Memory Foam

If you have sleep problems, there are a variety of potential causes. It could be as simple as excessive stress at your job or in your family life. These kinds of nagging, chronic emotional issues can really disrupt your sleep cycle. It could also be something more concrete like excessive consumption of caffeine. If you’re a coffee junky, make sure that you cut yourself off well before you go to bed, or you might find yourself counting sheep every night.

This can even be true of teas. Tea contains a staggering amount of caffeine, and while many people drink it to relax, it can actually be the cause of your sleepless nights. If you find that you can’t get rest after a big mug of nighttime tea, there is good news. You don’t have to cut yourself off from tea altogether. Rather, just switch to decaffeinated teas. This way, you can still enjoy the ritual but without any of the negative side effects.

No one can take away the pleasure of finding a flight for that vacation to a distant country.  While you pack and anticipate the fun you will have on your journey, you are likely to forget to plan for the possibility of the effects that jet lag may have on you.  There is no fun in arriving at your destination only to be so tired that you lose one or two days away to sleeping.  No one travels to see the inside of a hotel room, do they?  Let’s take a closer look at why we experience jet lag.

 Our bodies follow persistent patterns of behaviour over a 24 hour period, known as circadian rhythms and these rhythms become imbalanced by travelling to different time zones. Environmental changes such as the rise and fall of body temperature, plasma levels of certain hormones, exposure to sunlight, are a few of the changes which can alter when our bodies tell us we need to sleep and when we should awake.  When we enter a new time zone, our circadian rhythms take a longer time to adjust.

It is important to consider the following tips to help minimize the effects of jet lag:

• When possible select a flight which allows for an early evening arrival and then try to remain awake until 10:00 p.m. local time
• Several days prior to departure, go to bed earlier or later,  depending whether you are taking an eastward or westward trip
• Change your watch to the time zone of your destination as soon as you board
• Bring earplugs and blindfolds to minimize sound and light issues
• Consider taking along a memory foam travel pillow for comfort while travelling and staying in a hotel
• Get outside in the sunlight whenever possible as it is a powerful stimulant to regulate the biological clock

We all want to enjoy every day of our vacation, so don’t let jet-lag take your sleep away from you, robbing you of your full energy to maximize each day of your holiday!

Research is producing some disturbing news about Americans and the condition of severe excessive daytime sleepiness.  It is estimated that 19.5% of American adults suffer from moderate to severe sleepiness during the daytime.  A higher percentage of women are affected than men by this.  We can understand the potential for workplace injuries and driving accidents to increase as people are functioning at less than their full alertness while at work and driving to and from their place of employment.

What is keeping America awake?  There can be specific health issues, such as snoring or sleep apnea.  Sometimes we can choose to become sleep-deprived in an effort to “stay on top of things”.  The advancements in technology, certainly make that an easier possibility as we are able to do our banking or research on the computer 24/7!  Staying up after the children are in bed to catch up on household chores or planning for the next day’s activities, is a common and understandable choice, but at what cost to your own health?  Work can bring us home late or a family who has an activity packed calendar may prevent a regular routine for sleep.  Then we have those people who may go to bed at an early enough time only to toss and turn as they are stressed over work or responsibilities or upcoming events.  For those that are shift-workers, the irregular hours make it hard for the body to know when is the right time to sleep.

Sleepiness is underestimated in its daily life consequences for the general population but it is never a good idea to curtail your sleep.

Too many people are suffering from a poor night’s rest and too few recognize how hard this is on their body.  Did you know that approximately 80% of health-care professionals believe their patients purchase over-the-counter or store-bought sleep aids to fight insomnia?  A couple of indicators to a health-care professional that their patient may be suffering from insomnia are when the patient admits they have trouble falling and staying asleep plus symptoms of depression, anxiety or stress.  There is also concern over the high percentage of people who misuse prescription sleep aids.  We understand that lack of sleep will naturally affect our moods, attention/concentration span and our family relationships.  Quick solutions are sought after but it’s important to consider appropriate treatment options and/or lifestyle changes before you “run to your pill bottle”!

• KNOW - Insomnia is having trouble falling asleep, staying asleep and waking up too early.  It is also nearly twice as common in women than men.
• RECOGNIZE -Consequences of insomnia are decreased work performance, depression, mood changes and increased risk of auto accidents.  It is not necessarily just one of these but may be two or all of these indicators.
• TAKE ACTION -Evaluate your lifestyle and determine what you need to do.  Do you need to include more exercise in your daily life?  Do you need to relax before bed instead of doing stimulating activities like household chores, computer work or TV watching an hour before bedtime. 
• REALIZE - Feeling great starts with a good night’s sleep.
• OWN - If you have concerns, take the steps to change.  Learn about the information that is out there to help you, whether it is lifestyle changes  such as purchasing new mattress and/or new pillows, or medication.

Your best bet is to make your #1 priority a good night’s rest and then the rest of life will fall into place!

Up to 10% of the U.S. population suffers from either a mild to moderate form of RLS, the Restless Leg Syndrome.  It seems this syndrome is hard to explain to a family doctor or friends.  Perhaps you are someone suffering from RLS but as of yet have not been able to have it diagnosed.  A description often used by sufferers is “ants crawling through my legs” or soda running through my veins”.  Ask yourself the questions below and see if you fall into the RLS Syndrome.

Here are  a few quick questions which may be indicators of a need to talk to a health care professional:

• When sitting or lying down, is there a strong urge to move your legs that is difficult to resist?
• Do the words “creepy-crawly, itching or pulling” describe your symptoms?
• Does moving your legs slow down the symptoms?
• Do these symptoms occur at night generally?
• Do you have involuntary leg movements while awake?
• Are you tired or lacking concentration during the day?
• Is anyone else in your family plagued with this?

If after reading these questions, you feel you may have RLS, take these points into consideration.  This is a treatable condition where you need to concentrate on managing the symptoms.  Small lifestyle changes you can take include limiting your alcohol and caffeine intake, taking iron supplements, enjoying a hot bath, exercising regularly, follow good sleep habits.

With RLS raising its ugly head usually during the evening or night, a solid sleep may be hard to achieve and we can appreciate how that can negatively impact our day.  Work towards a better night’s sleep by:

• maintaining a regular sleep schedule
• have in place a bed-time routine
• sleep in a dark, quiet, cool room
• purchase a quality mattress and pillows
• stop food intake around 8:00 p.m.
• exercise regularly
• avoid caffeine, alcohol and nicotine

There is no need to suffer alone.  Talk to family, friends, health-care specialists or seek out support groups.   Learn about new information on the subject and how others cope with RLS.

Most teens, as do most adults, need 81/2 - 9 hours of sound sleep each night.  Unfortunately, even teens (1 in 4) suffer from trouble sleeping.  When our bodies are not rested, everything from our emotions, ability to focus on tasks, performance and health will be affected.

A few ideas to encourage a sound sleep:

1. Keep active during the day - 60 minutes of exercise a day will decrease stress and allow you to feel relaxed, as long as it’s not done just prior to bedtime.
2. Keep away from alcohol and drugs - contrary to popular belief, these are not a relaxant but a stimulant which can increase chances of waking up during the night.
3. Keep the electronics in another room - keep your room a tech-free zone for 8-9 hours.
4. Keep a sleep pattern - allow your body to anticipate sleep by going to bed the same time and having some night-time routines like reading, soft music playing, etc.
5. Keep positive thoughts about sleep - say over and over in your mind and out-loud during the day, “Tonight, I will sleep well.”

Following these ideas should allow you to see a positive difference in your resting time.  It is also wise to ensure your teens pillow encourages proper body alignment to avoid back and neck problems.  A properly aligned body will avoid tossing and turning to find that comfortable spot.  We would encourage you to look into a memory foam pillow to contribute to that sound night’s sleep.

Getting deep, restorative sleep every night is imperative for your overall well-being. But this can be challenging for myriad reasons. When my wife and I first started sharing a bedroom, I couldn’t believe her ability to saw logs. Honestly, I think I got about six hours of sleep that first week. After visiting a sleep specialist, we found that there are several possible causes of snoring:

~Muscle Vibration: if your tongue and the muscles in your throat and mouth relax too much while you sleep, they can vibrate and create snoring.

~Tonsils and Adenoids: if you haven’t had your tonsils and adenoids removed, they can vibrate as well.

~Weight: excess fat in the throat can vibrate too, so shedding a few excess pounds can curtail snoring.

Sleep apnea,  which affects 18 million Americans, is the condition whereby a person stops breathing for a few seconds during his sleep.  This results in an imbalance of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the body, triggering a signal to the brain, forcing a person to wake up, enabling them to expand their lungs and begin breathing normally.

There is both a surgical and nonsurgical method to treat sleep apnea.  If a person’s situation is not critical, they can opt for nonsurgical options which would include lifestyle changes, medicine, dental appliances or the most common, a CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) mask and a BiPAP (Bi-Level Positive Airway Pressure) mask.  Both these masks work to force the air through the nostrils so a person can breathe easily despite having a sleep disorder problem.  A CPAP mask can decrease the sleepiness a person feels who faces sleep apnea while a BiPAP mask is helpful for people needing higher pressure to breath normally (ie:  heart disorder or lung).

As you can imagine, using these masks during the night could cause frustrations if used with a standard shaped pillow.  We welcome you to look at the SleePAP pillow which has an exclusive design for comfort and compliance.  This pillow allows an oxygen mask to be held in place thus preventing leaks and facial pressure points.  It has been designed for multiple sleeping positions giving you comfort in any position - be it on your stomach, side or back.

If you’re finding that your young child is experiencing sleeping problems during the night, it can be difficult to say no to their pleas to sleep in your bed. And while this is perfectly okay if they had a nightmare one night or they’re frightened by a thunderstorm, it shouldn’t become a pattern. It can be difficult, though, getting your kid to spend time in his own bed. What you want to remember is that you should make the kid’s bed a place your child would want to be.

As such, make sure that all the bedding is tailored to cartoons or themes that your child enjoys. If he absolutely adores tigers, for example, make sure his bedspread has a tiger on it. Also make sure security items match their interests and likes. This includes a favorite pillow, a treasured blanket, or a well loved stuffed animal. If these items are in their room, they will be less likely to bolt from their bed into yours.

Whether you tend to feel restless, have trouble breathing, or just wake up feeling groggy all the time, much of the quality of your rest depends on your bedding. It’s important to have a comfortable mattress, pillow, and bedding to help sleep problems. Often the leading cause of restlessness is an uncomfortable mattress. Despite what people might think, your mattress could be more uncomfortable than you recognize. We often become accustomed to a mattress and instead of thinking about how it pressures our backs or sides, ignore it. It’s best to just try out a few other mattresses, or even better, sleep on them, to find out if the mattress is your problem.  You might also consider a mattress pad.  Pillows are also important, and you want a pillow that props up your head and keeps the airways open.  A neck pillow works great to this end. Your bedding should be warm, but not stifling. It’s much harder to rest being too cold than it is too warm.

Taking these steps should allow you to get better sleep and wake up feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. Be sure to remember that it’s also important to get enough sleep!