Cuddle up with the latest comfort trend: a weighted blanket

By Jennifer Bardsley

Everyone in the Bardsley house enjoys a trendy weighted blanket — even Merlin, the poodle. (Photo by Jennifer Bardsley)

At my house, taking a nap is a weighty decision. That’s because I succumbed to the latest fad sweeping the internet and purchased a weighted blanket for our family room.
For the uninitiated, a weighted blanket is a quilt with beads sewn into the lining. The blankets come in different sizes, hefts and textures. You can buy them online at sites like MosaicWeightedBlanket.com, but most people I know purchase their weighted blankets from shops on the handmade-goods website, Etsy.com. I bought mine from an Etsy vendor named Donna Biron whose storefront is called MomentarilyMe.
Why would you want to add 15 pounds to your nap? Proponents say that weighted blankets promote a sense of well-being and combat insomnia. The idea isn’t that new, either. If you look at the water cure movement from the 1800s, practitioners like Dr. John Harvey Kellogg (the Corn Flakes guy) have advocated wrapping nervous people in blankets for centuries. Or think about how parents swaddle newborns up like burritos. It’s the same principle.
I’ve battled insomnia all my life, so I was curious if a weighted blanket would be a miracle cure. The blanket I ordered from MomentarilyMe is 48 by 72 inches and made out of soft, minky fabric. It weighs 15 pounds. At $175, this is the most expensive blanket I’ve ever bought. Since it was a custom order, the blanket took more than six weeks to arrive.
Being covered by the weighted blanket feels like being hugged. It’s like the universe is whispering to you: “Chill out. All is well.” We keep the blanket on the couch for napping, reading and watching television. It helps whoever is using it to relax. I can’t guarantee that it’s prevented sibling squabbles over the remote control, but it’s contributed peace and harmony to the downstairs.
When my husband travels for work, I bring the weighted blanket up to our room, so I can fall asleep right away instead of listening to the house creak. So, yes, the weighted blanket is useful for an insomniac like me.
However, there are drawbacks to weighted blankets besides the price. One of my friends who owned a weighted blanket got rid of hers because she said it felt like being smothered. If you have a body part that’s in pain, the extra weight can be a problem. Since a weighted blanket is essentially a thick quilt, it’s too hot for summer. It’s also a beast to clean. I put ours in the delicate cycle of the washing machine all by itself, and then spin it in the dryer on a low setting for over an hour.
In our house the biggest drawback with the weighted blanket is that everyone fights over who gets to use it. If I owned a sewing machine, I’d consider learning how to make them. That way we could have a weighted blanket on every bed.
Help the whole family fall asleep faster? Yes, please. That’s a trend worth following.

http://www.heraldnet.com/life/cuddle-up-with-the-latest-comfort-trend-a-weighted-blanket/

Sleep like a Victorian to help insomnia

From news-medical.net

Sleeping like a person living in the Victorian times is the new strategy to combat sleeplessness or insomnia it seems. Before the industrial revolution and rise of electricity, most people would go to bed when it got dark. They would sleep for around five hours and then wake up. The next hour or so would be dedicated to chores around the house, reading, relaxing or intimacy and then the people would settle down for a second round of sleep.

Insomnia or problems with sleep generally manifests as difficulty falling asleep or maintaining a restful sleep throughout the night. While some find it difficult to fall asleep until the wee hours of the morning, yet others have difficulty getting back to sleep after they have woken up middle of the night due to a light sleep or due to a full bladder that necessitated getting up. In many of these individuals who wake up say around 2 or 3 AM, going back to sleep is difficult. The second sleep in them comes just before morning and they wake up not feeling rested late morning. This two-part sleep is now perceived as a sleep problem.
According to statistics from the National Bed Month this March, only one in five individuals get a complete night’s sleep. Most individuals tend to wake up once and have difficulty going back to sleep.

Roger Ekirch, a Professor of history at Virginia Tech in the US, was working on Victorian patterns of sleep and he found that during the pre-industrial era, people were used to two instalments of sleep. According to Ekirch as the electric lights came into widespread use and lightened up evenings, this pattern changed. People now worked or enjoyed even after it was dark and went to sleep much later in a long continued stretch till morning. This became the “new normal” he said. Now insomniacs who sleep in two instalments come looking for a cure without realizing that this two part sleep used to be normal and an accepted way of life.

This form of sleep is called a biphasic sleep or a two phase sleep. Research also shows that these two phases of sleep are normal. Each of the phases has different functions. They can each individually help consolidate memories, process the events of the day and also help in the repair processes of the body. Researchers suggest that the gap between the first and second sleep can be an hour or less. During this time it is wise not to look at any screen (mobiles or laptop). The blue light from the screens kills the sleep and waken the brain. It is best to “bore” the brain so to speak during this time by getting up, reading a slow paced book, listening to music until the brain is ready for the next instalment of sleep. Once this break is an accepted pattern, insomniacs tend to return to sleeping restfully rest of the night and waking up feeling refreshed.

Some ways to get a good night’s rest include;

Regular physical activity during the day can stimulate sleep at night say experts.

Brain activity including books, learning new languages, crossword or Sudoku puzzles or riddles at night instead of a smart phone or a laptop is a good thing to do before sleep. The blue light from the screens trick the brain into thinking its day light and releases certain hormones that prevents sleep.

Taking up new hobbies or brain activities can help the brain relax at bed time.

Mindful practices to calm the brain before bed time

Aromas that induce good sleep include lavender. Soft music and relaxing breathing exercises also help induce sleep.

Sleep friendly bed rooms including dim lighting and optimum temperature

A healthy diet and evening devoid of caffeine or alcohol can help sleep. Certain micronutrients deficiency including zinc and magnesium can cause insomnia. These may need to be supplemented.

https://www.news-medical.net/news/20180325/Sleep-like-a-Victorian-to-help-insomnia.aspx

7 Of The Best Foods To Banish Insomnia And Help You Sleep (Plus What To Avoid)

From elleuk.com

What you should (and shouldn't) eat before bed.

There's nothing worse than lying awake at night willing sleep to come. It can be hell on earth if it's something that persists, which can affect your life in unimaginable ways.

Sleep disorders are on a sliding scale of severity, be it lying awake, feeling totally exhausted, being unable to drift off, or waking up countless times in the night. Not fun!

Insomnia suffers can live in a vicious cycle of self-perpetuating anguish that really does affect their whole lives. Yes, that bad.

Conversely, the usual stress at work, too much on our plate, worrying about our relationship, can also cause sleep disruption.

For many of us, we know and accept that these triggers that will affect our slumber. But, there are things you can do to help combat these, starting with what you eat before bedtime.

And frankly, anything that involves eating sounds good to us.

Foods That Help You Get A Good Night's Sleep

Nuts

Why? A handful of nuts can be the ideal bedtime snack. Having a protein boost before bed can help your body keep a steady blood sugar level through the night, so no tossing and turning with hunger pangs for you. Nuts also contain vitamin B6 and tryptophan, which can help induce the sleepy hormone your body has been searching for.

Bananas

Why? Our super-nutritious yellow friend contains potassium and magnesium which both have a relaxing effect on the muscles and mind. Bananas also contain amino acid L-tryptophan, which can trigger 'the feel good' hormone, 5-HTP.

Eggs

Why? Having something filling, nourishing and stabilising like an egg with help you to sleep the whole way through the night and keep the hunger pangs at bay.

Milk

Why? This one divides the internet, but we believe that a 'hug in a mug' (aka a hot milky beverage) can help you drift off. Hot milk can evoke childhood memories of feeling safe and comforted. So even though milk is rich in the amino acid tryptophan (the 'feel good' hormone), its mug-measures are fairly low. So when all else fails, bring on the subconscious childhood memories to make you snooze-happy.

Yoghurt

Why? This also contains the amino acid tryptophan as well as calcium, which is known to have an effective calming effect, as it stabilises the stress-responsive nerve fibres in your brain.

Oats

Why? Oats are also rich in tryptophan but also contain vitamin B-6 and the natural sleep-aid melatonin. Oats can act as natures' own sedative.

Honey

Why? If you're the kind of person who needs a sweet treat before bed, try honey instead of sugar. The good stuff contains tryptophan and has a fuzzy-feeling effect over your mind and body.

The Chamomile Tea Conundrum...

Chamomile

Surprised? Often found in many 'bedtime tea' recipes for its sleep-inducing properties, but it is also a diuretic. This means you will most likely need to pee in the middle of the night. So you have to weigh up which is more important: getting to sleep or staying asleep, hmm.

Foods To Avoid If You Want A Good Night's Sleep

Alcohol

Technically not a food, but it is high on the list of things to note if you want to catch some z's. It's commonly thought that having a couple of glasses of wine could help you drift-off quicker, but the type of sleep induced isn't necessarily a restful one. In fact, it's likely you will spend more time in the Rapid Eye Movement (REM) stage of sleep, which can leave us feeling fatigued despite having been in bed for a 'normal' length of time. Sound familiar? We've all been there, but for anyone struggling to manage their alcohol intake, Drink Aware can offer further advice.

Hot curry

Spicy food can raise your body temperature and bring on the night sweats, which wouldn't be welcomed in the Land of Nod. Body temperature plays a role in the sleep cycle and it will try to regulate in the night so that you are comfortable. But if you are too hot thanks to the naga chillis in your Ruby Murray, then the sweats will kick in, in an attempt to cool you down. This process could inadvertently wake you up in a clammy state. Yuck!

Cheese

The ye olde tales warn us about cheese giving us nightmares, but science is yet to prove this. What is a given is that cheese can cause indigestion, so whilst a cheese board may seem like the perfect end to your evening meal, it can cause dairy-curdling havoc with your stomach as you lie flat.

Finally, be sure to avoid caffeine and stimulants such as sugar and energy drinks, obviously.

http://www.elleuk.com/life-and-culture/articles/a28983/the-7-best-foods-to-help-you-sleep/

Tips For Managing Insomnia

From guardian.ng

Insomnia has become so popular now that most people forget it’s an abnormality. Lack of sleep tends to affect the body’s ability to function at its maximum potential and it should be dealt with as quickly as possible. Here are a few nuggets that may help with this condition.

Get Into A Routine.

Sleep experts say that when sleep is concerned, stick to a regimented routine can help people struggling with insomnia sleep better. This means that going to bed and waking up should happen at the same time each day. For example, if you lay in bed for an hour each day before sleeping, try going to bed an hour late.

Healthy Living

Eating balanced healthy meals and engaging in regular exercises make it easier fall asleep. Increased salt and sugar intake can affect the body metabolism and make sleeping harder.

Reduce Caffeine Intake

This should go without saying but do not drink caffeine or alcohol before going to bed. These drinks tend to stimulate rather than relax.

Get Off The Bed

If you’re having difficulty sleeping, instead of lying in bed, you can read a book or listen to calming music. Taking part in relaxing activities go a long way to help put the body to sleep.

Sleep In Batches

Although it is popular belief the human body should get its fair doze of uninterrupted sleep, recent research has shown that there was a time when segmented sleep was a norm. For people dealing with Insomnia, it might be difficult to try to take on the seven to eight hours at once. However, sleeping in batches might be a great way to ensure adequate rest.

https://guardian.ng/life/tips-for-managing-insomnia/

This is what happens to your mind and body when you don’t get enough sleep

From metro.us

According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, adults need seven hours of sleep every 24 hours. Yet when we fall behind in work or school, sleep is often the first thing to go when we try to catch up. We talked to Dr. Boris Chernobilsky, director of Sleep and Airway Surgery at Mount Sinai Downtown-Union Square, about the importance of sleep.

Why is sleep so essential to us? 

It is a crucial time of both physical and mental repair; many hormones like growth and thyroid hormones are released during non-[rapid-eye-movement] sleep while we dream and reorganize our thoughts during REM allowing for improved learning and memory. We increase higher levels of certain essential hormones and we review and integrate the previous day's events into our memories while we dream in during REM. 

How does sleep deprivation affect us, physically and mentally?

Lack of sleep is linked to so many problems it is hard to list them all. Of the important ones: higher mortality rates, morning headaches, erectile dysfunction, depression, poor short-term memory. Getting less than the required amount of sleep is equivalent to having a high blood-alcohol level when measuring tasks like reaction time in a driving-brake simulator. Weight gain is a major issue because insulin metabolism is altered by sleep deprivation. 

How can we ensure a good night’s sleep?

Keeping the same bedtime, the room very dark, quiet and cool are important. Avoid doing any non-sleep-related activities in bed since your brain may start associating the bed with "it's reading or eating time" rather than "it's sleep time." Avoid screen time or bright lights 30 minutes prior to bedtime. Avoid going to bed with drugs or alcohol in your system.

Is our sleep quality affected by sleep aids?

Certain things that people use as sleep aids actually worsens sleep quality: Benadryl and alcohol both fragment the sleep cycle. Other sleep aids can alter sleep staging or the amount of REM someone gets. The significance of this is not fully understood.

What can people who have insomnia do, outside of taking medication? 

Cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia has been shown to be just as effective if not slightly more effective than medicine. Get out of bed after 10 min and go read with a low reading light on the couch or in a chair until you are drowsy again. 

Are naps a good idea?

Depends — they can be great. A 20-minute power nap can be incredibly effective and refreshing.  A longer nap can actually cause grogginess, and a nap too late in the day can worsen someone's sleep cycle since they may not be sleepy enough when it is time for their natural bed time.

 If we haven’t gotten a good night’s sleep, but missing work or school isn’t possible, how to safely get through the day

Take public transportation. Driving while sleep deprived leads to car accidents. Avoid operating any heavy machinery. Coffee is safe and effective in moderation but I don't recommend it after 3 p.m. for a normal sleep cycle since it might prevent you from getting to sleep at bedtime. A power nap late in the morning or early afternoon can be extremely effective as well if you can squeeze one in. 

https://www.metro.us/body-and-mind/health/insomnia-treatment

How do you know if you're suffering from sleep deprivation and how do you treat it?

From her.ie

Not being able to sleep is probably the worst experience in the entire world ever.

You're lying there exhausted, trying to force yourself into some sort of slumber, anxiously counting down the hours until you have to get up again, anticipating the sheer tiredness that's set to overcome your body and ruin your entire day.
Essentially, it's not great.
There is a difference, however, between being a bit tired and suffering from actual sleep deprivation and insomnia.

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According to the HSE, most people will suffer from sleep-related issues in their lives, and it is thought that almost one-third of people will experience insomnia.
The condition is, unfortunately for us, more common in women and more likely to occur the older we get.

So, what exactly are the symptoms of sleep deprivation? 
It's more than being simply tired - sleep deprivation can affect people's mental health as well as their physical well-being.
Not only are sufferers going to be tired and unable to function as highly as they would have been after a good night's rest, but people with insomnia tend to be more irritable and even anxious during the day.

Why does insomnia happen? 
There are a good few reasons as to why sleep deprivation may be triggered in a person.
One of the most common causes is stress - whether it be about money, family issues, or work, stressful situations tend to make your mind more alert as your brain tries to figure out a way to solve the problem at hand.
This can make it far more difficult to sleep, sometimes even continuing after the stressful event has been resolved.
Mood disorders such as depression, bipolar disorder, and anxiety disorders (as well as certain medications that may come with treating those disorders) can also negatively affect a person's ability to sleep.
Physical conditions such as heart disease, chronic pain, and hormone problems can also affect a person's sleeping pattern (similarly, sleep deprivation can also be a symptom of physical conditions such as these or others listed on the HSE's website.)

Is it treatable? 
Insomnia is often connected to other underlying conditions, so ensuring those are treated first is key to tackling sleep deprivation.
If you find yourself suffering from short-term insomnia (under four weeks) or long-term insomnia, go to your GP and they'll advise you on some good sleep hygiene methods.
These include:

• establishing fixed times for going to bed and waking up
• trying to relax before trying to sleep
• maintaining a comfortable sleeping environment
• avoiding napping during the day
• not intaking caffeine, nicotine and alcohol six hours before going to bed
• avoiding exercise within four hours of bedtime (although exercise earlier in the day is beneficial)
• avoiding eating heavy meals late in the day
• not watching or checking the clock during the night
• only using the bedroom for sleep and for sex

If your sleep deprivation continues, your doctor may prescribe you sleeping tablets, however these are not advised for long-term use.
There are certain behavioural treatments sufferers can also partake in such as relaxation training, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), or stimulus control therapy.
Can you stop insomnia from happening in general? 
If you're worried about developing insomnia, some of the above sleep hygiene tips are probably the most practical way to ensure that you can still get a good night's kip.

Or, if you're having trouble sleeping and simply want to feel a bit more refreshed in the morning, there are a few simple changes you can make to help send you off to sleep that bit quicker, including meditating before bed, making the room darker, and playing soothing sounds.

Oh, and stop using your phone before bedtime. You'll notice a real difference in how well you sleep.

https://www.her.ie/health/know-youre-suffering-sleep-deprivation-392912