If someone asks you what is your favorite sleeping position and you answer, "the recliner," don't miss these tips on how to get a good night's sleep. Sleep is too important to ignore. You owe this to yourself.    The Link Between Dementia and Lack of Sleep Growing evidence shows that lack of sleep increases the risk of developing Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia. This is a significant concern for middle-aged Americans. But, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the United States, we're learning that poor sleep quality in younger people may also increase risk.   "Studies have suggested that sleep patterns earlier in life may contribute to later dementia risk. Both insufficient sleep and sleeping longer than average are linked to a great likelihood of developing dementia."   The Importance of Sleep Hygiene and Sleeping Position   Research involving 7,000 men and women in the...

It’s anyone’s guess whether or not we’re finally going to abandon a well-meaning but brutal practice of sleep deprivation. On March 15th of this year, the US Senate successfully passed the Sunshine Protection Act to eliminate DST (Daylight Savings Time) starting January 2023. Unfortunately, the House of Representatives has yet to move it forward. I believe the consensus is that they’d like to sleep on it. But, wouldn’t we all enjoy a little more sleep?     Ben Franklin Started This Whole Thing As A Joke Don’t blame our farmers. They had nothing to do with it. Back when Ben Franklin served as our envoy to France (1776 - 1785), he wrote a piece of satire that included ridiculous suggestions like firing off cannons at dawn to awaken people and taxing window shutters so that citizens would be discouraged from closing them to sleep in.  At the time, Ben came...

  Whether or not we get enough high-quality sleep has become a priority in our physical, mental, and emotional health. So much so that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides an easy-to-understand chart, you can use depending on your age. They also include tips to build habits to improve your sleep. This understanding has dramatically evolved mattress technology over the last decade. Years ago, our general knowledge about sleep consisted of a smidgen about REM sleep and a smattering about Circadian Rhythms. In the last ten years, sleep science has uncovered many insights about the importance of sleep, and mattress manufacturers have stayed current with the latest developments. Don’t Mix Up Your Memory Foams Viscoelastic polyurethane foam (memory foam) was first developed in 1966 by NASA as a way to make sure astronauts could have the most comfortable and supportive material on which to sleep. It wasn’t...

  The first years of life are crucial to child development. And we're learning so much about how vital sleep is to brain development. There has been a lot of research into how to help your kids sleep better at night, and the scientific community is consistently learning new things. A research team led by Dr. Ze Wang at the University of Maryland conducted a study that involved nearly 12,000 volunteers between 9 and 10 years of age from across the country. Their research compared children who typically got less than the recommended nine hours of sleep to children who generally got nine or more hours of sleep per day. The study was conducted over a two-year period, and both groups were matched according to key factors like gender, household income, body mass index, and puberty status.  According to Dr. Wang, "Children who had insufficient sleep–less than nine hours per...

  Yes, of course. So let’s focus on precisely which foods can help you sleep. We’re also going to review some other factors involved in improved sleep quality. And just so we cover all the bases, we’ll confirm and dispel some commonly held misconceptions about sleep.    Foods Naturally Rich In Melatonin Melatonin is a hormone, and it’s been proven essential to our sleep. Many people follow a Mediterranean diet that includes many fruits and vegetables just for this reason. Melatonin is recognized as a hormone that helps regulate our sleep. Let’s look at some of the foods rich in this important hormone.       Unroasted nuts: Who knew they could be the perfect night snack? Having a moderate portion of nuts after dinner will increase the level of melatonin in your body, and this can help you sleep. Be sure to give yourself enough time between dinner and...

  Yes, they do. Even though we cannot directly observe another being’s dreams, according to many studies, scientists agree that dogs and, in fact, most mammals have dreams. This is something you may have already noticed. If you watch your dog carefully as they sleep, sometimes you can see them moving their paws as if they’re running. Other times you may notice Rapid Eye Movement (REM), and this is one of the most telling signs of being in a dream state.   Snuggling With Your Dog Can Lower Your Blood Pressure It’s just one of the health benefits of interacting with a beloved pet. Studies show petting a cat or dog can lower your blood pressure. Pet owners generally feel calmer when they’re snuggling with their pets.       Petting an animal can also lower your heart rate. Pet owners know this already. No matter how stressful your day starts, the...

  Sleep Trackers are ingenious smartphone applications as well as little devices that imperceptibly record several aspects of how well you sleep. Many people use them to zero in on ways to get more, high-quality, restful sleep. And yes, they definitely do work! Today, we’re going to take a look at some of the reasons why sleep tracking apps and devices have become so popular.   Why It’s Important To Improve Your Sleep Precisely why we sleep is still a bit of a mystery. That said, we can be absolutely sure poor quality sleep impacts almost every aspect of our physical health, mental health, and emotional health. You don’t need to take our word for it. Just think about what it’s like to deal with someone who hasn’t had enough sleep. Even according to the Harvard medical school, no one knows for sure exactly why we sleep.     Quality Of Sleep...

  Edge support on a bed is one of the least known factors of a good night’s sleep. Here’s why -- a firm yet comfortable edge on your mattress means everything stays where it should be, whether you’re sleeping, hanging out with the family, watching a movie, or even putting on your shoes. The technology and materials used to create the edge support make it one of the most important components of your mattress, and it is integral to the overall performance and durability.   Mattresses are not built the way they used to be, and that’s a good thing Today’s mattresses are designed with several specific components that work together. The strength and flexibility of the edge of the perimeter of the mattress are crucial to how well these components work. The edge needs to be sturdy enough to provide stability and yet pliable enough to make it comfortable....