Posted on May 3, 2012
May is Better Sleep Month, and if you visit SleepBetter.org frequently, you’ve likely seen a myriad of articles that tell you the consequences of sleeping poorly or not enough. Among other things, lack of sleep may make you gain weight, contract diseases or conditions, and reduce your ability to learn new facts.
So, what do you do about it?
As we say — sleep, exercise and diet are the cornerstones to good health. Of those three, sleep is usually the easiest to fix. Here are SleepBetter’s Five Simple Sleep Tips for Better Sleep Month:
1) Don’t eat too much or drink alcohol right before bed: Cutting out food (and, in particular, the wrong kind of food) or alcohol right before bed is pretty simple to do, and may pay big dividends under the sheets. A full belly keeps your body working when it should be sleeping. Alcohol, meanwhile, may help you fall asleep, but once its ingredients wear off it can leave you wide awake.
2) Create a bedtime routine: Parents have heard about the value of bedtime routines for children for years. Adults can benefit from this as well. In the last hour before you turn in for the night, why not turn off the TV and read a good book? A warm bath can also help relax you. If you do approximately the same thing every night, your body will start to know when it’s time for sleep.
3) Stick to your schedule: Sometimes it’s a little easier said than done, but going to bed at approximately the same time every night and waking at approximately the same time every morning (after getting the appropriate amount of sleep) will lead to a much more rested life.
4) Check your bedroom temperature: The optimal temperature for sleep is between 60 and 68 degrees. Any less than that, and you’ll be chilled while sleeping. Any more than that, and you’ll be hot.
5) Do a bedding check: This is likely the least “easy” of our five tips, as it may involve some expense. However, ensuring that your bedding is replaced regularly and is appropriate for your needs may be the best change you can make to help you sleep better. Be sure to change your pillow once every year. If your mattress is old and you can’t afford a new one, a high quality mattress topper can help extend its life.
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Posted on September 14, 2010
Even the most loving relationship must sometimes come to an end. That’s particularly true for pillows. How can you tell if your favorite pillow needs to be put out to pasture? Here are some signs:
- Is your pillow lumpy? If so, that’s a bad sign. Set your pillow on a flat surface and check it out. If it has lumps, then you might need a new favorite pillow.
- Does your pillow pass the fold test? For pillows filled with natural down, fold the pillow in half and then let go. It should at least slowly regain its normal shape. For synthetic down, the pillow should spring back quickly and with at least a little force. It’s harder to tell with memory foam pillows. Press on the middle with your hand. It should give, but not all the way to the bottom. When you remove your hand, the pillow should return to its normal shape. If your pillow can’t pass these tests, then you might need a new favorite pillow.
- Try to remember when you bought your pillow. A pillow should be replaced every 18 to 24 months. If your pillow is older than that, then you might need a new favorite pillow.
- How do you feel when you wake up? If your neck or back hurt, then you might need a new favorite pillow. A mattress topper, which llies on top of your current mattress, may also be something to consider.
- Do you frequently wake up and have to re-adjust your pillow in order to get comfortable? If so, then you might need a new favorite pillow.
- Check for signs of odor, mold, and mildew. If any of these are present, then you DEFINITELY need a new favorite pillow.
If you’ve decided you need to end your long-term relationship with your pillow, be sure to read our article on how to pick your new favorite pillow.
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Posted on September 14, 2010
Even the most beloved pillow must eventually be replaced. In fact, the general rule is that your pillow should be replaced every 18 months to two years. Here are some things to consider when picking your new favorite pillow:
- Learn more about how you sleep. Take the Zzzz Score test to get some suggestions for your sleep style.
- Figure out what size you want. Pillows these days come in a number of different sizes, going all the way up to a body pillow that’s about as tall as you are. The different sizes are generally designed for different sized beds.
- Choose your filling. Pillows today use a variety of different fillings, including goose down, synthetic down, memory foam, and gell beads. Which one is best for you depends on your specific sleep needs and your personal preference.
- What’s best for you might not be best for your friend, significant other, or parent.
- Do you have allergies? If so, you should definitely consider a pillow made with synthetic materials, and buy a hypoallergenic cover for the pillow.
Another popular way to upgrade your sleep is to consider adding a mattress topper. That extra layer of foam can act like a mattress upgrade and improve your chances for a deeper, more restorative sleep.
That’s a lot of information and picking the right pillow can seem a little overwhelming, but consider the relationship you have with your pillow – it’s an intimate part of one-third of your life. So take the time to pick the right one and buy as high quality a pillow as you can afford. After all, a great pillow can give you a wonderful night’s sleep night-after-night, and that’s something worth singing about!
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Posted on December 11, 2009
For a lot of people, the holiday season means traveling long distances to visit friends or relatives. While we may look forward to this time of year, the travel itself can be exhausting. Sleeping in a car or (even worse) an airplane can be difficult or even seemingly impossible, and if you’re traveling long distances you have jet lag to add into the equation. Here is some sleep advice to help keep your holiday visits merry, by helping you sleep better while traveling:
- Purchase a good travel pillow: You’ll thank yourself for making this purchase when you don’t wake up with an incredibly stiff neck!
- Bring some music: Fill an iPod or your smartphone with soothing music that will help you relax.
- Dress comfortably: Don’t worry about how you look (within reason, of course). If wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt will help you rest, that’s great!
- Take care of your body: Drink lots of water to stay hydrated. Avoid excess alcohol, as drinking can negatively affect your sleep.
- Take some jet lag advice from the experts: British Airways put together a jet lag calculator. Enter a little information, and they’ll give you advice on how to minimize the stupor that can come from flying across multiple time zones.
Most of all … enjoy yourself and have a happy holiday!
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