You're right Allison, air mattresses aren't as comfortable as an actual matress, but I have to counter that daybeds aren't as comfortable as an actual sofa. So, with space constraints (and hindsight), I'd rather have an air mattress, and have a little discomfort some of the time, than a daybed and have uncomfortable seating most of the time. If only new sofas weren't so darn expensive.

We have a 2-BR condo and the second bedroom is tiny (almost 9x11). We use that room as our den (bookshelf with an armoire desk which can be nicely closed to hide our clutter). We purchased an armless sofa to save room. It was a sofa sleeper, but we threw away the awful mattress it came with and purchased an Air Dream (www.airdream.net). It is amazing! The first few inches are a regular spring mattress, but it has an air-mattress built on top of the regular mattress so you can't feel the dreaded bars of sofa couches. You plug it into the wall (behind the sofa - can't see any cords) and then when you open up the sofa it takes less than a minute to inflate. All of our guests love it and we love it because it keeps are den/guest bedroom neat and tidy without bulky furniture.

We live in our motorhome so are under 500 sq.ft. but love to have company. We have a sleeper sofa with an airbed mattress and another flip out sofa that is called a magic bed and is very comfortable. Family and friends especially like to visit us when we are in a warm climate in the dead of winter.

We live in a small apartment, and a lot of room is taken up by us or our son. However, we do get a LOT of company and often four people or more several times a year. Our couch is a hidabed (and is comfortable!) and we have a great futon in our son's room. It takes up a ton of room, but is a place for him to read, etc. and for our guests to snooze.

This is a huge problem for me. Even though we don't get house guests all that often, I always feel bad the few times that we do. We have an extra mattress that we put on the floor. it's pretty comfortable, but it looks crappy and there is NO space for guests to put their stuff - it's just right there on the living room floor. I've contemplated getting a divider or something that will enable guests to put their stuff "away" during the day but have not yet worked it all out.

That's a great point Hellena, what do you do with your guests stuff while they are visiting? I normally end up keeping it in my room, since I have a roommate, and because my bathroom is attached to my bedroom. That way I can just turn over my room to them to get ready in the morning. What does everyone else do?

We are fortunate to have a guest bedroom and an office that we can easily put an air mattress in! Children, of course, love our loft and use sleeping bags. We had a sleepover with 13 10-year-olds and could not move in the loft. They loved it! Guests are always welcome and our extended family is from afar, so we designed our home with that in mind.

We've recently moved to an island, so the number of visitors who want to stay has increased dramatically. I'm in the process of designing a guest room on our three-season porch (non one wants to visit us in the winter anyway). It used to be my office, so I'd like to keep the paperwork storage and desk out there, so I'm considering putting in a murphy bed to keep the area a workspace when no one's visiting.

We have a 1600 sf home on a lake. The spare BR is small (8X10). We found a bunk futon. The upper bunk is a single bed and the lower "couch" opens into a double bed. We purchased high quality matresses so it is quite comfortable for quests to spent more than one night.

For weddings and holidays there are often lots of guests at my family's home. And even though we live in a decent sized house, there just aren't enough comfy sleeping spaces to go around. We have 1 guest bedroom and then we have one sofa that pulls out into a bed.

If there are many more people needing sleeping spaces, we get creative with extra mattresses on the floor and setting up linens a sofa that doesn't pull out. It's not necessarily ideal, but no one complains -- it's all about the cozy atmosphere of dear friends and family catching up.

The family's first grandchild was born while we were still living in a small condo. Grandparents still came to visit lots which meant they slept on a fold-out in the living room. There was a half bath downstairs and I kept one drawer empty for their toiletries. The laundry closet was right off the living room, so I would dump all the cleaning supplies in a tote and set on the back porch and let them "take over" the laundry closet. There was a hanging rod above with empty hangars, suitcases laid on top of the W/D, and a small shelf for whatever was needed. They had to go upstairs to use the shower but I hung a row of hooks on the back of the door and let them use that for towels, wet swimsuits, etc. It was close quarters, but I tried to give them as much of "their space" as possible.

We have a super-lame futon. If my parents come over, I'll often let them sleep in my bed and I'll take the futon, and I know from personal experience that it's uncomfortable in its "bed" position. I'm starting to think I should just buy a couple of nice sleeping bags, keep a supply of s'mores around, and tell my guests "It's indoor camping time!" when they spend the night.

Our guests sleep on the floor on blow up mattresses, in sleeping bags on the carpet and on the couch and lounge chair. During family holidays we often have 19 people, at least one cat and 2 dogs staying in a 3 bedroom home. When everyone is asleep, you can't walk through the living room or dining room without stepping on someone or some pet. But the important thing is that we are spending time together!

I know what you mean by small spaces. i live in the tiniest of apartments but i have atleast one guest stay over a week. me and my boyfriend invented the "couch bed" which all our friends love. we take off all of our couch cushions ,which are very wide and comfy, and create a mattress on the floor. It makes about a full size. we secure it with a sheet and blanket, put lots of pillows on it it and Ta Da! We always have to be quiet in the morning though because they always end up sleeping in.

We have a one bedroom - one bathroom house and a standing rule: two night maximum for all guests. So far, we haven't had any problems and are still good friends with out houseguests!

we put guests in the kids rooms, and have the kids bunk with us. The kids think it's a treat to sleep with mom and dad, and guests get some privacy, even if they do have to look at kids decor.

I've got a 900 square foot apartment. 3 adults live here and need their own space and privacy. I've gotten rid of my dining room and built an extra bedroom using bookcases. Use small table in my eat in kitchen for dining. Still have living room and everyone is comfortable.

We have a college age kids and decided to purchase inexpensive Ikea chairs that fold out into a twin size beds. They have corduroy slip covers in a variety of solid colors that will match your decor. The chairs aren't super comfortable to watch TV in for hours but they turn my family room into a bedroom in a flash!
All who've slept on them love them and many come to visit!

This topic is on-point as I'm currently procrastinating for the tidying necessary to welcome a houseguest later today. I would LOVE to have an extra guest room to offer, but it's just not in the cards for a while. In the meantime, I just try to have clean sheets, clean towels, a nightlight of some variety in the nearest bathroom, and a smile when I open the door. If people wanted a hotel, they'd book one.

Emily, that's the best way to look at it. You're friends or family are staying with you because they want to. And while you definitely want them to be comfortable it's more about spending time together. Brilliant!

We have a ton of out-of-state company because we live in Florida. I feel sure that we would not have 10-25 people per winter if we lived in another state. I like having people but think that they should stay for only 3-5 days. We have some guests that stay 8-10 days and they expect us to entertain them constantly. I am going to discuss with my husband the 4 night maximum that someone else posted. We have stayed at other people's homes for 2 or 3 days and we always take them out and buy dinner and drinks. Most of our guests make us spend more than they spend and we are not on vacation (they are) They have a free room and food at our home. They are perhaps too comfortable and we are put out because my husband snores sometimes and I am unable to go to another bedroom if I need to get some sleep. I think guests should be more considerate by taking their wallets out more and not expecting to be entertained and not overstaying their welcome.