If you suffer from migraines, you know the drill. Avoid caffeine and strong scents. Cross your fingers and hope the barometric pressure doesn’t change. Have some sumatriptan on hand. Keep the lights low and try hard not to throw up. Gulp.

More than half of all patients in sleep clinics have sleep disorders

Five million Americans had at least one migraine last month, and 30% of women suffer from migraines at some point during their lifetimes. There is also strong evidence that headaches tend to run in families.

Looking beyond hormones

Some migraine triggers, like hormonal shifts, are well known. One important but lesser known trigger is no shocker to us:  poor sleep. According to the American Migraine Association, “In specialty headache clinics, well over half of headache patients have chronic sleep problems.”  Which makes sense, because the same area of the brain that controls sleep also controls headaches and mood.  One telltale sign that sleep may be the culprit: waking up with a headache.

Disrupted sleep cycles

So what’s going on here? While it hasn’t been conclusively proven, it’s commonly thought that the lack of deep, restful sleep is a major factor in headaches. Poor sleep does more than leave us tired. It interferes with the night’s healthy sleep cycles, leaving them incomplete.

Quick recap:  Sleep isn’t just one long period of uneventful rest. Your brain cycles through different kinds of sleep with various functions for each.  The brain uses those cycles to cleanse, repair and refresh itself along with the rest of your body. Cycles repeat about four times a night through a progression of slow-wave sleep, deep sleep, and REM sleep. The first two are mostly for healing the body, while REM refreshes your emotions and memory.  But all the types of sleep rely on completed, repeated cycles to get their jobs done.

Headache sufferers often miss out on sleep cycles 3 and 4, the most restorative cycles of the night. That leaves us low on serotonin and dopamine, the brain’s feel-good chemicals, which can lead to depression and feeling pain more acutely.

According to Dr. Ben Smarr, neurobiologist and circadian rhythms specialist, when you don’t get enough restful sleep, “Not only are your brain’s transmitters not reset, but metabolic wastes aren’t fully cleaned. When your brain isn’t reset emotionally or intellectually, it works less efficiently. This makes everything in your day harder to manage, including pain.”

Here are a couple of specific sleep issues linked to headaches.

Snoring and Sleep Apnea

Does your partner say you snore? Do you already know you do? If you suffer from headaches in the morning on any consistent basis, snoring or sleep apnea could be a cause. Sleep apnea is nothing to mess around with; it can have some very serious health consequences. See a doctor.

Poor sleep habits

that people who get six hours or less of sleep have far more headaches. Too much sleep, i.e., 8.5 hours or more for adults, is no good either. An unstable sleep schedule will also lead to headaches. Go to bed at a consistent time, get the appropriate amount of sleep, darken your room, keep it cool and keep distractions to a minimum. For more advice on good sleep hygiene, click .

Btw

While we’re at it, an easy non-sleep-related thing you can do that may prevent migraines is to drink a little water at bedtime. Dehydration is a major cause of headache. Keep a glass of water on your nightstand and take a few sips if you wake up in the middle of the night.

Rolling out of bed with a headache stinks, frankly. If you’re like most people, you’d probably like to get off to a cheerful start each day. So try improving your sleep to see if it makes a difference. Other than insomnia and headaches, what have you got to lose?

Sleep has become an even larger factor than ever before and not having the comfort or support in a time where you may be in bed for an abnormal amount can be detrimental to long term physical health. Now, more than ever it is important to have a bed that gives you a great night's sleep without waking you up sweating or with aches and pains. Mattress Direct is here to help anybody and everyone find their perfect bed for less. Being local means caring for the community especially during difficult times like right now. Even if you're unable to come in to a store or concerned about the current state of things, Mattress Direct has an incredibly easy and simple way of shopping around without even having to take a step in the store. You can shop online and are even able to pay with PayPal or Venmo for an online order and not have to worry about card information which makes the process quick and effortless. The best service and prices from people who live in your neighborhood!

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.

Conveniently located in Washington Crossing next to Super Market of Shoes and adjacent to the Schnucks Super Center at the corner of 100 and 47. Mattress Direct Washington showroom displays the entire Simmons Beautyrest and Serta iComfort catalog, as well as Campbell Mattresses which are proudly made in Missouri. Mattress Direct always guarantees the lowest price on every mattress on display. Don't pay retail. You save money when you order your Mattress Direct.Come in and let one of our dedicated Sleep Specialists help you find the mattress that best for the way you sleep.

Keeping your business local is more important than ever now. It's something I think about with all my daily purchases nowadays. Helping build your community & reinvesting in the my community has always clicked with me. But a lot of times only helps solve part of the equation. Having industry trained specialist that are here to help fit you & your specific needs is how you can focus on whats important while , saving the most on quality products & keeping your money local.

Storeroom Manager : Ray -  ray@stlmattressdirect.com

Ray has been around the mattress industry for 20 years helping people find the perfect mattress for themselves. When not helping people get a great night's sleep Ray loves spending time with his wife especially listening to music and dancing with his two young girls.

With Mattress Direct Since : 2014

Personal Pillow : Bedgear Level 1

Favorite Mattress : Beautyrest Black K Class Plush Pillow Top

Favorite Movie: True Romance

Mattress Direct

2064 Washington Crossing
Washington MO 63090
636-432-1920 click to call

Showroom Hours

Monday – Friday 10AM – 8PM
Saturday 10AM – 6PM
Sunday 11AM – 5PM

Marshal Homer Gray

When Homer was just a little boy growing up on the farm in Missouri, he learned early to value the little things.

I still remember, one Christmas on the farm, as he sat comfortably in his recliner in the corner of the living room, enjoying watching his grandchildren unwrapping holiday gifts. A sweat shirt, a toy, a book, a collectible horse figure. Something for each of us, and even then I knew that he was very proud of his family and that each of us had a gift beneath the tree. I've always been one for nostalgia, and so it was natural to me to ask him then, "Grandpa, when you were little, what would you ask for for Christmas?" He thought for a moment, and you could see the cherished memories reflecting in the corner of his eye, and he told us all. "One year, my dad carved me a wooden car with wheels that rolled...but most years, we were so excited to get new socks, and an orange." The holidays mean a lot of things to a lot of people, but since that Christmas on the farm, every Christmas, I buy a bag of oranges, and make sure to tell anyone who will listen, how excited Homer was to get an orange for Christmas when he was just a boy.

So you climb into bed late at night, snuggle up next to your already-sleeping partner, and he immediately yelps. Cold feet strike again. An age-old nemesis to cuddling. Especially now that winter is upon us. Cold feet are common and often accompanied by cold hands. Which begs the question: what’s putting the chill into so many of us?  As with much of life, the answer is, “it depends.”

Reynaud’s Syndrome

Reynaud’s is a common condition which causes cold feet and hands. The human body naturally reacts to colder temperatures by going into heat conservation mode. Your body’s priority is to protect your organs, which are essential for life and kept functioning by the larger blood vessels. In extreme cold, the body is designed to sacrifice the outer extremities first in order to keep the organs functioning. Obviously, that means the feet and hands. With their smaller blood vessels, they are more susceptible to cold. In people with Reynaud’s Syndrome, that reaction gets amped up. Their small blood vessels are more sensitive than normal to fluctuations in temperature, overcompensating in cooler temperatures and sometimes also in warmer temperatures. Women are five times more likely than men to have Reynaud’s Syndrome, but thankfully, it is not usually serious.

Why women are more likely to have cold feet

In women, all aspects of the body, including the blood vessels, are influenced by estrogen. Fluctuations in estrogen can affect the blood supply to the hands and feet. In addition, there’s body composition as a factor. For better or for worse, women have 10% more body fat than men. This keeps our organs protected, and also helps to protect babies in the womb, but it also means that it’s slightly harder for the body to push blood to the outer surface of the skin.

More serious causes

Other more serious underlying conditions can cause cold feet and hands. Among them is atherosclerosis, i.e., a symptom commonly related to heart disease. With atherosclerosis, plaque builds up in the arteries, causing decreased circulation to the feet. Another potential cause is hypothyroidism (an underactive thyroid). Hypothyroidism mainly affects women, causing cold feet and a myriad of other related symptoms. If you are over 50 and your cold feet are a relatively recent development, it may be worth a trip to the doctor to see if atherosclerosis is the cause. In the case of hypothyroidism, this can come on at any age. Other symptoms include difficulty losing weight, thinning hair, bloating, muscle pain, constipation and sluggishness in the morning. Again, it’s worth a trip to the doctor if you’re experiencing any of these.

Remedies

Assuming you don’t have a more serious underlying condition, the remedies are simple and few. Light exercise can help temporarily increase blood flow to extremities. But the most practical advice is to rethink socks. Decide socks are the new sexy and embrace them. Think of them with the love many of us feel for shoes. With that in mind, we took to Etsy to find some beautiful handmade socks, and also to support individual artisans. Here are our five favorite pairs. We wish you a cozy winter, from head to toe.

Sleeping In A Hole

Ever wonder why your back is sore when you wake up from sleeping? Feel like you got an eight hour back work out while you were sleeping? Can’t relax in bed in the morning because the back pain makes you uncomfortable? It is probably because you are sleeping in a trench! "If you can fit three fingers between your lower back and the mattress, then it's not giving enough support," says Karin Mahoney, director of the Better Sleep Council. When your body doesn’t receive the proper support it needs while you sleep, your back ends up doing all the work, hence the back pain when you wake up. Mahoney recommends rotating the mattress by 180 degrees every six months or so to keep the pressure even as the mattress is being used. Sleep experts are always hesitant to recommend the perfect model, material or brand of mattress, due to the fact that comfort is subjective and therefore different per individual, but medium-firm has been shown in studies and through patient reports to be comfortable for most people. Your body will let you know when it is time for an upgrade when you regularly wake up with stiffness, numbness and back pain! It is common practice to test-drive mattresses at hotel chains before committing to a purchase, or working with a distributor that has a comfort guarantee to truly test out the mattress. For the shopper that shops on averages, according the industry data, queen-sized innersprings are the most popular in the U.S. but the new gel mattresses are said to be a comfortable and low stress alternative.

-https://bettersleep.org

Pillow Height

A pillow is essential to a good night’s sleep and waking up feeling energetic! This is when it really matters if you are a back, side, or stomach sleeper. The purpose of a pillow is to properly align the spine but if you don’t get the right fit for the pillow you could be doing more harm than good. For the stomach sleepers, you have to make sure your pillow isn’t too thick. If you get a pillow that is too thick it will push your head back! Not only will this be extremely uncomfortable but it could also cause some knots in your neck. For the back sleepers, a medium sized pillow seems to be best. If you go too thin you won’t have the proper support for your head and neck but if you go too thick your chin will be touching your chest. You will know when you found the right level when your head isn’t being forced into an awkward angle. Last but not least, the side sleepers. The typical side sleeper seems to have a fairly large profile and space to fill when they are on their side. This is when a thick pillow comes into play. Thick pillows can typically fill the big gap efficiently, providing the amount of support side sleepers crave. A well sized pillow can save you from weeks of unwarranted neck and shoulder pain.

Breathe Easy

            The optimal way to breathe in general is through the nose, says Nancy Collop, MD, president of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Our noses warm the air and filter out dirt and other particles. When sleeping, especially when on the back, breathing passageways can start to be partially obstructed either by your tongue or objects around you. When an air passage is blocked, the typical response is to open the mouth creating another air passage. Breathing through the mouth, especially while sleeping, can lead to snoring, throat irritation, intense dry mouth and even abnormal respiration and sleep apnea. This is when adjustable bases become medically advantageous. That’s right; they aren’t just for sitting up in bed to see the TV better! With a slight lift of the head, typically referred to as a pillow tilt, you can help open up the breathing pathways which allow you to use your nose, stop the snoring, and most importantly, sleep throughout the night.

- https://aasm.org/

Too Hot In Here?

            The body actually uses temperature to help us get tired and prepare us for sleep. Cold temperatures make us drowsy, and a falling core body temperature helps us get to sleep faster. If you want to fall asleep faster and more efficient, try and help this process along. You can do this by turning down the heat and keeping your bedroom cool (ideally, around 60 to 68 degrees). Opening the windows also helps bring in fresh, oxygen-rich air (unless you live near a freeway), which can contribute to a healthy sleep cycle. Most importantly, it is good to know that there is a certain period of REM sleep during which your internal heating and cooling systems change and you become more sensitive to the temperature of the air around you. If you wake up at this point it may interrupt the point in your sleep cycle where you are actually gaining energy. Luckily, technology has advanced in the mattress industry and most mattresses have some sort of way to orientate your temperature. These gel foams or phase change materials won’t make you cold but they do keep you at one sleeping temperature so that you don’t awake to any temperature changes and can sleep fully throughout the night.

A Cool Bed Just Isn’t Cool Enough!

            Even if you sleep on a cooler mattress, in a cold room, you may still wake up soaked in sweat. This is commonly due to your sheets or even your pajamas underperforming. Luckily, the mattress industry has advanced in stride when it comes to heat. Several new technologies and products address the problem of night sweats and overheating, such as: cooling mattress protectors, performance protectors and sheets that are made from wicking fabrics, and even pillows with cooling technology.

Tossing And Turning?

If you get mad at your significant other every time they get in and out of bed for waking you up, stop getting mad at them and get mad at your mattress. The mattress jiggles are a problem of the past nowadays with most decent mattresses being made with independently pocketed coils. With the coils no longer being connected through a steal rod, they act independently of one another, minimizing the movement between you and your partner. Memory foam is also known to help with this type of dynamic response! If you really need to tackle that mattress movement, your best bet is a little of both worlds; a hybrid!