Mastering the Art of Restful Sleep – Getting Sleep and How It Can Help

Sleep is of great importance, as much as, water is to maintaining a healthy body. Therefore, mastering the art of restful sleep is a must as sleep allows our brain to self-clean (through the movement of fluids). This self-cleaning process is crucial in preventing toxic buildups that can result in brain diseases like Alzheimer. We all need it and our bodies function a lot better when we have adequate sleep. Seven to eight hours is great for a well rested body and mind and knowing the importance of getting the right amount of sleep and how it can help, will ensure you prioritize your activities to better accommodate the recommended hours of sleep. To better understand sleep and its importance, it is best to understand sleep overall. Typically, when you sleep, you experience cycles of Rapid Eye Movement Sleep (REM) and Non-REM Sleep. What occurs first is Non-REM Sleep which happens in 3 stages – the first two stages involve light sleep followed by the third stage, deep sleep. Second is a deeper sleep cycle, REM Sleep in which dreams occur and your brain is more active. It is otherwise known as paradoxical sleep because though the body is in a relaxed state, the brain is quite active. The cycles then repeat starting with the second stage of Non-REM all the way to REM Sleep. Check out this article on how to establish a proper sleep cycle.

What It Takes to Get a Good Night’s Rest

There is no doubt that the type of bedding you use can affect your level of comfort when it comes to falling asleep, as well as, your pillow and of course without failing to mention, your mattress! Click here for our Puffy Mattress review and discount codes.

No matter your preference, hard, soft, or somewhere in between, your ability to fall asleep quickly and obtain a restful sleep is heavily dependent on the quality of your mattress. So finding the right pillow and mattress are a top priority when it comes to a good night’s rest. But of course, what good is all of that if you can not get your mind, body, and soul in a relaxed state? Unwinding and engaging in an active mode of removing the day’s stresses should begin hours before bed, not minutes. The purpose for this is to gain as tranquil a mind as possible, in order to enable a more restful sleep.

Other Ways of Ensuring Restful Sleep

Home, Sweet Paradise. After a hard day at work, home should be a solace and a means of relaxing and easing your mind. So if isn’t, work on making it just that and practice leaving your troubles at the door, so when you walk through the door, your relaxation begins there.

Declutter, organize, rearrange your furniture, or even renovate to help make your home your own personal paradise. And it does not have to stop with the inside of your home; working on the outside of your home is also a good idea for creating the overall feel of your own personal relaxation spot. If you have family or others living with you, then make it a group activity to come up with things you all agree on that will help make your home a better, more relaxing environment.

Therapeutic Approach. Taking a soothing bath with a fragrant bubble bath gel will not only help relax your body, but your mind as well. And if you don’t like bubble baths, then using fragrant essential oils while bathing or even around the house (in a diffuser) can prove helpful and therapeutic.

Music soothes the soul – so take some time and enjoy listening to some soothing music as you prepare to go to bed. For an even more relaxing time, do so as you take a luxurious bath, all while enjoying the therapeutic smells of fragrant essential oils.

Taking care of aches and pains through acupuncture & chiropractic care can help ensure your body and mind are at ease and able to get ready for a good night’s rest.

The Foods You Eat. Avoid foods loaded with caffeine when considering foods and beverages for dinner, as that might keep you up longer than you need to be.

How Important is Your Pillow?

Your pillow is vital to a good and restful sleep. It could mean the difference between waking up with a creak in your neck or waking up feeling like you slept on a cloud. But seriously, your pillow should provide the best neck support for you, and just like your mattress, you get to decide on the firmness so test it out before you buy it or at least make sure there is a guarantee for a refund of your money in the event that it doesn’t work out for you.

The best quality pillow will often times be available in various firmness, and provide adequate neck support – if you find yourself waking up often with neck pain, then you might want to consider a foam pillow (memory foam pillows are a great option) since it provides a more rigid structure and support for your neck. Since foam pillows are firmer than your conventional pillow, it is best to make sure you get a pillow that is just the right amount of firmness for you, but beware of strong chemical smells that foam pillows often have and select accordingly or find a suitable alternative, as some have a lingering odor that doesn’t air out easily. However, if neck pain is not a concern, then the type of pillow you purchase is truly based on whatever you like. Do keeping in mind that a higher price tag does not mean a better quality pillow. Whether down filled, polyester filled, or memory foam, in the end the choice for your pillow is up to you and your level of comfort.

Your Mattress – Does It Really Make a Difference?

Absolutely! As you already know, your mattress is the key when it comes to getting quality sleep. Yes, it can be expensive, but the benefit will definitely outweigh the cost in the long run and you don’t have to go for broke – keep the expense within your budget and or ensure measurements are in place so you can save up and purchase the perfect mattress for you. There are plenty of brands out there to choose from and the quality should most definitely match the price. It definitely pays to do your research when making such an investment, so don’t shy away from doing your absolute best to gather as much information as possible.

Bedding – Make It Count When It Comes to Thread Count

Whether it is Silk, Pima, Egyptian Cotton, or just plain cotton; whatever the fabric, the thread count can make it worth your while. And in case you are wondering what is a thread count, well it is the amount of horizontal and vertical threads per square inch of the fabric. The higher the thread count, the better – this often translates to softer feel (600 to 1000 thread count can feel very soft and luxurious). Rough sheets tend to have lower thread counts, but not all sheets with low thread counts are rough or poor quality. Sometimes the way the fabric is finished (chemically vs mechanically) can result in a soft feel even with a low thread count (think combed cotton with a 300 thread count). Also, the type of fabric the sheets are made out of can sometimes compensate for the low thread count when it comes to overall feel or softness (you may be pleasantly surprised and find them to be very comfortable).

Speaking of comfort, choosing the right comforter is also helpful for those cold winter months if you live in an area with cold climate. However, if you don’t you can still ensure your bed cover is perfect or to your liking when it comes to softness, as well as, thickness. The feel of your bedding can help you quickly drift off into a restful sleep, so find what feels good to you.

Wrapping It Up

Sleep is very important to your overall healthy, so get plenty of it not just for the sake of beauty, but for the sake of your well-being both physically and mentally. The more restful sleep you get, the better your memory and the health of your brain, so take time to condition yourself in mastering the art of restful sleep.

If you have any other ways of helping ensure a restful night of sleep, then feel free to share in comments section below.