Archive for month: December, 2017

Are Your Bad Sleeping Habits Killing You?

Are Your Bad Sleeping Habits Killing You?

About 30% of Americans get less than six hours of sleep a night. Not a particularly worrisome fact on the surface, but what is worrisome is that this is also the same group of people more likely to have a stroke.

If you’re one of these Americans who isn’t getting enough sleep, you’re also at risk of a compromised immune system, more stress, and possibly even a shorter life. It’s time to get serious about your bad sleeping habits so you can finally get a good night’s sleep! Read 5 ways to fall asleep faster.

Routine Matters

One of the worst sleep habits you can develop is irregular sleep. Pulling an all-nighter one night and then sleeping late the next day, or waking up early and going to sleep late during the week only to crash on the weekends. The reason this type of behavior wreaks havoc on our bodies is because of something called a circadian rhythm.

There are a plethora of cycles that impact our bodies: the seasons changing, the cycles of the moon, and the rising and setting of the sun, for example. The daily sun cycle is called a circadian rhythm, and it influences our body temperatures, blood pressure fluctuations, overall alternates, and our bodies’ production of melatonin, the sleep hormone.

Scientists don’t fully understand sleep or these rhythms, but we do know they are extremely important and delicately balanced. If you’ve ever tried to switch from a day shift to a night shift, for example, you know how much they matter. When we mess with Mother Nature’s routines, we can experience a host of physiological and mental symptoms, including things like depression and anxiety.

We also open ourselves up to the dangers of fatigue, which can dramatically decrease our response times and make us sluggish and unable to learn and form new memories. In short, while all-nighters might seem like great decisions in the short-term when balanced out against the long-term impact on our performance and health, they’re usually not worth it.

Learn the stages of sleep to find where you need the most improvement.

To help your body build a routine, try the following tips:

  • Use the sun as a cue, and take advantage of its rising to wake up, if possible. Bonus points if you can open a window or step outside to get a few minutes of sun first thing!
  • Resist the urge to nap during the day.
  • Avoid things like heavy meals late at night, alcohol, and caffeine later in the day, as the things will tend to disrupt your natural rhythms

Lifestyle Matters

We wish we could tell you exercise had nothing to do with your sleeping health, but unfortunately, that’s just not the case! In fact, one study in 2010 found that after four months, women who started exercising were sleeping 45 minutes longer every night than women who weren’t exercising. There’s a wealth of information pointing to the same findings, but there is a caveat: give it time.

Study participants do not seem to experience immediate changes in their sleep patterns. In fact, sometimes a bad night’s sleep can cause you to exercise for less time the next day or especially vigorous exercise can cause you to get less sleep that night. It takes sustained activity over a sustained amount of time to see a difference. The difference, however, is substantial, and better (and healthier) than most people see with sleep aids!

The theory is that eventually exercise works to mute a person’s stress response, enabling that person’s brain to quiet and the tension to flow away, enabling sleep again!

It’s not just whether or not you exercise; how you eat matters, too. You probably know to lay off the caffeine, alcohol, and heavy meals, but did you know sugar might be impacting your sleep, too? Data suggests limiting your added sugar intake during the day can increase the quality of your sleep at night.

Your habits and sleeping positions may matter a great deal when it comes to a good night’s sleep, and a good night’s sleep is incredibly important to your overall health–and maybe even your overall success in life. Make good routines and a healthy lifestyle a priority so that you can ensure sleep success.

Your sleep matters!

5 Hacks to Fall Asleep Faster

5 Hacks to Fall Asleep Faster

We get it, we get it–sleep is important. If we’re not getting enough, we’ll be less productive and more prone to accidents and disease, but there’s nothing worse than crawling into bed early only to toss and turn for hours. If you’re serious about improving the quality of your sleep, however, here are five tips and tricks for falling asleep faster!

1. Use Aromatherapy

The jury is still out on whether it’s the actual smell of lavender or just the fact that it’s used in a regular bedtime routine that helps us fall asleep. Regardless, you can take advantage of this old-world-therapy-meets-new science by using scents such as lavender, bergamot, and cardamom to help you drift off into happy slumber.

You can use essential oils in a diffuser or apply topically or use a room or pillow spray.

2. Take a Bath

Or a hot shower. Something about the warmth and quiet noise of the water can do wonders to relax your body and quiet your brain so you can fall asleep quickly. Not a big fan of baths? No problem! Take a hot shower, instead. Either way, coming out of the warm water into a cooler bedroom will cause your body temperature to drop, which tells your brain that it’s sleep time.

Also, the change in body temperature dilates your blood vessels, which allows more blood and oxygen to flow through your body. This helps to release muscle tension and stress, sending yet another signal to your brain that sleep is imminent.

3. Progressive Blocking Technology

Progressive muscle relaxation involves tensing muscles while you breathe in, followed by relaxing those same muscles as you breathe out. The idea is that the release of tension in your muscles leads to physical relaxation, which in turn leads to mental relaxation and allows you to fall asleep quickly.

Most experts recommend this tensing-relaxing exercise be done in a certain order, and some even claim that saying the word “the” can be just as effective. Scientists call this a blocking strategy and explain that it helps the mind to stop racing.

4. Cool Your Brain

A recent study gave insomniacs caps with circulating water at cool temperatures to wear to bed. The study authors found that the caps enabled the so-called insomniacs to fall asleep just as fast as the non-insomniacs, and stay asleep for just as long, too! Scientists speculate it’s because people who have trouble sleeping have higher-than-normal activities in their brains, raising the temperature of their heads to a level not conducive for sleep.

Don’t have a special water-circulating cap? Trying dropping the temperature in your bedroom so your overall body temperature will fall.

5. Try Melatonin

Melatonin is a hormone produced naturally by your body. It’s not a drug and won’t make your eyes close all on their home, but it does help your body drift into what’s called a state of “quiet wakefulness.” If you’re having trouble falling asleep quickly at night, there’s a chance your body might not be producing enough of the chemical on its own.

Melatonin isn’t normally recommended for long-term use, but it can be used short-term to help you overcome insomnia, deal with jet lag, or get back to a regular sleep routine. Experts recommend taking it about two hours before bed, and using other good sleep practices (like a warm bath) to assist.

5 No-Fail Tips for Getting a Great Night’s Sleep

How can I get a better night’s sleep?

Most people will agree: there’s nothing worse than a bad night’s sleep. A great night’s sleep helps you function well during the day.

Whether you’re finding yourself dragging into work each morning, resorting to way too much caffeine, or threatening to chunk your alarm clock out the window, we’ve rounded up five of the smartest, most reliable ways to help you fall asleep quickly, sleep great all night, and wake up feeling rested in the morning. There are many health reasons why quality sleep matters.

1. Impose a Screen Curfew

You’re guilty of it; we’re guilty of it–it’s so easy to spend a half hour or so in bed, scrolling through your phone. More often than not, we’ve got the TV going, as well! This is bad news for our sleep health, however. Scientists tell us that watching screens before bed can make it so that we have a hard time sleeping. This is a bad sleeping habit that may be killing your well-being.

With sleep deprivation side effects like heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and lack of brain function, this is nothing to play around with! If you normally sleep with your phone next to your bed, try moving it to another room, even if that means you now need to purchase a separate alarm clock. Trust us – your email will be fine until tomorrow!

2. White Noise Can Improve Your Sleep

It sounds weird to say that you’ll sleep better by turning up the noise in your room, but it’s true! Many people report falling asleep faster and staying asleep longer by using white noise.

White noise consists of sound that comes out evenly across all “hearable frequencies.” It masks the sudden starts and stops that happen in the night–a car horn honking, a partner snoring, etc.–so that you can stay asleep. You can use an app on your phone, or a machine like a fan or a humidifier, or you can purchase a machine that specifically plays white noise. Many will allow you to choose different settings, such as a babbling brook or jungle rainstorm.

3. Get Active about protecting your sleep

Studies have found that aerobic exercise, like walking, hiking, or biking, can improve your quality of sleep, even if it’s just ten minutes a day. Regular exercise seems to increase the sleep impact even more as well as lower the risk of things like sleep apnea and restless leg syndrome.

Keep in mind that the initial rush of endorphins your body experiences after a workout can make you more energized. This doesn’t seem to bother everyone, but it might keep you from being able to sleep well if you work out just before

4. Create a Excellet Sleep Routine

When new parents are trying to help their new babies sleep, they often create elaborate routines: baths, books, songs, the same pajamas, special blankets, and so forth. Turns out, adults are much the same! We’re all creatures of habit, and creating solid bedtime routines can help us wind down and signal to our brains that it’s time for bed, therefore you can have a great night’s sleep.

Everyone’s routine can look different, but we like nixing screens in favor of a warm bath, a hot cup of caffeine-free tea, and a noise machine. Whatever routine you decide on, the trick is to make it the same and to start it at the same time every night. You also need to give it time; don’t expect it to work magically the first night, but within a few weeks you should see a substantial change!

5. Get a New Mattress

Sometimes, it’s just the poor pillow or the lack of a good mattress that is keeping you from a good night’s sleep! Whether it’s an old bed that’s just lost its oomph, keeps you too hot or too cold, makes squeaky noises all night, or it’s a pillow that isn’t the right firmness, we spend a third of every day asleep on our beds, so it’s worth investing in a mattress that helps you sleep better!

You can choose coil options, foam options, or hybrids of both, and thanks to the internet you can now shop online in the comfort of your own home.

A great night’s sleep means you’ll look your best and be your best and these five tips are sure to help you achieve just that. Happy sleeping!

 

Top 5 Mattress Types to Avoid in order to Sleep Well

1. Super Cheap Mattresses.

cheap mattresses  As a store owner I run into this on a daily basis.  Because there is demand for inexpensive mattresses for kids or spare rooms or just people with a tight budget I offer them.  We are talking Queen Sets (with a foundation) for $195, $279, $339 and so on.  A store like mine has actually decent mattresses for the price compared to big stores but you really need to understand the quality of mattress you are getting when buying at low prices.

Many mattresses are very comfortable on my show floor and I’ve felt that way for some time.  HOWEVER, mattresses in the $200-400 range are not designed to last a long time.

The lack of high-density foams, the lack of a high coil count or thicker gauge coils, etc.  They are not meant to have 2 adults sleeping on them nightly.  They just won’t last long.  You’re better off saving and buying something nicer if you’re an adult and it’s a nightly-use mattress.

2. Thin Mattresses

thin mattress  Generally a thinner mattress is thin because it lacks substance.  In most cases, a tin or promotional mattress is not going to be very durable.  They will usually not get rated very well for comfort and pressure relief since you will sink in less and have less contouring.

The next big issue with thinner mattresses, in my opinion, is that they are not suitable for heavier sleepers 250+ lbs.  On a thin mattress in many cases, the core is not very high density otherwise its hard to get the right feel and many people will think its too firm.  The same goes for coil units.  Therefore on a thinner mattress, heavier people can often bottom out the mattress and they just won’t last as long as they should.

The thickness of your mattress really is a matter of preference, although there are differences for people of different weights. There are also better mattress types for people who are heavy sleepers.

Heavier people prefer a thicker mattress, at about 11-15 inches. Mattresses of this thickness tend to be medium firm to firm. They are preferred for heavier people because body weight tends to force the mattress to conform to the shape of the body. Heavy people also benefit from higher-density foam or a higher coil count mattress. Choosing a thinner mattress for a heavy person may lead to the need to replace the mattress more frequently or bottoming out.

Lighter people will do well with a mattress that is eight to ten inches thick; with this thickness, you’ll find a medium to soft firmness. Smaller people can use a lower-density foam or lower-count coil mattress as well. Both thin and heavier individuals often suffer from back pain and request guidance for choosing the best mattress for chronic back pain.

3. Low-Density Memory Foams

memory foam layers  Foam density can be important to your mattresses durability and performance.

As I just noted for foam cores you need good foam for them to last.  The industry standard for foam core or transitional support layers is 1.8.  I would try to buy a mattress with at least that. 2.0 or 2.2 is very good.  I have seen a couple that uses a 1.5 density and this was as I noted about thin mattresses used to make the mattress not feel too firm.  But what they are doing is sacrificing longevity for initial comfort.

When it comes to memory foam 3.5-4 lb and up is acceptable. 5lb is very good.  Some people will actually like the feel of the lower-density memory foam better since the reaction time is typically a little faster.  5lb is super durable but oftentimes can feel a little stiff. Lower-density foams will likely develop body impressions and sag faster than higher-density foams. Read my top 3 recommendations for a memory foam mattress.

4. Over Priced Mattresses with Tons of Marketing

Since I have been in the industry with my store and now reviewing mattresses I have discovered many big names are better marketers than they are mattress designers.  Be wary of brands that spend millions a year on marketing research and advertising.  Everyone needs to advertise but some brands spend millions a year or perhaps a month.  A lot of this cost is passed on to the consumers.

So before you pull the trigger on your mattress it really pays to do some comparing on a site like this to make sure you are not paying $1000 for a mattress that you can get for $600 from another brand.  Many have similar construction but have very different prices.  ur top picks reflect mattresses that are worth the money.

Our mattress reviews help you make a better selection

5. Super-soft or Super Firm Mattresses

too firm bed  This is another common occurrence in my store.  I’ll have a customer come in and say “show me your softest mattress”.  I’ll bring them over to it (it’s very soft) and it happens all time when someone does not think it’s soft enough.

Here’s the problem with that.  Typically to get super soft you use foams that are low-density.  And a lot of them.  This becomes a problem quickly.  You will develop body impressions much faster on a very soft mattress.  People also do not keep in mind that the mattresses are already naturally going to get softer as they break in. If a super soft mattress is your thing you should buy a firmer mattress and add a mattress topper to it to make it softer.  Then once that topper is worn out you can replace it instead of the entire mattress.

Now for buying the best super firm mattress.  I don’t see a problem too much with this if that is the firmness a customer wants.  But if it is overly firm you generally will not get any contouring on your lower back when back sleeping.  Side sleeping you will not have any give for your shoulder or hips and stomach seeping it could irritate your ribs.  With that said some people just like a firm mattress.  I actually like the same idea of using a topper on a firm mattress and letting the topper wear out rather than the mattress.

We also offer a Sleep Guide for ways to get a good night’s sleep.

Why Sleep Matters & How To Get More Of It

Why Sleep Matters and How to Get More of It

If you’re an average person, you’re getting about eight hours of sleep a night. When you realize this means you still have sixteen hours in a day to do things that are not sleeping, eight hours doesn’t sound like much. But when you realize you’ll spend a third of your entire life asleep suddenly sleep seems really, really important.

In fact, sleep is incredibly important. It’s one of the most complex biological processes your body undergoes and it’s still not fully understood, but scientists know that it’s essential to maintaining pathways in your brain that allow you to learn and make memories, concentrate, and respond.

How Sleep Deprivation Hurts You

Sleep also impacts your brain, heart, lungs, and metabolic functions. Some scientists now believe your brain uses sleep to clear out toxins, a process that doesn’t happen while you’re awake. Research indicates that a lack of sleep causes all kinds of health problems, including physical problems such as stroke and mental problems such as depression.

Did you know sleep deprivation played a factor in the 1979 nuclear accident at Three Mile Island, the 1989 Exxon Valdez Oil Spill, and the 1986 nuclear meltdown at Chernobyl? You don’t have to be a historian or scientist, however, to understand that lack of sleep (or lack of quality sleep) makes you sluggish and unresponsive.

The NIH Moderate sleep deprivation produces impairments in cognitive and motor performance equivalent to legally prescribed levels of alcohol intoxication study found that people with moderate sleep deprivation are just as impaired while driving as people who are driving drunk. Also, many studies show that certain mattresses are better if you struggle with back pain.

It’s not just your performance, however; sleep also impacts your health and kill your sex drive. Lack of sleep is implicated in a higher risk of the following conditions:

  • Diabetes
  • Stroke
  • Irregular heartbeat
  • Heart failure
  • Heart disease
  • Heart attack

Read our guide if you are taking antihistamines to sleep and understand what precautions to take.

What Can You Do To Sleep Better?

We all know that stress can affect your sleep; but how do you reduce your stress levels? When it’s 3 am and you’re staring at your ceiling, wide awake, sleep certainly feels like a mystery. Fortunately, we know some of the good habits that can lead to a great night’s sleep.

Make Healthy Choices

Sleep is one of those things that seems to snowball quickly: you stay up late, wake up late the next morning, skip the gym, grab a donut for breakfast, and before you know it you’re chugging caffeine in the afternoon and staying up late again, starting the cycle all over.

Making a few smart choices, however, can help you reset that cycle and get back to a better living–and sleeping–routine. Studies have found that regular exercise (even if it’s just ten minutes a day) can dramatically improve the quality of your sleep.

It’s also important to avoid stimulants such as electronic screens, caffeine, and alcohol at least two hours before bed. Your brain needs to time to unwind and calm down, and staying away from things that get it fired up will help. Some people find that changing your sleeping position helps you sleep better, even sleeping in the nude improves sleep. These suggestions may be better than just trying another prescription to sleep.

Build Smart Routines

Just like small children need routines to help them calm and sleep well, adults need routines to help our bodies relax and our brains turn off. There are a variety of things you can employ in your nightly routine, but some of the most popular is a warm bath, a good book, a screen curfew, aromatherapy, and a white noise machine. If it helps students sleep better, they have improved chances of staying awake during class.

Ultimately, whatever routine you choose, you need to let it establish over the course of weeks or even months. This is not a short-term get-sleep-quick scheme, but investing in the quality of your sleep with a routine that makes sense for your life will pay dividends in the future.

Buy a Good Mattress and Make Your Bedroom a Sanctuary

We’re all guilty of crawling into our beds to work–they’re so comfortable, after all! However, using your bed and bedroom for things other than winding down, relaxing, and sleeping can have a negative impact on your quality of sleep.

Check out the following mattress reviews to discover a fit that lets you sleep best:

It’s also important to make sure your room is conducive to sleep. Is it too warm? Cooler temperatures help people fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. Is the mattress comfortable? Are the sheets cozy? Do you like your pillow? You can even add things like blackout curtains and a noise machine to help make your bedroom the ultimate sleeping sanctuary!

Sleep is vital to our well-being in every way, but it doesn’t have to be elusive. Build these habits into your life, and you’ll be on your way to getting better sleep in no time.

Read our blog for lots of tips on sleeping better.