Here’s why:

• Memory foam is made of visco-elastic cells that react to your body temperature, so they form to very curve, which eliminates all pressure points created by springs.
• When pressure points are eliminated, the spine can align naturally, regardless of whether or not you’re a front, back or side sleeper. Since 90% of the stimulation and nutrition to the brain is generated by the movement of the spine, (says Dr. Roger Sperry, Nobel Prize recipient for brain research) that’s a pretty big deal!
• Memory foam is hypoallergenic, so it’s great for allergy sufferers.
• Memory foam is easy to clean! See our article on how to clean memory foam.
• Memory foam evenly distributes weight over the surface of the mattress, which further alleviates pressure from any one part of the body.
• Motion transfer between sleep partners is eliminated with memory foam. Ever seen the infomercial of the girl jumping on one side of the bed with a full glass of wine on the other? It really works! With traditional spring mattresses, if one partner is tossing and turning, the other partner will undoubtedly be affected by the motion as well.

Traditional spring mattresses have a come a long way (see the pocketed coils pictured above) but there are no denying the benefits of memory foam!

Ceiling fan: If you don’t have a ceiling fan, you can skip this, but if you do, you’ll want to clean this first (you don’t want dust falling onto the floor or bed after you’ve cleaned them). Even though it is high up, a lot of dust can gather on the fan blades. If you were sick, bacteria and other harmful germs can harbor on the blades as well. Using a cleaning substance of your choice, wipe down any light bulbs that may also be attached to the fan. Even if the fan appears to be clean, make sure you scrub it down. You wouldn’t want to turn on the fan and see dust being spread around the room.

Windows, curtains and blinds: A lot of dust can build in and around the windows. Chances are you had them shut during the winter, so you’ll want to give these a good clean. Start by cleaning the window and the window frame while it is still shut. Once you clean the inside of the window, make sure to clean your blinds and window curtains. If you can wash your curtains, do so. If you cannot, use a vacuum with a soft brush attachment to suck out any dust or dirt from the curtains. Then, open the window and clean the rest of the window and frame. You may enjoy keeping the windows open after cleaning to air out your room, allowing the fresh scent of spring to flush out the winter “vibe.”

Dressers and nightstands: You’ll want to clean your dresser, nightstands, and any other furniture that is in the bedroom, top to bottom. If you have lamps, books, a TV, or anything on top of your furniture, you will also want to give these a good clean. Pull your furniture away from the wall and make sure you clean behind them. Vacuum the floor and wall before wiping them clean.

Mattress, pillows and bed: First, remove all bed sheets and pillow covers and wash them. If your pillows are washer machine friendly, it is urged you place them in the washer as a second load. Make sure you run them through 2 rinse cycles to ensure you have gotten all the detergent out. If you cannot machine wash your pillows, here is a simple guide to cleaning them:

• Fill a large tub with lukewarm water and add detergent and a few drops of bleach.
• Place the pillow in the water and cover. Let it stand for about thirty minutes.
• Squeeze the pillow a section at a time to wash.
• Rinse in clean water three or more times to remove soap residue.
• Place pillows on a flat surface to drain off excess water.
• Place in a dryer with some tennis balls to ensure fluffiness. Set to air dry.

Although your pillows may appear clean and dry, the inside may still be damp. Hang them to dry in a moisture-free area to complete the drying process. If you do not fully dry the pillow, it may become a breeding ground for mold.

It may seem as if cleaning your mattress is a tough job, but it isn’t! In a past article, we wrote about how to clean your mattress. Refer to it here to learn how to properly clean your mattress.

While you’re waiting for your mattress after applying the baking soda, you may want to clean the bed frame. Pull the bed away from the wall and vacuum behind and under it. The headboard can also gather a lot of bacteria and dust, so you will want to use your cleaning product to sanitize and clean it. Cleaning your bed frame can also add to the clean aroma in the room and prevent any dust or germs to be kicked up when you jump in your newly cleaned bed.

Carpet and floor: Once you have cleaned everything top to bottom you’ll want to clean your floor. Vacuum the floor first to suck up any loose dust or dirt. If you don’t have a carpeted floor, you’ll want to mop it with a sanitizing mixture to get it nice and clean. If you leave the windows open, it should take less time to dry.

If you have a carpeted bedroom, make sure you give it a very thorough cleaning. You can sprinkle baking soda evenly across the floor to absorb and help get rid of any odors or dirty spots. Let the baking soda set in for about 30 minutes before vacuuming it up.

Just a tip: Adding a few drops of lavender oil to any process while cleaning can add a nice clean aroma to your bedroom.

Now that you have your guide to spring-cleaning your bedroom, it’s time to get started! Leave a comment if you have any tips for cleaning in the bedroom!

First thing’s first; you must decide if a memory foam mattress topper is the solution to your mattress problems. Analyze your current mattress. Is it extremely firm? While some believe that firm mattresses are better, they can actually cause body aches and pains. Extremely firm mattresses can also cut off circulation, causing a person to toss and turn all night and leading to a lower quality of sleep. If your mattress is firm and has been causing these problems, you may want to consider buying a memory foam mattress topper.

You also should consider if your mattress is sagging or has any dips. If it does, a memory foam mattress topper will not be able to get rid of these indentations. You may want to look into purchasing a new mattress instead of a memory foam mattress topper.

When shopping for a memory foam mattress topper, one important feature to look for is the thickness of the pad. Do not purchase a mattress topper that is 1” thick. Mattress toppers that are 1” thick will not perform as well when it comes to providing added comfort and support. Make sure your mattress topper is at least 2” thick, as these will improve quality of sleep, relieve aches and pains, and lessen tossing and turning. Two-inch mattress pads may also cost less than thicker pads, all while providing the right amount of comfort. If you are a heavier or taller person, it is advised to buy a mattress pad that is greater than 2” thick.

Another feature to keep an eye out for when shopping for toppers is a non-slip backing. Memory foam mattress toppers may sometimes slip off of your bed, but if they are manufactured with this sort of “grip” on the bottom of the pad, you won’t have to deal with any nuisances!

Memory foam mattress toppers have so many benefits! They help to relieve the body’s pressure points, can make an old mattress feel brand new, and are perfect for college dorm rooms or guest rooms.

For more information on mattress toppers, be sure to stop by Olejo Stores and check out the Dormia memory foam mattress toppers, starting at $119.00!

via narcolepsynetwork.org

Once a year, typically right before Daylight Saving Time, there is a week dedicated to educating people about the importance of sleep. Denoted National Sleep Awareness Week, this week begins today, March 5^th and lasts until Sunday, March 11^th. Another special day that falls on March 11^th this year happens to be Daylight Saving Time. Coincidence or planned? In either case, we will be “losing” an hour of sleep, so utilize this week to educate yourself on the importance of sleep, as well as prepare for DST. This week can help lighten the effects of DST and help you get a more restful night’s sleep.

So how can you educate yourself about sleep? Well for one, if you are reading this article, you’ve already begun the process. There are many great websites and blogs (this one especially), where you can find information, research, and data about sleep and sleep related issues. The more you know about sleep and what signs may signal a sleep disorder, the better chance you have of finally achieving a great night’s sleep that you deserve.

Did you know that sleep is a vital part of every aspect in your life? From attitude, mood, appetite to sickness, health complications or even death, sleep plays a role in all of them. It isn’t so much the amount of sleep you get, but the quality of that sleep that is important. This is not to say 5 hours of quality sleep is as good as 7 hours of quality sleep. It is recommended you get 7 – 8 hours of sleep. The difference is that 7 hours of quality sleep will lead to a much happier and healthier life than 7 hours of interrupted or light sleep.

One of the best ways to help prepare for DST is to start going to bed earlier each night. If your bedtime is typically 10:00 PM, come Sunday you will want it to be 9:00 PM, relatively speaking. If you don’t want to start going to bed an hour early or waking up an hour early, try going to bed and waking up 10 – 15 minutes earlier than the night before. Starting tonight, go to bed at 9:50 PM. Tomorrow night, go to bed at 9:40 PM. Continue gradually going to bed earlier until your bedtime is at 9:00 PM. When we move the clocks forward an hour, your body will have already been synced to the time change.

Did you know that research has shown that DST, both in the fall and spring, has been linked to auto accidents? When the clocks move forward in the spring, research has shown that there is an increase in accidents. But in the fall when the clocks are moved back and people gain sleep, the data shows the number of accidents drops.

Hopefully, these facts and tips will help you to start your week off right. If you’re looking for more sleep related information, feel free to browse our blog! If you’re having trouble sleeping then you should view our sleep tips, and if all you’re in need of is a need mattress, well, look no further! We have a great selection sold at Olejo Stores!

Do you have any information pertaining to sleep that will help others become better educated on the importance of a good night’s rest? Post it in the comments!

According to a 16 year study done by Dr. Patel, a researcher at Case Western Reserve University, women who slept five hours or less per night were 30% more likely to gain 30+ pounds than those who got the recommended 7 ½ hours of sleep. This study of almost 70,000 women is the largest study conducted to track the effects of sleep habits on weight gain.

Taken from WebMD – Sleep loss appears to do two things:

1. Makes you feel hungry even if you are full. Sleep loss has been shown to affect the secretion of cortisol, a hormone that regulates appetite. As a result, individuals who lose sleep may continue to feel hungry despite adequate food intake.
2. Increases fat storage. Sleep loss may interfere with the body’s ability to metabolize carbohydrates, which leads to high levels of blood sugar. Excess blood sugar promotes the overproduction of insulin, which can lead to the storage of body fat and insulin resistance, a critical step into the development of diabetes.

Sleep is important for keeping hormone levels in your body balanced. There are 2 hormones in particular that play a huge role in weight loss or gain. They are leptin and ghrelin. Leptin, which is produced in fat cells, signals the brain when you are full. Ghrelin, which is produced in the gastrointestinal tract, tells your brain that you’re hungry and increases appetite. So how do these work when you’re lacking sleep? They work as a sort of “checks and balance.” Leptin levels drop, often times leaving you feeling hungry shortly after eating. Because leptin levels fall, ghrelin levels rise, increasing your appetite. This may lead to overeating and result in packing on unwanted weight.

Sleep disorders such as sleep apnea also play a huge role in losing weight. Even though you may be getting the recommended sleep, your sleep quality is greatly decreased. Sleep apnea causes a person to stop breathing multiple times per hour, sometimes up to 90 times. When your sleep quality decreases you will feel drowsy and sleep during the day, lacking energy to be active and burn off weight. Also, because you’re lacking quality sleep, your leptin levels will fall, increasing your appetite.

And we all know it is easier to grab chips, cookies or other food that are typically not recommended for those looking to lose weight, simply because it is easily accessible and a quick fix. You may feel the energy right away, but in the long run you will feel tired and contribute to your weight gain. If you are lacking energy, and can’t seem to get a good night’s rest, check out our sleep tips for help!

To help you lose weight, make sure you establish a reasonable bed time, and grab healthy foods if you’re lacking energy.

We would love to hear from you, our readers, if sleep alone has helped you shed some weight. Whether it is a pound or 10, share your story with us in the comments!

Chances are you did at least one of them. However, as we get older, we often forget that the darkness of bedtime can be a spooky place for a child. Now that we have grown up, we know that there is no monster under our bed, because that’s fiction. We know that the heat is on a time delay, so it activates every night at 9:10 PM, and that the only thing we need to fear when the lights go out is to remember where your furniture is. Stubbing your toe or falling down right before bed is never a good way to start your restful slumber!

So what can you do to help your child sleep easily throughout the night?  Here’s how to make their sleep as easy as possible:

Bedroom lighting – It is safe to say that your child is scared of the dark; most children resolve their fear of darkness by the age of 7, as they realize it is an irrational fear. Some children take longer, some may resolve their fear early, but in either case, it will still affect their sleep. Leaving the door open with a hallway light on may resolve the issue, but allowing too much light to enter can also prevent them from falling or staying asleep. The best way to help your child through this fear is to use a nightlight. Plug it in close to the door in case they need to use the bathroom during the night. You don’t want them holding anything in because of their fear; it can lead to health complications.

Sound – If your child reports noises that have woken him/her up or kept them from falling asleep, it may be time to invest in an ambient noise machine. Your child may perceive any noise to be out of the ordinary, especially while lying in the dark. As an adult, we can become accustomed to a repetitive noise or any noise that we know where it has originated from. We often subconsciously train ourselves to ignore noises we are familiar with, but your child may not be so lucky! An ambient noise maker will create a sound similar to a rushing waterfall or wind blowing. This device will muffle or even block out any noise that may awaken or startle your child. The sound is soothing and can have a calming effect.

Temperature – Children may not fully understand the role temperature plays in regards to sleep. You, as a parent, may not fully recognize the significance either, but you are able to cope with temperature changes better! Being too hot or too cold can induce nightmares as well as wake you up, so having the right temperature may increase your sleep quality. As an adult, it is easier to relax, add or take off clothes, grab an extra blanket, and fall back asleep than it is for a child. They may become anxious or wound up from having to wake up and get comfortable again. Make sure you can set your child’s bedroom to a temperature they are comfortable with. If their room is naturally too cold or too hot due to insulation or their room’s location, consider getting a portable heater or AC to help.

Bed – Make sure your child’s bed is a suitable size for him or her. Sleep walking, tossing and turning, and even rolling around while sleeping is common for child, so make sure their bed is large enough to support these movements while being close to the ground. If your child does begin to sleep walk, having their bed close to the ground will prevent them from falling and hurting themselves. Additionally, if they roll off the bed, the fall will not be as bad. The last thing any parent wants is for their child to get hurt while sleeping. This can add an additional fear to bedtime and it can make it harder for your child to get restful sleep!

Sleep plays a vital role in helping your child stay healthy, learn, develop memories and grow mentally. Making sure he or she gets the best sleep possible will also help you sleep easy! If you have any other advice for parents on how to make their child’s sleeping conditions better, feel free to comment below!

via http://www.24sleepwake.com

When it comes to sleeping disorders, none of them are as strange and difficult to treat as the non-24-hour sleep-wake disorder. The average person has a day that revolves around a 24-hour period, with some variations from day-to-day. The non-24 sleep disorder has a 25 or 26-hour day, which can sometimes be even longer. This extended circadian rhythm will cause a person’s sleep and wake times to be pushed back a certain amount. Each day, their bedtime may get later and later, causing their wake time to follow suit.

This disorder affects approximately 50% of totally blind people due to their inability to perceive light. This causes a disruption of the 24-hour sleep-wake pattern, leading to a non-24-hour sleep-wake disorder. Although this disorder is considered to be rare, roughly 65,000 people in the U.S. suffer from it. Although any sleeping disorder can onset depression, anxiety or stress, the non-24 disorder can also cause instability within a person’s social and professional life.

Essentially, the body is insisting that the day is longer than 24 hours, and will not adjust to the external light and dark cues. Because the mind will not submit to reality, peak time of alertness, body temperature and hormone secretions will shift daily.  A person’s sleep cycle may return to a normal sleep/wake cycle for 1–3 days before becoming offset again by the sleep disorder.

If you suspect your sleeping cycle has gone awry, but are unsure what could be causing it, keep a sleep journal. Write down when you felt tired, when you got into bed, when you fell asleep, if you woke up during the night, as well as what time you got up the next day. You may be able to see a trend of the sleep-wake times gradually getting later and later. This will help your doctor properly diagnose any sleep condition you may have.

Combating the non-24-hour sleep-wake disorder would typically start with trying to reset your circadian rhythm. Light therapy is the most common way to reset your internal clock, and is also used to fight off depression. Fighting this disorder will revolve around convincing your mind that a day is 24-hours, not any longer. Melatonin, a hormone that induces drowsiness, may also be used to help you sleep. Found in supplement form, taking melatonin may help you fall asleep at a reasonable time, helping your body to set and establish a bed time.

There is no known cure for non-24, only treatments to manage the sleep disorder. It will take time to notice any positive changes within your sleep conditions, so be patient. If you suspect you have a sleep disorder of any kind, make sure you keep a sleep journal as well as consult your primary care physician. If you do not have any sleep disorder, but still have trouble sleep, head over to our sleep tips for help falling and staying asleep!

2. Eat. It is never a good idea to eat before bed. A light snack to ease any hunger you may have is fine as long as the food does not contain sugar or caffeine.  But what happens when you begin to eat while you’re in bed? It doesn’t matter if it is day or night, your brain will make the association between your bed and food. This can cause you to become hungry every time you are in bed because your brain thinks it should be injecting food. You also should not eat in bed because it can make a mess. You do not want crumbs to get into your bed and under the sheets. While you sleep, you may press these morsels into the sheets, and it may even penetrate into your mattress. This can cause mold and bacteria to grow which may eventually lead to an odor, sickness and the need to purchase a new mattress.

3. Do work. It is always great to get your work done in a comfortable place, but it should not be done in your bed. We advise everyone to leave work at the office, but there are occasions where that may not be possible. If you must work from home, make sure you do it at a desk or in the kitchen. The mind is notorious for making associations between objects and tasks the more they are done in combination. The more you work in your bed, the more stress your bed may cause you. Even if there is no work to be done, your mind may begin to problem solve or review work related topics when you should be resting or relaxing!

4. Study or do school work. Aside from the possibility of falling asleep mid study session, the same association can be made as if you were doing work in your bed. School work should also be done at a desk or another designated area. This way when it is time to study, your mind can focus on the task at hand because it knows that the desk by your window is where you typically get your school work and studying done.

5. Argue. New research has indicated that you should never go to sleep with a negative emotion or thoughts present. Couples are known to argue more so in bed and at night because it is when the two people are alone together and able to speak with minimal distraction. It may seem like a plausible place to sort out issues given the environment, but the association between your bed and such discussions can lead to tension even when there is nothing to be discussed. Stress is a huge cause of insomnia, and you do not want your own bed to become a source of stress.

The mind is a very powerful tool and making associations between situations or objects is one way we subconsciously organize our lives. Whether you know it or not, your mind is recording what you do, where you do it and when. By using your bed for anything other than sex and sleeping, you may miss out on some very important Z’s. So keep the electronics off, eat in the kitchen, study and do work at the desk and argue anywhere but inside your bedroom! You’ll thank us later!

Do you have any other activities that should not be done while you’re in bed? Leave it as a comment!

Polyphasic sleep refers to sleeping more than 2 times during a 24-hour period. Polyphasic sleep does not imply there is a specific sleep schedule or pattern, but there have been schedules designed to best take advantage of this form of sleeping. There are 3 formulations of polyphasic sleep schedules that have been designed to best fit both a person’s sleep needs and schedule. They are the Everyman, Dymaxion and Uberman schedules.

Uberman: Consists of six 20 minute naps usually spread 4 hours from start to start. Ex: 12am, 4am, 8am, 12pm, 4pm, 8pm.

Dymaxion: Consists of four 30 minute naps spread 6 hours apart, again start to start. Ex: 6am, 12pm, 6pm, and 12am.

Everyman: Consists of a core sleep period of about 3 hours and then three naps spread roughly evenly apart throughout the day. Ex: 4-7am, then 12:30pm, 6pm, and 11:30pm.

There have not been many studies and research done on polyphasic sleep schedules, so whether adhering to such a sleep routine has health consequences or benefits, it is fairly uncertain. Most sleep studies are conducted on monophasic or biphasic sleep routines, leading to the understanding that we have 5 stages of sleep which cycle every 90 minutes, and 7-9 hours of sleep is ideal.

When using a polyphasic sleep schedule, it is said your body adapts to a shortened time of rest, allowing your mind to enter into the restorative REM sleep upon falling asleep. You will wake up from your nap feeling refreshed and energized as if you had slept a full 8 hours. Abiding to a polyphasic sleep schedule is said to add roughly 10 waking years to your life. You will only sleep 2-5 hours per 24-hour period.

Although these seemingly unorthodox sleep schedules increase the amount of time you have in your day, there is no conclusive evidence that it is good or bad for your health. Many blogs and reports of individuals who have experimented with these sleep schedules speak of an adjustment period that is for the strong minded and report no negative health effects. These are personal accounts and are not done by professionals in a controlled environment.

We do not condone polyphasic sleep mainly because there is little evidence on the effects of these sleeping patterns. We do not recommend these sleep schedules and urge you to speak to your doctor about possible health effects if you want to try them.

This experiment can run as long as you would like it to, but over the course of 3 weeks, you will be adding activities that will promote sleep and remove those that hinder sleep each week.

You will need to get a pen and notebook as you will want to keep track of your progress. Write down your starting date followed by what you want to set your bedtime and what time you would like to be out of the house or finished with your morning routine. Now subtract 45 minutes from your bedtime (this will become the time you begin your bedtime routine). Then, subtract one hour and 30 minutes from the time you would like to be out of the house (This will become your wake time). Make sure you record these times. Set your alarm for the time you will be waking up and make a mental note of the start time for your evening wind down routine.

Bedtime routine: Anything you do to get ready for sleep is your bedtime routine. Brushing your teeth, showering, and washing your face are all examples of things you do every night before bed. These activities should take 20-45 minutes and be completed before entering your bed.

Wake up routine: Depending on if you shower at night or in the morning, this routine can take 30 – 60 minutes. This will include waking up, brushing your teeth, showering, getting dressed, eating breakfast, etc. Always add 15 – 30 minutes onto your morning routine to relax. Try not to rush or be pressured in the morning as it has a negative effect on the day.

Week 1 will be the kick-off week to you getting better sleep! This week we will add a few things to your daily routine to help you sleep better.

Here is what you will be required to do daily.

• Wake up at the set time, even on the weekends. Your weekend bedtime is up to you.
• Drink 30mL or 1/8 cup of tart cherry juice twice a day. Once in the morning and once before dinner. Cherry juice is known to increase melatonin levels in the body, a hormone that promotes sleep.
• Stretch your body before entering bed and after waking up. Stretch each limb for 15 seconds. This will allow you to release any built up physical stress and help to promote better blood circulation while you sleep.
• Using your notepad, write down any times you wake up during the night. Quickly note the reason for waking up to review the next day (dream, bathroom, too hot, too cold, etc). This is called a sleep journal, and it will allow you to see why you may be waking up, disrupting your sleep so you can correct it.

Week 2 will remove a few things from your daily routine.

• Turn off electronics 90 minutes before sleep. Some of you may or may not have a TV in your bedroom, a computer, tablet, cell phone, etc. Power these devices down. If your phone is your alarm clock, stop using it for anything other than the alarm. The light from these devices can keep you awake and distract you, leading to a restless night.
• No caffeine after 2:00 pm. The half-life of caffeine is 3 – 5 hours. If you drink a cup of coffee at 3:00 pm, the effects can linger in your body until 9:00 – 11:00 pm. If you have to have coffee or another beverage that typically has caffeine, try the decaffeinated version.

Week 3 will incorporate a few weekly activities to help promote sleep.

• On Sunday nights, take a warm bath 2 hours before you get into bed. Sunday night is the hardest night to sleep so you will want to get quality sleep this night. A warm bath will raise your body temperature. As you sleep, your body temperature lowers. By elevating it prior to sleep, it will fall farther and promote a deeper, more restful sleep.
• Add a workout routine. If you already workout, skip this step. If you do not, it can be as simple as a 30 minute workout 2 – 3 times a week. Working out releases endorphins and helps increase blood flow. It also promotes better health and has been proven to help increase the quality of your sleep. Pushups, sit-ups or a walk around the block is all that is needed.

After the 3^rd week, your sleep schedule should be very well established. Your sleep patterns should have improved, and the quality of your sleep should have increased as well. Your body has gotten into the groove of winding down for bed as well as having a great morning routine to promote a stress free start to your day. We would love for you to leave a comment and update us with your progress! We look forward to hearing from you!

If you notice that your sleep is not improving, you may be suffering from a sleep disorder and you may need to speak to your primary care physician.