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Health and Wellbeing Sleep Tips

How To Maximise Your Children’s Sleep This Half Term!

Childs sleep routine

As a parent you’re probably no stranger to worn-out children on the Sunday evening after the half term break.

Some call this ‘Sunday night syndrome’, others call it ‘Sunday fear’. Either way, it often occurs after having an eventful, fun-packed week and a sudden realisation that it’s time to go back to school.

As fun as half term can be for your little ones, it can also be detrimental to their sleep routines. This may leave your children dragging themselves back to school on Monday morning feeling drained.

That said, getting a good night’s sleep on a Sunday can boost their chances of a bright and productive week ahead.

Here are our top tips for helping you maximise your kids’ sleep this half term…

Keep to their regular bedtime schedule

It’s important to keep your children’s sleep routine consistent –  this includes weekends and school holidays!

Allowing them to sleep in – or stay up late – can damage the routine you’re trying to establish.

Turn off electronics

All electronics should be shut off or taken away at least an hour before bedtime to ensure a restful night’s sleep.

Not only are they mentally stimulating, the artificial light they emit tricks the brain into thinking it needs to stay awake as it associates light with daytime.

Keep them fit and healthy

A healthy diet combined with regular exercise will help your children wind down quicker at night.

A good quality diet has been proven to boost sleep and keeping your children active will ensure they’re worn out come bedtime.

Create an ideal sleep environment

Your children should associate their bed with sleep – not other types of activities.

If they enjoy spending time in their room during the daytime, try getting them a beanbag to sit in as they read or play video games. This way you can ensure that your bed is identified strictly with sleeping.

We hope this shows you just how important good quality restorative sleep is for your children.

The recommended amount of sleep for children is at least 10 hours to allow their brains to grow and develop, particularly at primary school age. As you’re probably already aware, when they don’t get enough sleep at night it can start to show during the day!

What do you do to ensure your child gets a good night’s sleep? Let us know on our Facebook page or Twitter.

 

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Health and Wellbeing

Eight Must-Eat Foods For The Best Sleep Ever

Foods to help you Sleep

You may not know, but your diet can have a huge impact on your sleep – that’s why eating the right foods is so important to getting a good night’s kip.

While you probably already know it’s not a good idea to have caffeine or sugar before bedtime, meaning chocolate is firmly off the agenda as a midnight snack, there’s still a whole host of food you can enjoy before bed to prepare for a great night’s sleep.

Here’s our round-up of the top sleep-inducing foods to help you nod off at night…

Go nutty with almonds

Almonds contain tryptophan and magnesium, which both help to naturally reduce muscle and nerve function while also steadying your heart rhythm – so grab a handful before bed and you’ll be dozing off in no time!

Swap sugar for honey

Refined sugar can keep you awake however honey contains glucose, which tells your brain to shut off orexin – the chemical known to trigger alertness. So using honey to satisfy your sweet tooth before bed may actually help you sleep better.

Have a cuppa

…but not the caffeinated kind! Swap your brew for chamomile tea which contains apigenin, an antioxidant that binds to certain receptors in your brain. This is said to promote sleepiness and reduce insomnia – sounds like a dream to us!

Go bananas

The magnesium and potassium in bananas serve as muscle and nerve relaxants. The fruit also contains vitamin B6 which converts tryptophan into serotonin, increasing relaxation even more.

Time to go cold turkey?

Did you feel the effects of Christmas dinner on your sleep over the festive period? It might not just be the big meal that left you feeling sleepy – the tryptophan in turkey can make you feel drowsy, but the jury is still out on whether or not it has real results.

Go tropical

Kiwis have the potential to improve sleep quality. The sleep-promoting effects of kiwis are thought to be due to their content of serotonin, a chemical that helps regulate your sleep cycle – and the sweet taste may be all you need to curb any late-night sugar cravings.

Snack on hummus

Hummus is another great source of tryptophan. If you find you often wake up in the middle of the night hungry, munching on hummus during the day could be the solution.

A simple slice of whole grain bread

It’s no secret that carbs can be your best friend – and your worst enemy. Like whole grains they tend to spike the blood glucose levels but once the glucose level drops back down you will have an energy crash. This is why carbs are great for working out but make you sleepy if you have a huge lunch!

Remember, eating well isn’t the only recipe for better sleep. Our blog is full of tips and tricks to help you find a sleep solution that works for you.

Like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter for your daily dose of all things Sleepeezee.

Happy snacking!

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Health and Wellbeing

How Does Caffeine Really Affect Your Sleep?

Caffeine and Sleep

Everyone has a favourite form of caffeine – let us guess yours… a thick, foamy espresso? Or how about a strong cup of Earl Grey tea?

Whatever your preference, it’s natural to feel like you need a boost of caffeine on a daily basis but there’s no doubt that it can affect our sleep.

While we all know that a late cup of coffee will keep us awake, giving up the liquid gold for good probably isn’t realistic. Understanding how and why coffee affects sleep is the best way to have the best of both worlds.

Where does the caffeine buzz come from?

That morning boost you feel doesn’t come from sugar or energy. Caffeine blocks a sleep-inducing chemical in the brain called adenosine, while promoting production of the heart-pumping adrenaline. Larger amounts of caffeine will also increase your blood pressure.

What is the recommended daily intake for caffeine?

A moderate intake of coffee is around 2-3 cups per day. Any more than that is deemed excessive. This is because caffeine doesn’t form a part of our nutritional requirements – it’s just a shame coffee tastes so good!

How long does caffeine take to become effective?

For its physiological effect on your body, the effects of caffeine peak between 30 and 60 minutes after your first cup.

The issue with your sleep is that caffeine’s half-life (the time it takes to remove half of the drug from your body) is up to five hours. This means that it can take up to 10 hours – sometimes longer – for caffeine to completely flush out of your system.

When should my last cup of coffee be before bed?

If your bed time is roughly 10pm on weeknights, studies suggest that you should avoid regularly consuming coffee any time after midday – sorry to be the bearer of bad news!

There will of course be occasions when exceptions are made. But if good sleep patterns and better overall quality of life are resolutions, then ensure that those occasions remain exceptions.

Like with any drug, increasing and prolonging consumption can build up a tolerance, which can turn into a negative cycle of reliance. So look to other areas of your life – like regular exercise, healthy nutrition and great sleep – in order to get the most out of your days.

So to ensure you’re getting the best night’s sleep possible we recommend cutting off that caffeine feed from midday onwards!

Have we tempted you to cut down on caffeine? Let us know over on Facebook or Twitter, and make sure you’re following us for more tips and advice how to get the best night’s sleep possible.

 

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Health and Wellbeing

How ‘Dry January’ Is the Secret to Better Sleep!

Dry January

Are you taking part in Dry January? If you are, you may have already noticed that cutting down on your alcohol intake has had a knock on effect on your quality of sleep.

While there are obvious benefits associated with avoiding alcohol – such as a reduced risk of developing cancer and liver disease later in life – dry January can have a positive impact on your body in other ways too.

Here’s a run-down…

Besides proving that you can abstain from alcohol for an entire month (go on, give yourself a pat on the back), dry January can also help set a pattern that curbs drinking for the whole year.

Not ready to give it up full time? Even in the short-term, refraining from drinking alcohol can have some big benefits, especially when it comes to sleep.

Time for the facts…

For the first few days of the month, you may have experienced an inability to sleep soundly and some slight dehydration.

Your liver generally needs around four to six weeks of recovery following a heavy bout of drinking, so dry January is an ideal way of keeping your health in check – especially after the Christmas and New Year break!

You may notice your sleeping pattern improve in the long run too.

After a few days of restless sleep at the beginning of the month, by day seven you’ll likely have found yourself sleeping far more peacefully.

This means that you’ll also start waking up with far more energy the next morning, ready to take on the day.

And the sheer fact that you’ve probably cut back on going out drinking with friends can lead to you sleeping more and skipping fewer workouts!

Looking back, it’s pretty clear to see how all of that can impact how productive you are, how focused you are at work, and how you feel overall.

Of course, completing dry January is far easier said than done, so if you’re one of the millions who are now sleeping better as a result of this we salute you!

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

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Sleep Tips

Simple Steps to Improve Your Sleep Routine

Sleep routine

With a number of factors affecting how well you sleep and your sleep routine, it’s natural to encounter the odd restless night.

However, when sleepless nights become a regular occurrence, it’s important you take it seriously. Even if you think you’re still sleeping ok, you’ve probably slowly become accustomed to an average night’s sleep.

Falling asleep may seem like an impossible dream when you’re awake at 3 a.m., but you have more control over your sleep than you may think. Following healthy sleep habits can be the difference between restlessness and restful slumber – we know which we’d prefer!

Researchers have identified a variety of practices and habits – known as “sleep hygiene” – that can help most people maximise the hours they spend sleeping, even those whose sleep is affected by insomnia, jet lag, or shift work.

Making simple but important changes to your daytime routine and bedtime habits can have a profound impact on how well you sleep, leaving you feeling mentally sharp, emotionally balanced, and full of energy all day long.

So if your mind is in overdrive during the night and you can’t sleep, here are some simple, but vital, tips to help improve your sleep routine:

1. Avoid caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, and other chemicals

 

2. Turn your bedroom into a sleep-inducing environment

 

3. Only go to bed when you are truly tired

 

4. Increase bright light exposure during the day

 

5. Reduce blue light exposure at night

 

6. Reduce irregular or long daytime naps

 

7. Don’t eat late in the evening

 

The bottom line

Sleep plays a key role in your health and wellbeing – and it shouldn’t be underestimated.

Let’s look at the facts… One large study linked insufficient sleep to an increased obesity risk of 89% in children and 55% in adults. While other studies conclude that less than 7–8 hours per night increases your risk of developing heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

If you are interested in optimal health and wellbeing, then you should make sleep a top priority and incorporate some of our tips above.

And don’t forget, your mattress could be to blame too. Here’s five signs it’s time for a new mattress – you can view our full collection here.

For regular updates and a constant stream of sleep tips follow our social pages below!

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Health and Wellbeing Sleep Tips

Top Five Tips For Getting to Sleep When You Have a Cold or the Flu

Cold and Flu Sleep Tips

If you managed to avoid catching a cold so far this winter, we salute you. But that’s probably not the case for the majority of us. What started as a few sniffles quickly turned into a streaming nose, body aches and an unbearable tickly cough which almost always guaranteed a bad night’s sleep – sound familiar?

According to NHS research, over 65s, pregnant women and young children are most likely to catch a cold during the winter months – although that’s not to say you won’t even if you don’t fall into one of those categories!

Colds spread most easily through groups in close contact, such as families. A number of different viruses can cause a cold, so it’s even possible to have several colds one after the other, with each one caused by a different virus.

There may be not be a cure but we’ve pulled together some useful tips to help you beat the symptoms and catch up on some much needed sleep!

Choose the best sleeping position

Many people think it will help to stack extra pillows when they’re struggling to sleep with a cold – but it can actually cause your head to sag forward, worsening your breathing problems. A better alternative is to layer pillows to form a triangular shape to ensure your neck is supported.

Lying on your back may also worsen a postnasal drip – experts suggest sleeping on your side instead and if you wake up with one side of your nose blocked, try switching positions.

Maintain a consistent room temperature

You may be tempted to turn the heating up when suffering with a cold but don’t fall victim to this common mistake! Instead, keep the thermostat at a comfortable level: 20°C – 22°C.

Something else that’s often overlooked is the humidity. Dry air in your bedroom can worsen your symptoms and leave your nose and throat feel parched. Try using a humidifier or opening a window to maintain moisture levels in the air.

Don’t drink alcohol

Staying hydrated is one of the most important things to keep in mind when trying to shift a cold, but don’t get ahead of yourself! Alcohol is likely to dehydrate you and make other symptoms worse.

The thought of swollen sinuses should be enough to put you off until you’ve fully recovered.

Stick to your nightly routine

Studies suggest that people who don’t get enough ZZZs are three times more likely to catch a cold than those who get eight or more hours of sleep a night.

Although there’s nothing more appealing than an early night or a nap on the sofa, it’s best to wake up and head to bed at the same time as usual when you’re sick. Sticking to a schedule not only makes it easier to fall asleep but it can also help you avoid catching another cold.

Ensure you have a comfortable bed

Regardless of whether you have a cold or not, an uncomfortable bed will leave you with many restless or even sleepless nights.

If your bed isn’t doing its job make sure you head on over to our website to see our full collection of handcrafted beds, each designed to give you the perfect night’s sleep.

Don’t let cold and flu season ruin your January… follow these simple steps to a happier, healthier new year. For more sleep tips and to keep up to date with all things Sleepeezee, like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter.

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Five Ways To Beat The Back To Work Blues

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!

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Hello 2019: Our New Year’s Resolutions

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!

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Wrapping up for Christmas – Cheers To Another Successful Year!

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!