse pharoah

Fav music to listen to in bed? 

My sleep machine sounds of nature

Do you have a fav pillow/blanket/sheet? 

 I have a blanket with a horse on it I’ve had since I was about 7. It’s awesome



What side of the bed do you sleep on?
 

The left! The side closest to my iPhone ha ha

What’s your weirdest habit in bed? 

I always have to have at least a toe tucked in even if it’s a boiling hot night and I’m sleeping with no blankets on. I also can’t sleep if I don’t have a bottle of water next to my bed because I know I’ll wake up in the middle of the night super thirsty and it’s a long way down the stairs at 3 am!

Morning or night person? 

Moderate evening person ha ha…I’m not really a night owl or an early riser. I’m normally in bed by 10.30pm, read for 30 mins or so and out by 11-11.30. I definitely need at least 8 hours sleep so I try to wake up around 7-7.30am.

If you could invite 5 people to sit on your bed (dead or alive) who would they be? 

Keith Haring, Carl Sagan, The Buddha, Jim Morrison, Anaïs Nin.

What keeps you up at night? 

Art ideas I’m excited about (I normally have to get up and sketch them so I can get to sleep) or the usual existential crises that always seem to hit us around 11.30pm on a Sunday night. 

Favourite music to listen to in bed?

Classical, Jazz or early 60’s music like The Doors, Led Zeppelin, Beatles. I like listening to really beautiful soul moving music in bed to you can lie there staring at the ceiling pondering life. 

Do you spring out of bed or do you hit the snooze button? 

So much snooze, then Instagram scrolling, then procrastination, then staring out the window. Can take a good 30 minutes to get moving something. It’s a bad habit I’m trying to work on!



What is your weirdest habit in bed?

Jess - I always have to have something between my legs when I sleep - like a sheet or pillow! I also sleep talk A LOT, especially after scary movies! 

Tristan - I tape my mouth shut at night

Morning or night person? 

Jess - Morning for sure, I’m usually passed out by 9-930 and up around 6 ready to take on the day! Tristian - Same as Jess asleep by 9:30 up qt 6

If you could invite 5 people to sit on your bed (dead or alive) who would they be?

Jess - Channing Tatum (obviously just to look at), Barack Obama, Duane Johnson (also to look at), Beyonce and Paul Rudd

Tristian - Sam Yong, James Dewing, Jason Parker, Michael Duncan, Nicole Evans

What keeps you up at night?

Tristian - Eating too much for dinner

Jess - Trissy’s snoring 

Favourite sleeping position?

Tristian - Sleeping on my left side
Jess - Big spooning Tris or starfish on my back

Favourite music to listen to in bed?

Tristian - I listen to binaural beats as I fall asleep (this is like white noise at a particular frequency designed to lull your brain into dec sleep brain waves)
Jess - The only thing I listen to in bed is raining nature sounds from an app because it’s so calming

Do you spring out of bed or do you hit the snooze button?

Tristian - I like to lie around for a solid half an hour before I roll out of bed
Jess - Spring out of bed for sure! 

Any other random thoughts?

Jess - Tris usually sleeps nakey but was too scared to show his cute lil booty on screen hahaha



What is your weirdest habits in bed?

My weirdest habit in bed is that I cannot deal with the blanket being on upside own or the wrong way up. 

Morning or night person? 

I’m a night person. Sometimes I wake up angry! I generally go to sleep around 11 and wake up at 8, if I don’t have work. 

If you could invite 5 people to sit on your bed (dead or alive) who would they be? 

Keanu Reeves - Nai Palm (from Hiyatus Koyote) - Deborah King (Shaman master) - A non-hostile alien - my boyfriend

What do you wear to bed? 

Undies. Sometimes a t-shirt, sometimes just nakey 

What keeps you up at night? 

Past or future social interactions keep me up at night. Often the few nights before one of my exhibitions I find it hard to get to sleep. 

Favourite sleeping position? 

I like to lie almost on my tummy on my left side, with my right leg on a right angle, heel touching the knee of the left leg (if that makes sense) 

Favourite music to listen to in bed? 

Indian meditation music 

Do you spring out of bed or do you hit the snooze button? 

I usually press snooze about 3 times before I get out of bed if I’m going to work. I used to wake up an hour and a half early so I could keep pressing snooze for longer. 

Any other random thoughts? 

Recently I’ve turned my bedroom into a sacred space, where sometimes at night I light candles and burn incense, and lie in bed with my boyfriend telling him we are the king and queen of Egypt in our royal temple. This is partially influenced by tantra, but formed from my own desire to treat myself as a precious and majestic being.


What side of the bed do you sleep on? 

I usually fall asleep on the right hand side, and most of the time wake up on the opposite side with my right arm trying to leave the bed before I do. 

Morning or night person?  

Definitely a night person. Stress, anxiety music thirst keep my desire for sleep non-existent til very late. In the morning, I’m not me. I’m a very mean version of myself, a grumpy bum. Unless I go to work early, in that case I wake up in a better mood. 

If you could invite 5 people to sit on your bed who would they be?

-David Gilmour, play “Shine on you crazy Diamond” until I fall asleep -Xanthi. -Some storyteller elder from up north, to listen to the stories of the ancestors. -Xanthi’s dog, Xarli. She smells good. -a beautiful woman. 

What do you wear to bed? 

Grey trackies white T-shirt in winter, nothing in summer. Sometimes I fall asleep with my clothes on. Usually it comes in pair with the hangover. 

What keeps you up at night? 

 Contemplation 

Fav sleeping position? 

On my chests, arms under the pillow, left leg straights, right leg bent. 

Fav music to listen to in bed? 

Anything that relaxes me and keep me focused. Something atmospheric, throbbing, psychedelic. 

Do you spring out of bed or do you hit the snooze button? 

Snooze snooze snooze! 

Do you have a fav pillow/ blanket/sheet? 

Nah. As long as they smell all right.


What’s the weirdest habits you all have?

Aiden waking up saying random shit as soon as he opens his eyes

Morning or night people? 

Brendan both and CJ neither, but she’s definitely more evening than morning.  I’ll do midnight to 6 most days, she’ll do 10-7, sometimes earlier at both ends.

If you could invite 5 people to sit on your bed (dead or alive) who would they be? 

Larry David, George Carlin, Beyoncé, Howard Stern, Dan Savage, Christopher Hitchens, Chris Rock, JFK, Jesus, Dave Chapelle, Jon Stewart, Bill Maher, Wendy Williams, Samantha Bee, Elizabeth Warren

What do you wear to bed? 

Aiden - onesy pj’s

Christina - tank top and underwear

Brendan - shorts and tank top/tshirt 

What keeps you up at night? 

Christina and Aiden’s snoring and tossing and turning!!!

Fav music to listen to in bed? 

Brendan - Chilled out tunes - Air, Massive Attack, Groove Armada

Christina - nothing

Do you spring out of bed or is it snooooooze button? 

Brendan and Aiden spring

Christina = snoooooooooooooooze several times!


Do you have a fav pillow/blanket? 

I have a fav blue and green quilt and we all like soft fluffy pillows 


What side of the bed do you sleep on? 

Joh - Like Beyonce said “to the left to the left” 

Ben - right 

Any weird habits in bed? 

We don’t do anything too weird… Ben sleeps with his feet out to calibre temperature. Joh likes to steal the doona and shove Ben out of bed gradually by pretending to cuddle him but really shoving him out of bed. Joh is so busy tucking in her feet so monsters don’t get her. Ben has a minimum amount of back scratching needed before he can sleep, he’s a big bear. 

Morning or night person? 

Ben tends to work in with busy work schedules but I am a total night owl/will not get out of bed unless I have to. Especially now it is winter, I am in hibernation mode… I guess I am also a wee little bear. 

If you could invite 5 people to sit on your bed who would they be? 

Ha, we both made the above list and it’s all men! Tom Hardy to stare at and fight over, Noel Fielding to stroke and make us laugh, Steven Fry and David Attenborough to read us bedtime stories and apparently Keith Richards (presumably to do all the drugs with - can you publish that?!)…… Joh would swap out Keithy for Helen Mirren, she can tell me all about the world and who to tell everyone to fuck off!! (We would, of course, have you and all our mates in there with some beers!!)

What do you wear to bed? 

Ben has to wear his underwear to bed it’s weird! He needs his junk extra snuggled! Joh is either nakid as a j bird or is wearing all her clothes so I wake up in a mad sweat! 

What keeps you up at night?

Ben - Joh’s snoring. Joh - my ADD brain which runs overtime all the time (70% of the time it’s right all the time!!)…. projects, what I want to do the next day, anxious about work, anxious about the world’s problems!! Instagram! 

Fav sleeping position? 

Joh is always the big spoon! Right after back scratches, I am the snuggler - except for the afore mentioned me pushing Ben out of bed which is really me sticking my bum out to be snuggled and sticking it out more and more/chasing him to the other side of the bed until he is forced to snuggle me back! I like body to contact the whole time while Ben can’t wait for me to get out so he can star fish and snuggle his other girlfriends (the pillows) 

Fav music to listen to in bed?

We never listen to music in bed, is that weird??!! I think we spend so much time doing all the things in our house that we love, when it’s bed time we’re just there to hang with each other and get all the scratching out of the way before sleepy time! 

Do you spring out of bed or do you hit the snooze button?

I am the perpetual quintessential snoozer it drives Ben nuts! It begins every night like the one before when I set the alarm with all the good intentions of the perfect human I will be the next day (spring up, go do yoga, go for a run, cure cancer, all before breakfast) but when the alarm goes off I am like “cha, right, shut up” 

Do you have a fav pillow/ blanket/sheet?

I have all my sheets which are my favourites and Bens which I hate because they are beige! Colour and texture man!


What side of the bed do you sleep on? 
- I sleep on my side but bang on in the middle of the bed! 

Any weird quirks?  
- I have to sleep with a doona, even if its 40 degrees, and not a light one, a fricken feather down! 

If you could have 5 people come for a party on your bed who would?
- Albert Einstein, David Attenborough, Bernie Sanders, Buddha and Josh. 

What keeps you awake at night? 
MDMA or neighbours having beers. 

Any fav bed time music? 
-  Atmospheric, but I really prefer silence, as a kid, I would fall asleep to Linkin Park haha 

Snooze button or straight up? 
- I’m a one snooze man. Give my self a cheeky sleep on then bang, into my day! 

Fav pillow or blanket? 
- My bed is amazing, all of it is my favourite, it has been with me for a long time!


What side of the bed do you sleep on?

It’s funny, I have this huge bed and for some reason, I always sleep in the same spot every night - on the right-hand side. 

Morning or night person?  

Total morning person - but only if I get enough sleep! 

What do you wear to bed? 

Nothing. 

What keeps you up at night? 

Not much… I have a habit of wearing myself out and love crashing in a warm bed! 

Fav sleeping position? 

On my front. 

Fav music to listen to in bed? 

Got an awesome record player a few years back and love a bit of Bob Dylan or JJ Cale in the morning followed by some sweet disco tunes. 

If you could invite 5 people to sit on your bed (dead or alive) who would they be? 

It would have to be 5 of my best buddies to scheme a tasty breakfast plan :-) 

Do you spring out of bed or do you hit the snooze button?

I’m a natural snoozer… so I need strategies to force myself out of bed. Right now, I put my alarm on the other side of the room so I have to actually get out of bed to turn it off. It work for now…


What side of the bed do you sleep on? 
 K: The right side. 
B: That leaves me with the left side.


What time do you go to sleep/wake up? 
 K: I’d be in bed at 9pm each night if I could. 
 B: I’m always awake later than Kendall. I try and smash out all my bookwork and emails at night.


What do you wear to bed? 
K: A singlet or t-shirt. 
B: Nakey.


What keeps you up at night? 
K: If I’ve got a looming deadline, probably that. Otherwise not much keeps me from sleep. As soon as my head hits the pillow I’m out like a light. 
B: Mostly thinking about work; quoting I need to do, customers I need to call, what timber things need to be made.


Fav sleeping position? 
 K: Being the little spoon and curling up in a foetal position. 
B: I’m a long person, so I tend to stretch out almost horizontally across the bed.


Fav music to listen to in bed? 
K: I probably only listen to music in bed on weekend lie-ins – something old like the Stones, Dylan, Bowie. 
B: Barry White.



Any weird habits? 

Jodie - can’t have the phone while charing on the mattress or in my hands. Absolutely no socks or I overheat and I must have water within reach (which often ends up accumulating until I have all the glasses from the kitchen next to my bed. 

Who’s your top five people you would invite to sit on your bed? 

J - All my pets that have passed - Josie, Shay, Nick and Digital. RIP 

What keeps you up at night? 

J  - work and life admin anxiety… 

Favourite sleeping position? 

J - big spooning my love. 

Favourite music to listen to in bed? 

J - sexy rnb 

Do you spring out of bed or do you hit the snooze button? 

J - typically 1 x snooze before rolling out for a cuddle with the puppy. 


What side of the bed do you sleep on? 
The middle if I am alone and I think the right side if I have company ;). 

What’s your weirdest habits in bed?
I need to have the fan on ALL year. If I am watching a tv show in bed, I lay on my back and prop my laptop in front of pillows on my stomach. This has resulted in some face injuries. I also like to watch Game Play (people playing video games on youtube) to unwind me. 

If you could invite 5 people to sit on your bed (dead or alive) who would they be? 
Bob Dylan to play some beautiful tunes, Emma Watson because she is the coolest human on this planet, Matt Stone and Trey Parker for the lols and Tom Hiddleston because I am seriously attracted/obsessed with him right now. This list could go on forever… 

What keeps you up at night? 
Anxiety, thoughts about life. Your brain loves to have a deep and meaningful when the lights are out and everything is quiet. 

Fav music to listen to in bed? 
You name it… Deftones at the moment. But really depends on my mood. 



Any weird quirks? 
I have the pillow in between my legs! I also often get into bed straight after a shower still in my towel, and then accidentally nap. 

Morning or night person? 
Not a morning person at all. It is an everyday struggle getting out of my cosy bed. My alarm is snoozed on average 6 times per morning. 

What do you wear to bed? 
Underwear and a loose t-shirt usually 

What keeps you up at night? 
All the worries of the world! I won’t have trouble getting to sleep ever, but if there is something playing on my mind I will wake up at around 4 am and won’t be able to get back to sleep. 

Favourite music to listen to in bed? 
I usually have the radio on actually. 

Do you have a fav pillow or blanket?
I love my satin sheets, but in winter, the flannelette all the way! I also have a pillow with a horse on it.


What side of the bed do you sleep on? 

I’m fairly fucking tall and with a bed that has both head and foot I can only splay out if I go diagonally. when diagonal, I spread from right to left (head towards the window, and feet towards the door) and that’s the same if someone’s sharing my bed. I’m towards the window, and they are allowed the hasty exit.

Any weird sleep habits? 

I don’t have any weird habits. But I do have to “toast” each side equally. Also, as a hot sleeper, I kick my feet out from under the covers and bunch my blankets up around my shoulders. given that, my Toasting and my Zoolander predilection to only roll clockwise: I turn into a suffocated cocoon.

Morning or night person? 

I work hospo and therefore have evolved to do without a body clock. One the one hand, I could open the cafe at five, work ten hours on my feet, finish drunk and nap for an hour, head to a gig and then a party and stay till I have to be at work again by nine. I’ll smash that shift then collapse in an emotional heap and sleep for fourteen hours if I can. Otherwise, on a normal day, I have high hopes for achievement before work but stay up late and sleep til I’m late for work.

If you could invite five people to sit on your bed with you, who what they be? 

People I know who I’d have a ball with in bed? Friends, housemates, colleagues. Alicia, Bel, Joh, Claire and Shannyn! A fantasy role-call of celebrities whose work informs my dreams and I’d love to wake up to sharing their ideas of fantasy? Tunde Adipembe, Michel Gondry, Thom Yorke, Oliver Sacks and Bjork.

What do you wear to bed? 

As a hot sleeper, I wear as little as possible. My pyjamas are more for house decorum when running to the toilet than for sleeping. Just me and my sheets and ideally someone else’s electrifying skin in-between it all.

What keeps you up at night? 

The things that keep me up at night are those around me who aren’t yet asleep, or whatever cheap sci-fi or fantasy series I’m addicted to. The third thing is worrying about life, but I find that with the first two options I don’t have to worry so much.

Favourite music to listen to in bed? 

my favourite music to listen to whilst falling asleep are dense and difficult feasts by artists that I love…
Kid A/Amnesiac
Portishead’s Third
Anything Four-Tet or Jamie XX
…things that take you to another place as you fall into dreaming.


What side of the bed do you sleep on?

The right at home.  anywhere else - the left. there is no method to this madness, it’s just the way it seems to be. 

What’s your weirdest habits in bed?

We sleep with the fan on throughout the year, and there is no way I will ever sleep in a bed that is tucked. No tucking!

What do you wear to bed? 

Generally some kind of pyjamas or clothes that are too old or daggy to be worn anywhere but in bed. 

What keeps you up at night? 

Anything and everything. Ironically, it’s mostly the fear of not falling asleep, which creates a terribly vicious cycle. 

Favourite sleeping position? 

On my left side with one leg out of the bed sheets. 

Fav music to listen to in bed? 

Brian Eno ‘Music for Airports’ has been helping me to fall asleep lately. 

Do you have a fav pillow/blanket/sheet?

Neither of the above but i have a toy minion that is better than any pillow / blanket / sheet could hope to be. 



Any weird quirks? 
I build a pillow fort. Two pillows under my head and one on each side. It is like having a big and little spoon all at once. #singlelife. 

If you could invite 5 people to sit on your bed who would they be? 
Samantha, Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and Stanford or my SATC equivalents. .Cosmos, Marlboro’s and Vogue in bed. 

What do you wear to bed? 
I like to wear a big t-shirt and grandma undies. No socks. I used to wear socks until I lost them all. They all turned up at the end of my bed, where the sheet meets the bedframe. 

What keeps you up at night? 
Anxiety. The future. The thought of needles in my eyeballs. 

Fav sleeping position? 
Knee hitched over one of the pillows, half on the front and on the side. Hand almost under the pillow, but not all the way because I always wake up with a dead arm. 



What’s your weirdest habits in bed?
I have to sleep with the TV on so I set a timer on the TV and turn the volume pretty low. I also have to have like at least 4 pillows, I can’t sleep with just one. I am also a pretty intense drooler haha 

Morning or night person? 
I am definitely a night owl, I can stay up super late and not really be tired. I find it’s when I am most creative as well which is weird. I usually got to sleep at like midnight and I’m awake no later than 7:30am. 

If you could invite 5 people to sit on your bed who would they be? 
Kurt Cobain, John Mayer, Kehlani, Kathleen Hanna, Matty Healy from The 1975 

What keeps you up at night? 
A simple answer would be something like money or thinking about what I have to do the next day, or a song idea that I’m wrestling with whether to get up and write it down or see if I remember it in the morning but sometimes I can’t sleep because I’m too busy trying to figure out how I can achieve all the things I want to achieve in life. 

Fav music to listen to in bed? 
- Jarryd James, DVSN or Deftones 

Do you spring out of bed or do you hit the snooze button? 
- Depends how late I am hah but definitely hit the snooze button a couple times. I set 2 alarms an hour apart, one so that I am sort of awake but then go back to sleep in order to feel like I got to sleep in and the second is the “you gotta get up now or you.

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