Blog posts tagged with 'sleep health'

You probably remember seeing a movie or a TV show that kept you awake at night. For me that show was Unsolved Mysteries. The show would highlight various unsolved gruesome crimes then highlight the fact that whoever did the heinous act they had just reenacted was still roaming free and ready to strike again. 

Perhaps there are nights you can remember lying in bed after a scary movie or television program.

What is going on in our body that makes a TV show affect us so much? Why do some people like to be scared even if it makes them lose sleep over it?

While you watch a good horror movie your heart rate and breathing speed up. Scary movies make you feel scared (go figure) and for many people watching a scary movie makes your body react the same way it would if there was something really scary there that could hurt you. You may have heard the term fight or flight, but the increase in heart rate and breathing helps your body supply more oxygen and blood flow to areas that would normally be needed to run away from something. Instead you may just need to run to get a refill of popcorn.

If you are really feeling scared your body may even tense up or even squeeze or move involuntarily that’s noradrenaline’s fault. Noradrenaline is a hormone that carries signals around the body and that tense feeling is a signal that something important is going to happen. Scary movies trick you into feeling like you are in danger so you tense up.

Scary movies can make you feel so stressed that cortisol levels in the body can rise. Cortisol is known as the stress hormone and is linked to memory loss and depression. It can also trigger bad memories because cortisol is released during trying times. Scary movies play with our fight or flight and stress management systems in our body. Adrenaline levels also spike. Scary movies make your body feel excited. The fun of watching a scary movie is being scared which may not seem to make a whole lot of sense.

However, recent research shows that dopamine gets released by your brain during a scary situation. Dopamine is generally considered a chemical the brain released to feel a sense of pleasure but it is also released during stressful and upsetting circumstances as well. This release of dopamine may be why we seek out scary movies despite the stressful feelings they may cause us to feel.

If you are not as affected by scary movies the reasons may be genetic. I no longer feel the strain of Unsolved Mysteries when I catch it on reruns. Scary movies may not cause strong reactions in every one but some research has suggested that some people may be more likely to be affected by disturbing imagery than others based on the doubling of a particular gene. If you have two copies of this particular gene you are much more likely to feel scared by scary movies.

No matter how scary a movie is you should not suffer from sleepless nights very long. Your body should be able to comfortably relax in bed most every night. If you are lying awake or feeling less than refreshed in the mornings visit Mattress Direct for a proper mattress fitting. Trained sleep specialists from Mattress Direct can keep you from feeling like a zombie or any other horror monster by ensuring you get the right mattress with characteristics that match your body type and sleep styles.

Fall Foods that help you Fall Asleep

Pumpkins are a staple of Fall. All the delicious pumpkin products are available to enjoy. Pumpkin pie, Pumpkin bread, Pumpkin spiced everything but you may be surprised to learn that pumpkins contain a wonderful sleep aid inside.

Pumpkin seeds are very small but each pumpkin contains hundreds of them and they are packed with incredibly valuable nutrients. Consuming just a small amount of will provide your body with significant quantities of healthy fats, magnesium and zinc.

An ounce of shelled pumpkin seeds provides the body with manganese, phosphorous, iron, zinc, copper, heathy fats, protein, antioxidants and other benefits.

Some studies have shown that in people with low magnesium levels getting more magnesium can help with sleep. Pumpkin seeds are loaded with magnesium. These wonderful seeds also contain tryptophan. Tryptophan is an amino acid that promotes sleep. Additionally, the zinc found in pumpkin seeds is also used in the body to convert tryptophan into serotonin in the brain.

You can also find tryptophan in another delicious nap-inducing meal.

Turkey is famous for putting over-stuffed families celebrating Thanksgiving to sleep after the big meal. How does this work? Even though turkey contains tryptophan not all of the credit for putting you to sleep can be given to this one amino acid. More than likely, the cause for feeling tired after eating Thanksgiving dinner is the massive amount of carbohydrates and food your body has to process. When we eat large amounts of carbs our insulin spikes which initiates rapid glucose uptake. When a fall in blood glucose takes place afterward we feel tired. Often this is referred to as a sugar crash.

If turkey  or pumpkin seeds aren’t your thing don’t worry because many foods contain tryptophan such as nuts, red meat, chicken, seeds, lentils and eggs.

If you like to have a warm glass of tea as the temperatures and leaves begin to fall you can still help yourself fall asleep. Chamomile tea is often cited as a popular remedy to get to sleep. Also, passionfruit tea has been listed by many as a great choice to help you sleep. Just drink a glass of chamomile or passionfruit tea an hour before bed. At the very least you can enjoy a nice cup of warm tea without worrying about excess caffeine that can keep you alert and unable to sleep.

What a great season to enjoy a moment of rest. Fall is the season for delicious food, warm tea and pumpkin seeds. Enjoy!

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.  

Recently, Mattress Direct posted a blog entry about the link between exercise and sleep.  Today, we want to give you some extra motivation to help you along your way to more alert days and more restful nights!  While it may not be the usual time of year people think of when they consider making a change to a more active lifestyle, (that’s usually New Year’s Eve and swimsuit season!) we think Autumn is a great time to turn over a new leaf!  (Pun intended.) 

First, and this is especially true in the St. Louis area, Fall has the best weather for outdoor exercise.  Walking, biking, hiking, and even running are at their most enjoyable in the crisp, temperate days of early fall.  While it’s easy to get discouraged in the 100-degree, 80% humidity dog days of summer, the 50-to-70-degree days of October and November are simply ideal to get in a great workout and enjoy the changing colors of the season.  Additionally, many families experience “back to school” at this time of year, and may have more free time than they did over the summer. 

If you find your mornings and afternoons have suddenly been freed up now that the kids are out of the house, take advantage and get active!   If you’re the type of person that prefers exercising with a group, consider finding a nearby club of walkers, hikers or bikers to keep you motivated and accountable. 

You don’t have to wait until you wake up January First with a hangover and a muffin top to make the commitment to better health and a better night’s sleep.  Here are some great hiking and bike trails in the St. Louis area that we recommend you check out during the next few weeks of gorgeous fall weather.  Let us know your favorite spots in the comments below!

https://www.stlmag.com/health/10-St-Louis-Hiking-and-Biking-Trails-Not-to-Miss/

http://stlouis.cbslocal.com/top-lists/top-hiking-trails-in-st-louis/

http://stlouisco.com/ParksandRecreation/Trails/TrailsbySurfaceType/PavedTrails

http://www.stltoday.com/lifestyles/health-med-fit/toughest-trails-near-st-louis/article_28f11624-d150-5453-9652-16f62ec7bf84.html

Adjustable mattress foundations and Zero bases are more popular than ever.


Are you struggling to find room in your house for everyone? Do you notice yourself propping up pillows in the bedroom so you can sit up to watch TV? Are any other members of the family trying to spend waking hours in bed because they need space to relax?

An adjustable base makes your house feel bigger

More families than ever are discovering how much more comfortable space their homes seem to have when every member of the family is content to lounge in their bedroom comfortably. Adjustable bases take the place of a standard box spring. The head and feet portion of the mattress foundation are controlled to lift so you can sit up in bed or elevate your feet for better back and hip alignment.

Sleeping on an adjustable mattress base is better than sleeping flat but many back and neck strains are caused even before bed when young students or parents prop their heads up to finish homework assignments or watch TV. 

Our backs always benefit when we can provide proper alignment and support to allow muscles to relax and avoid strains. Avoid the pain.

Never stub your toe on the coffee table in the middle of the night again

If you sometimes find yourself walking through a dark house after falling asleep in the living room on a couch or chair just think of how much better your back would feel if you fell asleep in an ergonomic lounging position in bed. With one touch of your remote control your bed, not you, will move and adjust to your sleep position if you happen to wake up before it’s time to start your morning.

Enjoy time alone with your partner in the most comfortable spot in the house.

You may be struggling to make alone time with yourself and your partner.
Let the family have the family room. Partners love watching TVs, tablets, reading, or cuddling in a relaxed lounging position in bed. No more strained necks from contorting to see the TV. Try an adjustable base and make yourself comfortable. Give your family a little bit of space so you can max out your time to relax. Adjustable bases are available in twin sizes as well. If you are tired of losing the living room to your kids, an adjustable base can make their rooms more desirable with better positions available for browsing computers or completing homework.

If you feel adding additional comfortable space in your house would provide some benefit check out an adjustable base. Many adjustable bases have convenient features like charging ports so if you like to work or play on electronic devices late into the night you can keep going from the comfort of your reclining adjustable mattress set.

Whether you are looking for better alignment when you sleep, more comfort while you watch TV, more space to enjoy a movie or a book with your partner or a better spot for the children to do homework an adjustable mattress can be the perfect solution for maximizing the space of your home.

All Mattress Direct factory direct show rooms have mattress specialists trained to fit you for the best mattress for your sleep needs.  Plus, Mattress Direct makes shopping for the right mattress easy with our nationwide guaranteed lowest price factory direct savings. You get the lowest prices on everything in our showroom up-front so we can focus on finding the best mattress to help you.

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.

By Justin Taylor

Rule number 10: Replace when you ache.

Retail stores constantly spend money on advertisements that tell you to replace your mattress on some arbitrary timeline. However, I am here to tell you that this is terrible advice.

Why?

Because your mattress may be fine after that amount of time and you don’t want to fix something that isn’t broken. Or what felt great to you a few years ago might not feel as good now. Our bodies change constantly! We may fluctuate in weight or might have better or worse health conditions---those lead to whether or not we are getting the best sleep at the time.

Our taste buds change every 7 years our support needs may change too!

How can you tell when you should replace your mattress?  Replace when you ache.

If you wake up with a sore back or aching shoulders then you know your mattress needs replaced, because it’s not working for you. If you wake up feeling refreshed when you wake up then your mattress is doing what it’s supposed to, whether it is 2 or 12 years old.

Common life changes may cause you to want a new mattress suddenly.

Changes in weight may require an increase in support. Changes in sleep position may require more pressure relief or more support. Hormonal changes can get you sleeping hot. Sealy Chilland Tempur Breeze cooling technology are huge advances in sleep technology for you if you need to sleep cooler.

If your sleep partner is unhappy with your current mattress many solutions are available today that address the sleep needs for both of you.

Make sure everyone is getting great sleep by sharing information about your sleep issues with your Mattress Direct sleep specialist. We can fit you and your partner for a mattress that makes you both excited to get to bed at night. If either of you are struggling from heat, aches or stiffness when you wake up it’s time to replace your mattress.

Your mattress may have been wrong for you from the start.

Any amount of time spent on a mattress that is wrong for you is too much. Unfortunately, this is a common issue because many retail stores can make shopping so confusing. If you can, put this mattress in a guest room and replace your mattress. Everyone deserves to wake up feeling refreshed. Mattress Direct offers 1 year of comfort assurance to ensure your mattress fits your needs.

All Mattress Direct factory direct show rooms have mattress specialists trained to fit you for the best mattress for your sleep needs.  Plus, Mattress Direct makes shopping for the right mattress easy with our nationwide guaranteed lowest price factory direct savings. You get the lowest prices on everything in our showroom up-front so we can focus on finding the best mattress to help you.

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.

          Kids need a lot of sleep. Depending on their age, children need to sleep anywhere from 9 to 14 hours a night to provide optimal time for their bodies to rest and recharge for the next day. Without the proper amount of sleep kids can be less attentive in school, have delayed response time, loss of short-term memory, and develop behavioral issues such as anxiety and anger management. Not only does it affect cognitive development but not having the proper amount of sleep can also lead to obesity. Setting a proper schedule for sleep in children can help kid’s growth and prevent them from having sleep problems in the future. The average adult who doesn’t get the proper amount of sleep can develop heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, strokes, depression, anxiety, forgetfulness, and impaired judgement. Setting the right schedule when people are younger allows people to continue this into adulthood and prevent future problems.

            Not only can lack of sleep affect behavior in children and have future consequences it also affects growth.  The pituitary gland excretes growth hormone during the day, but most of the gland’s release is right after a child falls asleep and continues throughout the night. If a child is not receiving a full night’s rest of quality sleep the child might grow more slowly or have a lack of regulating hormones in their body. These hormones do more than just regulate growth; they regulate how the body reacts to food and again how children react to certain stresses or situations. When the body doesn’t get enough sleep and hormones children begin craving higher calorie carb food which can lead to insulin resistance and possibly diabetes.

Recommended quality sleep for Children per Day

1-3 Years Old: 12 - 14 hours

3-6 Years Old: 10 - 12 hours

7-12 Years Old: 10 - 11 hours

12-18 Years Old: 8 - 9 hours

                Children need more than just the hours of sleep their sleep quality is just as important, if not more so, as it is in adults. These are the years that people grow the most physically and mentally. Sleep is crucial to maintaining health for child’s whole life. They need pressure relief and support on their young bodies so that they do not develop chronic pain and get the full rest they deserve. When looking at support systems for your child the number one thing is get something new. Hand me down clothing is one thing, but a hand me down mattress produces a myriad of problems. The mattress is older and has been slept on by, more than likely, two people and if the mattress is not providing enough support for the original user(s) then why would it provide enough support for a child? Second a hand me down mattresses have dust mites, sweat, dead skin cells, etc. inside of the mattress and it could create issues for children, especially for those who have allergies.

                When looking at the different types of support for the child let them have a say in picking out a new mattress. It is remarkable to watch children picking out a new sleep system—they really know what they want and how it feels to them. Just like adults the type of support they need is determined by how they sleep. Ask your child what position they like to sleep in. More than likely they will know the answer.  If your child tends to sleep on their side a mattress with more pressure relieving material or foams would be a better choice; while back and stomach sleepers tend to need a little bit less. Finding the right amount of pressure relief is unique to every child. Just because a child can sleep on anything or anywhere does not mean they should. Also children need room to grow and stretch. Get the biggest mattress the space allows for.  

                Starting kids out right allows for them to be healthier for the rest of their lives. 

http://www.babycenter.com/0_the-connection-between-sleep-and-growth_3658990.bc

http://kidshealth.org/parent/general/sleep/sleep.html#

Help kids get a better night's sleep with Mattress Direct's new King Koil Kids line! These mattresses are designed to help a child's growing body get the sleep they need and reach their full potential!