How you sleep is just as important to getting a good night's rest as how long you sleep. Each sleep position has its own benefits and drawbacks, so choosing a mattress suited to your favored position ensures optimal comfort and support. Side sleepers The preferred position of 47 percent of Americans, the fetal position, requires curving both your arms and legs inward. Curving one leg while leaving the other straight creates a variation called the sprinter. The yearner position, which puts you on your side with your arms straight out, remains the favorite position of 13 percent of American sleepers, while 6 percent select the log position, which keeps your arms by your sides. The need for spine support, pressure point relief and conformity make memory foam mattresses, such as the Serta iComfort, particularly attractive to side sleepers. Back sleepers Sleep experts suggest sleeping on your back when you have...

If you're not getting a good night's sleep, you're not feeling your best during daytime activities. Quality rest is vital to your performance as well as your overall health and well-being. Physical health There’s a connection between sleep quality and chronic health conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease. Sleep can affect your appetite and related hormones, which influence the risk of obesity. A good night's sleep helps your immune system stay strong. School and work performance Good sleep helps you excel at your daily tasks. When your mind feels refreshed, you can more easily concentrate, learn new skills, work productively, make sound decisions and react quickly as needed. A good night's sleep reduces the chance of injury, too. Emotional well-being A lack of sleep reduces your ability to manage stress, which can make you irritable or more easily angered. Insufficient sleep also increases the risk of depression. When you...

The new school year always brings with it a return to schedules and routines. We expect a lot from our children, and the key to success for many of them often rests on a good night's sleep. Sleep is necessary for a healthy functioning body The American Academy of Sleep Medicine emphasizes the importance of quality sleep for children. All ages need adequate sleep to learn and to retain information, and sleep becomes even more important as our kids enter the pre-adolescent years. How much sleep is enough? You might be surprised at the amount of sleep a child needs to function properly at school. The recommended nightly hours are as follows: School-age and pre-teens: 10 to 11 hours Older teens: 9 hours Youngsters with adequate sleep are more energetic and can react positively to stressful situations. Although we all agree that sleep is important, it’s frequently harder to create...

There are many advantages to co-sleeping in a family bed. Parents and children often get more restful sleep, overnight breastfeeding is easier, children don’t suffer nighttime separation anxiety, and the risk of SIDS can be reduced by up to 50%. However, when there are multiple people using the same bedroom, it can quickly start to feel cluttered and crowded. Luckily, there are plenty of organized and fashionable solutions to suit every family. Make the Bed Cozy for Everyone Sleeping is the primary purpose of your bedroom. A comfortable environment that soothes the whole family should be your first priority when decorating. There are a variety of bedding setups you can choose, depending on your family’s specific needs: - Split-level bedding. Perfect for a large family, place a family bed on the floor and add a loft or bunk beds nearby for the kids as needed. - Attached crib. Use a...

An adjustable bed may seem like a luxury, but it can also be an important part of living a healthy lifestyle. Adjustable bases can improve sleep, reduce everyday aches and pains, and generally enhance your quality of life. What Are the Benefits of an Adjustable Bed? There are many reasons to treat yourself to an adjustable bed. For example, it can: - Alleviate snoring, asthma, and sleep apnea. Simply sleeping with your head raised and your body in an angled position can improve air flow. When oxygen circulates more easily, you enjoy a healthier, more restful sleep. - Decrease pain. Chronic conditions like arthritis can make it difficult to fall asleep. With the ability to adjust your mattress, you can remove weight from tender areas of your body and lessen stiffness. Upon waking, you can also lower your feet and raise your head to make getting out of bed easier....

Buying a new mattress is a major decision, the effects of which (good or bad) can last for many years. You want a comfortable mattress that will afford you a restful night's sleep for many years to come. Among the most popular types of mattresses are memory foam and innerspring mattresses, but how do the two compare, and which one is right for you? What Is Memory Foam? Memory foam is a viscoelastic material that was developed by NASA in the 1960s for use in airplane seats. Its name comes from the fact that it returns to its original shape after the pressure on it has been released. Memory foam is a soft material that was developed to absorb energy and distribute body weight evenly. Because of these qualities, memory foam was soon put to other uses. Eventually, it came to be used for mattresses made entirely out of memory...

Thinking of visiting a mattress store before purchasing a new mattress? You're not alone. Many people prefer to start their mattress purchase in store rather than online. It's a smart move; a mattress retailer may make claims about mattress comfort or durability, but until you test out a mattress for yourself, you won't know if it is going to suit your specific needs. Here are a few things to know before you go. When to Buy a New Mattress Mattresses typically come with estimates of their life expectancy, which can be anywhere from six to 15 years. These estimates should be regarded not as a prescription but as a guideline to give you a general idea of how long your mattress should last. In other words, you should replace your mattress when it is no longer comfortable, regardless of whether it falls short of the expected expiration date. What Kind of Mattress...

You’ve slept on one almost every night of your life. It’s critical to a good night’s sleep and your overall health. But how did the mattress come to be and what do modern versions offer? Early History The word mattress comes from an ancient Arabic word pronounced matrah, meaning “something thrown down.” According to the Smithsonian, the oldest mattress in the world dates to nearly 77,000 years ago. During the Middle Eastern crusades of the eleventh century, Europeans saw local Arabs sleeping on cushions on the floor and adopted the practice in their home countries. Centuries of Straw From their early introduction into Western civilization until the mid-nineteenth century, mattresses were made at home from materials on hand like straw, horse hair and feathers piled beneath a simple cloth or blanket. Some beds were placed on the floor, while others were built on a platform of wood, crisscrossed rope or...