Category: Uncategorised

Autumn is in the air and the days are getting shorter, which can only mean one thing… we will soon be winding back the clocks!

But do you know why we do this?

When Do The Clocks Go Back?

Every year the clocks go forward one hour in the spring, so that evening daylight lasts longer, and back again one hour in the autumn so that we can enjoy extra light in the mornings.

In case you forgot, here is your friendly reminder that the clocks will go back one hour on the morning of Sunday 27^th October at 02:00. So, don’t forget to adjust the clocks throughout your home! We would also recommend that you double-check the clock on your phone, as often these automatically adjust themselves.

Why Do We Change The Clocks?

The proposal for Daylight Savings Time was put forward by William Willett in 1907.

He argued that we were wasting important daylight by rising at the same time in the summer as we did throughout the winter months (sounds like William Willet was in need of a comfortable Sleepeezee bed!)

Why Does It Affect My Sleep?

Moving the clocks forward and back so that we can seize the daylight hours more efficiently is all well and good, but did you know that this can also have a noticeable effect on our sleep?

Our internal body clock can easily be thrown off course by the one hour change, due to the change in routine, which can affect how much of the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin we release and when.

As sleep experts, we understand that the importance of a great night’s sleep cannot be underestimated. After all, it’s what drives us here at Sleepeezee.

Winding the clocks back by an hour will often have an effect on the time you naturally wake up in the morning. So, to ensure that you achieve 8 hours of quality rest each night, it’s important that your bedroom is dark, quiet and soothing enough for you to sleep in.

You can also practice these good sleeping habits to help improve the quality of your rest.

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.

Winter is coming and we can feel it!

As the days get shorter and the nights get cooler, there’s nothing we love more than curling up for a restful sleep in a warm, comfortable and cosy Sleepeezee bed.

Did you know that cold bedrooms can play havoc with your sleep? With temperatures usually at their lowest in the early hours of the morning, many people often find that they are sometimes too cold to get a quality night’s rest.

So what are we to do when the weather is making us feel tired and groggy the next day? We’ve rounded up our top tips for sleeping during cold nights below. Perfect for beating the chill this winter!

Upgrade your bedding

This might sound obvious, but thick, heavy bedding will help to increase your body temperature on a cold night. So we would recommend that you swap out your thin bed sheets for thick cotton alternatives.

Pull up your socks

Ensure that you don’t have icy cold toes by putting on a pair of soft bed socks! This extra layer under the covers can help to improve circulation in your extremities, which can help you to fall asleep more quickly.

Soak in a hot bath

Nothing quite beats the relaxation of a warm, soothing bubble bath, complete with a good book of course. A bath just before bed helps to relax your muscles and in turn helps you to nod off into a deep sleep more quickly.

Work up a sweat

Try to incorporate exercise into your daily routine to help you fall asleep more quickly at night. This will get your circulation going and will help to keep your body warm.

Cuddle a hot water bottle

Last but certainly not least, an old-fashioned hot water bottle is still one of our favourite ways to keep warm once you’re all tucked up in bed!

Which one of these tips do you already practice? Incorporating even just one of these ideas into your daily routine will aid you in getting a good night’s rest this winter!

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.

An evening tipple (or two) may be tempting at the end of a long day, but do you know how much of an impact it can have your sleep?

Here’s what happens – behind closed eyes – when you fall asleep after drinking…

Reduction in deep sleep:

Drinking alcohol before bedtime is linked with a reduction in deep sleep, which helps with memory formation and learning.

It can interrupt your circadian rhythm:

Whilst you may fall asleep quicker after drinking, it also becomes more likely that you will wake up in the middle of the night. This is because alcohol affects the production of chemicals in the body that trigger sleep. After you’ve consumed alcohol, these chemicals subside quicker, making you more likely to wake up before you’ve truly rested!

It blocks REM sleep:

Rapid Eye Movement Sleep, or REM sleep, is often considered the most restorative type of sleep. When we enter REM sleep, your eyes move back and forth behind the eyelids and your heart rate and breathing quickens. During this phase of sleep, you’re more likely to be dreaming as well. Alcohol consumption is known to block REM sleep, and this can leave you feeling tired the next day no matter how long a lie-in you have!

It makes you snore:

Alcohol causes your whole body to relax, including the muscles in your throat. This makes you more prone to snoring and sleep apnea.

It can lead to extra bathroom trips:

As you unwind each evening, your body knows that it is time for sleep, and not time for trips to the bathroom. Alcohol, a diuretic, encourages the body to lose extra fluid through sweat and trips to the bathroom, interrupting your normal sleep pattern and leaving you dehydrated.

With all of this in mind, we would always recommend that you stick to the recommended units each week. We want you to get the best night’s sleep possible, and so by simply reducing your alcohol intake throughout the week, you can significantly improve the quality of your sleep.

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

Summer is finally here and this means that most of us are busy planning our dream holidays.

Whilst we all long for sun-kissed holidays, a long haul flight can often lead to jet lag – which plays havoc with our sleep!

If you’re flying long haul this summer, we’ve rounded up some simple ways to help you combat jet lag symptoms below.

What Causes Jetlag?

Jet lag encompasses a range of symptoms that we experience when adapting to a different time zone. There are 24 different time zones in the world and once you cross them, your body’s 24-hour clock is disrupted.

In simple terms, jet lag is when your body clock struggles to match the time zone of your chosen holiday destination. Symptoms usually include insomnia, daytime drowsiness, difficulty concentrating and even mood swings.

How to Treat Jet lag

While it isn’t possible to prevent jet lag, there are a few ways to help reduce its effects:

Prepare your body – Before a flight, you can try to prepare your body clock by slowly changing your sleep pattern. For example, if you’re travelling east, start waking up and going to bed earlier than you usually would, so the time difference won’t shock your body as much. If you’re travelling west, go to bed and get up a little bit later.

Avoid napping – As tempting as it might be to have a quick snooze when you land, it’s best to stay awake until its night time in your new destination. While it may be difficult to stay awake, it will help your body to adjust quicker. If you’re still struggling to stay awake throughout the day, have a coffee!

Live like a local – It’s also advised that you adjust other habits to match the time zone of your new destination. This means eating at the correct times of the country you’re in and not the times you would normally back at home.

Step Outside – Finally, spend time outdoors! Natural daylight can help your body to adjust to its new time zone quicker.

Trying out these tips is easy and reducing the symptoms of jet lag means giving yourself the chance to enjoy your holiday as much as possible!

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.

The New Year is here, the schools are back and today will see the first full week back to work for the majority of us.

After a string of late nights and mornings over the festive break, it’s likely that many of us are out of our regular sleep routine and possibly feeling a little out of sorts.

Sound familiar? Fear not, we’ve compiled our top five tips to help you shake off this feeling, get back into your regular routine and ultimately beat the post-Christmas comedown – you can thank us later!

Create a bedtime routine

If you find yourself hitting the snooze button most mornings or running late for work, creating a bed time routine could be for you.

Choose a time to hit the hay each night and be consistent. Set a warning alarm 30 minutes before and use this time to wind down – and don’t forget, your bed should be a no tech zone, so remember to turn off your phone or tablet (or better yet, leave them in another room to avoid temptation).

Why not try five minutes of mindfulness or stretching, have a relaxing shower, or read a book? You’ll wake up feeling more energised which can help with productivity during the day.

Reset your diet and create healthy eating habits

It’s a well-known fact that healthy eating can have a positive impact on our mental well-being.

Our top tip is to prepare! Planning your daily meals and snacks will help you stay on track. For example, have three breakfasts you can rotate, find 10 easy dinner recipes that you can whip up on week nights, and find portable lunches you can take to work.

Our favourite hack is to stick a list of go to snacks to the fridge as a reminder for when you start craving junk food – you’d be surprised at how quickly your old habits can creep back in.

Cut out alcohol and caffeine

Did you know caffeine has a direct impact on the quality of your sleep? It’s true, and it can take up to ten hours for it to completely flush out of your system.

Consider replacing your afternoon coffee with herbal tea or decaffeinated variant, particularly if you find that you wake up feeling unrefreshed despite having slept for eight or more hours.

Get some fresh air

Set aside some time on your lunch break to go for a quick walk and breathe in some fresh air. The boost in serotonin will help to improve your mood and keep you energised throughout the day.

Get organised

To prevent getting overwhelmed in the first full week back at work, spend some time each night preparing for the following day – pack your bag and get a good night’s sleep.

The less time you spend rushing in the morning will reduce your overall stress levels – and it means you can enjoy longer in bed!

Our final thoughts…

Back to work blues are a normal part of life but there are plenty of steps you can take to help beat them.

And don’t forget, getting back on track can take a few weeks, so take it slow and steady while you transition back into a normal routine.
Finally, remember to focus on prioritising your health, sleep and happiness this year!

How have you combatted the back to work blues? Let us know on our Twitter or Facebook page and don’t forget to follow us for more sleep tips and advice!

People tend to start a new year in one of two ways. Either with a positive ‘go get em’ attitude or still hung up on the year gone by and not feeling so great about the next 365 days.

For us 2018 was all about turning resolutions into reality – from building new relationships and showcasing at a number of events, to investing in our products, people and chosen charities.

Here at Sleepeezee, we believe a new year is all about new chances and opportunities. So this year, we’re challenging you to do the same!

We say look at the year ahead with the right attitude and employ strategies that fuel your ambition. Whether you want to make a positive impact in your work or home life, it’s all about setting yourself up for success in the long run.

With that in mind, we thought we’d share our resolutions with the hope they might inspire you to think about yours:

• Continue to provide excellent service – Going above and beyond our retailers’ and customers’ expectations is always a priority for us but as we see it, there is always room for improvement. Given that, we’re planning some exciting things for our customers in 2019.

• Lead by example – As innovative leaders and advisors within the industry, we see it as our responsibility to set a good example. Our aim for this year is to be more sustainable as a company as well as taking care of our local community through volunteering and our work with various charities.

• Expand and invest – Our final resolution is to continue to invest in our current and upcoming product offering for retailers and customers, as well as expanding to new locations within our export division to ensure our brand offering reaches our customers overseas.

So there you go, three resolutions you can hold us to in 2019!

Finally, we want to wish you all a very happy and healthy New Year and of course many nights of restful sleep.

Don’t forget, you can keep up to date with all things Sleepeezee over on social media – like our Facebook page or follow us on Twitter or LinkedIn to see what we get up to!

It’s been a busy year here at Sleepeezee, with big news, events and exciting new projects underway. With just a few day’s left till Christmas, we’re taking a look back on another successful year.

Here are some of our highlights…

Customer service and innovation has always been a key priority of our business and 2018 was no different. We focused on nurturing relationships with our current retailers as well as growing new ones.

This has allowed us to expand our creative think tank and produce some of our best ranges to date. All of which you can find here on our website or through one of our retailers.

Carbon Neutral

One of our proudest moments of the year was being able to announce our Carbon Neutral status. Sustainability remains at the forefront of our practices and no waste generated from our manufacturing facility goes to landfill.

Campaign For Wool

Sleepeezee is also an active supporter of HRH The Prince of Wales’ Campaign for Wool, which supports British sheep farmers and promotes the unique, natural, renewable and biodegradable benefits of wool.

Throughout the year, we were lucky enough to attend a number of export shows, including shows such as Best of British 2018 in Shanghai.

We already have a number of dates in the diary for next year’s events and can’t wait to carry on growing our international presence.

QEST

In September, we were delighted to be able to present a cheque for £36,000 to QEST (Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust).

For every QEST collection mattress or divan sold we donate a portion of the proceeds to the charity, whose core objective is to sustain British craftsmanship. It’s a vision shared by Sleepeezee and one very close to our hearts.

As a UK manufacturer we recognise the need to maintain historical skills used within our industry. We are committed to encouraging excellence in traditional craftsmanship and to date, we’ve donated £75,000 to QEST and will continue working alongside the Trust in 2019.

Dr Ranj

A month later in October, This morning’s Dr Ranj visited our factory with the ITV camera crew to film for the show’s Presenter’s First Job feature! He worked here more than 20 years ago and we were thrilled to welcome him back.

As well as helping us tuft mattresses, Dr Ranj also surprised his mum Tarsem who has worked here for the past 31 years. We’re sure everyone will agree it was a very heart-warming moment.

To round the year off, we we’re named one of the ‘best mattresses for sale’ in the UK by the Evening Standard. Not only that but we won ‘Bedding Product of the Year’  via our partner retailer Harvey Norman, in Northern Ireland. This is a testament to the hard work, standard of service and commitment our team has shown this year.

So from all of us here at Sleepeezee we want to say thank you for your continued support over the last year and wish you a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year!

Simple Steps to improve your sleep routine.