Mattresses

Do you find yourself dozing off during the day or are you always yawning and reach for a caffeine fix to help keep you awake?

If yes was your answer to these questions you might very well be suffering from a growing problem called sleep deprivation and may need more sleep time.

The average adult requires seven to eight hours of sound quality sleep each night in order to function during the day. In order to count as good quality sleep you of course need to actually be sleeping and not just lying there awake.

Here is some great advice to help you get that good night’s sleep you deserve:

The first thing in getting a good night’s sleep is to train yourself to go to bed at the same time every night weekends included. This is more difficult to do in our hectic world of deadlines and everyday stress but getting a good night’s sleep makes for a much more productive day. Try to wind down from your day and avoid stressful activities and situations a couple of hours before your bedtime. The key is to get as relaxed as you can before you jump into bed.

By doing this you help your brain start to shut down and will help you to get a more restful nights sleep. If you avoid this shutdown cycle your mind will still be trying to process all of the events of the day and you will not be able to fall asleep quickly. Starting and sticking to a routine every night like reading or watching TV can help. You might also want to try a warm shower or bath right before you go to bed.

Check around where you sleep. Is your bedroom set up for sleeping or is it like Grand Central Station? Getting rid of any excess distractions like TVs and computers and making your bed the focal point of the bedroom can create a calming, peaceful environment that can actually encourage you to go to sleep.

Your bedroom temperature can also play a large role in how well you sleep. Most experts recommend 60 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit for nighttime sleeping. You probably know from experience that there is no worse feeling than sleeping on a sweaty mattress. The key is to maintain a consistent temperature throughout the night that you find comfortable.

You mattress is probably the single most important factor affecting your sleep. Any mattress 10 years or older should be replaced as over time the springs in your mattress wear out and do not offer the proper support necessary to keep your spine in the correct position while you are asleep.

When you are not comfortable and lack the necessary support you will toss and turn more often at night and wake up felling tired. Every mattress has a different lifespan so you want to check you’re a couple of times a year and don’t forget to rotate your mattress according to the instructions that came with it as this can lengthen the useful life of the mattress.

The last thing to consider is your pillow and bed linens. Think of your pillow as a miniature mattress for your neck. It needs to be high quality and provide the same type of support for your neck as your mattress does for your body. I use a Tempurpedic pillow and just love it. Also if you use cheap quality bedding you might find yourself tossing and turning all night because of the roughness of lower quality sheets.

So, the key to getting a good night’s sleep is to prepare for bed, have a suitable sleeping environment and have a good quality mattress, pillow and bedding. Do these things are you will be assured of getting the sound sleep your body needs.

Next: Choosing a mattress