Sleep in the News

How is this for a headline?  Lack of sleep 'switches off' genes Made us want to read the story.

It seems that a lot of this article is topics we have already broached on sleep.  It is good to be vindicated!  In this article they report on a study done on sleep deprivation, or getting less than 6 hours sleep per night.  For those of you who claim you can thrive with less than 6, you might want to look at the science.

Over 700 genes were affected by the lack of adequate sleep.  These genes do things like regulate metabolism,and cognitive impairment.  The study also states that it throws off the 24 hour biological clock which is marked by our circadian rhythms.  Can this be good?

We suspect that it is not good.  The jobs these genes do affects our weight and mood.  It affects how well we do everyday tasks.  So it affects our lives.  In this blog we consistently teach good sleep hygiene.  Good sleep hygiene is not hard to do, and can make you more competitive in our world.  Good sleep Hygiene is simply planning to get as much sleep as your body needs, at regular times.  Setting a bed time and a wake time, with enough hours in between.  And then sticking to it!

For children good hygiene can last a lifetime.  Imagine your child with a better report card.  How much can this affect their lives?  Maybe better college and a better entry job.  Staying on the hygiene will make them as adults more productive at work.  Productivity is one criteria for promotion, promotion means more money.  And the earlier the promotion comes the more promotions there can be. 



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Adults also benefit, like children from better attentiveness.  Meaning more friends, and better relationships.  Metabolically speaking, it is what can make them a beautiful person, inside and out.  Obesity is a plague these days, sleep is one weapon to battle it.

We applaud the authors of this study... and to you our readers...

Sleep Well!

Seasonal Sleep Disorders

We find it interesting that our most read blogs are the "How To" blogs, and we guess it is because most people do not spend a lot of time looking at how to buy beds or pillows or bedding.  And those are important skills.  We do, however, like to throw a little science occasionally, and this is one of those times.  Today we would like to talk about Seasonal Sleep Disorders.

This is a good time of year to discuss it, at least north of the tropics.  As winter is starting to wane.  Besides the cold that comes with winter, we also experience less daylight.  Because of the Earth's position on its axis toward the sun, our days are shorter now than in the summer months.  After the autumnal solstice, the days continue to get shorter all the way until December 21st the winter solstice.  With the shortening days our bodies experience a physical loss of the effects of the Sun.  Some people are affected much worse than others, and regions are affected differently, primarily depending on how far north of the tropics they are.  For instance, in the U.S. Alaska would be one of the highest affected regions, because of their northern exposure.  Even areas like Chicago and Detroit or the upper east coast states like Maine can experience this problem.  On the opposite end of the spectrum States like Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama, Texas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Arizona, and California (the southern part) are less affected.

Seasonal Sleep Disorder is usually described as a depression, some call it the winter blues.  Most people can tolerate it, but is is characterized by sleepiness, over sleeping, and general bad mood.  It can cause the victim to crave carbohydrates (finally an explanation of why we like Christmas cookies!), and weight gain can result.  Many find themselves trying to get ready for beach season, by an extra trip to the gym or even diet.  Part of this is normal.  Early man could not gather as many crops in the winter, so his diet probably changed to include more meat.  Over the eons that moved to our genes as a preservation reaction to winter.  Also during the cold, it was safer to stay closer to the fire and family to get enough warmth.  Keep in mind there were not even electric light bulbs way back then, so the most fun you could have was to sleep.  The good news is that Spring is coming, soon.



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So sleep plays a role.  And in the winter months it is still important to follow good sleep hygiene.  Keep a regular sleep wake schedule  The more consistent that schedule is, the better your body will fight the winter blues.  In some extreme cases doctors might use a sun replicating light or watch melatonin levels in their patients.  For years, we have followed a sleep wake regimen, and for us it has worked well to beat away the winter time blues.  And it does no harm to try!

Don't worry, dear reader, we will get back to the "how to" series shortly... until then...

Sleep Well!

Sleep, Romance, and Valentines Day

It's getting close... It's the time of year all the advertisers will point you to your lover, your partner, your best friend.  Valetine's Day is coming.  Valentine's Day goes back to the early days of the Christian Church.  There are disputes on what started the remeberance, but today it is celebrated across North America, and Europe.  It is a day for lovers.  It is a day for romance.  But sleep???

Yes sleep!  What lover can truly care for their partner without considering their health?  And Sleep is tied directly to health.  We do not want to get too scientific here, this is afterall about love!  But that deep sleep after spending time with your lover?  This deep sleep can be some of the best sleep you can get.  Afterall, doctors recommend cardio exercise, and making love can offer more than the physical, but also mental exercise.  Love releases chemicals in to our bodies that can promote good health,  studies have shown commited couples live longer.

The Puritanical breeding most of us lived through, especially in the 1950s and 60s, causes us sometimes not to consider sex.  And it is an extremely private matter.  Other western nations are less Puritanical, and we all have snickered at commercials or TV clips we have seen eminating from them.  British TV as an example has some programs that probably couldn't air in the US, without editing.  Sex is a natural part of life.  As I'm writing this, I wonder if another of St. Louis institution's, Master and Johnson, ever had some of the thoughts of what is too far.  The importance of the issue causes me to throw caution a little to the wind!



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As I was thinking about what to write, one thing that came to mind was a web site called sleeplikethedead.com.  While they have always been a go to link in our business, and we love the research they do, they also branch off into an topic they call "sex friendly".  Sometimes, actually most of the time, when we are talking to clients in our store, we bypass that part.  February is the month for lovers, so what the heck!  Just below is a screen shot from their site.  (of course it helps that our brand, Comfortaire, is highly rated on their site). 




I have also read that overall in the United States, people are choosing good sleep throughout the year over "sex friendly" beds.  And we do understand the thought behind that.  In a survey, the average American couple will make love between 3 to 4 nights per week, but we sleep 7.  There are some, like Comfortaire which are average for sex, and they sleep great. 

So I have a suggestion.  This year for Valentines Day put a dozen red roses and a box of finer chocolates on a Comfortaire bed.  Let the romance begin!

Sleep Well!

How to Shop for a Mattress III

Or how do you know the store your in is a good one?

First, let me say there are a great many very good stores out there.  Most of those store owners and managers take a particular slant in what they do.  There are a few bad apples, please don't be discouraged if you find one.

What should you expect from the representative?  That's not to hard to guess, but the primary thing you should get is empathy.  Empathy will indicate post sale customer service.  A number of years ago, I purchased a new car.  I did my research, and finally decided on the vehicle.  We went to the showroom and a sales guy approached me.  We told him what we were looking for and he took us to the model.  He asked appropriate questions to suggest the car we might like in that model line.  So far so good, he was doing a great job.  When we finally settled on the car we talked price, when we agreed, he closed the sale.  He was very efficient, and we were done pretty quick.  At this point we had a very good visit.  As we were leaving, he said, "It's Friday, and our porter has gone home.  I really would like to detail that car for you, can you bring it back early next week?"  That impressed us, and we scheduled a time.  Wow what an experience.  However, when I took it in at the agreed time, he saw me and asked:  "what are you doing back so soon?"  The balloon deflated... If you are offered something, expect to get it. (And sales pros, if you promise something, make sure you remember!)

Same is true of the mattress shopping experience.  The representative you meet in the store should listen to your wants.  As you have an initial discussion, they should be mentally looking at their inventory.  And they should make suggestions.  You should lay on those suggestions, and make sure you let them know if it meets your needs, or if you have additional needs.  You do need to respect their knowledge, but make them earn your trust.  If you watch carefully, to where they lead, you can judge if they are trying to help you or just maximize their sales.  Do they try to stick to one brand?  Are they showing you models that you told them you did not like?  These are key signs they are not working for you.

Do not hold back.  At times, I have talked to people that think they need to minimize the information they share, but then how can I help them find a model that best suits their needs?  Instead, at that point, we just wander all over the store.  And here's why that is bad:  If you lay on more than about 4 beds in a store, you will not remember all of them, it is sensory overload.  By telling the rep what you want, or desire, or what you are trying to accomplish, the rep can lead you to a minimal number of beds.  That means you can have less mental clutter and make a better decision.

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If you are not sure what you want or need, it is OK.  Then talk about what your current bed is doing.  Are you waking with pain?  Do you toss and turn?  Does it sag?  Set expectations on how often you replace beds.  Remember most spring beds are designed to last no more than 10 years.  If you require a longer lasting bed, the rep should show you alternatives to springs that are designed to last longer.  I had a customer once, who was intent on finding a 2-sided mattress.  They lamented that most don't make them any more, but those lasted longer.  And you know what?  They were right when talking springs.  Flipping a spring bed can almost double its lifespan, but rare is the manufacturer that makes them double sided any more.  Why you might ask?  Because they are more expensive to make, and surveys have shown customers do not flip any way.  All mattress organizations are conscious of price, especially springs.  That is why ads always feature a lead item that can be had cheap.  Ever seen the ads that say Queen Mattresses $199 each piece when bought in a set?  (By the way, if you need a cheap mattress fine, but try to avoid these, they are a bad economic choice).  The stores that throw up the lowest price believe they will get the most visitors.  Their hope is that you will want things like a pillow top, and up sell you to a better model.

I was on a Chinese manufacturers site the other day.  He had queen mattresses at $65 cost.  Of course you had to buy 1000 of them, but that gives you some idea of how cheap the product can be.  With normal markups, these are the $199 mattresses.  Two things, I believe it is important to shop for quality, which these are not, and all things being even look first to mattresses produced as close to your location as possible.  We call it being econcentric.  Buying close to home helps your community thrive, and possibly keeps a neighbor employed.

Spend time on each of 2 to 4 beds that match your needs.  At least 15 minutes.  Test all of your normal sleep positions.  While the only way to know for sure is to sleep on it a couple weeks, 15 minutes or more will help you compare better.  Do you feel better after laying on it?  Then it is a good bed.  Feel the same or worse, look at another model.  Not happy on any in a store?  Be kind, explain that to the rep, they may not want to hear that, but it is murder waiting on the return visit that will never come, be honest.

By being honest, perhaps there is another model you have not tried that might suit you better, do you really want to spend a third of your life for the next 10 years on a bed that isn't perfect?  This also tests the rep's knowledge of sleep and beds in general.  A good rep is there to help you, and to make a living doing that.  I know that nothing is more satisfying than to have a past customer tell a family member or friend to visit me when they are looking for a bed, and I am not alone.

So let's end by saying good luck on your mission to find great sleep!  There are a great many good brands and stores that can help you along the way, take advantage of the good ones.  And as always...

Sleep Well!

How to Shop for a Mattress II

So how do you know what mattress is best for you?  You have talked to friends or relatives, and every one makes a suggestion.  But what is the best mattress?  Is it the Trump Collection?  Is it iComfort?  Is it Tempurpedic, Sleep Number, Comfortaire, or are you just as well off to buy a cheap mattress?  The answer depends on you, and not family or friends.

Think of it this way:  There are many people that love leather furniture, to them nothing beats the feel or durability.  Many people also hate leather furniture, to them it is hot to the touch, and doesn't look good.  We are all individuals.  We need to take our likes and dislikes into account, even when we buy a mattress.  There is no one perfect mattress.  If there were, the others would go out of business.  So how do we know what we like?  Maybe by knowing how the technologies work we can discover some answers.

Since the late 1800s, Innerspring mattresses have been around for people to sleep on.  Like with all things, the spring mattresses of today are different than those of even 10 years ago.  Innerspring mattresses have the largest market share.  So it is good to talk of them.  What makes them comfortable?  Generally the springs will give, allowing the bed to conform to your body, but face it metal is hard.  To combat this, the manufacturers use comfort materials above the springs to make the bed more comfortable.  These materials can be anything from cotton batting to memory foam.  Each material adds to the overall feel of the bed.  The support of any bed, springs included, comes from the structure below the comfort materials.  What is the coil count?  What is the gauge of the spring?  These all indicate the support level as well as the durability.  Coil count in particular will tell you how much support is in the bed.  There is a notion out there that the harder a bed is, then the more supportive it is.  That is true to a point, but by minimizing comfort materials on a low coil count, can make the bed feel harder than a larger coil count bed, the larger coil count would bring better support.  Gauge will tell you about the mattress durability.  The thicker the coils, the longer they will hold their shape; the longer they hold their shape the longer you will get effective support.  In spring beds, price does indicate quality and longevity.  Buying at the local big box, or club by price alone is an extreme mistake.

In the 1960s water beds entered the market in a big way.  Water beds allow you to regulate temperature better.  The water mattress also supports your body with different technology.  Water beds also have much more maintenance than the typical spring bed.  They do an admirable job in the support category, by allowing your body to float in a natural posture.  Today water beds are losing market share, most likely because of newer technologies.

In the 1980s both air based beds and memory foam beds emerged in the market.  Memory foam reacts much like the water beds.  Except the foam replaces the water.  Your body will sink into the bed based on the weight at any particular spot, body heat causes the foam to compress.  This allows your body to find its posture.  Memory foam beds come in a few different styles, including spring support bases.  The more modern memory foam beds use latex foam as a base support structure.  And typically uses no quilting to achieve the best interaction with your body.  The lack of quilting does affect temperature regulation though.  Modern foams have also been enhanced to allow air to pass through keeping you a little cooler as you sleep.  If you sleep hot, however, spend as much time as possible on these beds before you buy, with all the advancements they can still lock heat close to your body.  A very recent introduction is gel based memory foam, this foam repels heat, so if you sleep warm, consider these new foams.

Air beds are very versatile.  There are a few manufacturers and the top two or three put together a very good bed.  The advantages of air are adjustability, and generally a modular design.  They can be mated with different comfort materials as well to match your likes.  They have a similar feel to water beds, without the maintenance.  And there are some key differences relating to the physics of air and water.  Air tech beds tend to be the most long lasting, yet they are not the most expensive.  In fact, most companies offer several bed styles that are very competitive with spring beds of equal quality.  Yet they will last 2 to 4 times as long.  Their support core allows you to set a perfect level allowing your body to find posture in a multitude of sleeping positions.  And they can change as you need change, another advantage not offered in spring beds or foam beds.  And most offer a dual sleep system, so each partner can be happy and not compromising on their individual comfort.

Now a word on warranties.  Use the length and breadth of the warranties to judge the quality of the bed.  Warranties vary between manufacturers, so reading it is a good thing.  As an example, some spring beds have felt like the 20 year warranties offered by air tech and foam beds have hurt them, so they are now offering 20 year warranties as well.  These beds are designed to last 8 to 10 years, and manufacturers set warranties so they will not have to honor them, it is a drag on profit.  You could as an example offer a life time warranty on a bed, but exclude springs... Or require that the gully be more than say 2.5 inches (which will never happen by the way).  When the customer calls for warranty, it doesn't apply.  They then express sorrow and offer a replacement at a discounted price, locking you into that brand for several more years.  No warranty covers dirt, and dirt can invalidate some warranties.  Warranties are set to less than the expected fail rate of any product you buy.  So all things being equal, a warranty can indicate quality.

Part III coming soon....

Sleep Well!

How to Shop for a New Mattress

We only do it once a decade, some even less often, some more, is there a trick to shopping for your next mattress?  We believe there are no real "tricks", just an approach that will maximize your comfort, and minimize the discomfort.  We are in the mattress industry, and most people see mattress sales people as slightly above car salesmen.  And, we admit, it is good to be cautious.

The first tip is to be methodical.  The first thing to do is to consider all types of mattresses.  Buying the same technology over and over again, and being disappointed, is not good.  So first, find out what your options are.  Take inventory on just what your perfect mattress would do.  For some, they want back pain to go away.  Others don't sleep particularly well, tossing and turning night after night.  Still other have no complaints except they just don't like buying a new mattress.  Let's look at each one.

If you have sleep issues, pain in particular, what type of mattress will work best for you.  Spring bed manufacturers say get a hard bed.  And that is true of spring beds, not always true of other technologies.  Perhaps even a friend or family member has told you the same.  We have found that pain comes from two places.  The first is the normal wear and tear on our bodies.  The second is sleeping on the wrong bed.  From a personal perspective, after sleeping for years on a very firm bed, after laying on beds in the show room and choosing the one that felt the hardest, did not work for us.  The key is to find a bed that will support your normal waking posture.  If the surface does not do that, you will get pain.  This is the easiest pain to 'cure' by replacing your mattress with one that works better.  We would wake with pain most mornings.  Throughout the day, that pain would subside, only to come back as we slept.  Our 'cure' came from getting the right mattress.  Almost immediately our bodies became less of an enemy, and in the years since that time, our sleep has improved and the pain is for the most part gone.

The second form of pain is medical.  Things like arthritis, or fibromyalgia can impede your sleep and cause pain.  No mattress can cure that.  But the proper mattress might just reduce that pain.  Some 80 percent of people will experience back pain in their lives.  The key is to discover why.  Injuries can be the cause, as can simple muscle strain.  We spend 1/3 of our lives in bed, the bed should promote a healthy back.  A little factoid at this point, up until several years ago, doctors did not have to take sleep science to receive their degree.  Some medical practitioners are not equipped to deal with the subject.  Times are changing, and hopefully so will our pain.  In the mean time, why not try to figure a little out on our own?

The second tip is to read real reviews on different beds.  Look at ratings like that that the BBB publishes.  Or web sites like Sleep Like the Dead.  They will show you who to trust.  But that still does not answer the main question:  what bed is best for me?

Second, after your research period is complete, it is time to go to the store.  Please schedule enough time to complete this task.  We see people all the time that just want to buy something so they can go home and do a "fun" activity.  This is the wrong approach, and you will pay for it for years!  Plan to spend about an hour, perhaps more in each store you visit.  Pick specialized stores, that is those who feature particular technologies.  A store that features too many differing technologies cannot be as well versed in how to use them as a specialist store.  Also, try to pick a store that is local, because local stores rely more on your business than chains.  Department stores as an example don't make their living off mattresses, they sell primarily on price, and while price is important, it should not be the only consideration.  If a local store fails you, they are injured much worse than a giant chain.  Your negativity towards them can literally bankrupt them.

When you go into a store, know what you are looking for.  Talk to the clerk, tell them what you need as ask their suggestions.  This is critical, but be mindful that sometimes they will show you what they make the most from, if that happens, politely leave.  An example is once, we were on a competitive shop, we really wanted to see how a store (a major chain) positioned Tempurpedic.  Tempurpedic beds were right inside the door, and before the clerk arrived we were looking at the tags and sitting on the bed.  To me, that would show interest in Tempurpedic, not so this clerk.  Apparently Simmons was offering better spiffs, so he walked us away from the bed we had an interest in to show us the Simmons beds, he did show us beds with memory foam in the topper.  We even mentioned that we heard good things about Tempurpedic, and after a long wait he did agree to show us the Tempurpedic products, but he did not understand them.  If a sales person does not approach you at all, unless they are busy, quietly leave.  Mattress shopping should not be self service.  Buying from a club, or any store, with no help, except to tie it to the top of your car, is a disservice to your investment and your back.

Fourth, don't be in a hurry.  All mattress stores have sales all the time.  In fact, most smaller stores will match the chains price, and if you come back after the sale may even sell you the bed you want at the sale price.  There is a mall store air bed company that flashes head lines, graphics or anything else shouting that this is the best sale of the season, and they are correct, their sale generally does not change.  On the end date of the current sale, another sale starts, and that sale is rarely different on price.  There maybe different model focus, or they may be closing out a particular model ( although, only consider closeouts on normal inventory, not beds that were made to be special).  And you can always offer a price.  Keep in mind that stores need to pay the rent, and utilities, and pay employees, but making a couple hundred dollars often will make the difference in their ability to pay the rent!  Offer to pay with cash or check and ask for a discount.  Credit card companies get a piece of every sale, and that factors into the price.  Also keep in mind, that they won't sell at a loss.

We do like to keep these blogs a manageable length, so we will continue this topic a while longer.  Please check back to see more tips.  We believe that these are a good start.  Next we will dive into the different technologies, and what they may offer to you for better sleep.  Until then...

Sleep Well!

Winter and Sleep

Each season brings new variables to our sleep.  We are in what I call the dead of winter now, and winter is no different.  Our bodies react to our environment.  Winter brings shorter, grayer days which can impact our circadian rhythms.

The gray days make us sleepy in the morning, and at 5 PM when darkness hits, our bodies start to shut down.  We do have some advantages in our modern era, primarily the electric light bulb.  We can simulate a longer day, but most bulbs do not simulate full spectrum sunlight, so it is still not quite the same, but every little bit helps.  Shorter days encourages us to be some what less active, which again plays into the sleepiness we find during the day.

The key to thriving in winter is to stick to a daily schedule, perhaps winter is the most important time to do that.  By sticking to our schedules we will find ourselves sleeping better and productively.  By sticking to our schedules we will find just a little more energy to live our lives to the fullest.  And perhaps the commercials that always pop up in February or March, you know, the ones that remind us that beach season is right around the corner, how will you look in your swim suit?  Maybe they won't mean anything to us...

A consistent schedule is for 24 hours.  We should try to wake at the same time every day, including days off.  We should strive to go to bed at a set time.  Then we will offer our bodies the environment that they need to sleep well.  Probably would be a good thing to find things that can keep us active, if you have kids or grand kids I'm sure they can help!  If not regular gym visits, because it's cold outside are good ways to help off set the short days of winter.  Be sure to eat light as well, with the encouraged inactivity of the winter months, it is a time when we can gain a few pounds, which can impact sleep.

And now, it is incumbent on me to at least mention our business.  We do this as a public service, but the business is what gives us that opportunity.  We sell beds.  And not just any beds, but Comfortaire Air adjustable mattresses.  And Comfortaire can help you to sleep better in this winter season.  The lush bamboo toppers, the cuddly foam comfort materials will encourage deep sleep.  And the adjustable nature of the Comfortaire bed means that as your life changes, your bed can match.  And the last plug, our beds just last longer.  There are no springs to where out, and the modular design means you can replace parts and keep your bed feeling like news well past the limited 20 year warranty.  Comfortaire says: For the rest of your life... Which is a double entendre, rest as in sleep and rest as in all your life.  If you are thinking a new bed, please consider us and Comfortaire!  You can visit our web site by clicking here.

Sleep Well!