The most asked questions surrounding sleep includes how long should we sleep, which position is best for sleeping, and of course what type of sleep platform should be used.
| Average Sleep Needs | |
| Age | Hours |
Newborns (0-2 months) | 12 - 18 |
Infants (3 months to 1 year) | 14 - 15 |
Toddlers (1 to 3 years) | 12 - 14 |
Preschoolers (3 to 5 years) | 11 - 13 |
School-aged children (5 to 12 years) | 10 - 11 |
Teens and preteens (12 to 18 years) | 8.5 - 10 |
Adults (18+) | 7.5 - 9 |
And while the quantity of sleep is important, the quality is just as important.
Lack of quality sleep may reduce your response time, ability to process information, and adversely affect your health.
The many problems a working adult may face is the dilemma of sleeping enough hours, yet still wake up feeling as if the act of sleeping, never took place.
During a normal night, we all go through 3 phases of the sleep cycle, light sleep, deep sleep and REM. The main objective to obtain a good night's sleep is to have enough deep sleep and REM to feel refreshed in the morning.
There are a few ways to ensure a better night's sleep.
- Exercise, preferably before evening. Maintaining physical health is good, yet extreme physical activity may cause sleeping difficult during the evening and night time for when it is time to sleep.
- Don't overeat during dinner. Mostly suggested by fitness professional for individuals on a diet, it is also a bad habit to sleep on a full stomach. A stuffed stomach may cause difficulty in sleep.
- The bedroom is meant for sleep. Leave all the electronics and other possible distractions out. The bedroom should be a place of zen; peaceful and soothing.
- Cut out caffeine during the day, and alcohol at night. Although it may be tempting to get a nightcap to induce yourself to sleep, problem is it may interfere with the sleep cycles and wake you up later.
- Sleep with the right support. Pillows where needed, regardless of the posture. When sleeping on your side, put a pillow between the legs. Have additional support beneath your knees when sleeping on your back. And when sleeping on your abdomen, have a pillow underneath the pelvis near the lower abdomen. Use a pillow under your head, only if it does not strain your back when sleeping on your abdomen.
When shopping for your new bed, many ask what type of material is "best" for comfort and support. The main thing is, one can never give a universal answer that will satisfy the comfort needs of every individual out there. Everyone has different preferences on comfort, whereas support is something that can be categorized more accurately.
Most Americans today sleep on a mattress. Usually with a foam, poly-cotton blend pillow top, and a spring coil core. Preferred by many due to the comfort level, yet causes back pain due to its structure. Typically a spring mattress will cause body aches depending on your sleep posture. The coils loosen as the weight distribution of your body is constant, thus the longer you use a spring mattress, the worse its support.
When it comes to futons for sleeping, the cotton based futons provides the same support throughout, regardless of length of use. Evenly distributed among the futon, the support provides enough cushioning to support the uneven weight and shape of the body. Although the thickness is preferred by most, thinner futons on top of a solid surface, i.e. tatami mats, provides the best support. And many doctors will agree, it is the preferred sleep surface for those with back pain, to sleep on a solid, hard surface that will still provide the proper support for the body's weight distribution.
Top that off with a doctor recommended neck pillow, the buckwheat hull pillows (a.k.a. sobakawa pillows). The sobakawa pillows are great in that it forms to the shape of your neck. The buckwheat hulls moves as you rest your head and neck over the pillow, similar to that of a memory foam pillow, yet it is 100% natural material, as remains cool as you lay on top due to the natural air circulation within the pillow. The buckwheat hull pillows provided through Yan's International Inc. are available in two sizes, both with a removable decorative cover. The cover provides both unique pattern design to allow individuality, as well as keeping the pillow fresh and clean.
For more information related to Japanese cotton futons, tatami mats or sobakawa pillows, feel free to visit our website and send us an email!
No comments:
Post a Comment