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How to Induce Sleep Paralysis?

Most people who have experienced sleep paralysis want to eradicate such extraordinary dreaming experiences from their lives. But some courageous dreamers are always searching for a suitable answer to their quest for how to induce sleep paralysis.

Sleep paralysis is quite easy to induce as every person experiences it around four to five times every night, although most of them are not aware of it.

You can expect some level of success on your first attempt unless you are so tired that you keep falling asleep.

Sleep paralysis is the act of waking up your mind while your body is still asleep, and Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep is not yet complete. This is not considered a harmful medical condition and should pass in a couple of seconds, but it can be very frightening.

Ways on How to Induce Sleep Paralysis

There is a range of proven techniques that can help you understand how to induce sleep paralysis. You can follow anyone or a combination of these techniques to find out which one works best for you.

Learn The Signs And Working Mechanism Of Sleep Paralysis

One of the first steps to induce sleep paralysis is by self-research. You can start by reading the fundamentals and getting to know about the act. Find out

What is sleep paralysis all about?

What are the probable signs of it?

How to do it?

This will help you to get an idea of what you are going to experience and know whether it is working for you. Search for topics like ways to keep your mind and body calm during a lucid dreaming experience and how to center yourself before attempting to induce sleep paralysis.

The more information you gather about the topic, the better experience you will have.

Reduce Sleeping Hours During Night-Time

Disrupting the sleeping cycle with shorter sleeping periods is one proven way to induce sleep paralysis. You can do this by reducing the sleeping hours at night and taking naps in the evening.

Sleeping less at night means waking up early in the morning, which will help you to take a nap in the evening for a couple of hours. After the nap, you need to stay active for at least an hour before going to bed at night.

Lie On Your Back And Try To Relax

One of the crucial steps that you need to follow to induce sleep paralysis is to lie in a comfortable position. Lying on the back is the most common posture that people take.

Though researchers are not clear about the causative connection of such a position with sleep paralysis, a significant number of people have experienced sleep paralysis in such a supine position.

Work on keeping the body calm and focusing on things like releasing muscle tension and breathing in and out. The key is to make your body relax as much as possible.

Wake Up In The Middle Of The Night

An alternate way to potentially induce sleep paralysis is by waking up in the middle of the night. Set your alarm between four to six hours from your sleeping time.

Keep your mind active for about half an hour by reading books or journal just before going to bed. Maintain your awareness by focusing on a specific point in your body, such as the navel or chest area, while you slowly slip off to slumber.

Follow An Irregular Sleep Schedule

One of the proven techniques of how to induce sleep paralysis is by following an irregular sleep schedule. The underlying motive is to focus on attaining a state of mental and physical awareness while you drift off to sleep.

Some people already follow an irregular sleep schedule due to work or sleep-related disorders like insomnia, whereas others need to create such sleeping habits.

More About How to Induce Sleep Paralysis

If you are not satisfied with the tips mentioned above on how to induce sleep paralysis, you can follow some alternate solutions which are as follows –

Meditate

Through regular meditation, you can enhance your physical and mental awareness, which can help you in your act of inducing sleep paralysis. Find a quiet place, turn on some relaxing music, and open the doors to your subconscious mind.

Write down your experience

Noting down your experience in a paper after an episode of sleep paralysis can help you retain your induction and recall before your next session how you felt earlier. If you happen to identify any specific method that works for you, note it down so that you can use it consistently.

Have patience

Sleep paralysis is not an overnight act and might take days or even weeks to experience the desired result. Keep exploring different techniques on how to induce sleep paralysis until you can master the art of the art.

Sleep Paralysis FAQs

What Induces Sleep Paralysis?

Sleep paralysis is more likely to occur during adolescence. Conditions of jet lag, stress, sleep deprivation, or any other panic disorder may trigger such action. Factors that are commonly linked to sleep paralysis include –

Narcolepsy;

Sleeping on the back;

Irregular sleeping habits; and

A family history of sleep paralysis

Can You Get Hurt in Sleep Paralysis?

Although waking up with an inability to speak or move is incredibly frightening, sleep paralysis does not continue for very long. Moreover, it is not harmful and does not pose a threat to your normal well-being unless you are forcibly attempting to induce one. Normal sleep paralysis can, at most, lead to feelings of intense fear and increased anxiety levels.

Why Can’t I Enter Sleep Paralysis?

Sleep paralysis is considered a symptom of narcolepsy. But all instances of sleep paralysis are not an indication of narcolepsy. Most of these instances are a result of an inability to transition between different stages of sleep, particularly moving in and out of REM sleep. Inducing such habits takes a lot of patience and effort.

Why Is Sleep Paralysis So Scary?

Sleep paralysis occurs when the brain and the body are not quite on the same page during sleep. In rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, you tend to dream frequently. Your body muscles get relaxed to the point of paralysis, perhaps to prevent you from acting out your dreams. Such a temporary inability to move your body or speak out makes sleep paralysis a scary experience.

Bottom Line

Understand that there are severe impacts on your physical, mental, and overall well-being when you deprive yourself of normal sleeping habits. Make sure to get enough sleep and exercise caution if you want to experiment with how to induce sleep paralysis.

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Sleep Hypnosis Concise Guide

With sleep disorders rising across the globe, people have been resorting to various techniques of relaxation in order to make it easier to improve the quality of sleep. People today have more stressful lives than ever before. With work, family, and other commitments to take care of, most people hardly ever find the time for relaxation or sound sleep. It is shocking just how many people get by with 3 or 4 hours of sleep every night, way less than what is sufficient or required for the average person. As a result, sleep deficiency has become a chronic problem around the world and left sleep experts to define dissolution to this growing crisis.

Of course, no one can go without sufficient sleep for too long, and most people who cannot get normal sleep often reach for sleep aid. The use of sleep aid has increased in recent years, leading pharmaceutical companies to come up with natural and holistic solutions to help people sleep better without consuming excessive chemicals. Because sleep is controlled by the hormone called melatonin, natural supplements containing melatonin have become popular among those who want a safe method to get better sleep every night.

No matter how natural a product claims to be, it is never a great idea to become dependent on sleep supplements. Those who form a habit of consuming sleep supplements regularly are unable to fall asleep if they quit taking the supplements. This forms a dangerous addiction that’s hard to get rid of.

As if the sleep disorders were not enough, there is now the problem of too many people dependent on sleep supplements, without which they are unable to fall or stay asleep. This has led researchers to find alternative methods to help people fall asleep. And one of them is sleep hypnosis.

About Deep Sleep Hypnosis

Most of us know hypnosis to be a trance-like state when neural activity is a minimum, and the person is not aware of his surroundings anymore. Hypnosis is something that a lot of people have seen on stage performed by magicians. In movies, hypnosis is performed by psychiatrists to extract the deepest thoughts out of their patients. In reality, hypnosis isn’t exactly what we think it is. Hypnotherapy is used by clinical hypnotherapists to help patients let go of their fears, worries stress, and everything else that disturbs their minds and makes falling asleep difficult. This is called deep sleep hypnosis, and there are hypnotherapists trained in helping patients improve their quality of sleep with the power of hypnotherapy.

Deep sleep hypnosis is often like a guided meditation where the hypnotherapist guides the patient into a trance-like state where the mind is completely relaxed and all negative thoughts and worries have ceased to exist.

Hypnotherapists use different methods to put patients into a relaxed state of mind, including guided imagery, symptom control, and focused attention. The patient is asked to let go, breathe deep, and take it easy during a hypnotherapy session. These terms are used over and over again to encourage the person to enter a state of relaxation.

Similar to guided meditation, during a hypnotherapy session, you are guided by the therapist through every step designed to calm the mind and relax the body until you fall asleep. Hypnotherapy sessions usually take place in a sleep clinic where the individual is monitored in order to determine the effectiveness of the technique. Besides sleep, hypnosis is also used to help with anxiety and weight-related issues.

Do Sleep Hypnosis Tapes Work While Sleeping?

Not every person wants to go to a sleep clinic in order to experience sleep hypnosis. Going to a sleep clinic for this exercise is expensive and time-consuming. An easier way to experience sleep hypnosis is to use audio downloads for guided hypnotherapy. There are both free and paid guided audio downloads available online, which anybody can download on their phones or computers and listen at a convenient hour.

However, most people face a problem while listening to these downloads- the problem of falling asleep. It must be kept in mind that hypnosis is different from being asleep. Hypnosis may be a trance-like state, but people are still capable of receiving input and following instructions. However, when a person is asleep, he is not capable of receiving input or following instructions.

Falling asleep while listening to hypnosis audio is not unusual because the purpose of the audio is to put you into a relaxed state of mind. In fact, sleep hypnosis is designed to help you fall asleep more easily. But you are not supposed to fall asleep while listening to the audio, rather after you have completed the exercise.

It is up for debate if the hypnosis audio is effective when a person falls asleep listening to it. Most probably, a sleeping person will not be able to carry out the instructions in the exercise, and even though he falls asleep while listening to the audio, it will not help him achieve a better quality of rest in the long run.

Does Sleep Hypnosis Work for Weight Loss?

Losing excess weight is a challenge that many people struggle with. Some put on excess weight because of unhealthy eating what some put on weight because of medical issues. Regardless of the reason why they put on weight, everyone wants to be lean and healthy. However, weight loss isn’t as easy as those commercials make it seem. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication, not something that most people are willing to go through.

That is when people resort to using hypnotherapy in order to lose weight. But does it work at all?

Weight loss hypnosis has been subject to a lot of research over the years because it is interesting to find out is hypnotherapy can indeed be helpful so overweight people shed those extra pounds. Much to the dismay of many people, it has been found that hypnotherapy is only slightly effective when combined with diet and exercise. Hypnosis alone is of no use in aiding weight loss.

Some studies found that hypnosis helps people control their appetite and feel more satisfied after eating a meal. Because gaining or losing weight is not a mental phenomenon, weight loss is hardly ever possible with hypnosis alone. However, combined with diet and exercise, it could be effective to a very slight degree.

Does Sleep Hypnosis Work for Anxiety?

Even though hypnosis may not be too effective for weight loss, it has proven to be highly beneficial in treating anxiety, stress, worries, and panic disorders. Anxiety and panic disorders are usually serious mental disorders that require extensive treatment in order to keep under control. Some people are never cured of these disorders and have to be under treatment their whole lives; we keep the condition under control.

This is where hypnosis is helpful. Hypnotherapy is one of the safest ways to keep anxiety under control, and eventually get rid of it completely. This is done by a hypnotherapist who is licensed to treat patients.

The process involves helping the patient relax completely with the use of hypnosis, and then the hypnotherapist may ask them to focus on their anxiety or panic. This involves bringing to awareness the sensations and feelings associated with panic and anxiety, such as trembling, fear, heart palpitations, dry mouth, fast breathing, the feeling of being trapped, etc. once the patient starts having these feelings, the therapist will use words of encouragement to make the person feel more relaxed, such as “You are safe” or “It will soon pass” or “You are in control of your anxiety.” The therapist will also offer ways to cope with these feelings, such as taking deep breaths or diverting attention to something else or repeating an affirmation. Although it seems like a lot of hocus-pocus, hypnosis has actually shown to work for most anxious patients.

Hypnosis also is used to treat agoraphobia, a condition that involves the fear of crowds and restrictive circumstances. With the use of hypnosis, a person can learn how to cope with these feelings and eventually overcome them to live a normal life. Hypnosis is safe and doesn’t use medications, which means it can be used on any person of any age. Besides anxiety and panic disorders, hypnosis also helps a person improve self-esteem, overcome negative thoughts, and manage other emotional issues. Hypnosis is also often part of the treatment process for conditions like depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and headaches and migraines.

Where To Get Started with Sleep Hypnosis

There’s no right age or time to start practicing sleep hypnosis. However, it does take a lot of patience and time and can often take weeks or months to show results. Whether you want to use hypnosis for sleep, anxiety or weight loss, you have to stick to it. Getting the help of a licensed therapist is the best bet to ensure you don’t do it wrong.

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All About Sleep Meditation

All over the world, lives are getting hectic, and there is no time to relax. Work, family, and social commitments keep some people busy, while others try to make ends meet and sacrifice rest and sleep. For many people, there should have been more hours in the day and sleep is just a waste of time. And then there are others who would do anything to get more sleep at night.

Sleep disorders have been rising around the world. There is not one but several reasons behind the rise of sleep disorders in recent years. Most people do not have enough time for sufficient sleep. The average adult needs seven to eight hours of sleep every night, the kind of time not many people are willing to spend on sleep. Most people do not practice sleep hygiene either. They use electronics in bed, they consume alcohol or a heavy meal before bedtime, their bedrooms are cluttered, and a lot of space is taken up by the television. Given the lifestyle that most people have today, it isn’t surprising why sleep disorders have been on the rise.

A large number of people around the world have trouble falling asleep. While sleep disorders can come in various forms, the difficulty of falling asleep is the most common complaint. Also called insomnia, trouble falling asleep is a disorder that affects a large section of the global population, although most cases go undiagnosed.

There are medications that treat insomnia and other sleep disorders, but most people are willing to try a holistic treatment to get better sleep. And one of the methods to get deeper rest and relaxation is sleep meditation. Of late, sleep meditation has become popular in various parts of the world because it is supposed to help people reach the deepest state of relaxation, which makes it easy to get better sleep. In this post, we learn more about deep sleep meditation and how it can benefit those with sleep disorders.

What Is Sleep Meditation?

Most of us are familiar with meditation, which people do in order to feel relaxed and stress-free. Meditation can be done to achieve a number of things. Some people meditate to improve their concentration. Some people meditate to reduce stress. And there are some people who meditate in order to improve sleep. That’s right; the meditation that’s supposed to make falling asleep easier is called sleep meditation.

Even until a few years ago, deep sleep meditation wasn’t as popular as it is today. But with sleep disorders rising and people seeking a way out of all the stress, deep sleep meditation has become the chosen form of rest and relaxation for a large number of people. Falling asleep is hard not just for those with insomnia; the average person also has difficulty falling asleep at night because the mind refuses to settle and relax. And until the mind is relaxed, falling asleep is almost impossible.

That is what deep sleep meditation helps with. Simply put, deep sleep meditation is a practice that puts the mind at the greatest state of relaxation while being awake and alert at the same time. Keep in mind that sleep meditation is not sleeping. The mind is awake and alert when you practice sleep meditation but achieves a state of deep relaxation and peace. Deep sleep meditation is not just for those who want to make it easier to fall asleep at night. It is for anyone who wants to get rid of stress and achieve a relaxed mind and body holistically.

As we are aware, meditation takes a lot of practice. There are people who are never able to get the most out of meditation because their minds are too restless and stressed out. If you have a lot on your plate and your mind is never relaxed, then sleep meditation will take time and practice, but it will eventually work.

In Sanskrit, sleep meditation is called “Yoga Nidra”, which means yoga done for better sleep and relaxation. Meditation is to the mind what yoga is for the body. It isn’t without reason that you and meditation are said to be highly beneficial to your entire being.

How to Practice Sleep Meditation?

The best way to get into meditation and become better at it is by joining a class or hiring a life coach or trainer. Of course, this costs time and money, and not many are willing to spend either on meditation. But if you do, you will become better at meditation a lot easier because of the one-on-one attention you receive. Attending a class or workshop is even better because there are others like you, and it is fun to learn from one another.

However, if you are not willing to spend the time or money into taking meditation classes, you can get guided meditation CDs that you can listen to in the comfort of your home and practice sleep meditation. You can either purchase these CDs or download guided meditation tracks available online. Each session can range anywhere between 45 minutes and 1 hour, so it’s important that you are willing to set aside that time to practice sleep meditation.

It is important to remember that sleep meditation cannot be mastered in one day, especially for someone who is not familiar with meditation and has a very stressful life. As long as you cannot get your mind to settle down and relax, sleep meditation is not possible. Therefore when you begin to practice sleep meditation, your first game should be to calm and relax your mind. In fact, that should be the aim of any kind of meditation.

When practicing sleep meditation, there are lots of distractions that will get in the way. You will think about the day’s events and the worries of the next day. There will be environmental distractions to interrupt you. But when you practice sleep meditation, your aim is to rise above all of these things and help your mind and body achieve the ultimate state of relaxation. The more time you devote to practicing sleep meditation, the better you will get, and more easily, your mind will achieve a state of relaxation.

Types of Sleep Meditation

There are a few types of meditation techniques that people use to improve concentration and focus, relieve stress, and get better sleep. For improving the quality of sleep you get every night, there are three major types of sleep meditation techniques that you can practice.

Mindfulness Meditation

We tend to assume that most types of meditation require the mind to be free from all thoughts. But mindfulness meditation does not require the mind to be completely blank. Instead, it involves focusing your attention on every part of your body and each of your breaths. Mindfulness meditation involves shifting your attention from one part of your body to another, beginning from your toes and ending with your head. Although this sounds easy, most people have difficulty initially practicing mindfulness meditation because the thoughts running through their heads keep getting in the way. But the more time you spend practicing meditation, the better it will get eventually.

Concentration Meditation

As the name suggests, concentration meditation involves concentrating on a particular object or thought. This can be the flame of a candle or a particular thought or simply your breathing. What do you focus on a single thing, every other thought disappears. Many people also choose to repeat a mantra while practicing concentration meditation. Like all types of meditation, this also takes time to master. But the secret is to keep at it because practice is what improves the art of meditation.

Guided Meditation

This type of meditation is made for those who have a hard time practicing meditation on their own. Guided meditation either comes in the form of a CD or downloadable tracks or as mobile applications. Guided meditation involves listening to the voice of an instructor who teaches you how to perform each step of the technique. You simply listen to the voice and the instructions and follow accordingly.

Getting the Most Out of Sleep Meditation

When you practice sleep meditation, the timing is of vital importance. You have to be all set for bed because that’s how the brain knows it’s time to be relaxed. Simply lie in bed and listen to the audio, and then when you’re done meditating, you can turn it off and go to sleep. There should be nothing in between the meditation and actual sleep. You shouldn’t have to get up and get dressed for bed after the meditation. That will simply kill the process.

You also have to remember that meditation cannot be mastered in a day. You need to put in time, effort, and dedication to master it. No matter how long it takes, you must keep practicing it to reach perfection.

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How Much Sleep Do I Need?

Sleep, the bodily phenomenon that every living creature experiences, is one of our most vital requirements, second only to food. Sleep is as normal to us as breathing, and we often don’t spare much thought for it. For most people, nighttime is meant for sleep. For some, nighttime is when they work, and daytime is when they sleep. But regardless of when you sleep, what’s most important is getting the proper amount of sleep.

However, what exactly constitutes “proper” when it comes to the amount of sleep we need? Although the general rule is that every grown human needs 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night, most people often get far less than that. Sparing eight long hours for sleep is the kind of time no one has in this busy world. Almost everyone would be ready to sacrifice sleep in order to get more important work done. And those who still want to spare long hours for sleep on any given day are called “lazy.”

There is a curious thing about sleep. When we feel hungry, we eat. But when we feel sleepy, we try to keep sleep away by drinking coffee. This goes on to show that sleep fails to get the kind of importance that hunger does. Even though research has proved several times that lack of sleep is detrimental to health, not many get the required amount of sleep necessary. It’s no wonder that sleep disorders and sleep deficiency are on the rise around the world.

Do You Need 8 Hours of Sleep?

Most people who sleep less than 8 hours a night believe that the number of hours they sleep is sufficient for them. There are people who have never slept more than 5 or 6 hours and believe they need no more than that. And then there are those who are always sleepy and ten hours are barely sufficient. The amount of sleep people get is mostly dependent on how sleepy they feel.

This isn’t how it should be, though. Research has found that all adults need 7 or more hours of sleep. Some people sleep only for 5 or 6 hours and claim to feel fresh and alert, but according to a study by the University of California, only 3 percent of the global population has the gene that allows them to get by with 6 or fewer hours of sleep. Everyone else needs 7 or more hours.

Importance of Deep Sleep and REM Sleep

Sleep consists of a cycle that’s made up of four different stages. Each sleep cycle is 90 minutes long, and in an 8-hour sleep, there are four to five complete sleep cycles. Among the four stages of a sleep cycle, there are two that are most significant: deep sleep and REM sleep.

Deep sleep is when the energy reserves of our body get replenished, and we find the strength they feel awake and alert in the morning. The REM stage does something similar for the brain, boosting memory, cognition, and concentration. Without completing an entire sleep cycle, it is impossible to get a deep sleep or REM sleep. That is the reason why people who don’t get sufficient sleep feeling tired and fatigued all the time. Without deep sleep and REM sleep, both the body and the brain fail to recharge and replenish for the next day.

It is possible to ensure deeper sleep by avoiding alcohol, nicotine, and exposure to bright lights and noises during the night. When the quality of overall sleep improves, REM sleep automatically gets better. The more time you spend in REM sleep, the better it is for your health and cognition.

Signs of Sleep Deprivation

More often than not, we fail to realize that we are not getting sufficient sleep. But the body gives us clear signals to make us understand that we need more sleep. Unfortunately, most of us tend to ignore these signals because we are too busy getting work done.

Some of the most common signs that you are not getting enough sleep are:

Needing an alarm clock for waking up on time

Hitting the snooze button

Having a hard time getting up in the morning

Feeling sluggish during the day

Feeling sleepy at work, lectures, meetings

Getting drowsy when driving

Needing to nap during the day

Dozing off while relaxing or watching TV

Needing to sleep in during the weekend

Falling asleep within minutes of going to bed

Most signs of sleep deprivation are subtle, and most people ignore them. There is a negative stigma attached to sleep, which makes us think anyone who needs more sleep is lazy. But sleep is vital, and there’s nothing wrong with getting a little extra if that helps you get quality rest. Ignoring these signs for weeks and months leads to chronic sleep deprivation, and then you forget what it feels like to be fully awake all the time and full of energy.

Can Napping Make Up for Sleep Deprivation?

There is a big misconception that napping during the day can make up for lost sleep during the night. This isn’t true. Although napping for a few minutes during the day can be beneficial for getting a spurt of energy, it doesn’t do anything to make up for nighttime sleep. In fact, napping during the day can often make it hard to fall asleep at night.

Regardless of whether you nap during the day, you need sufficient nighttime sleep for the brain to perform its healing functions. Sleeping doesn’t necessarily mean getting a fixed number of hours; it means letting the brain and the body recharge and rejuvenate, which only happens at night. That’s the reason why sleeping at any other time during the day can not make up for nighttime sleep.

The amount of sleep that you need is best learned from your body. If sleeping for five hours leaves you tired but sleeping for eight hours rejuvenates you, then that’s what you need. It’s all about listening to your system and deciding what’s right for you.

[sleepguruin]

Sleep Requirements by Age

Sleep is one of the two vital requirements for every living creature, the other being food. From humans, the most superior being, to smaller creatures like plants and insects, everyone needs some time to rest. Without rest, it’s almost impossible to function optimally. Every living organism has energy reserves that deplete with use every day. During sleep, the energy reserves get recharged and replenished, allowing the being to feel fresh, alert, and energetic.

Sleep is definitely necessary for our overall wellbeing but besides that, it’s also a significant indicator of health. That’s right. The better your sleep quality, the healthier you are. If you have undisturbed sleep every night without resorting to sleeping aids and wake up feeling alert, refreshed and full of energy, it is a strong indicator of your health and vitality. If you are too stressed, have an underlying illness, or physical and emotional problems, it shows up by interfering with your sleep quality.

There are some people who do not need 7 to 8 hours to function normally. But there are those who need 9 to 10 hours of sleep every night in order to feel alert and fresh. This gives rise to a vital question: how much sleep do we really need? Do we really need 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night or can the amount of sleep vary from person to person?

Sleep Requirement Changes

Although everyone requires a certain amount of sleep every night, the quantity of sleep varies from one person to another, as well as from one age to another. For instance, babies sleep for around 14 hours a day, because they need that amount of sleep for growth and development. But as a person grows older, the need for sleep decreases. An adult needs only 7 to 8 hours of sleep, compared to the half a day required by babies. No adult can regularly sleep for more than 12 hours, even if they try. This clearly indicates that the amount of sleep required by a person changes with age.

To prove this, the National Sleep Foundation chose to conduct a study over the course of two years, bringing onboard top researchers and scientists from leading organizations like American Academy of Pediatrics, American Psychiatric Association, American Association of Anatomists, American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, American Geriatrics Society, American College of Chest Physicians, among others.

After the findings of this study, the National Sleep Foundation modified the sleep requirements standards that were set earlier. The National Sleep Foundation is the leading organization on sleep, and all their studies are backed by 100 percent science. The Foundation has said that although it isn’t possible to suggest the exact amount of sleep that a person requires by age, what they can instead suggest is the recommended range of sleep everyone must be getting every day.

Sleep Requirement by Age

It’s true that our bodily requirements change with age, including sleep. While babies manage to sleep through everything, it’s often difficult to get older kids and teens to bed. Teens also find it hard to get out of bed during the weekend and sleep till late. For an adult, the sleep requirements are never the same. Some require more sleep than others, and some prefer to sleep during the day and work at night.

Scientifically, there is a set of sleep requirements that changes as the person grows older. This was found by the National Sleep Foundation in their new study.

Sleep requirements of a person changing with age:

-Newborns (0-3 months): Babies who have just been born can sleep anywhere between 12 and 18 hours. In fact, they can sleep for the whole day and that is the best thing in the world for parents. Typically, a newborn sleeps 14 to 17 hours every day, the longest any human ever sleeps. That’s because newborns need it for growth and development.

-Infants (4-11 months): The sleep requirement of infants isn’t too different from that of newborns. Infants can sleep anywhere between 13 and 15 hours, but most usually sleep for around 14 hours. It doesn’t necessarily mean they sleep at a stretch. Babies tend to wake up several times and go back to sleep after being fed.

-Toddlers (1-2 years): As the child grows, the amount of sleep they need decreases but still remains higher than that of the average adult. Toddlers also require 11 to 14 hours of sleep every day, which helps them grow and develop.

-Preschoolers (3-5): The children at the age right before starting school need 11 to 13 hours of sleep, which was earlier considered 10 to 13 hours.

-School-going children (6-13): As children start school, they get a social life and their energy reserves get used up quicker than usual. Although their sleep requirements decrease from what they needed as a baby, they still need anywhere between 9 to 11 hours of sleep

-Teens (14-17): Teenagers usually suffer from delayed sleep onset, which makes it hard for them to wake up early in the morning. Teens need 8 to 10 hours of sleep every night.

-Young adults (18-25): As a person turns 18, there are various responsibilities and commitments that make getting sufficient sleep harder. College, work, relationships, marriage are some of the factors that eat into sleep time. Ideally, young adults should get 7 to 9 hours of sleep, but not many get a sufficient amount.

-Adults (26-64): In this case also, the recommended sleep requirement is 7 to 9 hours. However, the required amount of sleep varies from one person to another.

-Older adults (65 and above): While sleep requirements change in seniors, the recommended range is 7 to 8 hours. In many cases, older adults do not sleep for eight hours every night—the number is much less. The quantity of sleep is affected by age as well as medical conditions and medications.

How to Get Sufficient Sleep

Do not go by the number of hours you sleep, if you always wake up feeling tired. In that case, you aren’t getting quality sleep, despite sticking to 7 to 9 hours. Remember that five hours of sound sleep is much healthier than eight hours of disrupted, fragmented sleep. Although there is a set amount of sleep every person needs, there is no reason why cannot sleep less or more if that helps you feel fresh and alert in the morning. As mentioned, sleep requirements vary greatly, so you should listen to your own body to figure out how much sleep it needs.

[sleepguruin]

Russian Sleep Experiment – Fact or Myth?

You’re either one of two groups of people — those who’ve heard about THE RUSSIAN SLEEP EXPERIMENT. And those who have not.  You can read about it here, or if you want the shortened version, you can continue reading down below. The sleep experiment takes place in the 1940s, where an experimental gas-based stimulant is to be used to keep five people awake for thirty days, all while being monitored by Russian Researchers. These five people were political prisoners, determined as enemies of the state during the war, and hence became the test subjects. Since the gas was toxic in large quantities, these five test subjects were kept in a sealed environment where their oxygen levels were kept a close watch on. Since this was in the 1940s, microphones and large one-way mirrored windows were the only tools to monitor these people (CCTV cameras weren’t possible at the time). While the room was stocked with sleeping cots and books, there were no bedcovers, running water, a toilet, or even enough dried food to last them all for an entire month.

First Five Days of Russian Sleep Experiment

Since the passengers had been fed false promises about being freed if they subjected themselves to the test and not sleeping for a month, they complied and hardly complained during the first couple of days. The researchers continued to monitor them, their communications and movements, and a darker turn in the tone of the conversations took place after the fourth day.

After Five Days

They began to complain about the course of events that led them to this place and began to show fear and paranoia. It extended to the test subjects no longer talking to each other and, in the mistaken bid to win over the researchers’ trust by turning over their co-subjects, alternatively, they began talking in low voices to the microphones and windows. The experimenters deduced that their paranoia was a result of the effects of the exposure to the gas.

After Nine Days Of Russian Sleep Experiment

This was when things took a really dark turn. One of the test subjects started screaming at the top of his lungs for three hours straight, all while running the length of the room until he was only able to emit squeaks. The researchers deduced that his vocal cords were destroyed. The other test subjects continued with their behavior, unusually not reacting to the behavior of the first, as they demonstrated their continued paranoia by whispering into the microphones. That is until a second subject followed the behavior of the previously screaming first. Two of the other subjects painted their feces on the page after page as they tore apart the books before pasting each page calmly over the mirrored glass windows, inhibiting the researchers from being able to look into the room. Soon after, the screaming stopped, as did the whispering into the microphones.

After Twelve Days of Russian Sleep Experiment

No sound seemed to be coming from inside the chamber despite the researchers checking the microphones hourly. It seemed impossible for 5 people not to emit a sound, especially when the oxygen levels indicated the consumption of oxygen at levels of heavy exercise.

On The 14th Day of Russian Sleep Experiment

Since they were no longer getting a word out of the test subjects, they told through the intercom another false promise just to get a reaction out of them, since they were now afraid that the subjects were either dead or in a coma. They said that one of them would earn their freedom if they all compiled in stepping away from the door and lying on the ground when they opened the room to test the microphones. Instead, a calm voice announced that they no longer wanted to be free. This stumped the researchers who fell into a debate with the military forces, who were funding the experiment about the next step.

Midnight Of The Fifteenth Day of Russian Sleep Experiment

Since they were unable to get any further response, they decided to open the door after replacing the experimental gas with fresh air. Immediately three different voices pleaded for the return of the gas, and when the chamber was finally opened, the four alive subjects began screaming along with those for whom gruesome results awaited. Food rations for the previous five days had been left untouched, the fifth subject was dead, and chunks of his flesh was used to block the drain, letting the water which looked like blood flood the room. The four alive test subjects also had had flesh torn off, having seemingly eaten their own flesh. Although most of their organs and blood vessels remained intact, they had been torn out. In the process of removal of the test subjects, a few soldiers were gravely injured, one even murdered after his throat was ripped out. It should be noted that some committed suicide in the following weeks. When one of the subjects was finally sedated after ten times the usual dose of morphine (when the initial doses seemed to have no effect), he flailed about for a few minutes, continuing to beg for more of the gas and when he finally fell asleep, it seemed as though he had died. The remaining subjects showed inhumane strength despite being mutilated, their own bones, and muscles breaking under their effort to un-restrain themselves. Another is sedated and also ends up dying. Whilst being unwilling given surgery, the researchers were given two messages – to keep cutting into them and the determination to remain awake. The three-stop struggling when they realize that they are about to be put back on gas. Still, it is unnerving when it is discovered that they become brain dead repeatedly before returning to life. Another test subject falls asleep and flatlines. When the commander orders the two subjects to be sealed inside the chamber with 3 researchers, one of the latter shoots the commander dead before repeating the actions upon the fourth test subject. When he demands of the final test subject as to what he is, his answer reveals that the subjects became the very darkness that is kept hidden in mind, sedated only by sleep, and with that, the researcher shoots the test subject in his heart, who flatlines as he utters, “So…nearly….free.”

Russian Sleep Experiment is No Real

It is obvious to see why some people might believe in this story since its downward spiral reads somewhat similar to The Stanford Prison Experiment.  However, while we have heard enough about the unethical ongoings in prisons around the world, this one is a mere work of fiction. It was first published on Creepypasta, where it has since become one of its most popular stories, the stuff of urban legends. You might have heard of the site after it gained popularity as a result of its character, Slenderman.

Can the Russian Sleep Experiment Happen In Real Life?

The story has unnerved enough people to beg the question – can a situation like this happen in real life?  Sleep Deprivation is when you’re not getting enough sleep. This is a major problem amongst working adults who struggle to get the required 7-8 hours of sleep every day. Now, while it causes fatigue, problems with memory, and other brain and cognitive functions, and people might tell you that you act like a monster when you don’t get enough sleep, a monster isn’t going to bring the dark side of you. No study will ever prove that, and certainly not the fictional Russian Sleep Experiment. But studies have definitely proven that Sleep Deprivation can cause a myriad of problems that start with your memory and basic functions, even harming your mental health. You might even start seeing hallucinations. So while The Russian Sleep Experiment might sound like a horror story someone might tell you to start sleeping more regularly, it really is just a harmless fictional story. Still, if someone is telling you to get more sleep, it probably means that you need to get more sleep especially since it is a basic human necessity.

[sleepguruin]

Sleep Regression – The Complete Guide

Sleep regression – this is a phrase that many parents do not know existed before they had a baby. If your little one wakes up every 20 minutes or so and you are more exhausted than you have ever been, you have probably learned a lot about this type of baby sleep pattern. So, what exactly are sleep regressions? They are a period when a baby or a toddler whose sleep patterns have been normal suddenly starts to wake up at night and/or skip naps or wakes up earlier than usual from naps for no apparent reason. Just when you think that you have conquered all the sleep challenges that come with a baby, you are suddenly back to constantly waking up at night and non-existent naps. Sleep regression can be frustrating, to say the least!

What Age Do Babies Have Sleep Regression?

When it comes to sleep regressions, it is essential to remember that every baby is different. The sleep patterns that your friends’ babies go through will not necessarily be the same as what your baby goes through. This means that your little one may show actual signs of sleep regression at some of these month markers, but not other babies or toddlers. That said, there are a few ages when babies or toddlers go through this type of baby sleep behavior.

4 Months: The changes that take place when your baby goes through the 4-month sleep regression are permanent – essential to remember. By this age, your little one no longer has his babyish sleep patterns and starts to sleep more like a grownup. This translates into waking up at night frequently – plus a lot of fussing – and taking shorter naps.

8 Months (Sometimes 9 or Even 10 Months): The sleep regression that your baby goes through at 8, 9, or 10 months is due to the developmental milestones that are taking place at these ages. At this stage, most babies are making huge physical strides, such as learning to crawl, to cruise, to pull up, etc. A lot of brain development occurs at this stage as well, e.g., absorbing language. It is also during this stage that most babies cut at least a few teeth. When all of these are added up, what you have is more night waking, shorter or skipped naps, and do not forget, a very fussy, cranky baby.

11 or 12 Months: This seems to affect fewer babies compared to other sleep regressions – may be because it is less common. The 11 or 12-month sleep regressions have more to do with naps than sleeping. Specifically, your baby might suddenly start to refuse his second nap and try to get by with a single nap a day. Many parents assume that this is a normal transition in their little one’s napping habits and that it means that he is ready for just one nap a day. However, experts say that you should treat this as a sleep regression since most toddlers are really not prepared to make the transition to one nap per day until they reach the age of about 15 months.

18 Months: Good news for parents – this is an easy one! Why? Well, your baby is now a toddler – one who walks, talks (or babbles at least), and throws tantrums. The 18-month sleep regression has a lot to do with the new independence that your little one has found. He is learning that he has opinions and can express those opinions – for instance, by shouting “No!” at the top of his voice. Another factor that comes into play here is separation anxiety. Your toddler may experience genuine distress when you leave at naptime or when you leave his room when it is bedtime. Finally, at 18 months, teething is still very much a factor. It is often at this age that toddlers are cutting molars, which are big and painful.

2 Years: This regression, to be honest, is slightly less straightforward than the other sleep regressions. Why? Because it can be caused by many different factors. Firstly, at the age of 2, the awake time of your toddler is growing longer, but it can disrupt his sleep as he makes the transition. It is also likely that your 2-year old is going through some significant life transitions, such as potty training and making the transition to a big-kid bed. Plus, at around the age of 2, many toddlers start to have nightmares – in some cases, even night terrors. These can all result in a very exhausting sleep regression by the time your little one is around 2 years old.

What Causes Sleep Regression?

Sleep regressions can be caused by a wide range of factors. As you have learned, they are often the result of developmental milestones, both physical and mental. Teething, potty training, switching to a big-kid bed, cognitive bursts, physical developments, etc. are some of the common causes of sleep regression. Some of the other top causes include the following:

Illness: If your little one’s sleep behavior changes suddenly, especially if it is combined with pain-like crying or clinginess, the first thing you should do is check for illness. Although fever is one of the sure signs of illness, you need to bear in mind that it is not a symptom of all illnesses. One of the things that can cause your baby or toddler to wake up or cry when he is half asleep is seasonal allergies, which can cause breathing difficulty. They can also result in sleep apnea and snoring. In such cases, you should definitely consult a medical professional. Your little one can also experience pain when sleeping due to food allergies, especially an allergy to milk protein. Another common cause of sleep regression is eczema.

Changes in Sleep Needs: Over the first 5 years of life, the sleep needs of babies, toddlers, and even big kids change. If you do not adapt your little one’s sleep schedule to accommodate those changing needs, you will likely see night wakings or difficulty falling asleep. You should bear in mind that what looks like a sleep regression may actually be mismatched sleep expectations that you can resolve by adjusting your baby or toddler’s sleep schedule.

Chronic Sleep Debt: When your baby or toddler has chronic sleep debt, his levels of adrenaline and cortisol can go up. This, in turn, makes it difficult for him to fall asleep and stay asleep. It is important to bear in mind that sleep difficulties such as these can look a lot like a sleep regression. You need to make sure that your little one should be made to catch up on sleep. Otherwise, things will just get worse instead of getting better.

Stress or Change in the Family: Changes in your baby or toddler’s sleep behavior or patterns can be caused by major life changes, such as the birth of a new sibling, starting daycare, moving homes, or parents’ divorce. This is not to say that it is necessary to protect your little one from all change. It is important to remember that change is part of life, and short-term stress that occurs in a loving home can help resiliency instead of hindering it.

How Long Does 6-Month Sleep Regression Last?

Parents have heard about the 4-month sleep regression, but do you know about the 6-month one? Once your baby turns 6 months old, you begin to feel like you have a routine again. At this age, babies tend to nap at semi-regular times, and roughly 60% of 6-month old babies sleep through the night. It is also likely that you will find your baby increasingly fun to be around as this is when he becomes more social, laughing, and cooing at anyone who plays and spends time with him.

And then, just when you are feeling like things are becoming a little normal again, another sleep regression strikes! Although the 6-month regression is not as common as regression at other ages, it does have a significant impact on many families. Because of milestones like pushing up on all fours and rolling along with a desire to be more social and interact with others, your baby can have difficulty sleeping.

Causes of 6-Month Sleep Regression

Some of the causes of sleep regression at the age of 6 months include the following:

Many 6-month olds are on their way to becoming mobile. If your baby has not already, he may begin pushing up on all fours or rolling. Some babies of this age, even start to crawl.

Rather than sleep, your little one may want to practice the new skills he has acquired. This can lead to difficulty falling asleep.

If your 6-month old has rolled onto his stomach and has trouble rolling back, he may even cry out for you in the middle of the night, and this may make it difficult for him to fall asleep again.

Because your baby is more engaged with his surroundings and does not want to miss out on what is happening around him, he may fall asleep only to wake up a short time later, or wake up the minute you lay him down.

Separation anxiety can also play a role in sleep regression at the age of 6 months.

When your baby was younger, sleep may have been more random. However, at 6 months old, most babies have fallen into a routine with 2 or 3 naps at regular times and consistent sleep. This is a great development, but the problem is that major changes to your baby’s schedule can wreak havoc on sleep overall. It could also simply be that your baby is less flexible than before. If your 6-month old misses a nap, being overtired may cause him to fight sleep later at bedtime. He may also not be able to nap while you are on the go because he needs the quiet environment of home to catch a few Zs.

Last but not least, a lot of babies experience growth spurts around the age of 6 months. If your 6-month old was sleeping through the night previously and is now waking, it could be due to hunger. Instituting a night feeding may be necessary until the growth spurt passes. If you previously nursed, bottle-fed, or rocked your little one to sleep previously, you may find that this no longer works at all.

Now, the good news for parents – the 6-month sleep regression is temporary! Also, not all babies experience regression at the age of 6 months. If your baby does, you will be glad to know that he will go through it only for anywhere between 2 to 6 weeks. This means that you and your little one can go back to a normal sleep routine again very soon!

What You Can Do About the 6-Month Sleep Regression

Here are a few things you can do if your baby goes through the 6-month sleep regression:

First off, if you have the feeling that your 6-month old is teething, you should consult his pediatrician and ask if she can recommend any pain relief medications. You can also ask for tips on how to get your little one to sleep while he is teething.

If your 6-month old is mastering a new skill, such as standing up or crawling, you should bear in mind that it is important not to create new sleep habits, e.g., rocking him to sleep. Instead, you should lay him back down once and then proceed with the method of sleep training you choose.

If you suspect separation anxiety to be the cause of the sleep troubles your baby is experiencing, you should try putting him down awake and comforting him while you sit next to her crib. While continuing to soothe her, move farther away from your little one’s crib and closer to the door every 2 or 3 nights. You will eventually end up outside the door, and within a few weeks, you should be able to put your baby down and walk away, knowing that he will fall asleep on his own.

Most babies learn to fall asleep independently by the time they are 6 months old. You should encourage this. As mentioned earlier, you may find that techniques, like feeding or rocking that you used to get your baby to sleep, are simply not working anymore, or that he needs your help to fall back asleep when he wakes up during the night. You can try shifting bottle-feeding or nursing to the start of your bedtime routine to prevent your baby from falling asleep. You can also try engaging in other comforting activities, such as reading books or pre-bedtime bath, before you place your little one is his crib drowsy but not asleep. Keep in mind that he may protect but in time, he will learn to fall asleep on his own.

It is also important to make time for play if your baby goes through the 6-month sleep regression. At 6 months, your baby is more active than ever before and you need to make sure to give him plenty of time and space during the day to practice his new skills, like pushing up on all fours, sitting, standing up, etc. This will make it less likely for him to want to do so during the night or at naptime. Playtime will also help in ensuring that he spends extra energy and is ready to sleep once he hits the crib.

Providing comfort is important if you think that separation anxiety is the cause of your little one’s sleeping difficulty. Sleep regression causes a lot of difficulty for the entire family, and you need to make sure that your baby, especially, gets the extra comfort he needs during this time. It is likely that he will be clingier and crankier due to lack of sleep. You should clear your schedule as much as you can and spend lots of one-on-one time cuddling, reading books before bedtime, etc. Spending as much time as possible can help immensely with separation anxiety.

As mentioned already, babies who are about 6months old start to fall into more of a routine, and before being hit by the sleep regression, you may have had a predictable schedule for feeding, sleep and play. It is important to resist the urge to eliminate this routine when your little one has trouble sleeping. Babies take comfort in routine as they signal what is coming next.

As you now know, growth spurts can be a cause of sleep regression at around the time babies turn 6 months old, and you may find that your baby wakes up during the night to nurse or for a bottle. You obviously need to feed your baby if he is hungry, but it is also important to try to pay attention to whether or not he is actually hungry. In most cases, you do not need to feed 6-month old babies multiple times a night, and the reason your baby wants to be fed may be the need for comfort. The only problem with feeding your little one automatically every time he wakes up is that he may become dependent on it to fall back asleep and you will find yourself back to night feedings several times a night unnecessarily. It is a good idea to wait a few minutes when he wakes up to see if he goes back to sleep, or you could give him a reassuring pat instead of taking him out of his crib.

The 6-month sleep regression can be frustrating as well as exhausting. If you find that you are in need of more support or assistance, you should consult your baby’s pediatrician. She, or a professional she recommends, can help in developing a sleep plan that meets the needs of your little one as well as your entire family.

Is There a One-Year Sleep Regression?

The first year of your little one’s life can seem like a complete blur. It is filled with not only memorable firsts and milestones but also its fair share of sleepless nights and challenges. By the time your child reaches the age of one, you generally expect to be on a schedule that is more predictable, especially when it comes to him sleeping through the night. However, another sleep curveball might be coming your way when your little one turns one.

Again, like the 6-month sleep regression, the 12-month or one-year, one is quite uncommon, but it still does have an impact on many children and their parents. Your toddler’s sleep can go through many temporary problems due to developments like learning to walk and talk.

Causes of the One-Year Sleep Regression

Because there is a great deal happening in your child’s life at the age of 1, his sleep can be significantly impacted. The one-year sleep regression tends to have an effect on naps specifically, but it can also manifest as trouble falling asleep or night waking. Some of the causes of sleep regression at the age of 12 months include the following:

By the time they turn one, children are simply more aware of the world around them than ever before, and naturally, they want to explore everything. Around this age, your child begins to understand sequences and becomes more and more interested in activities such as reading books and stacking blocks. His increasing interest in play means that he will fight naps and will also be simply too busy to take a break for sleep. You may also find that he has trouble settling down at bedtime because he has discovered that there are so many things to see and do that are so much more interesting than going to sleep.

Many children start walking and talking by the age of one. They can take a few steps, either with the help of an adult’s hand or the support of furniture or independently. Even if your toddler is not walking yet, it is highly likely that he is moving around a lot. He may also be saying a few words, like “Mama” or “Dada.” Because he has so many languages and motor skills to practice, your one-year-old might be less interested in sleep – naps in particular.

At around the age of one, there are slight changes in a child’s sleep needs. While babies between the ages of 4 months and 12 months need about 12 to 16 hours of sleep daily, children between 12 and 24 months need about 11 to 14 hours a day, including naps. When they are a year old, most children will take a nap 2 times a day, but they may become shorter naps as they shift to one nap at the age of around 14 or 15 months. All of these changes in your one-year old’s sleep needs can manifest in him fighting naps or waking up early from them.

Like other periods of sleep regression, the one-year one should last anywhere between 2 to 6 weeks. However, keep in mind that this varies from one child to another. If your child has turned one and you have concerns about his sleep, it is important to make sure that you consult his pediatrician for advice and recommendations.

What to Do About 12-Month Sleep Regression

Many parents are caught off-guard by the one-year sleep regression because, at this point, they are likely used to getting a full night’s sleep. Although you cannot exactly prevent sleep regressions, there are things you can do to ease your little one through it and make it as short as possible.

Because one-year-olds are so eager to practice the skills they have newly acquired and have loads of energy, they may fight sleep if they cannot practice those skills during the day. To make sure that your toddler does not have any pent up energy at bedtime, you should encourage daytime play. Make sure that he has loads of time and space to play, move, explore, and interact with others. This way, your little one will be less restless when it is time for a nap or bedtime. Plus, the extra playtime will help immensely in his physical and mental development.

Your one-year-old may fight naptime because most children are ready to transition to one longer nap a day rather than 2 or 3 short naps. However, bear in mind that many are not ready for this until they are closer to the age of 14 or 15 months. You should hold off on making major changes to his schedule until the regression has passed. You should stick to your normal routine for as long as you can. Giving your one-year old-time to rest a couple of times a day will prevent him from becoming overtired and fighting sleep when bedtime rolls around.

No matter at what age your child goes through a sleep regression, you should take steps to make the experience easier, and as you have read, there are many things you can do. Keep in mind that sleep regressions impact both your little one and your whole family, so it is important to seek professional help and support if you think you need it during this time.

[sleepguruin]

Sleep Disorders – The Complete Guide

When you think about Sleep Disorders, you think of ones on the extreme side of things like perhaps insomnia or even sleep paralysis.

But there are various types of sleep disorders. In fact, snoring is considered to be a common sleep disorder, although that is partially untrue, as you will soon find out.

Essentially, a sleep disorder is any condition that affects the quality and duration of your sleep. It doesn’t just involve the amount of rest you get but also extends to your physical and mental health along with your memory and cognitive performance.

So whether you suffer from the occasional sleepless night or have lived with a lack of quality sleep for years, this article will help you to better understand your sleeping disorder.

Classifications of Various Sleep Disorders

Dyssomnias: is a classification that usually involves sleep disorders that affect the ability of a person to go to sleep, remain or continue sleeping, constantly being sleepy (arising from lack of quality sleep). E.g., Narcolepsy, sleep apnea, insomnia, etc..

Parasomnias: is a classification which involves disruption of sleep, which results in behaviors that can be out of the person’s control. E.g., sleepwalking, sleep paralysis, sleep terrors, etc..

Sleep Disorders associated with Mental, Neurological, and Other Disorders.

What Are The Different Types of Sleep Disorders

Now that you’ve kind of understood the broad classifications of sleep disorders let’s expand that into the different types of sleep disorders, starting with one of the most commonly known sleep disorders.

Sleep Apnea

Sleep Apnea is a type of sleeping disorder that causes brief stoppages in breathing while you’re asleep.

This interruption is usually caused by your brain not sending the required signal to your brain or by a blockage in the airway or even both. This interruption in breathing won’t just happen once, but many times, and thus becomes a huge problem.

You’re probably thinking – but not too many people know about this condition. Well, the truth is that snoring, a sleep condition you’ve definitely heard of, is commonly interchanged with sleep apnea. Chronic snoring is usually seen as a common symptom of sleep apnea, even if snoring itself is not a sleep disorder.

Common Symptoms of Sleep Apnea include

Headaches in the morning

Waking up with a dry mouth

Excessive sleepiness

Loud Snoring

Your sleeping partner(s) informing you about times where you stop breathing in your sleep

Waking up gasping or with the feeling of being choked

If left untreated, it could lead to a variety of problems, which include heart attack, depression, and other mental health issues, high blood pressure, etc..

Now, coming to what causes sleep apnea, one is due to the throat muscles and other tissues in the back of the throat like your tonsils, tongue, relaxing as you sleep, thereby causing recurrent obstruction of the airway. This causes your body to send a signal to your brain about the constant lack of oxygen, resulting in your body being abruptly forced to wake up to breathe. This is what causes the choking or gasping sound.

Another cause is when your brain doesn’t properly send the right signals to your throat muscles that control breathing, something commonly occurring for those with heart conditions or taking certain medications.

Or even a combination of the above.

Those who are at high risk for this sleep disorder are those who are obese, have a family history of sleep apnea, have diabetes, hypertension (high blood pressure), who have throat and nose problems resulting in airway blockage, etc..

A doctor can diagnose you with this sleeping disorder after having a look at your results from a sleep study, medical history, and after a physical exam.

Treatment usually involves a lifestyle change, sleeping on your side, reduction in smoking and alcohol consumption, weight management,  and staying away from certain medications like sedatives, opioids, antidepressants, or any that relax your throat muscles.

Insomnia

Insomnia is a sleep disorder that involves difficulty in falling asleep, in remaining asleep, or both.

Its symptoms include:

Difficulty in falling asleep

Difficulty in staying awake

Waking up too early in the morning

Bad quality of sleep resulting in hardly feeling refreshed and energized in the morning

Constantly fatigued

General irritability or mood swings

Insomnia is a sleep disorder that can either be short term or long term.

Short term or acute insomnia is when someone is unable to sleep for a short time either due to stress or a recently traumatizing event like a death in the family or others, causing intense stress and worrying. It can also be caused by a change in sleeping habits – jet lag is one.

Long term or chronic insomnia lasts for longer than three months and is a little bit more complex. It usually results from mental health problems like anxiety, depression, physical problems that might make it harder to remain asleep (asthma, chronic pain, intestinal problems), bad lifestyle, constant stress, medication, substance abuse.

Insomnia is something that is usually easily self-diagnosed, and it is highly recommended to visit a doctor to understand what needs to change in your life to treat it.

Treatment for insomnia usually depends on the underlying reason why you have it in the first place. Acute insomnia is a little more easily curable. One of the first steps would be to practicing good sleep hygiene, like going to sleep at the same time and trying to get up at the same time every day and others would include avoiding the use of electronics right before bed, meditation, short term use of sleeping pills, behavioral and/ or cognitive therapy, etc..

Narcolepsy

Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder that causes excessive sleepiness in a person to the point that they may have uncontrollable episodes of suddenly falling asleep. It is neurological in nature.

Although the person might feel very well-rested when they wake up, they will feel sleepy throughout the day. This becomes extremely problematic since a person might rapidly fall asleep in the middle of an activity, such as running, driving, or even eating.

Symptoms of Narcolepsy include:

Excessive sleepiness regardless of how much sleep the individual gets

Sleep Paralysis and hallucinations

Feelings of weakness and loss of voluntary muscle tone and control

Memory and cognitive problems

There is no known definite reason behind what causes Narcolepsy, but scientists have narrowed one main reason down to the low presence of the hormone, hypocretin. It might also be a loss of this particular hormone as a result of irregularities in the immune system.    It usually involves a combination of factors like infections, toxins, and even trauma. 10% of those suffering from Narcolepsy have someone in the family suffering from the same disorder.

Narcolepsy often goes undiagnosed for many years, especially since it usually required overnight tests under the supervision of a sleep specialist. If the disorder is left undiagnosed, it can affect a person’s ability to interact or do normal activities, which could lead to mental health issues.

As for treatment, while there is no cure, lifestyle changes like practicing good sleep hygiene, taking shorter naps throughout the day and medications help to regulate the episodes of Narcolepsy. Certain medications like antidepressants have shown to help in controlling the loss of muscle tone.

Restless Leg Syndrome

Restless Leg Syndrome is a sleeping disorder that affects the nervous system, causing the legs to move uncontrollably due to sensations of discomfort that are worsened by sitting or lying down. These feelings of discomfort are usually sensations of crawling, creeping, itching, pulsating, aching, etc..

This feeling of discomfort is usually only alleviated when the person’s body becomes active byways of moving about legs and arms, walking, exercise, or stretching.  This period of activity will ease a person’s pain or discomfort only for that short period of activity.

This means sleep constantly evades the person no matter how tired they are because of how uncomfortable they are feeling.

Symptoms of the Restless Leg Syndrome include:

Irresistible urge to move legs due to feelings of discomfort

Uncomfortable sensations in your legs.

Sensations are usually always worsened when resting

Symptoms are worse at night and cause poor quality of sleep

Relief usually comes only with movement or activity

Although experts suspect the hormone dopamine to be responsible for the syndrome, there is no determined cause for why the restless leg syndrome develops. Restless Leg Syndrome is one that can develop at any age, with the chances of you experiencing the syndrome higher during childhood, and usually more common in women than in men.

Researchers, however, have their suspicions – the disorder is suspected to often be hereditary, especially if it runs in the family and if the disorder starts before the age of 40. It has also been linked to iron deficiency, damage to nerves, spinal cord, etc..

A doctor usually has to administer both a physical and neurological test since this is a sleep disorder that affects the nervous system. You may also need to run some tests under the supervision of a sleep specialist, depending on how severe your condition is.

Although Restless Leg Syndrome isn’t life-threatening, it severely disrupts sleep leading to problems in functioning properly during the day and even poor mental health. Unlike other sleeping disorders that affect the quality of sleep, this disorder prevents napping that is usually done to make up for the lack of sleep. Hence, it is important to see a doctor if you suspect that you have a restless sleep disorder.

With regard to treatment, iron deficiency is often seen as responsible for many patients with restless sleep syndrome. Hence, one of the first steps, depending on your blood test reports, would be to correct this iron deficiency, normally done through injection or via tablets or medication.

Muscle relaxers and sleep medications might also be prescribed. Benefits have also been derived from physical therapy and at-home treatments like stretching, hot baths, and self-massage.

Sleep Paralysis

Sleep Paralysis is a sleeping disorder that results in the inability to move or speak. It usually occurs just as you’re falling asleep or when you’ve suddenly woken up. It is a result of the body remaining asleep when the brain is awake, resulting in experiencing a variety of sensations or hallucinations that aren’t real while you’re unable to move one bit.

Nearly everyone experiences it at least once in their lives. Unfortunately, it becomes a disorder for those who suffer from an episode every couple of days or even more frequently.

Those suffering from Narcolepsy often find themselves a victim of this condition as well.

Its symptoms include:

Can’t move your body or speak out loud.

Feelings of being watched or hearing sounds.

Finding it difficult to breathe, almost as if you’re being suffocated or someone is sitting on you

Seeing weird hallucinations that seem fictitious in nature (ghosts, demons, etc..)

Sleep Paralysis can be brought on by a variety of factors. It has been heavily linked to mental health issues like depression, anxiety, and especially Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Irregular and unhealthy sleep schedule has also proven to be one of the contributors to experiencing an episode of sleep paralysis. Any activity, like alcohol, medication, or substance abuse, that inhibits sleep hormones might also be responsible.

For those who experience it only once or twice, they can write it off as a one-off that won’t likely happen again. On the other hand, if you’ve been experiencing sleep paralysis on a frequent basis, it is important to get it diagnosed by a doctor so as to help treat the underlying reason behind why you’ve developed this disorder.

Treatment options include the obvious – improving your sleep hygiene by going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, therapy, meditation, a better work-life balance, and/or not sleeping on your back. Surprisingly, many have found that something as simple as changing your sleeping position reduces the possibility of you experiencing sleep paralysis.

Some other sleep disorders are:

Sleep-Related Hypoventilation Disorders

This sleeping disorder occurs when breathing is restricted and inadequate, resulting in interruptions that disrupt sleep.

Parasomnias

Parasomnias consist of various sleep disorders that involve arousals from rapid eye movement (REM), which result in unintentional behaviors, some of which one might not even have the memory of doing. Examples include sleep terrors, sleep sex, sleepwalking, and REM behavior disorder.

Circadian Rhythm Disorders (Non-24 Hour Sleep-Wake Disorder)

Circadian Rhythm Disorders is a group of sleeping disorders that involve disruptions in the sleep that result in changes to the body’s overall internal clock. Examples include jet lag, shift work disorder, non 24 sleep-wake disorder, and irregular sleep-wake disorder.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is a complex medical condition that affects the nervous system and comes with a number of symptoms, the most common being extreme fatigue and tiredness. It is usually seen that the symptoms worsen with activity or exercise but cannot be alleviated with rest. It is a syndrome that generally accompanies many sleeping disorders such as insomnia, sleep apnea, and sleep paralysis.

Conclusion

Covering every single disorder, syndrome, and condition that falls under the group of sleep disorders in one day is difficult to do so in one single article.

As you’ve already read, most of the sleep disorders share many symptoms and causes, with treatments varying all over the scale. It is highly advised to see a sleep specialist to treat the underlying causes and to really understand what might be causing it in the first place.

[sleepguruin]

How Many Calories Do You Burn Sleeping

If there is anything more important than food, it’s sleep. Even though a lot of people tend to put sleep in the backburner owing to work and other commitments, it has a significant impact on the mind and body, both short and long term. Sleep and the lack of it determine the quality of overall health and various physical and cognitive functions. Around the world, sleep disorders are on the rise, and so are health issues like obesity. This has led sleep experts and scientists to link sleep and weight. Whether you were trying to gain or lose weight, you are quality and quantity of sleep will have a great influence on it.

Sleep disorders have a major impact on your ability to lose weight. Regardless of your diet, your sleep schedule, quality, and quantity can determine how fast you lose or gain weight. Most overweight or obese people have some kind of sleep issues, which makes it hard for them to maintain the proper shape. Being fat doesn’t always indicate the wrong diet. It can also mean insufficient sleep and hormonal imbalance.

When someone goes without sleep for a long time at a stretch, the brain starts to go wonky and doesn’t support hormone balance as well as it should. This is one of the most crucial factors behind unhealthy appetite and weight gain. Unfortunately, people think only diet and exercise are responsible for weight gain or loss. They never wonder if sleep also has something to do with it. Sleep has a lot to do with weight. If you’re doing everything else right but not getting sufficient sleep, you will have a hard time maintaining the right weight.

Does Sleep Burn Calories?

Sleep is usually considered a period of inactivity. When we are asleep, it’s like being dead, when we are unaware of everything around us. However, this is a big misconception. Sleep is far from a state of inactivity. Whether we are asleep or awake, our bodily organs never stop working. Just because we are unaware of everything in an asleep state doesn’t mean our brain also goes to sleep with us. The brain keeps working, as does every other organ in the body.

Like being awake, being asleep is just another state that our body goes into for rest and rejuvenation. It doesn’t mean that it’s the time for all bodily functions to stop. The brain and body work hard while we sleep to make sure we wake up feeling refreshed.

An interesting thought is whether or not we burn calories while we are asleep. The answer to this can be interpreted in many ways. First and foremost, our bodily organs never stop working, which means even when we are asleep, the body’s digestive system is working. It is digesting the food and using the nutrients to repair the tissues and cells in the body, helping us wake up feeling fresh and alert. So does that mean we burn calories while we are asleep? Yes, we do. Can you stop exercising and only sleep in order to lose weight? No, you cannot.

How Sleep Burns Calories?

It must be kept in mind that even though the body is working during sleep, the metabolism slows down greatly. This is because the person is at rest and doesn’t need a fast metabolism. The slower your metabolism, the slower your calorie burn. Therefore, even though sleep burns calories, it isn’t anything remarkable.

However, there is a connection between deep sleep and a higher calorie burn. If you are in a deep sleep, you burn a greater amount of calories than when you are in light sleep or simply napping. Deep sleep is something many people have trouble with, but it is also the most important phase of sleep. Also known as REM sleep, it is the deepest stage of sleep where all the crucial cognitive functioning takes place. This is the phase when we dream, and our brain cells recharge. The more REM sleep we get, the better our sleep quality and the fresher and more alert we feel when we wake up.

It isn’t surprising that REM sleep has a deep connection with weight gain or loss. When an individual doesn’t get enough REM sleep, they end up having a hormonal imbalance, and as a result, the appetite and weight go out of order. But it’s true that even when you sleep, you burn calories.

However, there is no set number as to how many calories are burned during sleep, according to sleep experts and scientists. It varies highly variable throughout the different sleep stages, and is also dependent on the activities when the person is awake, besides being influenced by genetics.

Having said that, there is a good baseline to determine how many calories you’ve burned. Basically, it comes down to a simple formula (yes, you have to do a bit of math here):

A simple formula to determine how many calories you burn during sleep. You first have to calculate the number of calories your body burns at rest. This is called the basal metabolic rate. The BMR of an individual depends on body mass, height, and age, but the average for a healthy adult is considered to be around 45 calories per hour.

The BMR of an individual during sleep is measured after eight hours of constant sleep, without eating anything and in temperature conditions that are neither too hot nor cold. This helps one truly figure out exactly how much energy is being consumed only to rest.

When a person is asleep, the body functions at 95 percent, it’s normal functioning when the person is awake. If your average caloric expenditure at rest is 45 calories per hour), the formula to calculate your caloric expenditure during sleep is as follows:

(Calories burned in an hour) x 0.95 or 95% x number of hours of sleep

So, the number of calories burned during sleep will be calculated as 45 x 0.95 x 8 (the hours of sleep can be more or less than 8 hours) = 342. If you remove the 95 percent, the calories burned when a person is awake is 45 x 8 = 360 calories.

What Happens During REM Sleep?

The Rapid Eye Movement stage of sleep is fascinating because this is when the brain is alert and awake, but the body is still asleep. This is also when dreams occur, a phenomenon that scientists still haven’t found an explanation for. People who wake up after competing REM sleep, feel more refreshed than those who wake up before or in the middle of the stage.

In the stages past, the brain is asleep while the body heals and recharges. However, the final stage of sleep is reserved for the brain when it is awake and alert and preparing for the day. This is also the stage when body temperature and heartbeat slowly start to rise again after being low throughout sleep. REM sleep is crucial not only for cognitive functioning but also for hormonal balance. Because hormones are controlled by the brain, lack of REM sleep causes hormonal imbalance, affecting appetite and weight gain.

The hormones leptin and ghrelin are responsible for hunger and appetite. When these two hormones are in balance, it is easy for a person to have a healthy appetite and the right weight. But when you don’t get sufficient sleep, the hormones are imbalanced, resulting in unhealthy appetite and weight gain. The REM stage specifically is responsible for appetite and weight gain.

The body burns the maximum calories during REM sleep because this is when the brain is most active and requires the most oxygen to function. The lighter the sleep, the less oxygen the brain needs to function, and the slower the calorie burn. In the previous stages of sleep, calorie burn isn’t too great. But in the REM sleep stage, it is at the peak. The brain is sometimes more active during the REM stage than when it is awake, explaining the high metabolic activity.

Is Sleep Key To Weight Loss?

When you realize this fascinating fact that you do indeed burn calories when sleeping, you become curious to know how to burn the most calories during sleep. The best you can do is get proper sleep every night, between 7 and 8 hours. The average adult requires anywhere between 7 and 9 hours of sleep every night, but most people get far less than that. Some people get only five or six hours of sleep every night and function throughout the day by drinking coffee. Some people don’t even need coffee because they are used to getting only a few hours of sleep. However, in the long run, lack of sleep results in health issues like hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, as well as Alzheimer’s disease.

Remember that the deeper your REM sleep, the more calories you will burn. And to make sure you have REM sleep every night, you need to establish a proper sleep routine and follow sleep hygiene. Not many people have a sleep routine, at least as adults. Sleep routine is something associated with children, but adults need it even more because when we grow up, our lives become hectic and chaotic. We need to find discipline and routine to help our body and brain function normally.

When sleep is healthy, the bodily functions are also healthy, and the hormones remain in balance. Proper balancing of hormones is key to weight loss or gain, and this is deeply connected to sleep. The better you sleep, the better shape you will be in.

Sticking to a sleep routine is extremely important because of your body and your brain’s love routine. When you have a fixed sleep routine, you will find it much easier to fall asleep and also have REM sleep every night. Getting REM sleep is an indicator of quality sleep. If you do not have REM sleep, you will wake up feeling unrefreshed. Entering REM sleep is highly important, and is also when you burn the maximum calories during sleep.

Sleep hygiene is also important for proper sleep. Keep your sleep environment uncluttered at all times, and make your bedroom a cocoon for sleep. The more comfortable you feel during sleep, the better your sleep quality, and the higher the chances of burning calories. Reducing the consumption of alcohol and caffeine a few hours before bedtime, and avoiding rich, heavy meals before bed is also necessary for ensuring an undisturbed sleep.

How To Burn More Calories Sleeping?

Sticking to a sleep routine is just one of the ways to help your brain get more REM sleep and your body to burn more calories. You also have to remember that calorie burn depends on your body weight. If you don’t have much body weight, to begin with, your calorie burn will be significantly less than an obese person.

If you are truly considering to maximize the number of calories you burn. At the same time, you are asleep, sleep experts suggest turning the temperature down. That’s right; the temperature of your room should be cool, ideally between 16 to 20 degrees Celcius. It has been proven time and again that a cooler environment is most conducive to sleep, and also helps REM sleep the most. But now it’s also been found that sleeping in a cool room helps you burn more calories because the body keeps you warm by burning the calories. Instead of turning up the thermostat and sleeping under six layers of blankets, try sleeping in a cooler room for maximum nocturnal calorie burn.

Most importantly, you must focus on burning the maximum calories when you are awake because that is something more in your control. Your nocturnal calorie burn isn’t in your control, but you can control what you do during your waking hours to burn more calories. Getting proper sleep every night, cutting down on alcohol and caffeine consumption, and following a sleep routine is crucial for helping your body get the maximum calorie burn from the hours spent sleeping.

[sleepguruin]

Sleeping Naked – To Do, or Not To Do?

Studies show that inadequate sleep leads to a number of conditions and illnesses. Weight gain, to mood disorders, to poor judgment and risk-taking behavior, to cardio-vascular problems, to cancer even, can be linked to inadequate sleep and/or poor quality of sleep.[1]  Hormonal imbalance is cited as a common medical condition that leads to several illnesses and other medical conditions. Sleep, or rather good quality sleep, helps balance hormones and enhances the production of desirable hormones like oxytocin, Human Growth Hormone, Leptin, etc. It stands to reason then that sleeping enough and sleeping well is absolutely essential for every person.

A study shows that 90% of Indians do not sleep enough. So the questions begging to be asked is how can we (especially those of living in urban India) ensure that we get good quality sleep in the hours that we have to sleep?

Sleeping naked, as an effective way to enhance the quality of sleep is increasingly gaining ground (very slowly), even in scientific circles. Besides being more fun than a glass of warm milk before bed-time, and a million times safer than popping sleeping pills, sleeping naked has a whole range of benefits for the person looking to improve his/her quality of sleep.

Human beings are endotherms, capable, and dependent on generating internal body heat, in response to body functions/needs, and external stimuli. So, when we are tired, our internal body temperature drops, signaling the need to decrease activity and rest. Sleeping nude is a natural way to let the body regulate its own temperature.

Currently, sleeping naked is not very popular, especially in a country like India, where we may not always have the kind of privacy needed for sleeping in the buff. But there are numerous benefits to sleeping in the nude. If possible, it is a healthy habit that, if cultivated, can bring us a lot of joy and increased well being. Broadly speaking, sleeping naked, optimizes brain performance, physical health, and even contributes to sexual, emotional, and social health.

Optimizes Brain Health and Performance

Studies have shown that lowering the body temperature decreases the number of times we wake up at night, significantly improving the quality of sleep. Good quality sleep allows the brain to detoxify and remove toxic proteins (that accumulate when awake). This detoxification optimizes the brain’s cognitive functioning, and creative thinking, and also enhances emotional reactions.

Sleeping naked, allows the body to regulate its core temperature naturally. Perspiration is the way the body cools itself down, and sleeping in the nude allows perspiration to dry naturally on the body.

Enhances Physical Well Being

When sleeping nude, perspiration, which would otherwise get trapped in night clothes, leading to skin infections, dries naturally on the body or is absorbed by the bed linen. Women prone to yeast infections will find sleeping without nightclothes particularly beneficial, in that a cool, dry skin is less prone to bacterial and skin infections. The male testes are designed to maintain sperm at a temperature just below the core body temperature. Pajamas or tight underwear that hold the testicles close to the body and thereby increase their temperature can lead to poor sperm quality. Without the restricting confines of clothes, blood circulation improves, and this is good for the heart and other muscles.

Improves Metabolism

A good night’s sleep, enhanced by a body free of external encumbrances, leads to increased production of the Human Growth Hormone (HGF), which is needed for tissue repair of hair and skin, and burns fat while we sleep. HGF production decreases as we age, so it makes sense to harness this as best we can

Sleeping naked improves metabolism. What this basically means is that sleeping in the buff is a highly cost-effective way to reduce weight gain, and increase weight loss! Lowering body temperature increases metabolism. Your body starts producing brown fat to keep itself warm. The best part is that brown fat is actually a good thing. Unlike white fat, which many of us need to avoid accumulating, brown fat is found in young animals and has just one main purpose, and that is to keep the body warm. Brown fat burns calories to keep the body warm. So maybe it’s time to indulge in some beauty sleep! Ditch the pajamas, let your body temperature drop, let the brown fat start to build, and not only do you get some great sleep, but you can also use up some of the excess calories, doing absolutely nothing!

Improves Sex Life, Emotional State, and Social Life

Sleeping naked boosts intimacy and enhances your sex life. Intimacy and skin to skin contact leads to the release of oxytocin which is known to lower blood pressure and anxiety and boost the immune system

When you sleep in PJs, chances are that when you are at home, you will tend to lounge around in them. Sleeping naked means you get up and get dressed, and that in itself gives a sense of purpose to your day. A good night’s sleep leads to better-regulated moods and overall makes you a happier, relaxed person who is able to interact and socialize better.

To sum up, sleeping naked might just be the answer to insomnia you have been battling, help reduce your stress levels and right that hormonal imbalance which is causing you so many problems.

Given that in India, many of us share our sleeping place with siblings, relatives, or friends, sleeping naked may not be the best option. In that case, loose-fitting light clothes made from pure fibers is your next best option. For those of you who can, maybe it is time to sleep commando and reap the benefits! There are absolutely no medical reasons against sleeping naked.

[sleepguruin]

Sleeping on The Floor

Would you be surprised if you were told that sleeping on a mattress is a new phenomenon for humans? You should not because we have been sleeping on a bed for only a few centuries, but ever since the dawn of civilization, humans were sleeping on the floor. We sleep on a mattress because it is comfortable. There is no other reason for choosing to sleep on a mattress, oversleeping on the floor. But is a mattress the best sleeping surface for us? Although this is debatable, if we look at our ancestors, we will find that they either slept in trees or on the floor.

Because sleeping on the floor has been hailed as a healthier alternative to sleeping on a fancy mattress, there has been significant attention paid to the benefits and the downsides of ditching your memory foam mattress and making your bed on the hard floor. Those who practice and advocate holistic living regularly sleep on the floor and claim to enjoy a better quality of rest.

Most people today prefer to sleep on super expensive, plush mattresses. And why not? Given the huge variety of mattresses available today online, you don’t even have to step outside your house to get a new mattress delivered right at your doorstep. Even the mattresses that aren’t super expensive are designed to provide the utmost comfort and alignment to the body.

Sleeping on the floor is considered pathetic. If you don’t have a bed, you at least have a couch. If you sleep on the floor, you are too poor to afford a bed. And when you sleep on the floor despite having three bedrooms furnished with luxurious beds? You’re going bonkers.

That’s what many people think of those who sleep on the floor every night. But sleeping on the floor does have benefits that people sleeping on mattresses miss out on. In this post, we discuss the benefits of sleeping on the floor, and how to smoothly transition from a mattress to the floor.

Why Should You Sleep on The Floor?

If you look around, you will find that our lives are too cushy. We sleep on a plush mattress, our couches are cushioned, our chairs are upholstered, and even the seats of the car are designed to be soft and comfortable. You can even get your toilet seat cushioned for more comfort.

What does all the cushioning do to the body? It makes the body soft. Cushioning provides comfort, but it does nothing to strengthen muscles. And if muscles aren’t strong, not only do they get inflamed very easily but also become softer overtime, leading to muscle loss. We exercise our muscles to make them stronger but then ruin all the hard work by sleeping and sitting on soft cushioned surfaces.

There are certain cultures where people regularly sleep on the floor. Japan is one such country where sleeping on the floor is commonplace. However, for some comfort, they lay soft tatami mats on the floor. It isn’t unusual to find the entire flooring made of tatami. This takes away some of the discomforts of sleeping on a hard surface, while also offering the benefits of sleeping on the floor.

If you still aren’t sure about sleeping on the floor, here are the top reasons.

Alignment: Your back and spine remain perfectly aligned when sleeping on the floor. When you sleep on a mattress, your body sinks in over the course of the night. But since that doesn’t happen with the floor, your body must maintain its natural alignment. This keeps your posture right and benefits your body while you sleep.

Pain: People who usually suffer from aches and pains in various parts of the anatomy are often advised to sleep on a flat and hard surface. When these people sleep on the floor, they discover that their back pain shoulder pain or neck pain has disappeared suddenly. Many mattresses claim to help alleviate pain and soreness, but only the floor can live up to this claim. The pain that with you when we wake up in the morning is not because of sleeping on the wrong mattress but because of being restricted and not being able to move throughout the night. The floor does not restrict your body in any way when you sleep and helps preserve your natural alignment.

Rest: When you sleep on the floor, there is much less distraction than there would be sleeping on the bed. If there was someone else sleeping next to you, there would be no disturbance if they moved around at night. Getting up in the morning is also easier because you’re well-rested and not tempted to hit the snooze button.

Space Saving: When you sleep on the floor and don’t need a bed, you save space in the room. Besides, you can sprawl all you want on the floor without rolling out or falling down. There is also no need to make the bed, something many people dislike doing.

Downsides of Sleeping on The Floor

For a normal, healthy person, there isn’t any downside to sleeping on the floor. With practice, anyone can master sleeping on the floor and even come to love and enjoy it. There are people who have been sleeping on the floor for many years and enjoy better health and rest than others.

However, in certain cases, sleeping on the floor may present certain predicaments, such as:

Having A Guest Over: When a guest plans to stay the night and finds out that you sleep on the floor, they might worry that they have to do the same. If you bring home someone special, they may be mortified to learn to sleep on the floor.

Sex: Sexual activity isn’t too comfortable on the floor. To make things more comfortable, you can try adding a cushion or mat or just do it somewhere else.

Medical Conditions: If you have a special condition that requires you to use a hospital bed, you should not attempt to sleep on the floor. Sleeping on the floor is only for healthy people with no medical condition. If you suffer from conditions like arthritis, osteoporosis, fibromyalgia, or other mobility issues, you must not sleep on the floor. Remember that your health and comfort should always come first.

Transitioning to Sleeping on The Floor

For someone who has never slept on the floor, making the transition isn’t easy. Whether your floor is made of wood or tiles or stone, sleeping on the floor is just not the same as sleeping on your $2000 mattress. And some people may not even have space on the floor to sleep. Then they must go out to the living room to sleep next to the dog on the floor.

There are various ways in which you can slowly adapt to sleeping on the floor. The key here is to take it slow and not rush the process. Remember that you have been sleeping on a mattress ever since you were born, and getting used to the hard floor is going to take time.

The following is a step-by-step process to transition to sleeping on the floor.

Switch sides: Almost everyone has a favorite side of the bed. In the case of couples, each partner shares a different side of the bed, and they do it religiously. The left side may be for the wife and the right side for the husband or vice versa. Over time, your body adapts to the mattress, and the moment you lie down on your side of the bed, you feel comfortable and familiar.

But that’s not how it’s with the floor. Your body must adapt each and every night when you sleep on the floor. There are no familiar indentations in the floor that remind your body this is where you sleep. That is your starting point. Simply switch sides on your bed. If you so long slept on the left side, now sleep on the right. Your body will have to adapt, the same way it must adapt to the floor every night.

Change Rooms: If you have more than one bed in the house, it’s time to move to the other room. Have you noticed why your body finds it hard to adapt to a new bed? This is called cross-training, required to help your body adapt to its time on the floor. The purpose of these steps is to increase your body’s power to adapt to any surface you sleep on.

Remove the Comfort Layers: If the mattress has a top cover or padding that adds extra comfort, it’s time to get rid of them. When you sleep on the floor, you won’t have the pillow top or the padding for comfort. This is just helping your body get used to what is to follow.

Ditch the Bed: Now is the time to take the topper or padding for the bed and spread it on the floor. You’re going to ditch the bed and make the floor your new sleeping place. You can have two layers or three on the floor, because in the beginning, the hard floor is difficult to adjust to. You can add toppers and quilts to make your new bed as comfortable as you want for now because later, you’re going to remove them. Remember to use blankets and comforters because, unlike the memory foam mattress, the floor isn’t going to keep you warm.

Reduce the Layers: This is the final step in the transitioning process, and it involves removing as many layers as possible. According to sleep experts, the way to measure the effectiveness of sleeping on the floor is to feel like you had a workout when you wake up in the morning. In short, you should feel amazing. Remove the padding from the bed as much as possible, keeping only a thin layer between you and the floor. You can try using a grass or tatami mat for sleeping on; these are healthy and natural and eliminate the need for other layers.

While going through this process, do not try to rush it. Sleeping on the floor isn’t something that can be achieved in a day, especially if you’re too attached to your bed. After you go through this experiment, you will not only appreciate your bed even more but also realize that the effects of sleeping on the floor are compounded with time. The longer the time you spend sleeping on the floor, the greater you enjoy the process. But to get the most out of it, you must be willing to stick to the process. Within two or three weeks, you get used to your new bed, and your body starts to thank you for the support and relief it feels.

[sleepguruin]

Sleeping Without A Pillow

We need different kinds of bedding to get a comfortable night’s sleep. We need a pillow, a mattress, blankets, and top sheets, and sometimes leg and shoulder pillows too. But despite all the comfort that we have during sleep, a large number of people suffer from sleep deprivation and poor sleep quality. Around the world, the number of people who don’t get proper sleep every night has been growing rapidly. Animals and birds do not have sleep issues. They sleep whenever it’s time to sleep and have the energy to go about their day without needing a caffeine fix. It’s humans who always remain tired and sleepy despite having had the entire night and the comfort of the bed.

But wait. Can too much comfort possibly ruin sleep? Certain sleep experts believe that people need to ditch some items of bedding for better sleep, and one of them is the pillow.

That’s right. There is a great debate about whether the pillow is a necessary or a non-essential item of bedding, which people use for nothing but comfort. But unfortunately, the pillow is often behind neck and shoulder pain that deprives people of proper sleep quality. And without quality sleep, you can hardly function like a normal person.

Of course, sleeping without a pillow is not unusual. There are many people who sleep without a pillow and a mattress, and they do just fine. In fact, they enjoy better sleep quality and feel more refreshed during the day. But is it for everyone?

Functions of A Pillow

Everyone needs a certain amount of sleep every night. The amount of sleep required by the average adult is 7 to 9 hours, but hardly anyone sleeps that long. Most people get by with only five or six hours, and even if that isn’t the required amount, once you form a habit, you can do without the mandated number of hours.

And then there are those who might go to bed every night but are unable to get proper sleep. This can be because of sleep disorders, stress, environmental distractions, or uncomfortable bedding. Given how important sleep is to our daily functioning, going without proper sleep for a long time can result in various health disorders. Lack of sleep has a connection with elevated stress levels, poor productivity, unhealthy appetite, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s disease. Besides, daytime sleepiness can hinder your progress at work, make your memory foggy, and ruin your social life. Drowsy driving can also be fatal.

For most of us, our bedding is synonymous with comfort. We need the plush mattress, the down pillows, and the fur comforters to be able to enjoy a good night’s sleep. And to some extent, they are also responsible for our posture and spinal health.

The main function of the pillow is to provide support to the head and neck. The head can often be significantly heavier than any other part of the body. The average human head weighs around 17 pounds, which is a staggering weight for the neck to carry around. Only when the head is upright, it is easy for the neck to carry the head. Whenever the head is not upright, it puts excessive strain on the neck and causes pain and inflammation.

That is the reason why we need a pillow for support when we lie down. An infant or a baby doesn’t need a pillow because their heads are smaller. But as they grow older, their heads grow in size and become heavier for the neck to carry. That’s why they start to require pillows.

We need this support during sleep because the naturally curved spine needs proper alignment when lying on a flat surface. Sleeping without support not only has a negative impact on your sleep but also results in stiffness of the neck, shoulders, and back.

The comfort that the pillow provides is subjective. What is comfortable for one person may not be as comfortable to another. The comfort factor of the pillow is dependent on body size, sleep position, and health conditions. For most people, it certainly feels comfortable to have a soft and supportive pillow under their heads.

Is It Better To Sleep Without A Pillow?

If you suffer from neck stiffness and soreness every morning, it could probably be because of your pillow. That’s why there are people who shun the pillow altogether and sleep without it. But how good is sleeping without a pillow? According to sleep experts, there are plenty of benefits of sleeping without a pillow.

Neck and Back Health

Sleeping without pillows helps extend your back, keeping you in a natural position without undue stress or strain. Using a pillow that is too soft strains, your neck muscles and reduces blood flow to the brain. If the pillow makes your head tilt downwards, airflow is significantly reduced, and you wake up with a headache in the morning. On the other hand, a thick pillow or a stack of multiple pillows deforms your spinal position and causes back pain. If you are experiencing any of these issues, it’s time to put your pillows away and sleep without head or neck support. Will Feel Well Rested In the Morning

Better Quality of Sleep

If you have a good mattress, pillows are negligible. When you don’t have pillows, your body easily finds an optimal position for rest, without the pillow getting in the way. When we use pillows that do not offer proper support, our body has to keep engaging the neck or back muscles, preventing your body from healing and recovering during the night. Muscles and tendons work overtime when they are supposed to rest and heal, and all that pressure manifests as pain. When this goes on for days, the pain becomes chronic. Instead of letting this happen, simply stop using pillows at night when you sleep. Your body will have a better position, and you will enjoy better sleep quality.

Better Skin

We have often heard that the pillow is bad for the skin. It causes wrinkles, excessive oil secretion, and makes the skin impure. How? Well, when we use a pillow, our faces are often pressed into it when we sleep at night. It causes sweating and also blocks the pores, preventing the skin from breathing. Excessive sweating through the night makes your face greasy and impure, causing breakouts, blackheads, and other infections. Besides, pillows cannot be washed, and this results in dirt and dust getting accumulated in it. Dust mites that live in your pillows attack the skin and cause breakouts. Your skin will thank you when you stop using pillows for sleep.

How to Sleep Without Pillow?

Before you throw out your pillows, remember that not everyone should sleep without a pillow. Depending on your sleeping position, you should consider if you continue using pillows or not use them.

Side Sleepers: Although one of the healthiest sleeping positions, side sleepers must always use a pillow. That’s because in the side sleeping position, there’s a significant gap between the neck and shoulders, and it should be filled with the right pillow. Otherwise, it can cause pain and soreness.

Back Sleepers: It is recommended that back sleepers use a thin pillow to keep their heads supported and fill the gap between the neck and the shoulders. The pillow must not be too thick.

Stomach Sleepers: This is the only sleep position where you can do without pillows. Using a pillow in the stomach sleeping position causes undue stress on the neck and spine. If you’re a stomach sleeper, try not using a pillow or use a thin pillow to see if your rest gets better.

Instead of stopping to use a pillow at once, you should try to transition to it gradually. This makes it easier for your body to get used to a new sleeping position. Try using a thin layer of cloth under your head in the beginning and then slowly decrease using it so you can sleep without a pillow.

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Types of Mattresses in India – 2020

Good night sleep is an important factor that determines your health in the long run. You deserve it after a tiring day at work. The mattress you sleep on is a determinant of your sound sleep.

Mattresses help in providing support to your aching bodies and a solution for various body problems to side and stomach sleepers. Having a low-quality mattress may seem to be good to your pockets, but you may end up with health problems, which would cost you a lot more.

India is one of the 40 most crucial mattresses manufacturing countries in the world with Austria, China, the United States, the UK, Spain, Switzerland, Saudi Arabia, Russia, etc. The market is loaded with different types of mattresses, brands, mattresses offering varied functions and support. You have plenty of options to choose from.

There are many factors to consider while buying a mattress for your sound sleep. We cover everything you need to know to make an informed decision like the different types of mattresses available, the varied sizes, the anatomy of a good mattress, which one to buy according to your sleeping position, and busting some common myths to help you pick the right one.

The Different Types of Mattresses Available in India

Arya Nick Shamie, Associate Professor of orthopedic and neurosurgery, Santa Monica UCLA Medical Center, says that a mattress should be able to support your body in the neutral position. If it is too soft, it will not provide support, and if it is too firm, it will take your body out of alignment. Let’s see the different options of mattresses available in India.

Foam Mattress

Memory Foam Mattress

Coir Mattress

Latex Mattress

Spring Mattress

Re-bonded foam Mattress

Airbed Mattress

Gel Mattress

Let’s delve in deep to know what each type of offers.

Foam Mattress

It is the most used mattress in India. There is foam inside the mattress. It is soft and very comfortable to sleep on. This mattress tends to sag in the long run. There are many brands now offering additional layers of support to avoid sagging.

Do you experience back pain? Then this is the best type of mattress for you. But if you have the habit of turning around in bed while sleeping, this can cause discomfort because your body sinks into the bed. Another advantage of this mattress is that it does not need to be flipped often and lasts longer than other types.

The only drawback of this mattress is that it is more expensive than most other types.

Below are the positive points of buying a foam mattress:

Suitable for people with back and hip pain

Comforting you in cold temperature because the foam maintains the body heat

They do not exhibit motion transfer, so you still feel comfortable when your sleeping partner moves around in bed

Durable than other types

Memory Foam Mattress

This is an innovative twist to the classic foam mattress. These have an open cell structure that makes it retain the pressure and remember it while you are out of bed. Since it remembers the pressure points, it is known as ‘memory foam mattress.’

You may have heard about this mattress, but wouldn’t know that its origins lie with NASA.  Scientists began working with a special material called viscoelastic in the early ’60s. This material is used to make airplane seats for its soft and energy absorbent feature.

It is ideal for both stomach and side sleepers, while the side sleepers find it more comforting. Michael Decker, Ph.D., RN, and spokesman for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, says that this type has had evidence of helping you get relief from back pain.

One drawback of this mattress is that it smells of the chemicals that go into production initially, but the smell subsides after a few days of use. If you are the one who sweats a lot or very often, then this mattress isn’t an ideal choice because it contributes to the sweating.

Below are the positive points of buying a memory foam mattress:

Ideal for spine and shoulder pain as it has an incredible feature called state-of-the-art pressure, reducing technology that helps to get rid of the pressure on your body.

It has a high conforming ability quotient because it can mold according to the pressure of the body and can spread out weight equally.

Thanks to the polyurethane in the foam, the mattress is free from allergies.

Coir Mattress

The coir mattress is an Indian innovation and only available in India. Coconut coir is used to make this mattress. Not to your surprise, these are the most eco-friendly of all the types of mattresses available in the market.

These mattresses are firm and can cause a bit of discomfort to some. These are extremely economical when compared to the other types.

One of the advantages of the coir mattress is that it does not exhibit motion transfer, which means you do not get disturbed when your partner flips sides while sleeping.

The only disadvantage of this type is that it does not last for a long time because it sags soon. The coir inside the mattress gets pressed with your weight, and since it lacks elasticity, it does not spring back to its original shape. On average, a coir mattress would last you for around 4-5 years.

Below are the positive points of buying a coir mattress:

They have a firm base.

They are priced affordably.

They do not exhibit motion transfer.

Latex Mattress

These mattresses have latex inside instead of foam. Latex is usually found from natural resources, but now there are other ways to source it synthetically as well. Apart from latex, these mattresses even have poly-foams as well as other materials inside.

To suit your needs, it is available in a wide range of firmness. These help you get relief from shoulder and back pain. Also, suitable for heavyweight people as they are denser when compared to the other types.

These are available in two types, the Talalay Latex, and Dunlop Latex. The Talalay is light and frothy foam, while the Dunlop is heavy, ideal for support cores. One of the plus points of this type is that it has natural bounciness, temperature regulation, and holds to the contour of the body.

When new, the mattress has a weird rubber smell that disappears after a few uses because of the emission of organic compounds while manufacturing. These are the most expensive of all types and often available only online.

Below are the positive points of buying a latex mattress:

It has high bounciness because of the foam grid and rubber content.

They provide superior pressure point relief. If you experience back and neck pain, the Talalay latex is better than the Dunlop.

They do not retain heat since it’s made of natural materials.

They last you long, thanks to the hypoallergenic foam that resists mold formation and keeps dust away.

Exhibits motion transfer and so you can sleep in peace even if your sleeping partner turns sides often while sleeping.

Spring Mattress

The spring mattress is a better version of the coir mattress. It fills in the gaps that the coir mattresses have like it is bouncier due to the presence of springs, of course.

One disadvantage of this kind is that it exhibits motion transfer, so you may not have a sound sleep if your partner tends to turn sides often. Many brands are trying to overcome this drawback by adding upper foam layers for more comfort and nullify motion transfer feels.

These mattresses are also known as coir mattresses in some places. They last for around 6 years, depending on your use. Over the years, the spring can cut through and expose itself, and so a mattress topper can be helpful by providing it some more years.

Below are the positive points of buying a spring mattress:

It has an affordable price tag

It is bouncier than the coir mattress

It provides medium level comfort to your back pain

Re-bonded Foam Mattress

This mattress has scrap foam and reclaimed foam, glued together inside it. If you are looking for an alternative to coir mattress, then this is the one. They are better than coir for many reasons like energy absorption, cushioning, and squeezability.

This is made from the waste foam and bound together using a special adhesive. You guessed it right, it is the most economical type of mattress.

This type is not safe for children as it is inflammable for the chemicals used in the glue. If you wish to buy this kind, make sure you buy a CertiPUR-US certified mattress, which is not available in India, but you can always order it online.

Below are the positive points of buying a re-bound foam mattress:

Ideal for side sleepers experiencing shoulder pain.

They do not have spring but offer the same level of bounciness.

Not to your surprise, it is an eco-friendly option.

Airbed Mattress

It is a mattress that has got recent fame. These are also called as camping beds because they are inflatable and can be folded and stored when not in use.

Airbeds are usually made of PVC, but you can also find various other options like rubber or urethane plastic. It is the perfect type for bed-ridden people as it does not give the bedsores.

One drawback of this type is that it is vulnerable to puncture and leak. But you can always fix it.

Below are the positive points of buying an airbed mattress:

Ideal for side sleepers who experience back pain.

It can be used whenever and for decades, provided you use it with care.

They are very comfortable because they do not absorb body heat.

Perfect for camping and picnics for its portability feature.

The PVC material it is made of is odorless.

Gel Mattress

As you guessed, this type has gel inside the mattress instead of foam. It is suggested that you try the mattress first because it is different from foam mattresses. It is made of viscoelastic and mixed with gel.

One advantage of the gel mattress is that it does not absorb body heat and maintains air movement as well as controls the temperature.

Below are the positive points of buying a gel mattress:

Ideal for heavyweight and back sleepers.

The gel foam induces cooler sleep and helps in pressure relief

Priced affordably

Different Mattress Sizes Available in India

Mattresses are available in varied sizes and here they are:

MattressSize in Inches

Twin39” x 75”

Twin XL39" x 80"

Full54" x 75"

Queen60” x 80”

King76" x 80"

California King72" x 84"

Top 10 Mattress Brands in India

India is one of the most important mattress manufacturing countries in the world and according to a report, the Global Mattress Market will rise at a CAGR of 6.5% by 2024. The top rulers of the mattress business in India are (in no particular order):

Kurl-on

Rubco

Sleepwell

Dunlopillo

MM Foam

Tempur-Pedic

Duroflex

King Koil

Sleepzone

Restonic

Mattresses and Sleeping Positions

The mattress you buy depends on your sleeping position. Let’s see the right kind of mattress for the way you sleep.

Stomach Sleepers

If you are a stomach sleeper, then you should opt for a mattress that provides you enough support to avoid backache when you wake up. If you prefer soft mattresses, then the advanced foam mattress is the ideal choice.

Your chest exerts pressure on the mattress when you sleep on your stomach. For this reason, a foam mattress is preferred to conform to your body shape. Thus, to conclude, the memory foam and foam mattresses are perfect choices.

Mattress to avoid: Since stomach sleepers tend to change their position frequently during sleep, a spring mattress is not recommended because it lacks motion transfer.

Side Sleepers

When you sleep on your side, you require proper alignment of your back, neck, and spine. The mattress you choose should provide support to your full body.

It is ideal for you to opt for soft to medium-firm mattresses. This kind will help you relieve the tension from the back and neck, supporting you and will contour the entire body.

All your body weight is pulled to the sides when you sleep on your side. Thus, a firm mattress is not ideal. Choose a soft foam mattress instead. Also, keep a pillow between your legs to prevent pelvic rotation.

Mattress to avoid: Water and spring mattresses because they push massive parts of your body and do not provide enough support to the lumbar region.

During Pregnancy

The right sleeping position during pregnancy is the left side. It does not push the increasing body weight on the liver and promotes blood circulation. A pregnant woman should avoid sleeping on the stomach, of course, and back.

The foam or memory foam mattresses are an ideal choice as they should avoid sleeping on too firm or too soft mattresses as it may lead to body pain.

Mattress for Back Pain

A bad mattress can ruin your next day. Back pain is one of the most annoying things to happen.

One of the reasons for this problem is sleeping on the wrong mattress. So, which is the right kind of mattress to avoid back pain? An ideal mattress is the one that provides enough support to your lower back and conforms to the contour of your body.

A side sleeper may prefer a softer mattress, while stomach and back sleeper opt for firmer mattresses. The memory foam, latex, and foam mattresses are ideal to avoid back pain.

Mattress for Couples

A single person can choose the mattress of his or her choice, but the same is not the case for couples. Your sleeping partner’s choices also matter. One of the most important things to consider is motion transfer. Most couples face this problem. When 1 partner changes the position, motion transfer affects the other one too. Thus, pick a mattress that eliminates motion transfer.

The ideal mattress is latex or memory foam. For couples, the size of the mattress as well. A king size mattress is an ideal choice, but if you have a small bedroom, go for the queen bed.

Mattress for Heavier Adults

People who weigh more than 75 kgs fall under this category. Heavyweight people should choose thick cushions, and the mattress should be 10-12 inches thick. Choose a mattress that has medium firmness. Heavy people put more pressure on the mattress for obvious reasons and thus shouldn’t choose soft mattresses.

Heavy people emit more body heat and thus choose a breathable mattress. Also, the mattress should have additional support on the sides because when the heavy person turns sides during sleep, the edges should not sag. The latex mattress is an ideal choice for heavy people.

Mattress for Children

A wrong mattress for kids’ beds may make their next day miserable and yours too. They are continuously growing, and their body contours are changing.

Use a latex mattress for children, but why not memory foam mattress? The reason is that the most common foam filling in such mattresses is the PUF, Polyurethane foam. It is added with other chemicals before filling into the mattress. Over a period, the foam particles break and are released into the surrounding, causing coughing, headache, breathlessness, and respiratory issues.

A spring mattress is a good option too, but children start bouncing on them because of its softness, which leads to tearing of spring and may cause unnecessary injuries.

Consider the size of the mattress while buying. A mattress will last you for six to seven years, and your child can outgrow in those years.

Signs Your Mattress Needs Replacing

Do you know when you should replace your mattress? Most people don’t know and also that the body pain they are experiencing is due to the old mattress. Signs that will make you know your mattress needs a replacement are:

Continuous Back Pain

One of the effects of uneven mattress is you experience constant back pain. Over time, the center of the mattress sags and creates a depression. Thus, offering your spine not enough support, leading to back pain.

Once You Wake Up, You Can’t Sleep Again

Again, for this, your mattress might be the culprit. Most of us have experienced this once in life at least. The reason can be that the mattress has sagged and does not offer you enough support.

You Feel Tired When You Wake Up

If this happens frequently, you need to check your diet, exercise, and sleep patterns before blaming the mattress. If you eat right and on time, often exercise and get optimal sleep, then your mattress is to be blamed. It’s time to replace it because it has become uneven and causes you to adjust throughout, which makes you feel tired in the morning.

Allergy

Did you know your mattress can be a home to 10 million dust mites and that it can hold body oil and dead skin? This is one major reason you should get it replaced because it can cause allergy. A few signs of allergy can be coughing, sneezing, runny nose, and itching.

You are unable to sleep, no matter what!

The reason can be your mattress; you keep switching sides throughout the night but cannot find a comfortable area to sleep. If you are experiencing this and your sleep is disturbed, which is affecting the next day, time to get your mattress replaced.

Busting Myths About Mattresses

Buying the right mattress can be tough, and you need to consider every detail about it because it is one of the things to come home to after a long day.

We are busting common myths about mattresses that will help you make an informed decision:

A Firm Mattress Is the Best

There is no doubt in the fact that a firm mattress gives better back support, but it depends from person to person and their sleeping position. An ideal mattress would be the one that is firm but is soft too.

A Mattress Topper Will Extend Its Life

Many people think that a mattress topper will solve all issues and extend its life. While a mattress topper will relieve the pressure points on a firm mattress and provide comfort.

Washing the Sheets Is Enough

There are millions of dust mites on the sheet and can cause allergy. If you think washing the sheets is enough, then it is not. Along with washing the sheets, ensure to clean the mattress regularly.

Look for A Spring Mattress with More Coils

To your surprise, the coils in the spring mattress are not a deciding factor, but the quality of materials to make the coil is.

Flip Mattresses Regularly to Maintain It in A Good Condition

Gone are those days when your mattresses required to be flipped often to help it stay in good condition. The mattresses found today are all one side and does not require flipping. You can rotate the mattress if you want.

Unique Features of a Good Mattress

When you are looking to buy a mattress, you may come across as many terms, you might not know the meaning. Here are the unique features you need to know to determine your needs:

Reversible Mattress

This states that you can use the mattress both ways. Ensure that only when your mattress notes’ reversible mattress’ you can flip it over. Not all mattresses come with this tag, but you can definitely look for one.

Pillow Top Mattress

Pillow top mattresses are different from in-built mattresses. It has an additional layer on the top, giving you a pillow-like feeling. Such mattresses would not cost you more.

Hypoallergenic Mattress

As you know, there are millions of dust mites on the mattress, which can cause allergies. A hypoallergenic mattress does not allow dust to bread on the mattress and, thus, an ideal choice for asthma patients.

Reinforced Sides

Sides are the places where you find most wear and tear. Today, mattresses come with reinforced edges, having extra stitches and additional padding to make sure there is no sagging. Heavyweight people must ensure to purchase mattresses having reinforced sides.

Buyer’s Guide to Buy Mattress Online in India

You can buy a mattress from the comfort of your home. To ensure the right decision, consider the following points:

Shipping & Delivery

Most reputed online brands offer free shipping and fast delivery. Ensure to read the shipping and delivery guidelines on their website to ensure the service is available at your pin code.

Estimated Arrival

The best part of online shopping is that you can order it whenever you want, and the product gets delivered to your doorstep at the earliest. Though, note the estimated arrival in your area.

Sleep Trials

Many brands offer sleep trials for a limited period for you to test the mattress. They offer you a full refund if you return it within a stipulated time.

Some companies offer a 1-month trial while others offer 100 days. You require a minimum of 21 days to decide if the mattress is comfortable or not. Make sure to check the sleep trials.

Assembling

Often, the online retailed deliver the mattress, and the manufacturing brand arranges for an assembly. Some charge for it while most do it for free. Check for such hidden charges before buying.

Warranty

Most mattresses come with a warranty. The generous warranty period includes manufacturing defects. Note that the usual wear and tear of the mattress is not included in the warranty terms and conditions.

Mattresses in India – Frequently Asked Questions

Which Is the Best Type of Mattress?

‘One type fits all’ doesn’t hold true in this case. There is nothing as the best type of mattress. There are many types of mattresses available online and offline for various sleeping positions and preferences.

The most popular kind is the memory foam mattress, which suits most people because it provides the right kind of comfort. But the mattress retains heat, and to overcome this drawback, many brands have come up with gel memory foam mattress.

Which Type of Mattress Is Best For Back Pain In India?

While looking for a mattress to get relief from back pain, make sure the mattress supports your back without any gaps. A mattress with a medium firmness is an ideal choice. The memory foam mattress is the right choice for back support. Make sure you check the firmness of the mattress before buying it.

Is It Better to Sleep on Firm or Soft Mattress?

There is no such thing as a firm mattress is better or soft, but it depends on the sleeping positions. Firm mattresses are better for back sleepers because they are stable. Stomach sleepers also have a comfortable sleep on a firm mattress. On the other hand, a soft mattress is ideal for those who sleep on the side because it provides the required cushioning for the hips and shoulders. A softer mattress is good for back sleepers as well.

What Is the Best Mattress for Overweight Person?

Bodyweight is an important factor while buying a new mattress. People weighing more than 75 kgs fall under this category. They prefer beds that provide extra comfort and support to the body areas that weigh more like hips and abdomen. For heavyweight sleepers, latex mattresses provide the required support and alignment when compared to memory foam and other types of mattresses.

Which Mattress Is Best for Sleeping?

Sleeping on the right mattress is vital for a good night’s sleep. Your sleeping position determines which mattress is the best for you. If you are back sleeper, then mattresses like foam, memory foam, and latex are the best choice because it has the exact amount of firmness and softness as required.

The best sleeping mattress for side sleepers is the memory foam mattress. This type is popular for its comfort and support. It has several layers of foam that prevent sagging in the middle.

How do I choose a mattress?

Follow the below-mentioned five-steps to pick the right mattress:

Determine your sleeping position

Know if you are facing any body pain, sleeping on your existing mattress

Determine the type of mattress you wish to buy

Fix a budget

Select a brand

Make certain to check the shipping, estimated delivery, hidden charges, assembly, warranty, and sleep trials.

Check out our ‘Buyer’s Guide’ section, where we have explained in detail.

As you know, mattresses are important in the overall health of your spine. Snoozing on the right mattress can help you develop the right posture as well. We trust this exhaustive mattress guide that will help you choose the right type of mattress for your needs.

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Why Cotton Stuffed Mattresses Aren’t Good for Sleep

When we think of all-natural materials, our first impulse is to believe they are healthy. Most natural materials are considered healthier than those manufactured by man, but there are exceptions. For instance, sleeping on mattresses stuffed with natural materials is more harmful than beneficial. Yes, in olden days, people slept on homemade mattresses stuffed with anything from horsehair to hay, but no one knows for certain if those materials didn’t cause problems. Even cotton, the highly common material in use since the beginning of mattresses, can be disadvantageous to sleep and overall health in many ways.

Cotton is a material that’s been associated with mattresses since the very beginning. Cotton is breathable, comfortable, and known to be harmless to the skin. Isn’t that why cotton clothing is said to be great for the skin? While that’s true, there’s a world of difference between cotton clothing and mattresses stuffed with cotton. Sleeping on a mattress stuffed with cotton fibers can pose various risks to the user.

The Use of Cotton in Mattresses

The biggest benefit of cotton is that it’s a natural fiber and very easily available around the world. In almost every region, cotton can be easily accessed for making a variety of products. This convenience has always made cotton a very popular fiber for use in mattresses, pillows, and other forms of bedding. Not many fibers are as compatible with our bodies as cotton. Synthetic fibers like foam and latex are all the rage today, but they do not offer the comfort and convenience of cotton. As far as healthy sleep is concerned, cotton is ideal for the skin.

Until 30 years ago, cotton was the primary ingredient used for stuffing mattresses. Back then, memory foam or latex wasn’t heard of, and the foam that was available wasn’t fit for mattresses. In fact, cotton was so common that people could even make their own mattresses at home, simply by stuffing up two pieces of cloth with cotton fibers and sewing it up. It was cheap and easy and comfortable for any season.

The use of cotton in mattresses dropped significantly after the bed-the-box phenomenon gave rise to memory, innerspring, and latex mattresses. These are manmade materials that are entirely manufactured from synthetic fibers and have nothing natural about them. However, compared to natural cotton, these materials are much safer because they are manufactured in accordance with various safety standards.

Disadvantages of Cotton in Mattresses

Most people will be surprised to learn that cotton stuffed in mattresses isn’t the healthiest out there. In fact, it is far riskier than manmade materials like foam. The following are some of the disadvantages of cotton stuffed mattresses.

Chemicals

Most cotton isn’t organic, and even when manufacturers claim it is, they aren’t being completely honest. When cotton is grown, it is saturated with various kinds of chemicals. Of course, these chemicals are necessary to make sure the cotton fibers are not lost to pests. However, these chemicals never leave the cotton fibers, and they only become stronger after coming into contact with body heat. Even though cotton is supposed to be safe for skin, the presence of these chemicals makes it harmful to sleep on a cotton mattress every night and breathe in the chemicals.

Fire Risk

One standard that cotton mattresses don’t conform to is fire safety. Newer materials like foam and latex are manufactured in keeping with fire safety standards, but the same cannot be said about cotton. This is an extremely flammable material and can catch fire even from a small spark. On the other hand, materials like foam and latex can be protected against fire because they are built with fire retardants.

Allergies

Natural materials aren’t suitable for everyone, especially if they are prone to allergies. Many people tend to suffer from allergies, and natural materials aggravate the problem. Sleeping on a cotton mattress can lead to increased incidences of allergic reactions like sneezing, watery eyes, runny nose, and rashes. On the other hand, newer mattress materials are manufactured with special components that do not attract or trap dust and do not aggravate allergies.

Dust Mites

One of the worst features of bedding is that it traps dust and leads to dust mites. This isn’t just restricted to mattresses; any kind of upholstered surface can harbor dust mites. And dust mites are extremely hard to eradicate. Once dust mites start residing in any upholstered surface, it is almost impossible to get rid of them. This is a problem that plagues every natural material, including cotton. However, materials like memory foam are built in a special way so that dust mites are unable to grow. This makes these materials safe for all, including babies, infants, and those with allergies.

Alternatives to Cotton Stuffed Mattress

Indeed, cotton does have several benefits, being a natural material. However, the disadvantages far outweigh the benefits. Using a cotton mattress can lead to allergies, fire hazards, and exposure to harmful chemicals. That’s the reason why cotton is rarely used in mattresses anymore, now that there are tons of modern materials to make mattresses with.

Memory foam is the most popular material for manufacturing mattresses today, and for a good reason. Memory foam offers many of the benefits of cotton, without the fear of dust mites, chemicals, or allergies. Even though memory foam isn’t a natural material, it is made to ensure that it is safe for use in every way.

Memory foam has minimal off-gassing, which means you don’t have to live with an unbearable odor for many nights after you get the mattress. Memory foam sleeps cool doesn’t cause you to sweat, and doesn’t aggravate allergies. The thickness and firmness can be customized, and the price range is huge. You can get a cheap memory foam mattress or a luxury memory foam bed, but you still get to enjoy all the benefits of this material.

Instead of using outdated cotton stuffed mattresses, switch to a memory foam mattress to enjoy safe and healthy sleep.

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Why Do We Sleep?

One of the most mysterious aspects of our life is sleep. It is something that none of us can go without, and we don’t even get to know what happens for those few hours that we are unconscious. Besides humans, every other living creature also requires a few hours of rest every day. From animals to birds to plants, every living creature has a certain period of inactivity in 24 hours when they rest. Without rest, no living creature can function normally.

Humans are among those creatures that remain awake during the day and sleep during the night. They are called diurnal creatures. On the other hand, creatures like owls and bats are nocturnal creatures that remain awake during the night and sleep during the day. Regardless of the time of sleep, this is a phenomenon that takes place every single day. You can go without food for a few days, but going without sleep for just one day can make you excessively tired, sleepy and disoriented. This goes on to show how important this nightly phenomenon is for us.

Evolution Of Sleep

For the ancient man, sleep wasn’t just a period of rest. After the sun went down, a man had nothing else to do because there is no light and also the fear of wild animals. Once it was dark, they retreated into caves to remain safe from wild animals that came out during the night. Because there was nothing else to do during this period, they chose to sleep.

The early Egyptians were said to worship sleep because it was akin to death. Whenever they felt sleepy, they were determined to heed to it because they did not know why they felt that way and what happened during sleep. It was something mysterious that they were afraid of. Even if they did not feel the need to rest, they decided to sleep anyway because they were afraid of the phenomenon.

Before the Industrial Revolution, there was no electricity, and the oil and gas lamps were expensive for the common man. Therefore, people chose to go to bed after sundown in order to conserve oil and gas. People usually went to bed at around 6 or 7 in the evening but woke up after seven or eight hours. During this period, they read, visited neighbors, did the laundry, or had sex. After three or four hours, they went to sleep again, which lasted until morning. Another reason why people back then went to bed so early is that there was nothing else to do. After the Industrial Revolution, when electricity was invented, people started to stay up later because they could work till evening as well as enjoy reading and other forms of entertainment.

There is a lot for humans to do even after the sun goes down. But sleep serves as a period of rest and recharge and helps in re-energizing the cells for the next day. Since there is no wild animal to hide from or conserve oil, sleep is now primarily a period of rest and rejuvenation.

Light Sleep Vs. Deep Sleep

Something that all middle-aged and older adults crave more of is deep sleep. Children are the easiest to drift into a deep sleep; that’s where the term “sleep like a baby” comes from. Babies not only sleep for more than 12 hours a day but also have the deepest sleep. They are not quickly woken up from sleep and also fall asleep very quickly.

Deep sleep is the most rejuvenating. But as a person grows older, deep sleep is not as easy anymore. Most adults complain of insufficient sleep or feeling unrefreshed after waking up in the morning. This is all because of the lack of deep sleep. This can be attributed to hectic lifestyle stress and other factors detrimental to deep sleep. When a person enjoys deep sleep at night, he wakes up feeling more refreshed than usual and also has more energy throughout the day. The elderly usually get the least amount of deep sleep.

Reasons For Sleep

Rest as the reason for sleep is pretty vague. There must be more important reasons behind the mechanism of sleep. This nightly phenomenon is one of the most mysterious aspects of our lives. Sleep is even harder to demystify because when you wake up, we cannot tell what happened inside our brains and bodies while we were asleep. It needs excessive research and scientific studies to find out exactly what happens in the brain and the body when a person sleeps.

However, scientists are yet to pinpoint one single reason behind sleep. Sleep has many functions, and the reason behind why we need sleep are also many.

All the possible reasons for needing sleep that scientists have floated are mere hypotheses. Some of them are:

The brain is able to reset itself without getting constant inputs as it does when it’s awake. When the brain is active, it’s not able to perform its healing and reordering functions.

When we sleep, the brain processes new information that it gathered throughout the day and also consolidates memories.

During sleep, the metabolic rate goes down, which helps in energy conservation. The cardiovascular system also rests during sleep. It has been found that people with high blood pressure experienced a reduction of 20 to 30 percent while they were asleep.

During sleep growth, hormones are released, which helps in chemical balancing in the brain and also in repairing dead or aging tissues and cells.

Functions Of Sleep

We tend to think that sleep is a period of inactivity. However, the brain and the body are active when a person sleeps because they are engaged in healing and rejuvenation.

Scientists believe that there are multiple reasons for sleep. When a person sleeps, the following functions are performed:

Rest and recovery for the body

Protection from predators and other dangers

Energy conservation

Memory consolidation

The energy that we use in order to function to add the day is stored in cells. These cells burn out while providing the body with energy to function. When we sleep, these cells are healed and repaired, and energy is conserved for the next day. This is how sleep replenishes the body’s energy reserves.

There are certain proteins in the brain that affect cognitive functioning and memory formation in a negative way. These proteins are chemical waste that the brain wants out of the system when a person sleeps. This is called cranial maintenance. When sleep is insufficient, these proteins remain in the brain and later cause cognitive disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease. Without sleep, the brain also finds it hard to process the information that it got throughout the day.

Cycles Of Sleep

Although sleep seems like one long stretch of inactivity, it actually involves a number of stages and cycles. Sleep has four stages, classified as non-REM and REM. The first three stages are non-REM, while the final stage is REM. One sleep cycle is made up of these four stages. In an 8-hour sleep duration, we go through 4 or 5 sleep cycles, each being around 90 minutes long.

The first three stages of sleep are vastly different from the REM phase. The brain is inactive during the non-REM stages, but active during the REM stage; while the brain dreams during the REM stage, the body is paralyzed. During the non-REM phases, growth hormones are released, and the cells are repaired, body temperature is regulated, and memories consolidated. During the REM stages, people have dreams and nightmares.

Without completing all the four cycles of sleep, we remain unrefreshed even after 8 hours of sleep. In animals, the period of rest depends upon the energy reserves. Smaller animals use up their energy reserves more quickly and need more sleep. Bigger animals can get by with less sleep because their energy reserves are also greater.

The Reason Behind Sleepiness

There are various reasons as to why we feel sleepy. When our energy reserves start to get depleted, we feel tired and sleepy. When we haven’t eaten in a long time, we feel sleepy. When we are stressed, we feel sleepy.

There are tests to differentiate between normal sleepiness and sleep disorders. Four of the most common tests are:

Multiple Sleep Latency Test

Maintenance of Wakefulness Test

Digital Symbol Substitution

Wilkinson Addition Test

When a person or animal is said to be asleep, there are still parts of the brain that are awake and using energy. That’s why it’s not clear why people feel refreshed after a good sleep, because sleep also consumes energy.

Normal sleepiness goes away once the person gets enough rest. But when sleepiness happens when it’s not supposed to happen, it indicates an underlying disorder. Excessive sleepiness is not just an indicator of sleep disorders; it can also indicate other physical ailments, such as anemia, cardiovascular disease, and thyroid disorders. Remember, sleepiness that doesn’t go away after sufficient sleep is a sign of something serious.

[sleepguruin]

Sleep Related Breathing Disorders

This group of sleep disorders is identified as abnormal breathing patterns during sleep. It results in an interrupted or poor quality of sleep. The most common subcategory of this class of sleep disorders is sleep apnea. OSA is linked to obesity, and cardiovascular and respiratory illnesses and must be treated as early as possible.

Identification of sleep-related breathing disorders is difficult because it shares symptoms with many other sleep disorders. Below is a broad classification of the subcategories of this class of sleep disorders

Obstructive Sleep Apnea Disorders (OSA)

OSA is the repeated closure (partial or complete) of the upper airway while sleeping. This occurs because your throat muscles relax. It leads to the airway temporarily narrowing or shutting down. This cuts of the oxygen to your brain, which wakes you up, so that your breathing can resume normally. This interrupted breathing (sleep-wake) leads to poor sleep and negatively impacts the quality of life.

The most common symptoms of OSA are, episodes in which you stop breathing for short intervals during sleep (usually observed by your sleep partner); gasping for air during sleep; loud snoring (though not all people with OSA snore when sleeping); difficulty staying asleep; irritability, and poor concentration; headaches and a dry mouth when waking up.

Under OSA there are two subcategories of OSA viz. adult, and pediatric sleep apnea.

Adult OSA usually occurs in the 40-60 age bracket; it is more common with males than females. Other causal factors include being overweight, having a large neck circumference, use of alcohol, sedatives, and tranquilizers, and having a family history of OSA.

Pediatric Obstructive Sleep Apnea (POSA), is also caused by the upper airway being blocked or narrowing down. In children, this also happens as a result of enlarged tonsils or adenoids, and obesity. In some cases, children with craniofacial anomalies and neuromuscular disorders may also experience sleep apnea. POSA if left untreated negatively affects the child’s physical and cognitive development, and can lead to serious medical conditions.

Diagnosis and treatment for OSA include the Polysomnography or the overnight sleep study. The person checks into a sleep clinic, and a sleep technician monitors and notes heart rate, oxygen levels, brain activity, sleeping pattern, and abnormalities. When there is no complicated medical history, an At-home sleep study can be done, which is a less detailed though. The results of the sleep study will be rated against the Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI) which will help in treatment.

Treatment for OSA includes machine related treatments, weight loss, surgery, positional treatment, and drug treatments:

Machine Treatments: CPAP therapy and BiPAP therapy are the most common treatments that use machines to relieve OSA. Both treatments apply positive airway pressure to ensure unrestricted airflow. CPAP applies airway pressure only one way, while BiPAP allows for positive airway pressure, both while exhaling and inhaling. It is best to let the physician decide the nature and course of treatment.

Surgery: Removes excess soft tissue that causes obstruction while sleeping.

Dental Devices are recommended for those who snore because of OSA. They facilitate an open airway by aligning the lower jaw or creating a tongue splint to avoid the tongue causing an obstruction.

Weight Loss – Where obesity is the primary causal factor or a contributing factor to OSA, weight loss is recommended to decrease the pressure on the airway. Weight loss is always done in conjunction with another treatment to ensure an immediate improvement in the quality of sleep.

Positional Therapy is the use of aids to prevent supine sleeping. The patient is encouraged to sleep on the tummy or on a side to avoid obstruction of the airway

Drug Therapy cannot treat OSA but can alleviate some symptoms. Drugs that prevent vomiting can open the airway passage. Drugs that treat high-altitude breathlessness can increase oxygen levels in the blood. Treatment with Melatonin can also improve the quality of sleep and oxygenate the blood.

Central Sleep Apnea Syndrome

Central sleep apnea also manifests itself as interrupted breathing during sleep. The differences between the two types of apnea are causal factors. Central Sleep Apnea is caused by other medical conditions like heart failure, or a stroke. It is caused by conditions that affect your brainstem and prevent it from sending messages to your body, reminding it to breathe. It could also be a result of high altitude.

There is no real difference in the symptoms of the two kinds of apnea. Only a trained professional will be able to effectively diagnose the type of apnea.

There are various types of Central sleep apnea

Central Sleep Apnea with Cheyne-Stokes Breathing

Abnormal breathing pattern associated with heart failure. The breathing pattern is fast breathing, with increasingly deep breaths, a slowing down of breaths and a brief stop. Each cycle can last from about half a minute to a couple of minutes

Central Sleep Apnea Due to High Altitude Periodic Breathing

Also called periodic breathing is experienced by some people at an altitude of 2500 meters and by almost all people at over 4000 meters. It manifests itself as apnea (interrupted breathing), insomnia and sleep fragmentation

Central Sleep Apnea Due to Medication or Substance

Long term use of certain medications, abuse of opioid (pain relief) medications can lead to sleep disturbance and central sleep apnea. The main way to resolve this issue is to be weaned off these medications.

Primary Central Sleep Apnea of Infancy

Central sleep apnea in infants is usually caused by a developmental problem such as an immature brain stem. The periodic breathing can result in hypoxemia (low oxygen levels), a slow heartbeat and sometimes loss of consciousness

Primary Central Sleep Apnea of Prematurity

Central sleep apnea in babies born prematurely is often due to the body not being fully developed. But it can also have multiple other causes from medical conditions to infections to fluctuations in external temperature. Rubbing the child’s body gently can get the breathing to resume normally. Most children will outgrow this apnea but need to be carefully observed and treated by a specialist when going through it.

Treatment-Emergent Central Sleep Apnea

Also called complex sleep apnea, sometimes occurs during the initial stage of CPAP therapy.

Diagnosis and Treatment of Central Sleep Apnea

The diagnosis is the same as for OSA (see above). Central related sleep apnea is very complicated because of other coexisting factors. Therefore it is important to understand that any treatment must be recommended and monitored by your doctor, for your own safety.

Treatment includes treating the existing medical condition/illness causing the apnea, stopping of opioid medication, delivering supplemental oxygen directly to the lungs through various devices, and use of medications to stimulate breathing

Treatments specific to central sleep apnea are Adaptive servo-ventilation (ASV), which adjusts breath by breath air pressure during inhalation; Bilevel positive airway pressure (BPAP) has fixed amounts of air pressure for your inhalation and exhalation.

Sleep-Related Hypoventilation Disorders

Hypoventilation means breathing at an abnormally slow rate which allows for a buildup of carbon dioxide in the blood. Hypoventilation disorders can occur at any age, for both males and females.  It usually occurs with other sleep disorders and medical conditions (hypothyroidism, obesity, asthma). All hypoventilation sleep disorders can be progressive and chronic and they can lead to other more lethal ailments including heart and lung failure and blood and brain disorders.

Symptoms include insomnia and daytime sleepiness, reduced capacity to exercise, difficulty in breathing, lightheadedness. The most common subcategories of sleep-related hypoventilation are obesity hypoventilation syndrome, congenital central alveolar hypoventilation syndrome, hypoventilation due to hypothalamic disorders, and hypoventilation due to medication or substance use.

Snoring

Snoring is noisy breathing while asleep. It affects people of all ages, genders, everywhere across the globe. Snoring is dangerous as it can lead to weight gain, impaired cognition, and heart disease. Age, obesity, alcohol and muscle relaxants all can lead to snoring. For some sleeping on the back rather than on the tummy on the side causes snoring. Treatment differs from person to person. Sometimes surgery helps, sometimes a dental device will lessen or eliminate it. Lifestyle changes are needed. Eating small meals earlier rather than later in the evening, no alcohol or muscle relaxants late evening, etc. are all known to help.

Catathrenia

Catathrenia is the groaning sound that some people make during exhalation of breath while sleeping. This groaning sound occurs during the REM stage of sleep. A typical groan can last anywhere from 2-20 seconds, and there have been instances of it lasting 40 seconds! Catathrenia does not seem to have any negative effect on the person who has it, but it disturbs the sleep of the bed partner tremendously. CPAP has some effect on Catathrenia. Since it affects the bed partner more than the person who is groaning, it is important to find a way to ensure the partner sleeps well and does not acquire a sleep disorder. So earplugs, creating white noise or even sleeping separately might be worth exploring to cope with Catatherenia.

Sleep-Related Hypoxemia or Hypoxia

Extremely low levels of oxygen (below 90 percent) in the blood is a direct result of sleep-related breathing apnea and hypoventilation. Symptoms include shortness of breath, rapid heart rate, shallow breathing and in some cases, especially with children there may even be some drooling. In extreme cases, the person may be unable to speak, be much disoriented and can even slip into a coma and the absolute worst case can die as a result. Sleep-related hypoxemia is treated by treating the sleep-related breathing disorder that is causing the primary problem.

[sleepguruin]

Mattress Buying Guide – India 2020

Buying a mattress is not something people do often. A mattress lasts anywhere between five and 10 years (sometimes even longer), so the average person might need to buy a new mattress only once or twice in their lifetime. And when they do, they usually end up making the wrong choice. The reason why most people buy the wrong mattress is that they usually focus on random firmness levels, hot new technologies, or the cheapest price point, without considering their own comfort and requirements.

When buying a mattress, the focus should always be on comfort and support. Your bed is closely linked to your sleep quality, and if you are not comfortable, then the mattress will be the reason behind poor sleep quality and sleep deprivation. You must first consider support and comfort, and then base your decision around these two factors, even if that means having to choose a different brand or material than you initially planned to. Because when you buy the right mattress, you will be sleeping happily for many years.

Types of Mattresses

The options in the mattress market are far greater than what they used to be a decade ago. It isn’t just foam or spring anymore; there are other options that are just as popular as memory foam or innerspring. Having said that, let’s now discuss the types of mattresses that are available today and their characteristics.

Memory Foam

When it comes to the perfect combination of comfort and support, memory foam is hard to beat. Memory foam is a popular mattress material because it conforms to the body and offers excellent shoulder and hip support for side sleepers. Memory foam cradles you as you are laid upon the mattress; it contours to the body and makes you feel surrounded and supported by the mattress. Although foam tended to get hot during the night, the latest memory foam technology doesn’t have that issue. Memory foam mattresses are also slower to sag because they are made of several layers of foam.

Latex Mattress

If you’re looking for customized firmness and plushness, latex is a good choice. Latex mattresses can either be all-natural or synthetic. All-natural latex mattresses may be more expensive than their synthetic counterparts, but they are healthier and also more likely to last longer. Latex is a natural substance obtained from the rubber plant, used to make a variety of products. Synthetic latex usually has a small percentage (or nothing) of natural latex and the rest if only memory foam. Latex is less dense compared to memory foam and offers more customization options than other materials. Natural latex also heats less.

Innerspring Mattress

Mattresses that have a support core of metal springs or coils are called innerspring. The quality of the mattress is usually measured by the number of coils in the design. The number of coils as well as their distribution determine the quality of the mattress and how well it will conform to the body. Innerspring mattresses differ in the spring shapes and coil gauges. This affects the quality of back support. Whether you are a back, side, or stomach sleeper, it is necessary to buy the right innerspring mattress.

Hybrid Mattress

Any mattress that has a support core of springs or coils and a comfort layer of memory foam or latex is called a hybrid mattress. Hybrid mattresses have become quite popular in recent years because they offer both support and comfort. You can have latex and memory foam hybrids, and innerspring, memory foam, and latex hybrids. The choices are endless.

Pillow Top Mattress

For those who prefer the extra softness and the cushiony feel, there’s the pillow top mattress. That’s right, when you lie upon a pillow top mattress you feel the softness of a pillow (hence, the name). Pillow tops do provide extra comfort to those who find it uncomfortable to sleep on a regular mattress surface. Instead of adding a topper, you have the top already sewn or stuffed into the mattress.

Gel Top Mattress

Those who require extra cooling at night will benefit from gel mattresses. Many foam mattresses usually have a gel layer on top to provide extra cooling. However, not many people like the feeling of gel, so you must test it out before the purchase.

Air Bed

If you want a bed that has a fully customizable firmness and height, an air bed is a way to go. It is a mattress that has chambers inside filled with air. The thickness of the mattress is adjustable. You simply let out air to make it softer and fill it up completely to make it firmer. Many beds also allow you to customize each side separately.

Waterbed

This is much like an air bed, only filled with water. You can easily customize the thickness, but you must test out the feel of the waterbed before purchase.

When to Buy A New Mattress?

The average lifespan of a high-quality premium mattress is no more than 10 years. For most standard mattresses, the lifespan is anywhere between five and eight years. But do people change their mattresses every five years? No. That’s because they don’t know the right time to buy a new mattress and ditch the old one.

When people suffer from a bad back, stiff shoulders, painful neck, and general discomfort all over the body, the first impulse is to think they have a medical condition. However, the reason could be as simple as the wrong mattress. When a bed becomes old, it fails to provide the support that is offered when it was new. That is why mattresses need to be changed every few years because the materials they are made of tend to sag and cease to remain comfortable any longer.

Of course, there are telltale signs that it’s time to buy a new mattress, but a lot of people tend to ignore them because buying a mattress is expensive and a lot of hassle. The obvious signs include a mattress that has sagged in the middle, that does not feel firm anymore, that does not offer edge support, and that has a worn-out casing or top cover. These signs appear anywhere between five and 10 years, depending upon the quality of the mattress and how roughly it is used every day. The size and weight of the sleeper is also a big factor behind the lifespan of a mattress. If you are on the heavier side, it is recommended that you buy a firmer mattress to enjoy a longer lifespan and less sagging.

However, not all aches and pains can be blamed on the mattress. If you are suffering from shoulder and neck stiffness every morning then there are chances that your pillow is not right. If you have a new mattress that does not feel softer comfortable enough you can remedy the situation by adding a mattress topper.

What Mattress Type to Choose?

Having discussed the different types of mattresses in this post, it is no doubt difficult to know what is going to work best for you. Of course, you can go to a store and lie on a mattress for 30 minutes to test its comfort and firmness. However, 30 minutes is a lot less than the next 30 years you will be spent sleeping on the mattress. It often takes a month or more for the average person to figure out the suitability of a new mattress. In such a case, your best bet is to buy a mattress online and take advantage of the in-home trial period.

So, whether you buy online or in-store, how do you know which type of mattress is right for you? Your basic considerations should be the comfort, support, firmness, bounce, and edge support. Based on the different mattress types, here’s what could be the right fit for individual sleepers.

Memory Foam: A mattress made of memory foam is for you if you want contouring, body shaping, pressure relief, and a whole lot of support. However, there is a wide range of foam that is classed under “memory foam” and they are not created equal. Memory foam is a good choice for those who want to be hugged or surrounded by the mattress.

Latex: If you want bounce, responsiveness, and cooling, without the hug and contour of memory foam, latex should be your pick. Latex is highly customizable, so you can have just the right firmness or plushness. Wherever possible, try to choose natural latex instead of synthetic varieties.

Innerspring: Mattresses with springs or coils are best for those who want the traditional feel of coil or spring, along with great bounce, cooling, and edge support. Innerspring Mattresses last longer because of the support provided by the coils and springs.

Hybrid: If you want the best of all worlds, a hybrid mattress is for you. There are latex and memory foam hybrids as well as latex, memory foam and innerspring hybrids. They combine the best features of every material, from great bounce to support and comfort, to cooling and firmness.

Pillow Top: A mattress that has an extra layer of soft material either sewn or stuffed into the cover is called a pillow top mattress. It is a great choice for those who prefer a softer sleeping surface and the comfort of a cushion. Pillow top mattresses often offer cloud-like support and comfort.

Factors to Consider While Buying A Mattress

Even after you decide the type of mattress that may be right for you, there is another important step- the features of the mattress vis-a-vis your own requirements.

There are a number of questions to ask to determine if the mattress is the right fit for you.

Is the Firmness/Plushness, Right?

What is firm for you may be soft for another. When you look at online reviews and see that most people find a certain mattress too firm or too plush doesn’t always mean they are right. Firmness/plushness is totally subjective. Therefore, you never know if the firmness or plushness level is right for you until you test out the mattress. To determine this, visiting a store and lying on the mattress is the best way.

Is It Conforming (Or Not) To Your Body the Way You Like?

Some people love the feeling of being hugged by the mattress when they lie on it. This body contouring feature is mostly found in memory foam and foam hybrid mattresses and is preferred by those who love the feeling of comfort. However, if you want to stick to memory foam but the mattress that you tried isn’t contouring your body like you would prefer, you must keep looking at other products.

Is the Bounce Right?

Those who prefer a plush mattress also usually love some bounce. But there are people who like their bed to be firm with little to no bounce. Again, testing out mattresses is the best way to figure this out. Remember that latex has more bounce than memory foam mattresses, and the greater the bounce, the harder it is for you to share the bed with someone who moves a lot in sleep. This calls for better motion isolation.

How Is Edge Support?

If the edge isn’t strong enough, it will be difficult to get in and out of bed. This is more concerning in the case of those with mobility issues. Strong edge support will also prevent you from falling out of bed. Mattresses that have the perimeter constructed with a firmer material usually have better edge support.

Does It Keep You Cool or Make You Hot?

Sleeping hot or cool is also subjective and something that’s hard to figure out from a brief encounter with the mattress at the store. This is when you should take advantage of the in-home sleep trial that online mattress companies offer. When you sleep on a mattress for a few weeks, you gradually find out if it keeps you cool throughout the night or makes you hot and uncomfortable. Memory foam tends to be hotter than latex, so if you sleep hot gel memory foam or latex are good choices.

Is It Big Enough for You and Your Partner/Kids/Pets?

Different mattress sizes are designed to hold a certain number of sleepers. A twin is just right for one person, while the king is right for not only a couple but also for little humans and pets sharing the bed. The bigger the mattress, the more it costs, but you should always focus on the comfort of everyone that shares the bed. After all, who doesn’t love to sprawl?

Is It of High Quality?

At first glance, every mattress looks the same. But upon closer inspection, you will find the small differences between high quality and low-quality mattress. This is best done at a store, where you can touch and feel the mattress, lifting every fold and seam to inspect the strength and workmanship. If the seams look flimsy, it isn’t a high-quality mattress. If you’re looking at memory foam, make sure to ask about the density of the foam, if it is certified and free from harmful chemicals. Most reputed mattress companies make sure to make their materials free from harmful chemicals.

What Is the Right Mattress Size?

Mattresses begin from the crib and go up to California King (the largest size in the US). A single bed is hardly enough for a grown person and is best suited for a child or teen. On the other end of the spectrum, a Cal King has ample room for a couple, a child, and a big pet. There are several other sizes in between. When confused between two sizes, it’s better to go with big, because more room is always nicer than less room.

Of course, if you sleep alone, you don’t necessarily have to buy a king or queen bed, but if you certainly can. And if you share the bed with someone else, then a bigger size is always more recommended. When the bed is big, you less notice the other person when they move around. When you have less room in the bed, every little movement is more noticeable, and this can ruin your sleep quality. Almost everyone agrees that a bigger bed is certainly better than a small one.

When upgrading to different mattress sizes, there are several ways it can cost you. The mattress itself will be more expensive, and you also must get a bigger bed frame, new sheets, pillows, and blankets. Most importantly, you will need more space in the room. If you don’t have space for a bigger bed, a big mattress is out of the question. Before you go into buying a mattress, keep these additional costs in mind.

Off-Gassing and Chemicals

Foam mattresses are notorious for off-gassing when they are new, especially the first few days after you bring it home. There is a distinct smell associated with a new foam mattress that many people dislike. The recommended solution from mattress companies is to let the mattress air out and breathe for a few days for the off-gassing to wean away.

But what is off-gassing exactly? Foam is a synthetic compound, made with a certain amount of chemicals. Any artificially manufactured material cannot be completely free from chemicals and the foam mattress is also not. After a mattress is manufactured, it is packed in a box and sent to the warehouse. Polyurethane foam releases compound in the air when newly manufactured, called off-gassing. But because it’s packed in a small box, it doesn’t come into contact with oxygen and doesn’t get to off-gas. When it’s opened, it starts to give out that “new” smell, which some like and some detest. As time passes, the smell also goes way.

A lot of people are concerned about off-gassing. They wonder if it is healthy to breathe in the compounds released by the mattress. No, it isn’t, but only if it’s in large amounts. The amount released by mattresses is tiny, and they stop within a few days of bringing the mattress home. If you are concerned about this, look for mattresses made with CertiPUR-US certified foam.

A lot of people are also worried about flame retardants in mattresses. Flame retardants are harmful chemicals often added to mattresses to make them resistant to fire. However, mattresses that are CertiPUR-US certified do not use any of the harmful flame retardants. Rather, they meet federal flammability standards by using a sock cover or ticking with fire-retardant properties. That’s another advantage of buying a mattress made with CertiPUR-US foam.

With all the concerns around foam, it isn’t surprising why natural latex mattresses are in great demand. They are free from all the above concerns. Regardless of what kind your mattress is, let it air out for a few days until the smell goes away.

How Much to Spend on A Mattress?

The sky is the limit when you’re buying a mattress. The more you spend, the more you get. It goes without saying that a budget mattress will have the basic features while a luxury mattress will boast of the high-end features. At the end of the day, it comes down to what you are looking for and how much you are ready to spend.

Let’s break down the price range of mattresses and what it can get you:

Under Rs 10,000

If you’re looking to go with the most affordable price range, you can get decent foam and innerspring mattresses. However, don’t expect the fancy features in the price range. It is possible to get comfort and support, but not the additional features that high-priced mattresses boast of. The lower end of the spectrum usually offers thinner mattresses, but closer to Rs 10,000 you can find more layers, greater padding, as well as features like gel cooling layer and more numbers of coils and springs.

Rs 10,000 to Rs 25,000

Most high-quality mattresses fall into this price range. You will find a large selection of premium foam, latex, spring, and hybrid mattresses that boast of denser foam and a higher number of layers (usually three or more).  The more layers the mattress has, the greater the weight it will be able to support and keep its shape for the longest time. This isn’t true for less expensive mattresses. Mattresses in this price range will also have better motion isolation and edge support. As you go higher in the price range, you will discover fancy covers and upholstery, and the focus on natural and organic materials. Natural latex mattresses are usually on the higher end of this spectrum.

Rs 25,000 and Higher

This is where the truly luxury mattresses begin. You get thicker layers of denser foam, capable of withstanding the heavier weight and lasting a longer time. Luxury innerspring mattresses come with a ridiculously high coil count, something unimaginable in cheaper options. You also get hand-tufting and exotic materials like Joma wool and horsehair. However, despite the fancy additions, luxury mattresses aren’t necessarily more comfortable to sleep on. They are simply intended to give your bedroom that touch of elegance. If you’re looking for support and comfort, a Rs 125, 000 mattresses won’t provide you with it any better than a mattress priced at Rs 30,000.  What you get more of is luxury. Think organic cotton instead of regular cotton, elegant tailoring, and a higher number of bells and whistles.

The purpose of a mattress is to provide support, comfort, and spinal alignment, all without breaking the bank or falling apart in two years. You don’t necessarily have to spend Rs 50,000 on the right mattress—however, there is a lot of research required to get the right fit. When it comes to finding the mattress that helps you sleep happily for many years to come, you should be willing to spend the time looking at the different options