Pillows.com Blog

August 6, 2014August 6, 2014

The Truth About Snoring And What You Can Do To Stop It

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Snoring: The noise that keeps everybody awake but you…

According to WebMD, approximately 45% of the adult population snores, and studies suggest that men make up the majority of this group. While this might seem trivial, snoring can have grave repercussions both directly and indirectly. Not only does snoring cause spouses and other family members to have interrupted sleep cycles, but failure to seek treatment can cause marital/relationship issues, including couples sleeping in separate bedrooms. Furthermore, snoring can also be a warning sign for more serious health issues, such as obstructive sleep apnea, obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and more.

Image via http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2360193/One-couples-sleep-separate-beds.html

So, when should you seek treatment for your (or your spouse’s) snoring? Well, that depends. (However, seeking professional medical advice is almost always the best answer). But, if you’re in relatively good health and you suspect your snoring may be habit related, there are a few subtle changes that you can make to help eliminate snoring.

These changes include the following:

Change your pillows – No really, we’re not just saying that. Over time, dust mites can accumulate in pillows causing allergic reactions that sometimes lead to snoring.

Don’t allow pets on your bed – We know this is a tough pill to swallow, but pets, particularly those with long hair, frequently shed and inhaling these particles can heighten symptoms of snoring.

Drink Water – Hydration is a key requirement to help avoid snoring. When your nasal passages are dehydrated, secretions in the nose become stickier. This stickiness can lead to closed nasal passages ultimately causing you to snore.

Use a humidifier – Much like drinking water and staying hydrated, using a humidifier can put more moisture in the air allowing for less dryness in the nose leading to snore-free sleep.

Sleep on your side – If you normally sleep on your back, sleeping on your side can help reduce snoring as it decreases the chances of obstructing the airway.

Avoid alcohol and smoking – Although some people find alcohol helps to induce sleep, rarely is this REM sleep, the deepest stage of sleep. Furthermore, alcohol consumption before bed causes throat muscles to relax which can obstruct breathing passages. Smoking can cause inflammation leading to blocked nasal and throat passages, also leading to snoring.

Develop consistent sleep schedules – While it might seem being “too tired” would help you sleep better. Extreme fatigue can cause you to sleep heavy. Heavy sleep is associated with snoring. Thus, going to bed and getting up around the same time every day is ideal to combat snoring.

Following these tips can greatly improve your sleep as well as help combat snoring. And, while these tips may work for some, we can’t stress enough the importance of seeking advice from a medical professional to help ensure your case of the “snores” isn’t something much more serious.

July 24, 2014July 29, 2014

The Four Stages Of Sleep

Regular sleep for some is hard to come by. I find myself lying in bed, sometimes for hours, before I finally fall asleep. Before I can even enjoy some quality Z’s the alarm goes off and it’s time to get the day started again. Until recently, I had no idea that there were different stages of sleep, and each stage puts your body and mind through different actions. You will not receive a good night’s rest unless you understand how sleep works, and the benefits from the different stages of sleep.

Stage 1

The first stage of sleep (where I find myself most of the night) is the lightest stage of sleep. You aren’t really asleep yet, and you can easily be awoken. This transitional phase from light sleep to heavy sleep usually lasts 5-10 minutes. Your whole night’s rest can be affected on how you transition from stage to stage, so the quicker you can fall asleep the higher quality rest you will ultimately receive. If you’re mostly a stage 1 sleeper, or are one of those habitual snooze button pushers, you will always wake up feeling zombie like. Some people experience random muscle contractions in stage 1, so if you keep getting kicked by your significant other just hang in there, it will be over shortly.

[IMAGE]http://www.healgrowtransform.com.au/help-me-sleep-why-you-cant-sleep-what-to-do-about-it/

Side note–If you have trouble falling asleep quickly, here are a few tips:

1: Go to sleep and wake up at a set hour everyday.

2: Avoid using your ipad or phone before you sleep. The bright screens from computers, gadgets, and TVs can reduce your natural production of Melatonin, the hormone that regulates your sleep pattern.

3: STAY AWAY FROM CAFFIENE…at night (it’s ok coffee drinkers, breathe). If it’s absolutely necessary to start your day off with a coffee make sure it’s before noon so your body has time to wear off the caffeine before you go to sleep.

4: Keep your room at a cool temperature. Most people get the best sleep when the room temperature is around 65 degrees. Too hot or too cold of a room will affect the quality of sleep you get.

5: Avoid eating late at night. Your body will work to digest and absorb the nutrients so it can take longer to fall asleep.

Stage 2

Your brain begins to produce rapid, rhythmic brain waves called sleep spindles in stage 2. These waves stop your eye movement, body temperature decreases and your heart rate begins to slow. This is a comforting stage of sleep; where you won’t wake up from the slightest of noise, but also it won’t take a bullhorn to get you out of bed either. Those (weird) friends of yours who claim to never have dreams most likely sleep in stage 2 most of the night. Stage 2 transitionally lasts about 20 minutes; however you drift between stages throughout the night so some get caught in different stages longer than others.

[IMAGE]http://hometolife.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/hastens-comfortable-sleep-envirnment-bed-bedroom.jpg

Stage 3 Welcome to everyone’s favorite stage, the “sleeping like a log” stage. Stage 3 is when the brain completely turns your body into a rest machine by using deep, slow waves (delta waves). You become less responsive in this stage to noises or feeling, so someone could be hitting you with a pillow and you wouldn’t respond until the beat down is near completion. Babies and kids drift blissfully into stage 3, while it takes much longer for adults to be completely lights out. The very embarrassing bed-wetting or the freaky sleepwalking actions are most likely to occur at the end of this stage. Deep sleep is extremely important to your health. While you are in Stage 3 deep sleep, your body is working hard to repair/restore muscles and tissues with hormones that stimulate growth. It’s also believed that your immune system is repaired while you sleep. If you’re not getting the correct amount of sleep, not only will you feel groggy during the day, but you may be more susceptible to illness as well.

[IMAGE]http://www.brainlesstales.com/images/2011/Sep/sleeping-like-a-log.jpg

Exercise is extremely beneficial to a healthy lifestyle, and it is also a factor in how quickly you fall asleep. Many people believe that a good workout right before bed will put them to sleep right away. SPOILER ALERT: it actually has the opposite effect. When you work out your body temperature rises a couple degrees, however, when you are asleep your body temperature decreases. If you work out right before bed, your body has to work a little harder to bring the core temp down to a comfortable degree where it can relax and get to sleep. The best time to exercise is in the afternoon or early evening. After you get your workout in, your body has 3-5 hours to drop in temp (which is natural after working out). Once you are ready for bed, your body has decreased in temp and you will drift into some good sleep much quicker. Cardio is the preferred workout to do (to help you sleep faster) because it gets the heart pumping. Whether it’s walking the dog, going for a swim or running, make sure it’s routine so it help regulate sleeping patterns.

Stage 4

Stage 4 is the last stage of sleep, and it’s called REM sleep. REM stands for “rapid eye movement. This stage is where all the dreaming goes on. Your brain begins to work on hyper drive while your muscles become temporarily “paralyzed”. In the same way your body repairs and recovers in stage 3, your brain acts similarly in stage 4. All of your memories and experiences from the previous 24 hours are connected with past experiences, and the irrelevant info (ex. What you saw an old lady wearing) is forgotten. After REM sleep, your sleep cycle resets to stage 2, and progresses many more times throughout the night. REM sleep is brief the first time around, and gradually gets longer and longer after each cycle. Your last dream of the night is usually the longest, and can last up to an hour long! Overall, sleep is much more complex than you think. Each stage differs from one another, and you ultimately cycle through all 4 stages at least once a night. Everybody is different from one another, so we all can’t fall asleep to perfect patterns. There are little tricks here and there to ensure better sleep, but the biggest point is this: SLEEP IS ESSENTIAL!! As we age, we sleep less and receive fewer benefits from quality rest. Humans sleep for about 1/3 of their entire lives, so make sure you’re getting everything you can out of it. Sleep well folks.

Post Written by Pillow Expert Jesse E.

June 25, 2014June 25, 2014

How To Sleep Like A World Cup Pro!

Running back and forth a 100 yard field can be exhausting for the World Cup soccer players! You might ask yourself how they are able to do this for 90 minutes. The answer is in exercise and, of course, a full night’s sleep without any disruptions. Let’s look at how a professional athlete sleeps and what they use to help them.

Evaluating the Athletes

According to the National Sleep Foundation, a training expert is sent in to evaluate athletes sleeping conditions. This can be anything from lighting to beds to alarm clocks. These experts then make changes to an athlete’s room. The experts will also look into temperature and noise. Experts will begin with the environmental aspects of a room.

Watch Your Lighting

Light involves the use of blackout curtains when it comes to athletes rooms. They will keep the room sufficiently dark but not so dark that when you wake up in the middle of the night they don’t stub their toe. For a soccer athlete, that’s not good.

Try To Stay Cool

Temperature-wise, cool is better than warm. Being too hot or too cold can affect the way you sleep. A normal setting for cool temperatures is 65-68 degrees. You can also control these environmental factors by layering your bed with sheets, blankets, and comforters as well. Most athletes will use performance bedding that can help regulate temperature and moisture!

No Intrusive Noises

With noise, it’s important to understand that it is intrusive noise events, like doors banging, which are most disruptive for peoples sleep. This problem can be easily solved by masking the intrusive sounds with background noise, like a fan or sound machine. Keep in mind that it is important for athletes to have a reliable alarm clock as well.

Don’t Forget The Extras

You can’t forget some of the extras as well. This includes not taking advantage of the snooze button. These are the enemy of good sleep because it disrupts your internal circadian clock. Alcohol is a big no-no at big events such as the World Cup as well. Sure, it makes you sleepy at first, but then as your alcohol levels fall you sleep is more disrupted and fragmented than normal. It’s important to also personalize your sleep! Find what works for you and what kind of sleep surface you like. This all helps benefit those who need to get the most sleep for muscle regrowth and enhancement building! Don’t forget to check out our performance bedding and products to help customize your sleep so that you can be sleeping like a World Cup athlete! Sleep well. Live well.

Blog Author – Jesse S. – Bedding Expert