Want to Improve Your Sleep? Here's How

Want to Improve Your Sleep? Here's How

August 21, 2017

Author: Beautyrest Team

If you think your age is starting to slow you down, the problem could actually be poor sleep. Just as athletes use equipment and technology to maximize their performance, you can rely on your mattress' innovations and technology to maximize your sleep performance. Any elite athlete will tell you the quality of the equipment, training and sleep make a significant difference in performance. Imagine how fast you could reach your peak potential every day if you had the right equipment to get a better night's sleep. It's time to maximize your sleep performance to make your nights " and therefore your days " as productive as possible.

Avoid Screen Time Before Bed

Do you have a habit of working or reading your tablet in bed? According to a study from Harvard Medical School, use of an electronic device in bed wreaks havoc on your blood sugar levels, increases your risk of depression and cardiovascular problems and suppresses the hormones necessary for restorative sleep. Harvard researchers recommend reducing your exposure to the blue light emitted by laptops, cell phones and tablets by turning them off two to three hours before bed. You should soon experience an increase in daytime energy from the restorative power of better sleep.

Reserve Your Bed for Sleeping

Technology may not be the only thing ruining your ability to get a restful night's sleep. Eating, paying bills and watching TV in bed are also problem behaviors. Reserve your bed for sleeping only. If you use it as an alternative dining room table or desk, you condition your brain to associate active, awake behaviors with the bed, according to Philip Gehrman, a sleep-medicine expert and assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania. Maximize your sleep performance by avoiding these activities in bed.

Find Your Optimal Sleep Temperature

Do you shiver or sweat at night? You might be sleeping in a room that's too cold or too hot. The optimal room temperature for sleeping is between 65 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit, according to The Better Sleep Council. The reasoning for sleeping in a cooler bedroom is simple. As you become drowsy, your body temperature decreases to initiate sleep. A room that's too warm interferes with this process and increases restlessness. It's worth the thermostat adjustment during non-peak night hours to maximize your sleep performance.

De-Stress as Much as Possible

Stress is a leading roadblock to restorative sleep, affecting up to 37 percent of those surveyed by The Better Sleep Council. Whether anxiety causes you to toss and turn before falling asleep or you suddenly find yourself awake and staring at the ceiling at 3:00 a.m., you can put a stop to the mind chatter and sleep better. If you haven't fallen asleep after 30 minutes, get out of bed and walk into another room so your brain doesn't associate your bed with worrying. Do a "mind dump" by quickly writing all your problems down on paper (not a device), says Dr. Steve Orma, a clinical psychologist and insomnia/anxiety specialist. Once you're sleepy, head back to bed.

Don't Settle for Less Than Restorative Sleep

Optimize your restorative sleep by evaluating your mattress quality. High quality mattresses last from seven to 10 years, according to The Better Sleep Council. With so many technologies and options available, it helps to understand the mattress choices to choose the right one for you. Ultra plush mattresses cushion you deeply, offering pressure relief that is ideal if you're a side sleeper. Plush mattresses also cushion you, but not as deeply. Luxury-firm mattresses balance the cushioning with additional support, and firm mattresses offer more support with less cushioning. Extra firm mattresses provide maximum support and are ideal if you're a stomach sleeper. 

Beautyrest uses innovative technology to create premium sleep equipment that delivers the high-performance sleep you need to excel. Even better, once you've chosen your mattress, turn it into a smart bed with the Beautyrest Sleeptracker monitor. Placed under the mattress, the monitor gathers data, processes it and offers advice to help you improve your sleep performance and get a better night's sleep for a more productive tomorrow. Ready to improve your sleep performance? Find a store near you that sells Beautyrest, and up your sleep game.

Sources:

http://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/blue-light-has-a-dark-side http://time.com/4680537/sleep-insomnia-bed-arousal/ http://bettersleep.org/better-sleep/how-to-sleep-better/ http://www.beautyrest.com/Under-The-Covers/Articles/what-one-study-says-about-common-sleep-myths https://drorma.com/ http://bettersleep.org/mattress-education/replacing-a-mattress/ http://www.beautyrest.com/Mattress-Selector/?question=7 http://www.beautyrest.com/Mattress-Selector/?question=8 http://www.beautyrest.com/Sleeptracker

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