Posts in National Sleep Foundation
Country Music Fans Can Bid on One-of-a-Kind Counting Sheep
Serta and City of Hope are offering Country Music fans a rare opportunity to bid on a special, large Serta Counting Sheep plush toy autographed by some of Country Music’s hottest stars! Serta’s large display Counting Sheep are rarely sold to the public, and this is the first sheep in the herd to rub hooves with Nashville’s elite!
This adorable #60 Counting Sheep is a special Serta Anniversary Edition measuring 30″ high. All profits go to City of Hope. All profits go to City of Hope to aid in the continued fight against cancer. CLICK HERE to learn more and bid on this one of a kind Counting Sheep.
We ‘Heart’ Home for Sleep – so Why Aren’t We Sleeping Better?
When it comes to sleep, there really is no place like home, according to the National Sleep Foundation’s 2012 Bedroom Poll. This is the only National Sleep Foundation poll to ask how fundamental elements of the bedroom contribute to sleep, and the results may surprise you.
Even though we are a traditionally sleep-deprived nation, the majority of poll respondents report sleeping well at least a few nights during the week. On average, respondents are sleeping between 6 1/2 – 7 1/2 hours each night. Plus, the majority of respondents take their bedroom environment seriously, with more than 60% viewing it as essential to a good night’s sleep and more than 90% considering their mattress an important part of the sleep experience.
The poll is filled with some great information, from how respondents make their bedroom purchase decisions to what impacts a “romantic” sleep environment. All in all, the poll indicates that we are a nation taking our bedroom environment seriously while placing a premium on the quality of sleep. Check it out by clicking HERE.
Even with these promising poll results, many Americans still report having difficulty sleeping several times each week. So, what’s the catch?
We all know that sleep is fundamental to our health and well-being. After all, parents were preaching this to us as children, and our doctors (and the media) are still preaching this to us today. We know that a good 8 hours sleep will result in a more productive day at work and a more enjoyable evening at home. Even with our beautiful bedrooms, carefully decorated to provide rest and retreat at the end of a long day, we are still waking up feeling cheated of a good night’s rest and suffering as a result.
It’s pretty clear that having the right attitude towards our bedroom is just the first step towards better sleep. The next step is developing the right attitude about sleep overall. Most of us live hour to hour and feel lucky if we are able to accomplish only half of the things on our ‘To Do’ lists every day. This leaves us very little time to stop, relax and take care of our bodies and minds in the hours before bedtime. In other words, we are a nation that isn’t very good at “shutting down”!
The effects of poor sleep extend beyond your basic sleepiness. For instance, the NSF recently reported that sleep deprivation may cause increased calorie consumption, leading to weight gain and fatigue. This, in turn, impacts the quality of sleep, creating a vicious cycle.
So, in closing, we are grateful to our friends that the NSF for encouraging us to love our bedrooms and create the right environment for sleep. Whether or not we choose to use our bedrooms for better sleep – well, that’s totally up to us.
Ready to take the first step in creating a better bedroom? Take our Mattress Selector Quiz HERE to find out which Serta mattress may be best for you!
Why is it so Hard to Adjust to Daylight Savings Time?
Daylight Savings Time is here! That means longer days with more sunlight and the promise of spring. Yet, many people struggle to adjust to the time change and feel sleepier than normal at odd times of the day. Why is this?
We did some basic research online to shed a little light on this mystery. It turns out that it just takes a one-hour time change to mess with our circadian rhythms and our “body clocks”. So, when your alarm went off this morning, your brain knew it was time to get up but your body didn’t get the memo. And, when you get home tonight, your brain will be delighted that it’s still light outside, but your body will be confused about what time it really is. In several days time, brain and body should meet up and get on the same page. But, what to do until then?
Check out these tips from the National Sleep Foundation on everyday sleep habits that can ease the time change and help us sleep better every night:
- Go to sleep and wake at the same time every day, and avoid spending more time in bed than needed.
- Use bright light to help manage your “body clock.” Avoid bright light in the evening and expose yourself to sunlight in the morning.
- Use your bedroom only for sleep to strengthen the association between your bed and sleep. It may help to remove work materials, computers and televisions from your bedroom.
- Select a relaxing bedtime ritual, like a warm bath or listening to calming music.
- Create an environment that is conducive to sleep that is quiet, dark and cool with a comfortable mattress and pillows.
- Save your worries for the daytime. If concerns come to mind, write them in a “worry book” so you can address those issues the next day.
- If you can’t sleep, go into another room and do something relaxing until you feel tired.
- Exercise regularly, but avoid vigorous workouts close to bedtime.
- If you are experiencing excessive daytime sleepiness, snoring, or “stop breathing” episodes in your sleep, contact your health care professional for a sleep apnea screening.
(The content above is owned by the National Sleep Foundation and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of the National Sleep Foundation.)
Did you see tip #5? That’s right, we often overlook the role our bedroom environment – including the mattress – plays in the quality of our sleep. This is why Serta and the National Sleep Foundation recently partnered to conduct a national poll about the bedroom environment. We’ll have the results to share with you in the coming weeks – plus an exciting contest where you can nominate someone in your life to win a new mattress.
Until then, we hope you find these tips helpful, and remember that you can always learn more about Serta’s partnership with the National Sleep Foundation and our new Perfect Sleeper mattresses by visiting http://bit.ly/perfectsleeper.
Serta Celebrates Sleep Awareness Week
Happy Sleep Awareness Week!
It’s our favorite time of year! Serta is proud to promote Sleep Awareness Week, an annual public education and awareness campaign from our friends at the National Sleep Foundation (NSF) that promotes the importance of sleep.
All week long we will be promoting sleep, beginning with the announcement of the NSF’s annual Sleep in America poll results, and ending with the clock change to Daylight Savings Time, when most Americans lose an hour of sleep.
The National Sleep Foundation Reveals this Year’s Sleep in America Poll
This year’s ‘Sleep in America’ Poll reveals how sleep, or lack of sleep, directly impacts America’s transportation workers, including airline pilots, railroad workers, truck drivers, bus drivers, taxi and limo drivers. Learn more with ‘Sleep In America’ poll results HERE
The results of this poll got us thinking about how important sleep is to work performance and quality of life for all of us. Whether you are an airline pilot, taxi driver, office professional, teacher, doctor or stay-at-home mom, how well you sleep impacts how well you perform throughout the day.
Follow the #sleepawareness conversation on Twitter @SertaMattress and Facebook page or check back here throughout the week for insights and tips for a better night’s sleep.
This week, we are committed to sharing some great sleep tips with our fans on Facebook and Twitter. We’ll explore some of the best music, movies and books to aid in better sleep as well as how switching to Daylight Savings Time impacts our sleep. Follow us to stay up to date and to share your favorite sleep tips in return.
Could you need a new mattress?
Finally, in honor of this Sleep Awareness Week, we are shedding light on the role a mattress plays in the quality of sleep. Do any of these 5 common sleep problems impact how well you sleep at night?
- Tossing & Turning
- Lack of Support
- Sleeping Too Hot or Too Cold
- Partner Disturbance
- Mattress Sagging or Roll-Off
If so, then it’s probably time to consider a new mattress. Yes, we know that mattress shopping can be intimidating. That’s why we’ve engineered The New Serta Perfect Sleeper, with input from the National Sleep Foundation to help address all 5 of these common sleep problems.
Watch the video to learn more, and be sure to join us on Facebook and Twitter all week for more helpful sleep tips!
Learn about the Serta Perfect Sleeper
Put Sleep at the Top of your New Year’s Resolution List!
Yep, it’s that time of the year again. Everyone’s made a list of their resolutions for 2012 and making sure they are moving full force ahead! Have you already pulled your hamstring as a result of your new Boot Camp Cardio class? Perhaps you’ve opted for the less strenuous option by recently completing your Detox Fat Flush Cleanse and are beginning the daily baked chicken and broccoli diet. Yum! Getting healthy and losing weight seems to stay at the top of America’s resolution list. Diet and exercise is always a great way to start feeling livelier, alert and motivated. It can enhance your life and help you grow into the person you want to see for 2012. However, there’s one thing most people leave off the list that can help achieve results; SLEEP! Here’s some helpful information from our friends at the National Sleep Foundation. Visit www.sleepfoundation.org for more information.
Did you know that a good night’s sleep can help you slim down and maintain an ideal body weight? Sleep deprivation may inhibit one’s ability to lose weight – even while exercising and eating well! Sleep, diet, and exercise should all be a part of your fitness plan.
A 1999 study at the University of Chicago showed that restricting sleep to just 4 hours per night for a week brought healthy young adults to the point that some had the glucose and insulin characteristics of diabetics.
Research by Dr. Van Cauter found that people who don’t get enough sleep are more likely to have bigger appetites due to the fact that their leptin levels (leptin is an appetite regulating hormone) fall, promoting appetite increase. This link between appetite and sleep provides further evidence that sleep and obesity are linked.
Though research shows that exercise is certainly good for one’s body and health, properly timing exercise is necessary to maximize the beneficial effects. For example, a good workout can make you more alert, speed up your metabolism, and energize you for the day ahead, but exercise right before bedtime can lead to a poor night’s sleep. For those who are physically fit, the timing of the exercise generally doesn’t make any difference.
To reach your goals for this year, you don’t have to kill yourself in the gym or try taking on diet fads. Just take it one step at a time by trying to eat healthier and becoming more active. Last and most certainly not least, add a good night’s sleep to your regiment. It will make a world of a difference in how you feel and with your overall results. It will also give you a clear mind to stay away from the newest banana and brussel sprout diet craze!
Have we convinced you to make a sleep resolution? How about you share it with us! Visit our Serta’s Facebook Fan page and tell us why you’re resolving to get better sleep in 2012 and enter to win a Serta Mattress Set of your choice!
How to Stop Stressing & Start Loving Sleep Again
Stress can cause sleepless nights. The National Sleep Foundation’s 2009 poll found that a third of Americans reported problems sleeping because of the U.S. economy and financial concerns. The good news is, no matter what problem is keeping you awake, there are things you can do to stop stressing and start loving your sleep again.
First, make sure you love your bedroom and want to spend time there. Make it look visibly pleasing and feel very comfortable. Be happy with your mattress, pillows and sheets. Clean out the clutter, and bust the dust. Make it feel like a safe haven.
Next, train yourself to think of your bedroom as a place exclusively for sleep. Avoid “waking” activities like doing work, using the computer, talking on the phone or watching TV in your bedroom. Create a stress-free zone.
Leading up to bed, establish a wind-down routine that calms you, like taking a warm bath or reading a book. Dim the lights in your bedroom and bathroom. (This will tell your brain that it’s time to sleep soon.) Avoid caffeine late in the day, and don’t drink nightcaps. Alcohol can actually wake you in the night.
Once you go to bed, if you cannot sleep, get up, go to another room and do something relaxing in dim light. Go back to bed when you are ready to sleep. If worries overwhelm you, try writing them in a “worry journal” so you can put them aside for later.
Stress is a part of daily life, but fortunately, we can take the stress out of sleep.
5 Reasons to Fall in Love with Sleep Again
If you’ve fallen out of love with sleep, we understand. You are a busy person, trying to get the most out of every minute of every day. All you want to do at the end of a long day is lay down, close your eyes and then wake up refreshed with the energy you need to face the day ahead. Instead, you wake up feeling like you barely slept at all, wanting to hit that Snooze button one more time before rolling out of bed and yawning through the day….just to do it all over again.
It’s Time to Start Loving Sleep Again!
What is “i heart sleep”?
In today’s busy world, we are all trying to do more with less free time. As a result, we have lost sight of how important a good night’s sleep is to our health and wellbeing, and have become a sleep-deprived society.
We think it’s time to start loving sleep again.
Serta and the National Sleep Foundation (NSF) are joining forces on a groundbreaking industry partnership to promote better sleep through enhanced education and optimal product design. Together, the NSF and Serta will work to shed light on how mattresses contribute to good sleep.
As part of the partnership, Serta has redesigned its flagship mattress, the Perfect Sleeper®, with input from the NSF to help consumers improve the quality of their sleep by addressing today’s common sleep problems. Each new Perfect Sleeper mattress comes with a complimentary educational brochure from the NSF with information to help consumers get the most benefit from their mattress and reinforce sleep as a key element to a healthy lifestyle.
Serta has championed better sleep for consumers for 80 years through continuous product innovation and consumer communications. Today, through our partnership with the NSF, Serta continues to champion this cause and asks consumers to join in changing the way we think not only about sleep, but also the role a mattress plays in the quality of sleep.
It’s time to start loving to sleep again. And, to this we say – I Heart Sleep!, which will be the ongoing campaign to support our program with the NSF and the new Perfect Sleeper.
