I was very excited when I heard this on Fox 2 news this morning in their Sleep Habits and Weight Loss segment. Randi Naughton interviewed Dr Joseph OJile from the Clayton Sleep Institute. Over the years I have heard about the relationship of sleep and losing or maintaining weight loss. Dr. Ojile has appeared on various news segments dealing with various sleep issues. This morning this one in particular piqued my interest because it frustrates me how people concerned about losing weight waste hundreds and thousands of dollars on fad diets, exercise and even diets pills. Here’s what Dr. Ojile had to say.

There is a Relationship Between Weight Gain and Sleep…

…so we need to make this part of our everyday lives. Studies say that people who sleep less affects the hormones that cause them to eat suppress appetites are affected and altered. The hormones that cause you to eat go up and the ones that suppress ones appetite tends to go down. This is exciting because a person can make sleep part of their total plan to lose weight or keeping weight down getting enough sleep should be part of that plan.  Sleep alone will not make you lose weight but if you couple that with a good diet and good exercise the affects will be amplified in addition over the years it’s clear that people that don’t sleep enough have much higher rates of obesity. As far as who’s at risk there has been a real focus on younger people so when it comes to our children and young adults we need to start bringing sleep into their lifestyle management with them and discussing the value of them getting enough sleep and practicing good sleep habits because they tend to not want to listen us as parents about their grades but if we tell them they may not look quite as good in the mirror then they seem to give us a little more attention. Making this awareness part of their daily lives, the schools and were hopeful that even reaching out to athletic trainers the gyms. For example professional athletes the Olympians and so forth they understand the value of sleep and the full incorporate that into their training programs. There isn’t any reason why those of us that are merely fitness exercisers shouldn’t have the same benefit of that since in a sense that has been road tested by the professional athletes.

We couldn’t agree more Dr. Ojile – thanks for the great advice. We would only add that 7-8 hours of sleep is the recommended amount of sleep to get per night.

Question:

Does my mattress and box spring affect how I sleeps?

I always seem to wake up feeling very tired and unrested. My mattress is getting older but still looks good. Is it possible my mattress could be affecting my sleep?

Answer:
Yes the mattress can be a contributing factor to feeling tired however it is not the only one. This is especially true of older mattresses, this is because as a mattress ages the same coil springs that once gave good support begin to fatigue and rob you of full body support that we all need. In addition the top padding that makes the bed comfy loses its fluff and feel making the bed less comfortable.

It is true that your mattress can either support good sleep or rob you of it. Whether your mattress is a sleep friend or a foe depends on the age, support, and comfort of your bed. These things can definitely be determining factors as to how refreshed you may feel when you wake up. The truth is if you spend the night tossing and turning you will likely wake up stiff, sore, or unrested and lacking needed energy. These are commonly the signs that your old mattress may no longer be doing its job.

A salesman or doctor cannot determine this for you. One thing you may want to do is keep a sleep journal. When you wake log your habits. Simply journal what you did before going to bed, what you remember about your night, and of course how you feel when you wake including the number of hours you slept. There is no one particular mattress that works for one person or person’s ailments. Mattress feel is subjective. What may be soft to one person may actually be firm to another. Our bodies appreciate comfort and good support, and a mattress that offers both will go a long way to achieving better sleep.

Question: What if there’s no time for sleep?

I work a lot and find that I just don’t have time to get the eight hours they say I need a night. What can I do to sleep better with the limited time I get?
Answer.
In my humble opinion I think there is nothing more important than a good night of sleep. I truly think that people underestimate its importance  and how the lack of if can really affect us. I would go so far to say that it needs to be a health priority in this country not just something we do when we have a little extra time available. I am very surprised to see the hundreds and thousands of dollars humans spend on fad diets attempting to eat healthier. Why many of these same people are getting up 2 hours early so they have enought time to eat, get ready for work, and to go to the gym and exercise. Sleep affects every aspect of our day-to-day lives.

Now I’ll share with you what many doctors have to say on the matter. If you don’t have the time to snooze, be sure to make the most out of the sleep you are able to get. Their claim is to exercise on a regular basis. They say that people who do exercise even a few times a week typically sleep get a better than people who don’t. Additionally avoiding caffeine, tobacco, and alcohol which might not always sound fun to some should especially consider avoiding them late in the day. The reason being these are stimulants that can interfere with quality sleep.

Creating a peaceful and restful sleep environment is crucial to better health and the restorative benefits of sleep.  Keys are being uninterrupted in a dark room, and having a supportive mattress that offers desired comfort. Keeping the bedroom cool and quiet works well for me and after researching and talking to qualified individuals is highly recommended. For me personally running a family business often leads to stress which makes it quite hard for me to fall a sleep. A great way to relax the mind is to make a list of all the things you need to do. I find this as a way to give my self permission to relax and fall a sleep which gives me the needed energy to deal with tomorrow’s issues.
The little things we do can make a big difference in our daily lives.

The following is a guest blog by Dr. Adam Tanase of Chiropractic St Louis.

As a chiropractor, part of my job is to help patients make healthier choices that improve their quality of life. The topic of sleep, sleep position, pillows, and mattress types are often discussed in my office.

Our bodies make repairs and heal while sleeping, so it’s important to get 7-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep each night.

Sleep position is important as well. No matter how comfortable it may seem, never sleep on your stomach! Sleep on your back, or sleep on your side, but stomach-sleeping is terrible for the spine, and can contribute to the development of spinal degeneration, including arthritis and disc herniation.

If you’re waking up with back or neck pain, you’re likely a stomach sleeper, or using multiple pillows. When sleeping on your back or side, make sure to use just one pillow. Stacking pillows flexes the head improperly, putting strain on spinal muscles and joints.

As for pillows, I do not encourage the use of feather/down pillows. They’re incredibly unsupportive, and can induce chronic neck pain. My personal preference is a latex pillow. They’re affordable, supportive, and can last for years without much wear.

We spend about 1/3 of our lives sleeping. That’s an average of 25 years or more in bed, so buying the right mattress is very important. Don’t buy a water bed – these are perhaps the worst beds ever designed (second only to a bed of nails). I also do not recommend purchasing beds with a “pillow top.” These seem comfortable at first, but after a few weeks, the top begins to break down, and an imprint of your body appears where you sleep.

I do not have a favorite brand of mattress for recommendation. Patients ask me this question all the time, but it’s really about personal preference. Generally speaking, your mattress should be supportive and slightly firm. A bed that is very bouncy/springy will dip, and in time, can cause you to wake up in pain.

No matter what type of mattress you use, it should always be flat. Common sense, right? Not so much. Dips and valleys are a recipe for chronic pain, and you’d be surprised how easily they develop over time. All the chiropractic care in the world can’t undo what a bad mattress does to you during the night.

If you’re on a budget, I recommend buying a fairly basic, entry level bed with foundation. Then cover it with a quality 3″ memory foam mattress topper that has 4-lb density or higher. When it comes to memory foam, the density is more important than the thickness (4″ topper with 3-lb density will not last as long as a 3″ topper with 4-lb density).

Following these tips can help improve the quality of your sleep. If your pillow, sleep position, and mattress are all acceptable, but you’re still waking up in pain, or not sleeping well, it’s time to meet with a chiropractor.

Just like a good chiropractor can’t fix the effects of a bad bed, a good bed can’t fix the effects of spinal misalignment. If you’d like to learn more about chiropractic care, you can visit my clinic website at www.bigideaclinic.com, or call 314-749-9006.

Warm wishes,
Dr. Adam Tanase

The opinions expressed here are those of the guest blogger and does not necessarily reflect the views of StLBeds.com.

Its official most of us are mattress-cleaning slackers. Doctors and mattress industry insiders, allergist all agree we need to take better care of ourselves by keeping our mattress cleaner. Remember the cliché’ an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure? Well perhaps a cleaner mattress can act as one ounce of prevention from the numerous minor and more serious health issues aggravated by mattresses like: allergies, asthma, dermatitis, eczema, hay fever, inflammation of mucous membranes, rhinitis, itchy red eyes, headaches, sinus pain, fatigue, sneezing, bronchitis and other respiratory related problems.

 
How can we all sleep in a cleaner mattress ?

 
Start by purchasing a quality breathable mattress pad or mattress protector and placing it on the mattress surface. Top that off with a nice set of sheets and your ready for bed.  Remember to at least once a week wash your sheets and mattress pad. These can be replaced for much less than a new mattress if they wear out due to frequent washings. An often overlooked mattress cleaning tip is to vacuum your mattress regularly with the upholstery attachment. Take your time with slow overlapping swaths and be thorough. You should vacuum your mattress at least once a month. Allergy and asthma suffers may want to vacuum your mattresses more frequently. Be sure you are using a quality vacuum with a hepa filter and then replace your bedding immediately.

 
A smart investment would be to have your mattress professionally cleaned and sanitized one time a year or more so if you do not frequently care for your mattress or have allergy related concerns. There are companies that will clean mattresses across the country and here in the St. Louis area as well.  So if your New Years Goal was to make a healthier you, why not start with a cleaner mattress or get rid of that old one and buy a new mattress set. Talk to a bedroom store if you have more questions.