FAQ
What is the best way to sleep when you are travelling?
A long trip across multiple time zone can impact our health on many levels, but it will hit us the hardest if we don’t get a healthy night’s sleep. Travel across even one time zones holds the potential of significantly disrupting our normal healthy sleep patterns. Normal, natural sleep patterns are governed by our biological clock, a complex timepiece synchronized to our internal rhythms. This normal experience of night, day, work, play and sleep is known as our circadian rhythm.
Here are some tips for maximizing your sleep when travelling:
- Practice Good Sleep at home before travelling. If you don’t have good sleep patterns before you leave, chances are you won’t develop them when you travel.
- Adjust your time while in transit. If you can adjust your sleeping and eating cycles before you arrive, you will have a better chance of adjusting when you do hit the ground.
- Keep hydrated and active. Continue to sip water throughout the trip and make sure you keep your body moving to ensure that your muscles and joints don’t ache.
- Make your sleep a priority when you arrive. The excitement and busyness of airports and travel can stimulate your senses and so it is important you prioritise your sleep when you arrive because it will determine the level of energy and enjoyment you will experience for your whole trip.
- Stay somewhere comfortable. When booking your hotel don’t reward places that have uncomfortable beds and noisy rooms, but support those places that have given you the best environment for sleep because for most of us that is what you will doing the most!
Q. How do I choose the right mattress?
A. We spend approx one third of our life on our mattress and its one of the critical elements determining your sleep and ultimately your health and well being so please make sure you take the time to choose wisely.
But before you start visiting stores it is important to consider your personal needs in a mattress and here are some things to think about:
- SIZE: You need to identify the right size mattress for your personal needs. This means providing room for easy, comfortable movement for yourself and anyone you share the bed with. Too small a sleep surface puts you on competition for sleep space and risks disturbing both you and your partner’s slumber, since most healthy sleepers move from 35 to 60 times a night.
- SUPPORT: A good mattress and foundation will continuously support your body at all points and keep your spine in the same “straight line” configuration as a person with good posture in a standing position. Pay special attention to your shoulders, hips, and lower back—the heaviest parts of your body. The mattress should contour to those heavier pressure points, keeping your spine in the same vital straight line configuration. Look for products that have zones that provide additional support in the areas of the mattress that will do ‘more of the work’.However, a mattress that is too firm will put pressure on the heavier parts of your body, particularly the hips, signaling your body to turn over and resulting in a night of tossing and turning. If there's too little support, it will result in your spine not being properly aligned and your muscles will tense up and have to work harder to make up for the lack of support. Your goal is to identify the mattress that is right for your personal needs.
- COMFORT: On top of the support level of a mattress there must be an appropriate amount of comfortable cushioning materials that both offer a welcoming embrace and provide a breathable sleep surface that will help you maintain an optimal sleep-body temperature. Wool and other natural fibers are the best “breathable” covering materials and will also help channel moisture away from your body, keeping you dry and comfortable while you sleep. Natural latex emits no chemical residue as do some man-made fibers, and also helps maintain optimal body temperature
- DURABILITY: You want a mattress that is well constructed with quality materials. These factors will determine the service life of your mattress (how long you receive maximum comfort and support) more than any others. The best assurance of continuous support and comfort over the years is to seek out and buy the highest quality sleep set you can afford.
- PARTNER DISTURBANCE: One of the top three reasons that people give for interrupted sleep is that they are disturbed by their partner. If that is an issue for you then it is important to look for a mattress that minimizes partner disturbance through the design of the mattress. Watch out for products that have any horizontal components that increase the side to side movement.
Q. Where should I buy my mattress?
A. Mattress shopping can be confusing at first since most mattresses look similar on the surface and it is impossible to see what is inside or to tell just by looking the nature and quality of the fabric and other covering components they contain.
It is always best to seek out a retail location that is established and has a reputation for service and reliability. Like in all major purchases, customer satisfaction comes from a store whose representatives provide good information, answer your questions knowledgably, offer good service, offer a long-term warranty and offer well-known, high quality products.
Look for educated salespeople who can answer your questions about sleep and sleep issues and talk intelligently about your personal needs, as well as guide you through the many product choices.
If you don't feel your salesperson is straightforward, knowledgeable or helpful, you may want to shop elsewhere. You are making an important commitment to your family’s health needs and you deserve the support necessary to make an informed decision.
The second part is about choosing the quality of your mattress, where we spend approx one third of our life and is one of the critical elements determining your sleep and ultimately your health and well being.
Q. What is the best sleeping position?
A. Sleep in the position that is most comfortable and best for your own relaxation, but one that will not contribute to pain or aggravate or perpetuate spinal problems but please note some of our thoughts on the following specific positions:
Sleeping on your back. Sleeping on your back is one of the least stressful positions and is usually recommended for proper spinal alignment. If you sleep on your back, avoid thick pillows under your head that can force the head forward and place constant stress on the upper back and neck. Over a period of time, this persistent forward pressure may affect the normal curvature of the upper back and neck, leading to possible spinal alignment problems and a wide range of health issues that may ensue.
Sleeping on your side. An alternate position is sleeping on your side with your knees bent. When you sleep on your side it is essential to use enough pillows to prop up your head so that it is level with the rest of your spinal column. Sleeping on your side may also reduce the possibility of snoring. This position is usually suggested for those with lower back conditions and expectant mothers because it enhances relaxation, especially to the lower back. Pregnant women may find it helpful to place another pillow between the knees for maximum relaxation in this position.
Sleeping on your stomach. Normally, it is recommended that you avoid sleeping on your stomach. If you do, your face is forced to turn to either the extreme right or left in order to breathe. This may cause undue stress in the joints of the cervical spine, as well as stretching and/or shortening of the muscles and ligaments on one side of the spine or the other. Stomach (prone) sleeping may also help cause the rib cage to shift due to the body weight on the chest, and may contribute to stress in the lower back, extending into the hips, legs and feet. Symptoms of stomach sleeping may include neck and shoulder stiffness, acute torticollis (wry neck), and morning headache.
10 Steps to a Successful Sleeping
Sleep experts and doctors support our 10 steps to a successful nights sleep:
- Avoid alcoholic drinks before bed. A nightcap might help you get to sleep, but alcohol keeps you in the lighter stages of sleep. You also tend to wake up in the middle of the night when the sedating effects have worn off.
- Don’t take naps after 3 p.m. Naps can boost your brain power, but late afternoon naps can make it harder to fall asleep at night. Also, keep naps to under an hour.
- Relax before bed. Take time to unwind. A relaxing activity, such as reading or listening to music or even a warm bath and shower should be part of your bedtime ritual.
- Have a good sleeping environment. Get rid of anything that might distract you from sleep, such as noises, bright lights or a TV or computer in the bedroom. Also, keeping the temperature in your bedroom on the cool side can help you sleep better.
- Have the right sunlight exposure. Daylight is key to regulating daily sleep patterns. Try to get outside in natural sunlight for at least 30 minutes each day.
- Don’t lie in bed awake. If you find yourself still awake after staying in bed for more than 20 minutes, get up and do some relaxing activity until you feel sleepy. The anxiety of not being able to sleep can make it harder to fall asleep.
- Develop a sleep schedule that works best for you, and stick to it. Go to bed and wake up at the same time each day — even on the weekends.
- Exercise is great but not too late in the day. Exercise regularly, but avoid exercising closer than 5 or 6 hours before bedtime. Your doctor of chiropracticor can help you develop the right exercise program for you.
- Avoid caffeine and nicotine. The stimulating effects of caffeine in coffee, colas, teas, and chocolate can take as long as 8 hours to wear off fully. Nicotine is also a stimulant.
- Avoid large meals and beverages late at night. A large meal can cause indigestion that interferes with sleep. Drinking too many fluids at night can cause you to awaken frequently to use the bathroom.
Q. If I have a bad back should I get a firm mattress?
A. A hard surface is no guarantee of proper spine support and will not necessarily improve one’s posture. Firm, long-lasting support is, however, essential and while every person’s needs may be different, all consumers should look for the best possible combination of comfort and support. A stiff, solid surface, especially a very hard surface, may not allow for the body to comfortably contour to accommodate the more sensitive pressure points such as the hips and shoulders and thus maintain a straight-line spine position. A mattress that is too soft, however, will also distort the natural position in which healthy sleep is best obtained. A firm but comfortable surface is what consumers should look for, according
