Author: sophie

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Health and Wellbeing

How To Become A Morning Person

How To Become A Morning Person

Sometimes, getting out of bed in the morning might seem impossible – we’ve all been there!

Whether you’re an early riser or a late morning snoozer, even the best of us of us struggle to get of bed.

If you aren’t naturally a morning person but would like to be – don’t lose hope! Even if you’re a night owl, it really is possible to become a morning person.

We’re rounded up some of our favourite tips to help you become less trigger happy with that snooze button…

Morning Person

15 Minutes Earlier You Say?

It might seem obvious, but the first thing to do in order to wake up earlier is to go to bed earlier. Why not set yourself a challenge this week to go to bed 15 minutes earlier each night? If you repeat this overtime, you may see yourself falling asleep by up to 2 hours earlier.

No Time for That Snooze Fest

Chances are, even if you stay-up late, you will still have to get up early for work. So when your alarm goes off in the morning, don’t hit the snooze button straight away – instead, jump out of bed.

Giving yourself more time in the morning equals less rushing around, which equals less stress and a better mood – win, win.

Power Up

If you experience trouble just waking up in the morning, the thought of hitting the gym might seem like too much to handle.

But don’t dismiss the idea straight away. The release of endorphins your body produces during a workout will leave you feeling happier and much more alert. Plus, working out in the morning helps you to fall asleep quicker at night.

Pick a Bedtime and Stick to It

The condition of your body is so dependent on the amount of sleep you get each night. With this in mind, if you want to feel refreshed and ready for the day ahead when you wake up in the morning, you’ve got to get between 7-8 hours of sleep a night.

Are You A Morning Person

So if you’re planning to get up at 6:30, make it a point to be in bed by 10:30 or 11:00 – and then stick with it! You’ll be surprised at how quickly you will reap the benefits – both physically and mentally.

You will never want to go back to the days of staying up until 2am just to waste your beautiful morning sleeping.

For more sleep tips and to keep up to date with all things Sleepeezee, like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter  and Instagram.

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Sleep Tips

Top 5 Tips To Beat Your Allergies For A Better Night’s Sleep!

tips to beat allergies

Everyone deserves a great night’s sleep – so why let allergies get in the way of this?

If you suffer with irritated eyes, sneezing and a scratchy throat, you’ll likely know that these symptoms can often wreak havoc on your sleep.

During springtime, tree pollen is a common allergen and in summer, grass pollen and ragweed emerge to further plague allergy victims.

Allergies

How Can Allergies Affect My Sleep?

If you suffer with allergies, you’ll likely know that dealing with a runny nose and sneezing can lead to lower morale and energy as a result of sleep deprivation. Not only that, but allergies can cause sleep disturbances such as agitation and difficult breathing that can interrupt or disrupt your sleep even more.

It is also important to note that allergies can lead other illnesses such as bronchitis and even conjunctivitis and asthma. Not only that, but without enough hours of quality rest, you may also experience next-day headaches, feelings of anxiety and depression, lack of concentration and even a lower libido.

The importance of a great night’s sleep cannot be underestimated, and so it is important to protect yourself and limit the rapid reproduction of these domestic allergens so that you can sleep better.

What Can I Do To Prevent Symptoms?

Don’t let your allergies get in the way of a restful night’s sleep!

We’ve provided some useful tips below to help you sleep better:

  • Change your sheets: wash your bedding regularly and, for extra protection, add a mattress protector or encasement.
  • Shower before bed: showering before you hit the sack rinses pollen from your hair and scrubs away dead skin cells
  • Swap out your chemical scents: Air fresheners can contain irritating chemicals, so swap these out for diffusers with essential oils and natural spray fresheners
  • Shut the window: Letting in fresh air on a hot summer night might seem tempting, but an open window provides a clear path for pollen to invade your room throughout the night.
  • Air it out: For mattresses that are still reasonably new and performing well, airing the bed each morning and regularly cleaning mattresses, protectors, pillows and blankets will help to eliminate the conditions under which dust mites thrive.

summer allergies

By applying these little tricks you’ll be able to better manage allergy problems and receive the good night’s sleep you deserve!

For more sleep tips and to keep up to date with all things Sleepeezee, like our  Facebook page and follow us on Twitter  and Instagram.

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Mattress Care

Do I Need a New Mattress? And How Do I Find The Perfect One For Me?

Do i need a new mattress

Nothing quite beats the feeling of sinking into the comfort of your own bed at the end of a long day.

So why let an old mattress get in the way of this?

It’s true, mattresses don’t last forever and it is often difficult to know when to change them. We’ve provided some tell-tale signs below to help you know when its time to separate yourself from your beloved mattress.New Mattress

I WAKE UP WITH PAIN

If you’re waking up with pain throughout your neck, shoulders and back, your mattress isn’t  supporting your body whilst you sleep through the night. Mattresses are one of the most used items in your home and over time, gradual wear means that they lose their ability to support your body properly. As well as this, pain is often the first sign that you are on the wrong comfort level.

YOUR MATTRESS IS GETTING OLD

Studies have shown that the life-span of a mattress is 8 – 10 years, but this varies according to the manufacturer and also how you sleep. What’s important is the knowledge that your mattress won’t last forever, and excessive wear and tear will age it faster.

If your mattress is old – and you can’t remember when you replaced it – this is a clear sign that you may need a one!

A NEW EXPERIENCE

Sleeping away from home can be difficult, and can often lead to interrupted sleep when you’re in unfamiliar surroundings with unfamiliar sounds.

So if you find that you are getting a better night’s sleep elsewhere, away from your own mattress, it’s definitely time to think about upgrading!

TIME TO UPGRADE

They say age is just a number… but as you get older, you may need to change the firmness of your mattress to combat pain or pressure points. On top of that, the best mattress for you may change every 7 to 8 years after the age of 40. Of course, how firm can depend on whether you sleep on your back, front or even on your side.

The Perfect Mattress For Me

If you’re thinking about investing in a new mattress, don’t put it off!

We’ve provided some useful tips below to help you find the perfect mattress to suit your price, size, comfort and lifestyle requirements.

  • Always try before you buy. We’re not talking about simply pressing your hand on a mattress, you have to TRY it.
  • You need to know what your preferences are, and if you’re unsure on the varying firmness levels, don’t be afraid to ask for help and advice.
  • If you have back pain, you should go for a mattress that offers orthopaedic qualities. A good quality, supportive mattress will support any painful joints you might have throughout the night – which means less tossing and turning for youSleepeezee Mattress

The good news, here at Sleepeezee we offer a wide range of mattresses designed to give every individual the perfect night’s sleep. View our full range here and visit your nearest retailer to purchase your next mattress.

For more sleep tips and to keep up to date with all things Sleepeezee, like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter  and Instagram.

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Sleepeezee News

The Sleepeezee Press Event

Sleepeezee Press Event

Have you been following our social media channels over the last few weeks? If you have, then you will know we held a very exciting event recently! We were thrilled to showcase our brand-new proposition to the press and our retailers at the Ham Yard Hotel, London, on Tuesday 7th May.

We conducted extensive research into the consumer purchase journey, and the results from this influenced the rebrand of our website, social media channels and marketing assets, including our photography and digital advertising.

Ham Yard Press Event

Breakfast Buffets and In-depth Talks

It was an action-packed day filled with inspiring speeches, exquisitely styled bedroom sets, and sleep advice from our brand ambassador, Dr. Ranj Singh – and we couldn’t be more pleased with how the day turned out.

Dr Ranj Sleepeezee

In the morning, we welcomed the press with a buffet breakfast and took the opportunity to get a few selfies with Dr Ranj.

We then invited attendees through to the theatre for a presentation given by our CEO, Joe Wykes. The purpose of this was to showcase the extensive research that we had undertaken with PwC, looking into the consumer purchase journey.

Ham Yard Press Sleepeezee

Our in-depth research revealed that consumers are often overwhelmed when shopping for a mattress and can easily become frustrated by the journey. As buying a mattress is an infrequent purchase and a high investment, the main cause for concern amongst shoppers was ensuring that they found the right price, size and comfort for them.

With this in mind, Sleepeezee has simplified the customer purchase journey, with a modernised and inspirational website. Ensuring that our customers receive the best night’s sleep possible is at the heart of everything we do here at Sleepeezee, and our brand-new website showcases this vision perfectly.

“Our goal at Sleepeezee is clear, we want to help the British public get the best night’s sleep ever”

  • Joe Wykes, CEO at Sleepeezee

Dr Ranj also offered extensive expertise and sound advice on improving the quality of your sleep. This is something that he will be offering to you as well through his regular blog posts – so keep your eyes peeled.

A Perfectly British Afternoon

In the afternoon, we welcomed a number of our retailers and suppliers to update them on the new proposition.

In addition to this, we gave them a sneak preview of our brand-new collection – ‘Perfectly British’.

Featuring designs such as Strand, Regent and Mayfair, ‘Perfectly British’ is our latest collection of mattresses expertly crafted using natural components, all sourced from within the UK.

Will you be visiting us in-store soon? Make sure to keep an eye out for ‘Perfectly British’!

Whilst the day was coming to an end we couldn’t leave without treating our retailers to a spot of lunch and a competitive game of bowling.

Dr Ranj Sleepeezee Bowling

We couldn’t be more thankful for everyone who attended and for all of the positive feedback so far received. Thank you again to the teams at Cool Blue and PwC.

For more sleep tips and advice, keep up to date with all things Sleepeezee, like our  Facebook page and follow us on Twitter  and Instagram.

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Sleep Tips Uncategorised

Sleep Habits: Men vs Women

Sleep Habits

In the epic battle of the sexes, who comes out on top when it comes to sleep? Do men sleep better than women?

For the women among us, if you share a bed with a male partner, chances are that you’re marvelled at his ability to sleep throughout the night! You’re not alone in this particular battle of the sexes and research shows that men often have a better quality of sleep than women. That said, the research also shows that women function better than men when sleep deprived, so perhaps it all evens out in the end!

Below, our sleep experts have taken a closer look at the key differences between the way that men and women sleep:

Circadian Rhythms:

One of the main reasons that men and women sleep differently is because our circadian rhythms (otherwise known as our natural body clocks) aren’t set to the same time or schedule.

On average, a woman’s circadian cycle is six minutes shorter than a man’s, which means that over time they wake up earlier and need to go to bed earlier.

Hormones:

Hormones have a huge impact on our sleep and women tend to be more regularly affected by these, especially during key biological phases such as menstruation, pregnancy and menopause.

Dreams:

Believe it or not, men and women don’t dream in the same way either. Firstly, men dream more than women and due to the fact that dreams usually take place during REM sleep, women tend to experience less REM sleep than men.

In much the same way that both sexes tend to express and interpret feelings differently, we also tend to look at our dreams from a unique perspective too. Research shows that women are more likely to dream about emotional situations (linked to family, friends or work), whereas men tend to dream about experiences such as fighting, driving or (ahem), sex.

This is, of course, quite a gendered generalisation and there are variations between all of our dreams, based on a wide variety of different factors from age to personality.

Sleep Deprivation:

In general, women experience more issues with sleep than men. However, as we mentioned earlier, women tend to perform better than their male counterparts when they’re low on sleep, and can rebound more quickly from mild sleep deprivation!

For more sleep tips and to keep up to date with all things Sleepeezee, like our  Facebook page and follow us on Twitter  and Instagram.

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Health and Wellbeing

Why Do I Still Wake Up Tired?

Tired Dog

We all know the feeling – your alarm goes off, you force yourself out of bed, and then you spend the rest of the morning in complete fog. It’s a struggle just to keep your eyes open, let alone focus on anything else!

If you’re the type of person who constantly seems to wake up feeling groggy and exhausted, there is an explanation. Actually, there are several reasons why you might feel so tired, even after getting a solid amount of sleep.

You’re Not Getting Enough Sleep

This might seem obvious, but if you wake up feeling tired, you might actually BE tired. Simple, but true. What you think is a sufficient amount of time asleep may simply not be enough.

So, set an alarm on your phone or tell Alexa to remind you that its time to go to bed. Your goal should be to establish a routine where you go to bed at approximately the same time every day. A time that allows for 7+ hours of sleep – so your body and brain both get in the habit of turning down at the same time you need to.

You May Not Be Getting Good Sleep, Either

Did you know that you go through four different stages during sleep? Stage 3 is what we call ‘deep sleep’ – the stage of sleep you need to feel refreshed in the morning. In this stage, your heart and breathing drops to their lowest levels, your muscles relax and your brain wave activity slows down.

You Snooze? You Lose.

That buzzing, beeping alarm may feel like your mortal enemy, but the snooze button is really the one plotting against you. When you wake up, your brain shuts off melatonin (your sleep hormone) production and boosts cortisol (a natural steroid) output. This hormonal switchover gets you up and going. When you hit the snooze button more than once, the process goes away. Your body gets confused as to which mode you should be in, which leads to a prolonged half-awake, half-asleep state.

To break the snooze habit, why not try setting your alarm for just 10 minutes later and place your alarm clock across the room so you’re forced to get out of bed to turn it off?

You Might Need to Be More Active

When you’re feeling tired, exercise is usually the last thing on your mind! However, moving can help to re-energize you when you feel tired. So, consider a morning run or an early yoga class. Over time, regular exercise can lead to getting a better night’s rest.

Or is it something else?

If none of these tips seem to be helping, it might be time to consult a sleep professional to ensure that your morning grogginess isn’t a result of a more serious sleep disorder like sleep apnea, narcolepsy or insomnia.

Buying a mattress that matches your sleep preferences can also go a long way towards improving your sleep, so you’re not groggy in the morning. Discover our collection of handcrafted beds, each designed to give you the great night’s sleep you deserve.

For more sleep tips and to keep up to date with all things Sleepeezee, like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

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Health and Wellbeing Sleep Tips

Want To Know What Stops Your Teens From Sleeping?

Teenage Sleep

Leading a healthy lifestyle throughout your teenage years is dependent on a number of factors, and often a good night’s sleep is overlooked. But let’s face it, getting enough sleep is never a top priority at that age!

Not only does quality of sleep affect our overall health and wellbeing, but also our ability to make decisions, problem-solve and handle stress.

Did you know that the average teenager needs between 8 and 10 hours of sleep every night? Despite this, most adolescents only get about 6.5 – 7.5 hours.

If the teenagers in your household stay up late and always complain about being tired the next day, we’re discussing some of the key reasons for sleep deprivation below. Not only that but we’ve also provided some helpful tips to ensure that your child catches some much-needed ZZZs.

Causes of teenage sleep deprivation

Sleep deprivation and how we deal with it will differ from person to person, but here are some of the key causes:

  • Hormonal time shift: hormonal shifts throughout puberty can move a teenager’s body clock forward up to one or two hours, making them tired later in the day. Yet, while the average teenager falls asleep later, early starts for school don’t give them the opportunity to sleep in. This is what we call ‘sleep debt’, which ultimately leads to chronic sleep deprivation
  • Demanding after–school schedules: homework, sport, music, drama, part-time work, social commitments – the list goes on! All of this will cut into a teenager’s sleeping time
  • Light exposure: light cues the brain to stay awake and exposure to it in the evening from televisions, mobile phones and computer screens can prevent adequate production of melatonin, the brain chemical (neurotransmitter) responsible for sleep
  • It’s a vicious circle: insufficient sleep causes a teenager’s brain to become more active, and an over used brain is less likely to allow us to fall asleep
  • Social attitudes: in the UK, greater importance is placed on healthy eating and exercise in order to lead a balanced lifestyle but often, sleep is left out of the equation
  • Sleep disorder: sleep disorders such as restless legs syndrome or sleep apnoea, can affect a teenager’s ability to nod off easily

Top sleep tips for teenagers

With all of this in mind, what advice can we give to teenagers to aid them in a restful night’s sleep?

Sometimes even the smallest of changes can positively impact an individual’s behaviour and sleep, and so we’ve rounded up our top tips below for struggling teens:

  • Choose a relaxing bedtime routine; for example, have a bath before bed, or use mindfulness activities to wind down
  • Avoid computer games, loud music or any other activities that will get your mind racing an hour before bedtime
  • Avoid stimulants such as coffee, tea and energy drinks on an evening
  • Set up a comfortable sleep environment – think cool and dark. Your brain’s sleep-wake cycle is largely set by light received through the eyes so avoiding watching TV or using a smart phone before bed
  • Practice the same bedtime routine every night for at least four weeks to ensure your brain associates this routine with going to sleep
  • Get active during the day so you are more physically tired at night

We hope you found this guide useful – and remember that even 30 minutes of extra sleep each night on a regular basis will make a big difference. However, it may take about six weeks before you feel the benefits.

For more sleep tips and to keep up to date with all things Sleepeezee, like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

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Mattress Care

How To Choose The Right Level Of Firmness For My Mattress

Mattress Firmness

Soft, medium, firm or extra firm – which one is right for you?

Buying a bed or mattress can be daunting with so many different types and models. That’s why spending the right time researching and understanding the different options will ensure you choose the right mattress that best suits you!

One of the most confusing and often complicated options to choose is the firmness of your mattress. Your body shape and weight as well as your sleeping position can all play huge factors in this decision-making process.

To help you find the right level, we’ve created this handy guide which offers tips and expert advice to choose the right one.

What is firmness?

Think of soft and firm as two ends on a spectrum and every degree on this spectrum is referred to as the “firmness level” of a bed.

You are likely to come across a variety of different firmness levels when you start looking for a mattress, but some will be better suited to you than others.

Firmness levels relate to the upmost support that the layers within the inner mattress build provides however a well-made mattress will provide you with support regardless of how soft the top layers feel.

The softness or firmness of a mattress can in some cases only refer to the initial feel of a bed.

Body weight

Your bodyweight and shape play a huge part in choosing the right mattress.

If you are slim or suffer from aching joints a softer mattress may be beneficial.

Those of a heavier weight may benefit from a firmer mattress, but this can also be subjective when it comes to sharing a bed with someone lighter. Your perceptions of what is firm may be very different.

Finding the right firmness with Sleepeezee

Here at Sleepeezee, we divide our mattresses into four simple categories: soft, medium, firm and extra firm.

Over on our mattress collection page, you can select your preference to help narrow down the options that will be perfect for you.

And if this isn’t enough, below is a further guide on our firmness levels.

Soft

Support: A softer mattress will usually conform and contour to the shape of your body, providing support and additional cushioned comfort particularly when laying on your side.

Sleeping positions: A soft mattress is ideal for side sleepers, as it offers extra cushioning around your hips and shoulders where pressure would usually build when sleeping on your side. If you sleep on your back or stomach, a mattress that is too soft for you may draw your spine out of its natural alignment.

Shop our soft mattress ranges here. https://sleepeezee.com/the-mattresses/?comfort=soft

Medium

Support: A medium comfort mattress will offer a little ‘give’ when pressure is applied, helping to keep your spine aligned whatever your sleeping position.

Sleeping positions: A medium comfort mattress is usually ideal for combination sleepers (who change sleeping positions during the night) and couples who may not sleep in the same position.

Shop our medium mattress ranges here. https://sleepeezee.com/the-mattresses/?comfort=medium

Firm

Support: A firm comfort level will offer high levels of support, with very little contouring when pressure is applied to the mattress.

Sleeping positions:  A firm mattress is ideal for those who sleep on their back or stomach, and will help to keep your spine in a natural shape. Those who are of a heavier weight and who sleep on their side might also prefer a firmer comfort level as this will provide additional support without putting too much pressure on hips and shoulders.

Shop our firm mattress ranges here: https://sleepeezee.com/the-mattresses/?comfort=firm

Extra Firm

Support:  Often classed as an orthopaedic mattress, an extra firm mattress provides solid support with very little cushioning or contouring when pressure is applied to the mattress.

Sleeping positions: Those who sleep on their back or stomach will usually find that an extra firm mattress will help to keep their spine in its natural alignment, though the additional firmness may not be to their liking. Those of a heavier weight may prefer an extra firm comfort feel as the spring system will offer added support.

Shop our extra firm mattress ranges here. https://sleepeezee.com/the-mattresses/?comfort=extrafirm

Finding a comfortable mattress should be much easier once you’ve established the optimum firmness level for you. When shopping in store, make sure that you try out a variety of different mattresses in your usual sleeping position and remember to try them out with your partner if you share a bed.

For more sleep tips and to keep up to date with all things Sleepeezee, like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

 

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Health Sleep Tips

Sleepless Nights For Parents Can Last Up To Six Years!

Sleepless nights parents

Being a parent can be one of the most rewarding jobs – but it doesn’t come without its challenges. A recent study by The Telegraph has found children will disrupt your sleep for at least six years.

Research tracking almost 5,000 parents found that even when children had reached school age, parents were still suffering with significantly worse sleep than before.

Sleep Satisfaction

Unsurprisingly, sleep satisfaction and duration was at its worst in the first three months after birth, the study found.

Mothers lost an hour’s sleep a night in the first three months, while fathers lost 15 minutes.

Lead researcher Dr Sakari Lemola, from the Department of Psychology at the University of Warwick, said: “While having children is a major source of joy for most parents it is possible that increased demands and responsibilities associated with the role as a parent lead to shorter sleep and decreased sleep quality even up to six years after birth of the first child.”

With daily worries said to double after having a child, we’re not surprised to hear that parents – and their sleep routines – are affected so much.

However this doesn’t mean there is no way to remedy this or to ensure your sleep environment isn’t fully optimised.

Here at Sleepeezee we believe your best night’s sleep starts with your environment – and most importantly your bed. If your bed’s not offering you the support and comfort you need then those sleepless nights are going to be 10x harder than before.

If you’re in need of a better night’s sleep, discover our collection of handcrafted beds, each designed to give you the great night’s sleep you deserve. This combined with a room designed to optimise your sleep will make sure those precious hours aren’t wasted.

For more sleep tips and to keep up to date with all things Sleepeezee, like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter and Instagram.