In our age of quick fix, take a pill for this and that, we often take the easy way out, or only hear things that we want to hear. The bedding industry is not an exception for some manufacturers who claim they possess a cure. Before I go on, it is important to know the rules of the game, the legal rules of how a bed or mattress can be marketed. A bed or sleep system cannot cure an illness, disease or condition. A bed, like an adjustable bed, can alleviate some syptoms of conditions like restless leg syndrome, GERD, acid reflux, and many others, but it will not cure them. The mere act of sleeping in bed “x” cannot repair years of wear and tear on the human body.
I bring up this topic as a friend sent me a Web site that told the tale of the waterbed. If you lived in the 1970’s or 1980’s you probably slept at one time on one of these floating furnishings. The site made some reasonable claims that a waterbed may help people with back pain, although it usually took me longer to get out of the bed than the time I slept, but it could be plausible. As I scrolled to the bottom of the page the claims got bolder and bolder, until, there it was, the end all, be all. This organization of the waterbed industry claimed that sleeping on a waterbed, can cure insomnia.
I have been in this industry for decades and have heard many statements, and this one was big. A cure for 70 million Americans can be had with a bed that is filled with a garden hose. I poke a bit of fun at the waterbed industry, but the problems many of us have with sleep affect the way that we live, and this is not a subject to joke about.
If you suffer from a condition, do your research, make some calls and test multiple styles of beds to see what works best for you. Look for a reputable company or salesperson to deal with and know that if the claim of a cure is made, it is not only a lie, it is illegal.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Too busy to be tired
If you had an extremely important project to do for work and your boss walked in to ask when they could expect it, chances are you would get fired if you replied, “I’ll get to it, when I get to it.” However, as Americans, we utter this statement to ourselves virtually every day of the week when it comes to sleep. We would all like to be able to unplug the alarm clock and just sleep until we get up, but we can’t. Longer hours at work, children, television, stress, more stress and a constantly racing mind are just a few of the reasons we opt for activity rather than down time.
Nearly 7 out of 10 people say they experience a frequent sleep problem, and ironically, or not, the same percentage also says they don’t have time to sleep the recomended number of hours a night. I understand that some have a medical condition that does not afford them the opportunity to get the quality of sleep they need, but there is a larger issue for the majority of us – time management.
We all know that person who walks around the office telling everyone that he needs less sleep than the rest of us – 3 or 4 hours tops. That same person is usually holding a coffee cup everytime you see them, and is the last one to leave the office every night, but has no more work than the next person. The reason why – poor time management.
I have a friend who is an occupational therapist and he often starts off his seminars and lectures in the following way. He asks everyone to write down their “to-do” list – work, home, projects – you name it, write it down. Many of us have this nagging little list that looms on our desk, in our briefcase or on our BlackBerry. This list seldom contains the words “sleep more”. He then asks everyone for the next few weeks to write down only three things on the revised list, when one is completed add one more. By not feeling like we are drowning in a sea tasks, we are better able to focus and accomplish our goals.
If you think about it, the list of three will only have two things to do on it each as, “sleep more” should always be at the top, and if we continue at this pace, we will never accomplish this goal. Habits take time to break, and sacrificing sleep in no different. If we put our minds to it, turn off the television a bit earlier and worry about work when we are at work, a more restful future is within reach...and an adustable bed, just makes it that more comfortable.
Nearly 7 out of 10 people say they experience a frequent sleep problem, and ironically, or not, the same percentage also says they don’t have time to sleep the recomended number of hours a night. I understand that some have a medical condition that does not afford them the opportunity to get the quality of sleep they need, but there is a larger issue for the majority of us – time management.
We all know that person who walks around the office telling everyone that he needs less sleep than the rest of us – 3 or 4 hours tops. That same person is usually holding a coffee cup everytime you see them, and is the last one to leave the office every night, but has no more work than the next person. The reason why – poor time management.
I have a friend who is an occupational therapist and he often starts off his seminars and lectures in the following way. He asks everyone to write down their “to-do” list – work, home, projects – you name it, write it down. Many of us have this nagging little list that looms on our desk, in our briefcase or on our BlackBerry. This list seldom contains the words “sleep more”. He then asks everyone for the next few weeks to write down only three things on the revised list, when one is completed add one more. By not feeling like we are drowning in a sea tasks, we are better able to focus and accomplish our goals.
If you think about it, the list of three will only have two things to do on it each as, “sleep more” should always be at the top, and if we continue at this pace, we will never accomplish this goal. Habits take time to break, and sacrificing sleep in no different. If we put our minds to it, turn off the television a bit earlier and worry about work when we are at work, a more restful future is within reach...and an adustable bed, just makes it that more comfortable.
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