Politics and Sleep

This past Wednesday night was probably the best night sleep President Obama got in a number of weeks.  We are sure it was better than the challenger, Mitt Romney.  Sleep is affected by our waking lives.  It is a natural thing.

Conversely, we suspect that Monday night may have been the worst nights sleep either candidate got, because of the stress levels of a National Campaign.  Again it is just nature.  Our bodies and minds react to our lives.  We can perform in times of stress and sleep deprivation.  However, when the stressful time is ended, it is important to get good sleep.

On the campaign trail, there were nights that the candidates slept on planes, or trains, or buses.  There were different hotels every night.  There were events, some of which went well in to the night.  There was little concern given to a sleep schedule, there isn't enough time.  And yet, we the voters require that they look youthful, and full of energy.  The key here is to get productive sleep.  By knowing there is an end to the campaign, our bodies can often allow us to push a little harder.  And we are sure there was some scheduled down time for each to relax.  In our everyday lives, except in stressful times, we should schedule our sleep.  Going to bed and waking at the same time helps us to sleep productively.

Controlling our sleep environment also helps that sleep productivity.  The environment includes things like the bed we sleep in, the linens, and the room temperature.  It also includes even the color of the walls and window treatments.  Most important of all may be how much ambient light is in the room.  We have all heard for instance that President Obama is the first "Blackberry" President.  He likes to carry and keep in touch with his smart phone.  Which is great, as long as it is not on and in the room, when he is sleeping.  The light from the screen could disrupt sleep.  If it rang it would obviously disrupt sleep.  At the very least turn off the ringers and turn it over to block the light.

Noise levels in general are an important consideration.  In the candidates case, aides may be in the next room, making calls while the candidate tries to sleep.  In our case, our room may be on a road with cars and or trucks passing by.  It is important to control the noise level in our rooms.  In either case a noise canceling appliance may help to create white noise and ensure a more suitable environment for sleep.

Consider your bed as well.  An adjustable firmness bed, like Comfortaire, will help make the mattress, at least, familiar every night.  It will also help maintain posture as we sleep.  Our store would love to help these men sleep better!  But you do not have to be a President to get a great nights sleep on a Comfortaire bed, all you have to do is stop by our store.

And while the President probably slept well on Wednesday, the stress of his job will cause sleep disruption that Mitt Romney will not experience moving forward.  As we deal with loss, and compartmentalize it, our sleep patterns will become more normal again.  The stress is over, security is much lighter, than for a candidate.  We once drove by a house in Plains, GA, the home of then ex president Carter.  The secret service solution to noise cancellation... Build a big wall between the house and the street!

Sleep Well!