BedPost

Bedbugs hate hairy folks

Hairy people of the world, rejoice! Before you make those laser hair removal appointments or break out the wax, listen to this--there's a natural benefit to being furry!

According to a recent study conducted by the University of Sheffield, bed bugs don't like hairy people. (See? We told you there's a benefit!)

The British researchers found that hairier humans may have an easier time fending off bedbugs compared to their "fur-less" peers. In the new study, they suggest that the fine hairs on human skin slow bedbugs down and help people better detect the bloodsuckers on their bodies.In the study, 29 "lucky" student volunteers, each had one shaved and one un-shaved arm. The researchers watched the bedbugs, timing how long it took them to find a place to dig in for a meal. (For those already starting to scratch, fear not--none of the volunteers were actually bitten during the experiment; the researchers removed the bugs just as they were about to feed. Phew!) The volunteers kept a count of each time they felt a bug crawling on their skin.

They found that the participants detected the bugs more frequently on their hairy arms, and that the bedbugs on these hairy arms took longer to find a spot to bite.

Before you wax, think of the hair on your body as little antennae, alerting you to a little pest trying to make a meal out of you...

Sweet dreams... ;-)

ISPA gives back for the holidays

In the words of the late, great Edward Pola and George Wyle, "it's the moooooost wonderful tiiiimme, of the yearrrrr!"

ISPA staff wanted to give back this year,
so after a bit of research on the good ol' internet, we found a non-profit organization, Soldier's Angels, and "adopted" two military families for the holiday season.

Both families have a parent serving in the armed forces and have young ones at home, so ISPA was able to gather up goodies from their respective wish lists, and hopefully bring some smiles to their faces come Christmas morning!

Everyone got in the holiday spirit and jumped right in during the "wrapping party." Some people even impressed us with their creative wrapping skills! (*cough* Ryan Trainer.) ISPA President by day, and one heck of a present wrapper by night--who knew?!

All of us at the International Sleep Products Association feel very blessed to work for such an amazing industry, and work with some outstanding volunteers. We wanted to "pay it forward," and help those who need a little extra help this holiday season. On behalf of the entire group, we would like to thank those serving our country, and also to their families for their sacrifice.

From all of us at ISPA, to all our dear friends near and far, we wish you the happiest and healthiest of holidays, and here is to a prosperous 2012!

 

Let's hope your mattress isn't THIS old...

According to research conducted by Oklahoma State University and the Better Sleep Council, you should consider replacing your mattress every 7 years or so. An international team of archaeologists discovered a 77,000 year old bedding made of insect-repelling leaves and other medicinal plants in a South African cave - which sets the world record for the oldest mattress, according to World Records. 77,000...that's just a few years off the 7-year suggested replacement cycle, right?

One of the coolest things they found out about this bed, is that its comprised of insect-repelling leaves and plants. (Take that, bedbugs!) The beds themselves consist of compacted stems and leaves of sedges, (a grass-like plant that grows in wet places,) rushes (hollow stalks/stem-like leaves,) and grasses stacked in at least 15 layers within a chunk of sediment 10 feet (3 meters) thick.

Archaeologists discovered the stack of ancient beds at Sibudu, a cave in a sandstone cliff in South Africa. "The use of medicinal plants, along with other artifacts at the cave, helps reveal how creative these early peoples were," researchers said.

"The inhabitants would have collected the sedges and rushes from along the uThongathi River, located directly below the site, and laid the plants on the floor of the shelter," said researcher Lyn Wadley, an archaeologist at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa.

This fine covering of leaves may also represent the earliest known use of medicinal plants by humans. The leaves are from the tree Cryptocarya woodii, or river wild-quince, a medicinal plant that produces insect-killing chemicals.

 Kind of neat to think that even 77,000 years ago, humans had the inherient need to be as comfy and cozy as possible when they went to sleep. So, how old is YOUR mattress?

Sweet dreams!
~Karin Mahoney

 

All I want for Christmas are some extra Zzzzs...

The running around, the late nights, the holiday excitement and stress…it’s enough to keep adults wide awake every night, but just think of the children! With all the hustle and bustle (and winter break looming,) it’s easy for your children’s sleep schedules to be off kilter for the next month or so.

It's hard enough getting children to fall asleep, much less stay asleep. Now throw an exciting holiday season into the mix and time off from school and it calls for some tired kids (and parents.)

To make sure that your children (and you!) stay on Santa's "nice" list this year, try using a few of the following sleep tips for children from the Better Sleep Council:

1. Develop a pleasant, soothing sleep ritual. Don't roughhouse or play games that may be too stimulating. Choose quiet activities, such as working on a puzzle or reading a bedtime story.
2. Don't arbitrarily decide how much sleep a child needs at different ages. The best way to know how much sleep your little ones need is to wake them up at the same time every morning for several days. Notice if they need naps during the day and when they become tired in the evening. Use your observation as a guide to setting a reasonable bedtime for each child--and then stick to it.
3. Rely on an impersonal signal for bedtime. By doing so, you can avoid a struggle over authority. Teach young children where the hands of the clock are at bedtime, for example, and have the clock "tell" them when it is time for bed. Another good signal is the end of a favorite evening television show.
4.Distinguish between bedtime and sleep time. While you should set a definite hour for your children to be in bed, don't try and force them to sleep at this time. Let them play quietly with stuffed animals or listen to soothing music until sleep overtakes them.
5. Be flexible! Let your children stay up a little later when family comes to town, or especially during big events like the holidays. Try and appeal to their sense of reason though by pointing out that staying up too late will make it harder for them to enjoy the next day.
6. Be sure and monitor what your kids are watching on tv or the computer. While they may not seem scared or over stimulated during a show, images may creep into their mind later on, making it hard to sleep.

Hottest new sleep disorder: 'sleep texting'

Forget about sleep walking, sleep talking or even sleep eating. 

The newest sleep malady targets teens and twentysomethings--those with nimble thumbs and a daily text message count numbering in the hundreds. [That wouldn't be me.]

News stories at CNET, the Daily Mail, MSNBC and elsewhere point the finger at stressful lives and an inability to "turn off" at the end of the day. 

As Gawker.com sternly points out:

There is no known cure, besides keeping your phone out of the bedroom.

Note to furniture manufacturers: perhaps the night stand should be removed from bedroom suites.

Otherwise, wide awake friends may wonder what you meant at 2AM by replying to their text with:

'IdId fsei sinnsfg irn foaienv xiengi'
Sent from my iphone

More help is available. A Sleep Texting support group has formed on Facebook. It has 52 members to date. About half actually recall joining the group, the rest were FB sleeping. [The subject of another post.]

- Barbara Nelles

Gobble, gobble!

Now, let me preface this blog post by saying that I'm a vegetarian, so when talking about the bird, tofurkey is more my style...BUT since I'm probably the minority this holiday, I'll put aside my meat aversions to talk turkey.

Even back when I did eat meat over 16 years ago, I always remember wanting to snuggle up by the fireplace and pass out. Sound familiar? Pretty much all of us have heard that tryptophan is the main culprit for making us sleepy after a big Thanksgiving meal.

I hate to break it to you dear friends, but according to an article in the Examiner, the amount of tryptophan in turkey is not high enough to have any impact. Shocking, right?

So if the bird isn't making us sleepy, then what the heck is it?

There are a few theories about what's making us want to take a long nap after Thanksgiving:
1. Booze: Alcohol is a depressant, and chances are you're going to have a few cocktails and/or glasses of wine before dinner and also with your meal, so sleepiness is pretty much inevitable.
2. Insulin Levels: If you're anything like me, you skimp on food throughout the day so you can stuff your face that night. (Hey, I may not eat turkey, but put a plate of green bean casserole, mashed potatoes and cranberries in front of me and it. is. on.) When you eat a lot, your body, specifically your pancreas, goes into overdrive and produces a large amount of insulin to handle all that grub. When your body finally comes off the surge of insulin and your blood sugar takes a big dip, then comes, you guessed it, sleepiness.

I'm not saying being sleepy after a big meal is a bad thing. We only do this once a year and for good reason. To gather together with our loved ones and give thanks for our many blessings.

So where ever you are, near or far, enjoy your Thanksgiving holiday, and enjoy that snooze after dinner. :)

-Karin Mahoney

Do you still sleep with your teddy bear?

According to a recent survey by mega home store, IKEA, nearly 10 percent of British adults still go to bed with a teddy bear. (Insert "awwww," here.) From the study, they also found that more than 70 percent of the surveyed adults don't get enough sleep.

The survey polled 3,000 adults and also found that more than 50 percent blamed a poor mattress for their lack of sleep. This shouldn't be surprising considering that we learned from a study conducted by Oklahoma State University and the Better Sleep Council which found that a new mattress improves sleep quality and quantity, while also decreasing back, neck and shoulder stiffness.

Mattresses aside, another issue keeping the participants up at night was worrying about work and money. Of those respondents, 10 percent checked their work emails in the middle of the night, 6 percent woke up their partner, and 26 percent tried listening to soothing music.

 When trying to get a good night's rest, try following a few of these tips from the Better Sleep Council:
1. Make sleep a priority by keeping a consistent bedtime and wake schedule, including weekends.
2. Create a bedtime routine that is relaxing. Experts recommend reading a book, listening to soothing music or soaking in a hot bath.
3. Create a room that is dark, quiet, comfortable and cool for the best possible sleep.
4. Evaluate your mattress and pillow to ensure proper comfort and support. If your mattress is seven years old or older, it may be time for a new one. In general, pillows should be replaced every year.
5. Keep work materials, computers and televisions out of the bedroom.
6. Exercise regularly, but complete workouts at least two hours before bedtime.
7. If you sleep with a partner, your mattress should allow each of you enough space to move easily. A
queen mattress is ideal for two people sharing a mattress.
8. Avoid eating, alcohol, nicotine and caffeine close to bedtime. These can lead to poor sleep, keep you awake or disrupt sleep later in the night.

Oh, and of course, we can't forget about sleep tip #9: Be sure and hold on to your teddy bear extra tight. :) For more information on mattress shopping or tips on how to get a great night's rest, be sure and check out the BSC's site, or the UK's Sleep Council site.
Sweet dreams!

Keep the televisions out of your children's bedrooms

I just read a report released by Commonsense Media and was flabbergasted by the stat about how many children have televisions in their rooms.


According to the report, 42% of children under 8 years old have a TV in their bedroom. 30% of 0- to 1-year-olds, 44% of 2- to 4-year-olds, and 47% of 5- to 8-year-olds.

According to the Better Sleep Council, the bedroom is for SLEEP only and should be free of electronics and distractions. Call me crazy, but what are young children doing with televisions in their room? And teenagers? Last I checked, telling them to do something (usually) results in the exact opposite affect. 

The reason TVs should not be allowed in your children's bedroom is simple--they're more likely to have trouble sleeping than their counterparts who don't have a tv in their room.

In a study conducted by the Seattle Children's Institute and the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Washington, the 59 children who had a TV in their bedroom were more likely to report sleeping problems, including falling asleep, nightmares, and trouble waking up in the morning. Moreover, 8% showed tiredness during the day compared to 1% of the rest of the group.

The children, on average, watched over an hour of TV per day, and those with a TV in their bedroom watched an additional 40 minutes per day on average. We all know what lack of sleep does to our mental, emotional and physical well being, so based on these statistics, it's best to keep those TVs out of the bedroom and keep your children (and you!) healthy and happy. 

Sweet dreams!

Mattress shopping made easy

How many of you have been mattress shopping lately? Did you breeze through the store, comfortably trying out each model and lying down in your typical sleeping position for at least 15 minutes? Or was the process a little "weird"?

If your experience was anything like this, we suggest running. Or at the very least, break out your iphone and start recording. :)

Hopefully none of you ever have an experience like the one below...so before you (or your friends/customers/loved ones) head to the nearest reputable store, we suggest checking out the Better Sleep Council's sleep tips and mattress buying guide videos.
Happy shopping!

Happy Halloween from all of us at ISPA!

We're not sure what's more scary...a ten foot tall walkin' avocado, or your ISPA team trying to rap.

Enjoy...at our expense.  

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!