HotmailRest easy! Tips, products for a better night’s sleep
 |
 Stranded dolphin finds new home Nov. 28: Washed ashore during Hurricane Ida, the young mammal was rescued in the nick of time by a crew from a nearby aquarium. Dr. Moby Solangi of the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies joins CNBC’s Carl Quintanilla with an update on its status. |
Listing of products for sleep that I really like:
Consumables
Dreamerz: this is an all natural sleep beverage that helps you relax and fall asleep, using trace amounts of Melatonin and a concentrated substance called Lactium which has been shown in clinical research to help relax you before bed.
Pillows
Carpenter Company makes some of the best pillows I have seen. Look for the “Sleep Better” seal on their products to help identify them. To get started choosing a Carpenter Pillow, try taking their wonderful “Zzzz Score” quiz to help you determine which one is best for you. Here are a few I’ve tried:
The Beyond Perfect
A 2 sided Visco-Foam/Hypoallergenic synthetic down pillow - the one I use. I like it for back sleepers, stomach sleepers, and those who don’t want to roll around.
The Ambient Comfort
A pillow using nanotechnology to take the ambient energy in the air and re-purpose it when you lie on it. This pillow has been shown to help increase blood oxygen levels significantly. The fabric was originally used for diabetics, in special socks designed to promote blood circulation.
The Beyond Down Side Sleeper
As the name says, it’s great for side sleepers. This pillow is a pure synthetic down, so there are no allergy issues.
All of these pillows can be found at most JC Penny’s, Gottschalks, Herberger’s, Kohl’s, Bed Bath and Beyond, Stein Mart and Belk department stores.
Ogallala also produces a good luxury high end pillow.
They use a material called HypoDown, which wicks away moisture, is lightweight, and is hypoallergenic. It’s made with real goose down, but uses a Syriaca Cluster, which is almost like corn silk, for a wonderful, comfortable feel.
These pillows come in 3 different fill powers: 800, 700,and 600, which denote firmness.
Aromatherapy
Bath and Body Works is head and shoulders above everyone. I have looked into their quality specifications, their products, and what they are trying to do, and I really like them.
Their Soak and Sleep Kit is quite good. The quality of the aromatherapy is very high, and there is good clinical research to show that a warm bath before bed can help promote sleep by raising one’s core body temperature.
The Pillow Mist is one of the best and safest ways to use aromatherapy. I prefer Lavender.
The Home Fragrance Oil is a potent relaxant. (Try Lavender Vanilla.)
The Scent Port is also nice, and allows for variety — you can add Lavender or Lavender Vanilla, plug it in, and enjoy the fragrance before bed, to help relax you.
Mattress Retailers
Mattress Firm
I am aware of no other company that is as concerned with teaching consumers about what they really need rather than just “going for the sale”. I am really impressed with them. They sell many different brands.
Mattress Toppers
Looking at Consumer Reports, they tested 7 different toppers and decided that the choice is largely subjective. They picked the Spa Sensations 1.5-inch at $70.00, which I cannot say I have tried, but it sounds reasonable.
The products I like are made again by Carpenter:
The Comfort Coil antimocrobial mattress pad has 5 separate zones of support.
The Dream Coil mattress pads are made from a substance called Omalon® foam. Carpenter claims that this pad had a “patented process guaranteeing the mattress pad will never go flat.”
Warnings about mattress toppers: Make sure your sheets will still fit with a topper. Price does not seem to be a good correlation for comfort. (I have seen some that at $800+ are not comfortable.) Odor can be an issue. Wash them frequently according to the instructions provided. Pajamas
If you experience hot flashes or night sweats, I recommend Wildbleu’s moisture wicking pajamas. They use a patented Heat Release Technology™ (HRT) that dries four times faster than cotton. The products are comfortable, wash well and work great.
Sheets
Everyone should know about the Thread Count Myth.
Many retailers are claiming high thread count equals high comfort and durability. This is simply not true.
You cannot get more than 500 threads in a square inch of fabric - and in truth, with anything above 400 it’s almost impossible to tell the difference.
Another important consideration is the material used: cotton, polyester, cotton-poly blend, satin, silk, cashmere — the list goes on and on.
When shopping for sheets, this is what I advise:
Do not go over 450 threads. Try to get a cotton/silk blend. Look at the sateen sheets - they feel great and seem to hold up well. Wicking Sheets
Moisture wicking sheets by Wildbleu are great for hot flashes, night sweats, and for “sleeping cool” in general. They use the same patented Heat Release Technology™ (HRT) that is used in their pajamas and night clothes.
Book Lights
I like The LightWedge. This is one of the best book lights I have seen. It illuminates the entire page, it’s lightweight, it’s easy to carry, and they even have one for night vision when trying to read a map in a car.
Sound Machines
In my opinion, Marpac makes one of the best sound machines on the market. They have two in particular that I like.
The SleepMate is a white noise generator.
The Marsona provides a choice of several base sounds and a section of sound overlays.
In addition, Homedics makes a good, affordable model called the Sound Spa, which offers 6 different sounds and is compact and lightweight.
Lastly, Brookstone carries The Tranquil Moments Sound Therapy System - a great product with many alternative sounds.
Eye Masks
My favorite is one from Sharper Image called the Heat-Sensitive Foam Sleep Mask – it has velvet on both sides (in some cases one may prefer satin), and the design molds to your face, blocking out all ambient light without touching your lashes. The Velcro band also makes it adjustable.
Another great maker of eye masks is Dream Essentials.
Their Escape™ Sleep Mask features an interior eye chamber to ensure absolutely no pressure on the eyes. Very comfortable, and great for women who nap on planes, as the eye chamber design helps preserve make-up under the mask.
For more information on mattresses, sheets, how to set up your bedroom, herbal supplements and more check out "Beauty Sleep: Look Younger, Lose Weight, and Feel Great Through Better Sleep," by Dr. Michael Breus, the sleep doctor.
- Discuss Story On Newsvine
-
Rate Story:
View popularLowHigh - Instant Message
MORE FROM |
 Over 50? Simple secrets to grow younger |
| Add headlines to your news reader: |
Sponsored links
Resource guide