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Healthy temperatures for sound sleep.

Wednesday, August 25th, 2010

Healthy temperature for sound sleep.

We’re still on something of a mission here to find out a little more about the best tips for a great night’s sleep.

The obvious ones, such as choosing a quality mattress, keeping out noise and light, ensuring correct neck and body support etc, etc, we are pretty comfortable with.

But what about some less obvious tricks for sound slumber?

The correct room temperature for instance. We all know that sleeping if we are too hot or cold is going to be tricky, but is there really an optimum temperature for sleeping nirvana?

On the topic of sleep quality not a great deal of attention is always given to room conditions.

And yet it would seem that these factors effect our sleeping hours perhaps more than we might realise, and room temperature is a perfect case in point.

However, establishing a healthy nightime temperature for sleep might be a little problematic, particularly if we share a house with our family, other people, or more likely,a bedroom with a partner. What one person finds comfortable, the other might consider too hot or cold.

It all becomes a little subjective.

But then surely by setting the temperature within a certain range and then adjusting our individual needs by using less or more bedclothes is the best way to find our optimum comfort levels?

Or to put it another way, just kicking off the duvet….!

It could be that because our core body temperature actually drops a little when we sleep, that we become more sensitive to external temperatures.

Having extremes of room temperature or even worse, temperature fluctuations, may cause us to wake up frequently or sleep too lightly, as we attempt to regulate the environmental situation. So establishing a healthy room temperature for sleeping that suits everyone might not be easy, but it is important. It seems that our internal body clocks are regulated by the same part of the brain that that manages body temperature. The two are inexorably linked.

If we suffer disturbed nights and wake not feeling rested and ready for a new day, then it may be time to look past the obvious culprits and check the suitability and stability of bedroom temperature. Most sleep experts reckon that as a general rule, this should fall into he 60-70F degree range although the majority also agree, that a cooler range between 60 and 65F is better still.

Ultimately the decider will be what suits us best as individuals, although, how interesting to note that a seemingly trivial factor should have such an important bearing on determining the quality of our nocturnal slumbers and our readiness to be able to tackle the new day…

Image – spafreshmag.com

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The best way to sleep?

Monday, August 23rd, 2010

Here at the Original Bedstead Company, we’ve been doing a little digging around of late, to see if there really is a best position for truly comfortable sleep.

As individuals it seems pretty obvious that we will all have preferred sleeping habits and that from a health perspective,some might be better than others.

But what we didn’t know is, that by making a few adjustments here and there, it’s possible to get a really good nights sleep, whatever our sleeping position of choice.

Back sleepers rejoice as this is actually the preferred position for sleeping as it places the least amount of stress on the spine, although those who suffer with a snoring partner will know that back sleeping is not always conducive to an undisturbed night!

Making sure that the head is in a neutral position by investing in a specially shaped pillow or using a rolled up towel to support the neck will  enhance the sleep experience.

And placing a pillow under the knees will take the stress off the lower back. A regular pillow works just fine for this.

Finally, for those of us with continental style adjustable beds, it’s worth raising the foot end a little, so that our feet are at the same level as our heads. For optimum night time blood circulation, this is a must.

Side sleepers are at risk of putting stress on the spine, although by using a cervical pillow, the effect is minimised.

Once again, it’s all about keeping the neck and head in a neutral position with no unnatural forces in any one direction. Placing a pillow between the knees helps to aid comfort also and is good for anyone with hip joint pain. And it’s a good idea to avoid sleeping with the arms above the head, as this can cause stress to the nerves that lead from the neck to the arms, creating tingling and numbness.

Stomach sleepers place the most stress on their neck region as the head is turned to one side or another, often for hours at a time.

The body will normally try to shift position to compensate, which is why belly sleepers will habitually toss and turn. Placing a pillow under the waist and dispensing entirely with the head pillow will help to minimise the stress to the muscles and joints, and of course there are other factors that will help.

We all know that a good quality mattress is essential for a good nights sleep whatever sleeping position you might prefer.

Old saggy mattresses are unlikely to ever provide enough support whilst too –soft new mattresses might feel great in the showroom, but after a nights sleep are likely to leave us feeling un-rested and aching.

Supportive but not too firm is the ideal criteria and there’s simply no substitute for good sales advice here and lots of trying and testing!

All common sense stuff we suppose, but we’re still constantly surprised at how many people still manage to get it wrong. Like so many things in life, a little research and investment of time initially, can pay huge dividends in the long run.

And surely no more important when it comes to our state of wellbeing, health and comfort, whatever our sleeping characteristics!

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Simple sound sleep tips

Monday, July 12th, 2010

We’re constantly bombarded with advice for achieving a great night’s sleep, and mostly it is common sense stuff of which most people will be well aware, although a little reminder from time to time does no harm!

Without doubt,so many of us don’t have the luxury of a full and rejuvenating slumber.

Blame stress, family pressures, workplace anxieties and a host of other subconscious issues that plague our recharging time.

They all play a part in jolting our sleep patterns, all too often in the depth of the night as we curse another premature awakening and lie awake, listening to the clock or pad downstairs to make a cup of tea.

But there has always been a few simple precautions that are easy to achieve, to make our sleeping hours more peaceful and the chance of unbroken nights more likely. Unwelcome noise or light are an obvious sleep disruptor, and yet how many of us drift off to sleep with the bedside light still on or the radio  chatting away?

Light is one of the body’s most powerful time cues.

The rising sun can wake up the brain long before the alarm rings out, but then so too can artificial light or unwelcome noise as it interferes with the subconscious parts of our brain. A dark, quiet room is the most conducive environment for deep uninterrupted sleep although the regular hum of an air conditioner or whirr of a fan, may serve to soothe and block out other less peaceful sounds.

Temperature also plays a crucial part. Too hot,too cold….we know the consequences, and 60-65 degrees fahrenheit is the optimum range.

The temperature of the body needs to drop a tad before we enter sound sleep and it’s essential that we give it the opportunity to do so. And likewise, on the topic of comfort, we all know the importance of investing in a good mattress and bed support.

And yet there’s still far too many of us making do with shabby worn out beds when we are more than happy to spend money on our lifestyle needs and desires that are fundamentally of far less importance. A not-too-hard supportive mattress can make the difference between nights of sound slumber and refreshed waking hours and broken night time misery.

Invest wisely in a top class divan set or iron beds, brass beds, or wooden beds and mattress combination, for a completely transformed sleep experience.

And lastly as a final thought, research has shown that on average, we enter a deep sleep 60% faster if we simply spend a few minutes tidying our bedroom before we retire.

So now there’s no excuse to throw our clothes over the foot of the bedstead or leave clutter all over the floor, although of course there are always some things in life that will never change!

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The Mysteries of Sleep – fact and fiction

Saturday, March 6th, 2010

Sleep

For centuries mankind has been intrigued by the mysteries surrounding sleep, and whilst we spend a third of our lives asleep, it is only within the last 25 years or so, that some of the answers to our questions have become clearer. There remains great debate regarding many aspects of this state of our existence that most of us simply take for granted.

Dreams, sleeping disorders, patterns of sleep and more, are all subjects that have spawned vast research and countless reports and articles. As a teaser, we include here a few interesting and thought provoking facts and figures surrounding this most fascinating subject….

  • In recent years, one of the most persistent sleep distracters is the presence and lure of around the clock internet!
  • As an age group, 18-24 year olds suffer more than adults with impaired performance when sleep deprived.
  • Studies suggest that women require up to an hours more sleep than men and that deprivation may be one reason why they are more susceptible to depression.
  • Teenagers require as much sleep as smaller children (10hrs) whilst those over 65 the least (6-7hrs), For the rest of us 8 hours is optimal.
  • Snoring only occurs during periods of REM (rapid eye movement) sleep.
  • Ducks and dolphins at risk of attack, balance sleep and survival by keeping one half of the brain awake.
  • An evening spent on the wine will help us get to sleep, but it is likely to be a light dreamless, and ultimately, less restorative slumber.
  • To drop off we must first cool off. Body temperature and the brains sleep/wake cycle are closely linked. That’s why hot summer nights can cause restless sleep
  • Even tiny luminous rays from an alarm clock can be enough to disrupt the sleep cycle, interfering with sleep chemicals even though we may not fully awake. (more…)

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Nocturnal Charms and Omens

Wednesday, December 9th, 2009
Nocturnal Charms and Omens

Nocturnal Charms and Omens

Medicine and magic have never lived wholly apart, and they certainly mingle amongst the charms, superstitions and omens associated with the bedroom.

“Go to bed with the skin of a mole wrapped around your left thigh” Magic or Medicine?

Parson Woodford allegedly cured his nightly cramp by taking a piece of brimstone to bed with him and holding it near the effected parts with miraculous results. Some proclaim that a roasted mouse is a remedy for all manner of ailments and that rheumatism and cramp can be cured by laying a bag of corks between the sheets.

Effective? Possibly. Uncomfortable? Almost certainly!

In medieval times, it was widely rumoured that two buckets of fresh spring water placed under the bed every day would prevent bedsores – but never use cold boiled water, which angers the Devil and brings bad luck.

Speaking of the Devil, check under the bed before retiring, to ward him off (although not in any hope of seeing him!), and remember that that no good hand of cards ever contains the four of clubs, this being a picture of the Devils  four poster bed.

(more…)

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