Couple weeks back I received a down pillow from Pacific Coast, who offered me one of their Affirm pillows for a review.  Well, after trying them for a bit, I have to say they are the best down pillows I’ve ever tried and I am pretty pricky when it comes to pillows, I’ve tried all of them, down, memory foam, even hybrids.  Read the full review of these Pacific Coast Affirm down pillows on Bedzine.com.

After trying them out for 3 weeks now (and counting), I am glad to say these Pacific Coast Affirm pillows are the best down pillows I have ever tried.

Trust me, I tried everything from memory foam contour pillows, down pillows, and even hybrid memory foam/down pillows (these are good too) but as far as “pure down” pillows go, these Pacific Coast Affirm pillows are simply the best.

Starting from its quality manufacturing as you can tell by the seams in above photos, to comfiness when laying down on them, these Pacific Coast Affirm pillows are worth every penny.

a

For those of you who’s spouse or yourself snores so loud that you or your partner cannot sleep at night, it’s time for some serious change, the anti-snore device MySnoringSolution may be just what you need.

There are many snoring solutions out there but this one might be the best solution for those of you who don’t want a surgery nor chemicals sprayed into your mouth.

Here’s how it work, the snoring jaw suppoter basically keeps your lower jaw from opening and increases the airway, thereby eliminating snoring:

How it works – Snoring research has shown that a jaw supporter, keeping the lower jaw in an upward position increases the three dimensional space in the airway, reduces air velocity and soft tissue vibration. This action can eliminate or substantially reduce snoring.

A jaw supporter is based on the same principle as CPR. The airway must be open to allow air to pass through the throat. A constricted or collapsed airway causes snoring and/or OSA. A jaw supporter can hold the lower jaw in a position so that it does not fall backwards/down during the night and cause the airway to collapse. Maintaining a clear airway improves breathing and reduces snoring.

I have heard from some of my friends that this has worked wonders so I think this snoring jaw supporter could be the best anti-snoring device out there.

You can get it here for $89.97. It is not cheap by any means but if this anti-snore device fixes your snoring habits for good, it could pay for itself and a whole lot more restful sleep for your loved ones.

a

You must remember though, these electric blankets can eventually get worn out and cause fires.  They are one of the leading causes of house fires.

According to the Become Shopping Blog:

Even if your blanket it is less than 10 years old, you should still keep an eye out for obvious signs like scorch marks and fraying on the power cord. If you think there might be something wrong with your blanket, it’s better to be safe than sorry. It’s also worth getting it checked out by an expert every 2-3 years and many local councils offer an annual electric blanket inspection service free of charge.

I have to agree that if you use your electric blanket on a daily basis, make sure you swap them out for new ones at least every 10 years.   Besides protecting yourself from unwanted fires, electric blankets get better and safer every year.  It’s a small investment/insurance for your home.

New models of electric blankets are safer than ever and also offer new features that regulate the temperature to keep you even more comfortable. You should make sure that the electric blanket you buy has an automatic shutoff device.

via Become Shopping Blog

a

The whole report is over here and the research was spearheaded by Glasgow Sleep Centre at Glasgow University. The center admits hundreds of patients with sleep disorders yearly.

In relation to the research on insomnia, the director, Professor Colin Espie said:

“These kind of effects [not forcing sleep] are at least as good or better than a sleeping pill when it is working at its best.” He explained the programme worked by helping people allow sleep to occur naturally again.

Professor Espie said:  “What a good sleeper is often doing is resisting sleep and allowing it to be something that overtakes them, whereas bad sleepers try to evoke sleep, which encourages it to go away.”

So, the next time you find no relief in other methods that supposedly helps your insomnia, do the opposite and let sleep take over naturally.

a

Are you one of those people like me? Do you prefer sleeping with the TV on? I guess that for older people, this habit is already hard to break. It’s the younger sets we should be wary of developing this.

Television viewing at bedtime, and overall heavy television viewing, caused children to resist going to bed, to have trouble falling asleep, and to sleep less than the recommended eight hours. TV watching habits, such as falling asleep in front of the television, seemed to cause sleep disturbances in 25 percent of children with behavioral sleep disorders.

“Television may serve to displace sleep time, thus shortening sleep duration to unacceptable limits,” stated the report. “The time spent by the child in television viewing may substitute for other less sedentary and/or less passive activities (like playing outside, engaging in sports activities), resulting in poor-quality sleep.”

via this site

a

There are some practical ways to help you make sleeping above thousands of feet easy. For instance, you can avoid caffeinated drinks and also alcohol before you board your flight. Alcohol, in particular, has an adverse effect to you body while you are cramped inside the plane. Instead, just drink water. Lots and lots of it.

If you have to be careful with what you drink, then you also need to watch what you eat. Try bananas. They contain melatonin, which is a muscle relaxant. There’s a reason why they serve peanuts on flights. It’s packed with high-fiber to help your body relax. If you are a meat-eater, some meats may contain tryptophan which actually causes people to take naps after dinner.

The clothes and shoes you wear during travel may also be the reason why you are not getting the sleep you need. You could fuss and fidget over it, while you are at our seat so wear something comfortable, then.

You can also try music — soft and relaxing music. It helps your body adjust through the long flight.

Lastly, if you have planned the trip ahead of time, get the best seating reservation to get that peace and quiet you need for the next 18-hours or so.

via Courant 

a

What causes insomnia can be any of the follow below:

Excessive worrying

Illness — including painful arthritis, congestive heart failure that causes difficulty in breathing, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), among others.

Medications — for example, some drugs for hypertension and decongestants have stimulating effects; there are many others.

Consuming caffeine within six hours of bedtime. Lack of physical activity and/or exposure to natural outdoor light.

Sleep apnea, an obstruction of the airway, which can cause you to stop breathing repeatedly during the night. This forces the brain to keep waking you up to restart your breathing.

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) — which can make your legs so tingly that you feel an uncontrollable urge to move them.

Prostate problems, urinary incontinence, or or a urinary tract infection that makes you run to the bathroom several times a night.

a

A research by the Tempur-Pedic’s Wellness Advisory Board says that most adults still acknowledge the importance of sleep. As this report says:

Regardless of whether American adults are actually taking their own advice, they overwhelmingly understand that sleep is every bit as important to their health as proper exercise and nutrition. The survey found that American adults believe sleep (42%) more so than exercise (39%) and far more than nutrition (19%) does the most to restore their sense of well-being

The research further discovered that:
- Sleep is the first choice of Americans in their wellness regimen: one and a half times more than proper diet and two times more than exercise.
- Three out of four Americans (76%) say a good night’s sleep makes them feel younger. Women are more likely to say this than are men.
- A pillow is America’s favorite sleep accessory – and it is nine times more important for a good night’s sleep than a sleep partner.
- Nine out of ten Americans (91%) consider the investment they made in their mattress to be an investment in their well-being.
- Americans spend about as much on their mattress as they do their sofa (36%) or their television (34%). Nearly two out of ten (17%) equate their mattress spending to what they spent on their vacation.

You can view the complete findings of the research via Emaxhealth.

Photo is by Anne Geddes

a

From its accompanying manual, this is what it says about the product: Based on more than 23 years of scientific research, our Tranquil Moments Sound Therapy white noise machine is a natural sleep aid that will help you achieve deeper states of sleep, relaxation and renewal. This innovative sleep sound machine uses five nature soundscapes and seven engineered sounds developed by the Center of Neuroacoustic Research.

It has about 12 different sounds that provide a peaceful ambience. And while you’re at it, you can probably partner this by lighting essential oil or aromatic incense to really give that room its relaxing atmosphere.

This gadget does not only help you go to sleep. You can also use this for meditation and yoga exercises.

a

Young children need to be trained to a routine. Parents ought to set up a schedule, like for instance: dinner at 7, bath time at 7:30 and then bed time by 8:30. And parents should stick to the routine. Consistency is important with young children because that is the way they form their habits, especially good sleeping habits. It would be very hard at first but with proper conditioning, it will all be set.

Some limits must also be established. Ideally, part of the conditioning would have to mean parents must enforce some rules about bedtime, such as — no more playing past 8:30; or once in bed, the children must not be allowed to climb out. Some limits must also be set in regards to crying. Should parents immediately come to the attention of the child once she starts crying? In some cases, that strategy won’t work.

Parents should always muster enough patience in dealing with a child’s sleep issue. Stressing about it will not be good for the child and even for the parent. Build the routine step by step and in no time, you will see that making kids go to sleep will be easier.

More guides to making children go to sleep here.

Photo courtesy of National Heart, Lung & Blood Institute.

a

Proudly put on this badge after you read the great info from sleepnaked.org! Check out just a bit of the benefits of sleepin in your birthday suit!

Comfort and health

Not only is sleeping naked more comfortable, but it’s good for your health too. Increasing your level of comfort makes it easier for you to relax and sleep, so you get a better night’s kip. The resulting deeper, longer sleep makes it easier for your body to regenerate and repair itself, and build up your energy for the day ahead.
Sexual benefits

If you sleep with a partner, being naked heightens the level of intimacy between you, and you are likely to have sex more often. You may also feel closer to your partner as a result of sleeping naked with them. There is also evidence of improved fertility in men as a result of being in cooler conditions thanks to wearing less clothing.
Work and lifestyle benefits

If you find yourself tired in the morning or during the day even though you’ve had at-least eight hours sleep, you may only be sleeping lightly for that period of time. As mentioned earlier, sleeping naked allows your body to relax more immediately, and you are more likely to fall into a deeper sleep more quickly and wake up refreshed.

But don’t just take my word for it, try it out!

a

Home after a long day? Turn on the Tranquil Moments from Brookstone! With three different categories, each with four unique sounds to help you wind down, this just what you need after a rough day at work.

Sleep soundly with our amazing sleep sound machine!
Based on more than 23 years of scientific research, our Tranquil Moments Sound Therapy white noise machine is a natural sleep aid that will help you achieve deeper states of sleep, relaxation and renewal. This innovative sleep sound machine uses five nature soundscapes and seven engineered sounds developed by the Center of Neuroacoustic Research.

A Brookstone exclusive, our white noise machine works like a dream!
A great natural sleep aid, Tranquil Moments plays sounds based on Delta, Alpha, or Theta brainwaves—coaxing your brain to “match” these frequencies and enter healthier states of repose. Choose a range of relaxing sounds, from a summer chorus of crickets to authentic NASA recordings.

This little unit is dream come true for anyone that wants to be lulled to sleep! It’s got 30, 60, and even 90 minute timers so you don’t have to get up to shut it off. And to appease your bedmate, there is even a headphone jack so that you can listen without affecting them! BAM!

I especially like the quality of the recordings. Among the 12, “White Noise” and “Thunder Storm” are my favorites. For the campers out there, “White Noise” will make you feel like you just laid down in your sleeping bag after a great day of hiking and BBQ’s! The “Thunder Storm” gives you that wonderful feel of the distant rolling thunder….not the crashing thunder above your head, of course. Anyways, enjoy!

a