You go to bed, put your head on the pillow, and everything feels perfectly fine. The pillow feels comfortable. Your sleeping position feels natural. You fall asleep without giving it another thought. Then morning arrives. You wake up and suddenly the same pillow doesn't feel quite as comfortable anymore. Maybe it feels flatter than you remember. Maybe you keep moving it around during the night. Or perhaps you find yourself folding, squeezing, or repositioning it without even realizing you are doing it. So what changed? Probably not the pillow. Your body and the pillow simply interact differently over several hours than they do during the first few minutes. This is one reason choosing the right pillow can be more complicated than simply testing it for five minutes in a store. The First Five Minutes Can Be Misleading When people try a pillow, they often make a decision very quickly. They lie down, notice how soft or firm it feels, and decide whether they like it. But slee...
Sleep problems are more common than you think. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine says that 30 to 35 percent of adults have some symptoms of insomnia and about 10 percent have chronic insomnia that affects their daily life. Research also shows that not sleeping well can affect your memory, mood and even your heart health. The good news is that a lot of sleep problems are caused by the way we live our lives so making small changes can really help us sleep better. 1. Create a bedtime routine that helps you relax Your body likes to have a routine. When you go to bed and wake up at times every day it can get confusing. Think of your bedtime routine as a signal to your body that it is time to sleep. Go to bed. Wake up at the same time every day. Dim the lights thirty to sixty minutes before you go to bed. Do not use your phone or any other screens before bed. Instead try to relax by reading a book listening to music or taking a warm shower. These small things can make a difference in ho...