“Over 70 million Americans suffer from disorders of sleep and wakefulness.”
– SleepMed
Are you one of these Americans? From daily stress to not enough time, sleep often becomes the first daily necessity to suffer. It is the only place we can seem to find time we can shave off to do more, and even if we can find the time to get to bed, actually falling asleep can prove to be difficult.
According to Healthline, sleep deprivation can wreak havoc on our entire body. When our bodies don’t get the proper rest, it begins to affect everything from the central nervous system to your digestive system. It can lower your immune defenses making you susceptible to illness as well as chronic problems such as high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke. Some studies from Harvard Medical School suggest that too little sleep can also lend to weight gain. Even with all you know about the importance of sleep, how do you actually go about getting more?
I had the chance to try out the Carmel and Helena pillow sets from Brentwood Home, and it helped me reevaluate my own sleeping habits. Now that my toddler is on a more regular sleep schedule, it is time for me to get on board too. Here are tips I found to be helpful in my quest for more, quality sleep.
Commit to Your Hours
Ideally, adults should have about 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night. For many people that seems pretty much impossible. However, start by aiming to give yourself just an extra 10 to fifteen minutes. Cut out some of your tv time or lay out your clothes the night before so you can sleep a few extra minutes in the morning. Carve out just a few minutes of time to get a little more sleep, and work at it each week. Ditch the things that are unnecessary. Shave off some of your social media time or make those little ones stick to their own bedtime which will also help them. An extra hour seems impossible, but not if you work your way towards its.
Relax Before Bed
If you are running from chore to chore, finishing work, and chasing kids before you fall into bed, it might be difficult to go to sleep. Your brain is still in high gear and probably thinking about what you didn’t get done. Dedicate a little time to transition from life to bedtime. Take a bath or meditate in order to prepare your body for sleep. By giving your body external signals that it is time for bed, you will begin to relax before your head hits the pillow, making it easier to fall asleep. By keeping this routine, you will condition your body for rest. Think about it like Pavlov’s dogs. Your nightly schedule will begin to make you tired because your body knows that directly following is bedtime. It can help you avoid all that restless tossing and turning.
Don’t Eat a Big Meal Before Bed
Eating a large meal right before bed can cause heartburn which will prevent you from getting solid rest. Our bodies are designed to sit upright after we eat in order to properly digest food. When we lay down right after a meal, the acid from our stomach is more likely to reach our esophagus and cause the discomfort of heartburn. Be sure to eat dinner well before bed so your body has time to digest and use some of those calories. It is also a good idea to avoid spicy and sugary foods before bed. These foods can also prevent you from getting quality sleep.
Create a Sleep Schedule
Go to bed at the same time and get up at the same time, even on the weekends. It will put your body on a rhythm, and make it easier to fall asleep and wake up. Our bodies respond to rhythms, and if we regulate our sleep cycles, it will help all of our other internal rhythms. This will teach your body when to go to sleep, priming it for bedtime.
Try New Pillows
Is it neck or back pain keeping you awake all night? Can you never seem to get into the right position to fall asleep? It might be as easy as buying new pillows. Brentwood Home has made it their goal to create pillows from healthy materials to provide the comfort and support for customers to get the sleep they need in order to be the best version of themselves.
If support is what you need, the Carmel Latex Molded Pillow has a 100% cotton cover, and it is certified by Eco-Institut to be free of synthetic materials. The natural latex cradles your head and supports your neck as you sleep preventing potential neck and back pain. The natural latex keeps it shapes so you don’t have to fluff it. This proved to be perfect for my husband. He snores which disrupts my sleep, but the pillow gave him just enough lift to prevent his incessant snoring…which has helped both of us get a better night’s sleep. Its gentle firmness has transformed his sleeping habits.
I sleep better with a pillow that has a little more give. People that move frequently in the night need something with quick shaping support that has the soft cushion like that of cotton. The Helena Latex/Kapok Pillows have all natural latex ribbons on the inside with a heavenly softness that moves with you as you sleep. In combination with the kapok fiber, (which is so buoyant it was used in the design of the first life jackets) it has an amazing, downy feel to it. With covering created from organic cotton that hasn’t been treated with pesticides or fertilizers you can rest easier knowing you aren’t breathing in potentially toxic materials while you sleep. This was my favorite pillow because I can easily reposition it as I move throughout the night.
After having my son, I began to have bouts of terrible lower back pain which makes it difficult to stay in one sleeping position for very long. The soft, spring-y feel of the Helena supports the natural curve of my neck and keeps my spine aligned which has eased my back pain. I often use an extra pillow at the base of my spin or between my knees to help ease discomfort, and the Helena is soft enough to use without losing its shape. Now, I sleep like I did when I was a kid – deep, restful sleep. Having the support I need while I sleep also insures less back pain during the day. With more energy and less pain, I find myself be more productive and generally in a better mood. A new pillow might be the exactly what you need to change your sleep habits and be a better you.
You can enter to win your very own Sleep Wellness Bundle from Brentwood Home Pillows! One lucky reader will receive:
- Two (2) Latex/Kapok Pillows
- Two (2) Molded Latex Pillows
How to Enter to Win
Step#1: Please answer in the blog comments section below: What things to do you to help you sleep when you’re having trouble?
Step #2: Use this easy giveaway form below to record your entries – good luck!! The comment entry is the only mandatory one you must complete to enter. All others are purely optional for those that really want to win!
This post is written on behalf of Brentwood Home by me. All opinions remain my own.