Blog posts tagged with 'sleep'

So, the quest for a perfect pillow is as daunting as The Holy Grail or the Davinci code. Or is it? I mean it’s just a pillow, right? Well, that overlooked article of bedding consists of 30% of your spine, BRO! I didn’t believe it at first, but it’s the truth. Then I remembered my old wrestling friends telling me that “if you control the head, you control the body.” I use to pass that on by because I couldn’t relate it to anything in my life at the time. I mean, I wasn’t shooting any double leg take downs or suplexing anybody at the time. But now it makes sense. If my head is not in proper alignment, NEITHER is my body! So that explained my years of neck, shoulder, and hip aches. IT WASN’T JUST THE MATTRESS!!!!

So how does one find an ever elusive “Perfect Pillow”? Well, go get fitted. Mattress Direct does this. They actual do this before you even lay down on your potential mattress. First, they take into accounts your sleeping position (side, back, stomach, any which way but loose) and choose the appropriate pillow for such position. Then have you lay down on a bed that is suitable for your request of comfort. No longer do you have to wander a store holding a pillow like an old boom box. That may bring you back to your break dancing days, but it will not bring you to Comfort Town. Comfort Town is when you have that one pillow, one pillow that rules them all. Lord of The Pillows style.

Come on by one of your friendly, neighborhood Mattress Directs and get fitted for that pillow Today. I mean, why wait till tomorrow when you aren’t sleeping any better and are in a foul mood. You don’t like that you, and the world will be better once you start following the Sleep Rules.

New Year’s Resolution time is in full swing and everyone is trying to get their routine down. You have to make a schedule that works best for you. Some people think that morning workouts are the only way to go and that working out at night actually hurts your sleep, but that is just not true. Working out is best whenever you can do it. If you are a morning person and find it easiest to wake up and go---then do it. If you have to work out after work that’s fine too whatever is best for your schedule that you can make a part of your weekly routine.

There’s always been this myth that you cannot work out four hours before you want to go to sleep, but that isn’t true for all. Very few people are affected by this. Most people can even find it easier to fall asleep after working out. Exercise overall improves sleep and allows people to rest more efficiently.

Typically, if you have trouble falling asleep after exercising it is because of temperature. Your core body temperature tends to rise after a vigorous workout and it also rises due to our natural circadian rhythm around the time you are trying to go to sleep. Lowering the temperature to 68 degrees and making sure you have the proper sleep environment is the key to success.

The proper sleep environment includes a dark quiet room, a mattress that is breathable (preferably in this case with cooling features such as cooling gel and/or breeze technology), cooling pillows, breathable sheets and a breathable mattress protector. Keeping you cool will allow you to fall asleep quicker and stay asleep longer. When you are cool it also allows you to reach deeper stages of sleep faster as well.

So don’t worry if the only time in your schedule to work out is late at night. You can still get the proper sleep you need for your rest and recovery. Just make sure to stay cool. 

Large warehouse stores are amazing. You need ketchup? Well, there is one bottle of ketchup. You want some cereal? There are several options but only one size…. LARGE. They take the choice out of it. This makes the shopping experience easy. I know I don’t like sitting there debating what size box of flaked corn I need or seeing 12 different types of the same condiment. Choice is sometimes overwhelming.

But choice can also be necessary, especially when we are talking about people’s individual needs, shapes, and specifications. Can there just be one mattress that magically fits all my needs as well as my neighbor’s, best friend’s, and 90-year-old grandfather’s needs? The answer is… if you all have the same body type, sleeping style and habits then YES, but it is rather unlikely.

People are complicated. We all have our own habits. Some people sleep exclusively on their side, others back, and others do a great approximation of a pretzel where their front shoulders are facing towards the bed while their hips are pointing in the opposite direction and their arms are clutching onto their pillow for dear life. All of these sleepers may need different levels of support and pressure relief depending on their individual shape and size as well.

A back is definitely flatter than a pretzel. A pretzel sleeper has curves in their shoulders and hips. Would these two types need the same pressure relief? Could they both be best served by the same mattress? The answer is no. These both could be adequately served by the same mattress, but to get the best out of your nightly sleep both sleepers really need individualized comfort.

Bed in a box companies try for mass appeal, but number one to them is ship ability. The heavier a mattress is the more is costs to ship. Most people are side sleepers, side sleepers need more pressure relief, more pressure relief needs more materials, more materials means more weight which means less profit. Is this the best for your comfort?

Mattresses are not one size fits all.

All Mattress Direct factory direct show rooms have mattress specialists trained to fit you for the best mattress for your sleep needs.

Why do we yawn? We are not the only species who yawns monkeys, dogs, cats, and even fish and babies inside the womb yawn but why? It is one of those truly unsolved mysteries, but there are some really interesting theories.

The one that seems to be the most pervasive is that it expands your lungs and brings in a ton of oxygen all at once. That oxygen goes to your brain allowing you to wake up. But is this true? It makes sense but scientists have shown that oxygen levels don’t actually rise when we yawn. So if it isn’t taking oxygen to the brain what is it doing?

It seems that there is a decent connection between yawning and temperature regulation. The hotter you are the more likely you are to yawn if you see someone else yawning. Yawns are contagious. I bet at least half of you have yawned just from seeing the picture above and I’ve yawned twice while writing this. It is that weird suggestible thing when someone even says yawn we all respond in kind, but we are less likely to yawn if you are cold.

As you lay in bed every night sleeping heat builds up throughout the night, which is why many of us immediately wake up and yawn. Your brain functions at its best when it is in a cooler environment. So we wake up and immediately cool down our brains. The circadian rhythm determines the heat of our body throughout the day. Typically the highest points are right before we fall asleep and first thing when we wake up. The average person yawns 8 times a day which seems to be a way to regulate our brains temperature.

Typically when one person yawns multiple people in a room yawn. This is more than likely an evolutionary process where one person sees another and knows that maybe they should regulate their brain too. It could also be because of empathy or mimicry. Sleeping cool could help eliminate the early morning yawns. When you keep your cool and regulate your body temperature you get deeper sleep and wake up feeling refreshed. Experiment.  See if you yawn when you wake up after a nice night’s sleep in a cool bed. 

It’s dark, your body aches and you are covered in sweat. You feel exhausted as if some unrelenting monster has been pursuing you at a steady pace. No time to rest. You never get to rest. You are not in some remote summer camp being chased by Zombies through the woods. The constant exhaustion is caused by a terrible monster. A monster that doesn’t eat brains, instead this monster drains brains of their energy. That monster is……

A zombie mattress.

Unfortunately, zombies are undead just enough to torments us. They keep up pursuit and never let you rest. Zombie mattresses manage to cling to just enough life to torment us as well. Maybe we wake up in a sweat. Many modern mattresses are designed to help you sleep better than before. Mattresses by Tempurpedic, Sealy, Stearns & Foster and King Koil have much better cooling solutions than what was available just a few years ago. Don’t lets your dead mattress be a mattress zombie. Replace it and start sleeping better.

If your zombie mattress feels like it’s killing your back or draining your brain after you wake up then be your own hero. You don’t need a baseball bat with nails in it to bash your sleep issues. You can take some time with the sleep specialists at Mattress Direct. Finding the right mattress and getting good rest are incredibly important.

What are signs your mattress is a zombie mattress?

Do you experience sudden urges to toss and turn at night?
Does your shoulder or neck feel sore throughout the day or in the morning?
Does your spouse or sleep partner complain about your mattress?
When you wake up do you already feel sore?
Do you suffer from a lack of energy because of poor sleep?
Are you waking up too hot after adjusting your home thermostat and your number of blankets?

If you answered yes to any of the questions listed above you stand to gain from a new mattress. You should wake up feeling refreshed and your body should feel rested in the morning. Many people struggle with a zombie mattress in silence. Don’t struggle in silence. Visit one of the factory direct Mattress Direct showrooms as soon as you get the chance and get fitted. Then you won’t feel like a zombie when you wake up either.

Does this sound familiar?  You’re lying in bed, trying to fall asleep, but your mind is racing.   You’re exhausted, but can’t turn off your brain.  Instead, you lie awake, remembering the things you didn’t get done that day, the argument you had with a co-worker, that time in 3^rd grade you threw up on the field trip to the zoo.   The next thing you know it’s 2:00 AM and you still haven’t fallen asleep.    Sadly, for many Americans, this is all-too relatable.  

Luckily, here at Mattress Direct, we’re always available to provide helpful (and free!) tips to help you get a deeper, more restorative night’s sleep.  Today, to reduce anxiety that can lead to insomnia, we’d like to recommend meditation. 

Several sleep studies show even twenty minutes of focused meditation can lead to falling asleep faster and staying asleep longer.  Meditation can seem a little intimidating to the uninitiated, but at its simplest, it’s really just practicing mindfulness of moment-by-moment thoughts and experiences.  By focusing on breathing, you can keep your mind from drifting to the stresses of the past and future.   Some people focus on the way their lungs fill and empty, others on the sounds their breathing makes, and still others focus on the flow of air in and out of the nose.  Experiencing each breath for what it is, allows you to focus on the present, which is the essence of mindful meditation.   Becoming distracted, and letting thoughts creep into your mind as you meditate is normal.  Instead of trying to push them away, recognize what is happening, and then shift your focus back to the rhythms of your breathing.   Don’t worry if It’s hard at first, most things are! 

The longer you stick with it, the easier it will be.

Focused meditation will allow your body to become accustomed to relaxation, which you can then use to push away “inner chatter” at bedtime.  Falling asleep faster, and staying asleep longer will mean more deep, restorative REM sleep, which means more energy and alertness during the day.  There are plenty of other resources online for best meditation practices for beginners.  Find some that work for you!  Good luck, and good night.  

One of the most frequently asked questions we hear as Sleep Specialists is “What are some easy things I can do to get a better night’s sleep?”  While there are many things that influence how much deep, restorative sleep a person gets, one is probably overlooked but still incredibly important: physical activity. 

 A recent study in the Journal of Mental Health and Physical Activity among 2,600 men and women between the ages of 18-85 found that people who engaged in 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity a week improved sleep quality by 65%.  Additionally, the study found a 68% decrease in leg cramping and a 45% decrease in difficult concentrating compared to those that did not exercise. 

Many other studies show similar findings.  For example, a study at Northwest University found that exercise and sleep were mutually beneficial to one another.   Good sleep led to longer, more intense workout sessions, which led to better sleep and strengthened circadian rhythms, creating a cycle of improved health and well- being.   Experts suggest thinking about the relationship between exercise and sleep in the same way as exercise and weight loss – that it is a gradual process, not an overnight fix. 

Regarding when to exercise: there have been some surprising developments in research on that topic!   Conventional wisdom told people not to work out too close to bedtime, which could lead to restlessness.  But a 2013 sleep poll found that people who exercised at any time of the day slept better than those who didn’t, even if it that activity took place at nighttime.

 For many busy adults, burdened with work and family responsibilities, right before bed may actually be the easiest time to work up a sweat, so don’t let an outdated idea keep you from getting in the workout your body craves for optimal sleep. 

The idea that exercise is healthy isn’t news to anyone.  We all know mood, metabolism, blood pressure, and risk for heart disease, obesity and diabetes can be influenced by how active you are.  But as sleep scientists explore the link between sleep and physical activity more and more, it seems clear that if you’re tossing and turning, and having trouble feeling alert during the day, reaching for your running shoes may be a better choice than reaching for those sleeping pills.

Rule No. 3

Keep your Cool

with Cool technology.

There are new advances in cool technology that finally provide a solution for hot sleepers.

 The coolest mattresses use advanced materials like Tempur-pedic Breeze and Sealy Chill. Gel has some limited cooling properties by itself but phase change materials are more advanced and provide more of a cooling effect that will drop your body temperature so you get to sleep quickly.

You have probably already heard of cool mattresses but how do you find the coolest?  

Sealy Chill and Tempur Breeze

Advanced phase change material found in Tempur-pedic Breezemattresses have proven successful in addressing the needs of hot sleepers. Tempur-Sealy is taking the innovation and applying it to more Sealy mattresses with Sealy Chill.

Phase change material like Sealy Chill and Tempur Breeze are designed to absorb heat and cool your body. When your body rests on a mattress with this new innovative cooling technology your excess heat is absorbed quickly so you can fall asleep faster.

Avoid spikes in temperature.

Have you ever pulled your blankets back up in the middle of the night? 

                Phase change material like Tempur Breeze and Sealy Chill help drop your temperature quickly and absorb excess heat to return to you when your body is resting in deep sleep. Your mattress should always keep you comfortable all night long so you get to stay in deeper sleep without interruption.

Mattress Direct is a factory direct showroom for Tempur-pedic, Sealy, Stearns and Foster, iDirect, King Koil, and Campbell Mattress of Missouri. We proudly carry mattresses made in USA such as the Sealy Posturepedic, King Koil, Sealy Posturepedic Hybrid, Sealy Conform, Tempurpedic Cloud, Tempurpedic Conform and Tempurpedic Flex, Stearns & Foster Estate, Stearns & Foster Lux Estate, Stearns & Foster Reserve and Stearns & Foster Hybrid. We are locally owned and operated serving the greater St. Louis area and growing. Please visit our factory direct mattress showrooms so you get the lowest price and the very best mattress for your particular needs.

Fibromyalgia or Chronic Arthritis? Relief Can Come From Your Mattress.

By: Dave Robben

During my nearly decade in the bedding industry, I have come across countless consumers actively seeking a solution for their chronic widespread pain. Many find it nearly impossible to even get out of bed in the morning.

For those people suffering from the debilitating effects of conditions such as chronic arthritis, fibromyalgia, or even osteoporosis, mornings can prove more difficult for most than any other part of the day.

According to the American College of Rheumatology, fibromyalgia affects between 3 and 6 million Americans. It primarily occurs in women of childbearing age, but children, the elderly, and men can also be affected. There is no “cure” for fibromyalgia, there are just suggestions of how to “manage the pain.” Fibromyalgia causes constant pain through the body. This pain can be heightened by long periods of sitting, laying or inactivity.

Outside of the helpful prescription medications, many are finding relief in their sleep system. Those who are affected by these conditions often suffer through the night due to their extreme hypersensitivity to pressure. While there have been tremendous strides in mattress technologies, most affected with these conditions are still sleeping on a surface constructed of hundreds of metal coils that are designed to push back against their body. This typically leads to pain and restless nights of tossing and turning.

Luckily, there are now many options in the marketplace that offer specific solutions to those afflicted with these conditions. New mattress models that offer proper back support and excellent pressure relief are becoming more and more commonplace. Some new mattress models are specifically constructed for people with fibromyalgia and additionally some even carry the Arthritis Foundation’s “Ease of Use Commendation.”

If you are struggling through the pain of one of these conditions, relief can be as simple as a new sleep surface. In your situation, the true definition of support is the “absence of pressure.” I would recommend consulting with your local sleep specialist and explaining your condition. A new mattress coupled with pain management could help you achieve a more normal and active lifestyle.

Dave Robben has been in the bedding industry for nearly 10 years. He has worked in corporate training, product selection, and consulting for major retailers and manufacturers. Mr. Robben currently works as Director of Retail Sales for Mattress Direct Inc., and serves as a guest columnist for Sleep Savvy magazine. Dave can be contacted by email at [email protected], and on twitter at @stlmattress