London: Beat summer insomnia with top tips plus advice from the free consumer ‘Good Sleep Guide’, in association with Dr Chris Idzikowski.
The Great British Summer is well and truly upon us, to the delight of many, but the warmer weather can be extremely detrimental to our sleep patterns.
Fewer hours of darkness and a rise in temperature mean that getting a good night’s sleep becomes far more difficult than it would usually be.Poor quality sleep is known to lead to problems with learning, memory, concentration and low mood.
Keeping cool at night and blocking out early morning sunshine is essential for a good night’s sleep according to the experts. With this is mind, TEMPUR offers some top tips on how to beat summer insomnia, including some advice from sleep expert and director of the Edinburgh Sleep Center Dr Chris Idzikowski, taken from ‘The Good Sleep Guide’, a free consumer advice guide to the perfect night’s sleep*:
Control room temperature
Scientists have discovered that a slight dip in body temperature is a trigger for sleep – Dr Chris Idzikowski suggests the ideal sleeping temperature is between 17 and 18°C. According to The Sleep Council**, our deepest sleep occurs when our biological clock temperature is at its lowest – usually around 4am, making a cool bedroom key to a good night’s sleep.
TIP: In hot weather that’s not always easy to achieve, so close curtains and open windows during the day to help prevent heat building up inside and leave your bedroom window open at night to let the cool air in Save the sunshine for your waking hours.
Exposing your eyes to light during sleeping hours affects the brain’s production of the hormone melatonin which promotes sleep.
TIP: Minimise early morning sunshine with blackout blinds and distance light sources at night such as alarm clocks with strong LED displays Make time for sleep Warm, summer nights might provide the perfect excuse to stay up late, but findings in the UK*** over the last 40 years show the average daily sleep for adults is about 7¼ hours – the same it was a hundred ago. Mortality seems to be lowest in those sleeping around 7 hours a night so getting a good night’s sleep can literally be a life-saver.
A good mattress matters
Adults spend up to a third of their lives in bed**** and while there is no perfect bed, pillow or position that is right for everyone, a quality mattress is vital for a good night’s sleep. Experts recommend mattresses be changed every eight to ten years.
On conventional mattresses the body needs to adjust during the night due to unrelieved pressure, which restricts blood flow, with warm summer bedrooms leading to more tossing and turning than in the winter months.
TIP: Invest in a mattress made of pressure-relieving material which moulds to the exact shape and position of the body. TEMPUR Mattresses support the spine in the correct position, easing back pain, arthritis and sciatica and providing optimum support throughout the night. TEMPUR Mattresses have been shown to reduce tossing and turning by 83%. Some mattresses retain heat which can make them very warm, whereas TEMPUR Mattresses have been specially designed to allow air to pass through the material freely- ensuring a cooler, more comfortable night’s sleep.
Eat to sleep
Avoid summer food favourites containing tyramine (cheese, ham, aubergines, pepperoni, raspberries, avocado and red wine) which can keep you awake at night as they release norepinephrine, a brain stimulant.
TIP: If you get the munchies close to bedtime, eat something that triggers the hormone serotonin, which helps to promote sleep. Carbohydrates such as bread or cereal will do the trick.
TEMPUR, the manufacturer of pressure relieving pillows and mattresses, has got together with respected sleep expert Dr Chris Idzikowski – Director of the Edinburgh Sleep Centre with more than 20 years experience in sleep research and medicine – to create ‘The Good Sleep Guide’, an easy-to-follow leaflet to help you get the perfect night’s sleep.
For FREE copies of ‘The Good Sleep Guide’ for you, your friends or family, or for more information about TEMPUR Products, please contact TEMPUR on 08000 111081 or email sleepadvice@tempur.co.uk
Other useful sites for sleep issues:
** Sleep Council
*** Loughborough Sleep Research Centre
**** Edinburgh Sleep Centre
About TEMPUR TEMPUR®
Mattresses are made from unique TEMPUR Material, a proprietary, open celled, temperature sensitive material that conforms to and supports the individual user by evenly distributing body weight. The basis for the TEMPUR pressure relieving material was originally developed by NASA to protect astronauts against G Forces during lift off and re-entry to the earth’s atmosphere. Today TEMPUR is the only producer of mattresses and pillows worldwide to be endorsed by NASA and certified by the Space Foundation.
TEMPUR Products are recommended by over 30,000 medical professionals worldwide, and their beneficial properties are supported by clinical research. A trial at the Institution for Clinical & Physiological Research at the Lillhagen Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden tested 23,000 patients over an eight year period of home and clinical use of the TEMPUR Mattress and Pillow. Patients suffered less pain, experienced enhanced deep sleep, and an 83% reduction in tossing and turning when using TEMPUR Products.
A whole host of celebrities are now claiming they have found the perfect sleeping partner – their TEMPUR Mattress including George Michael, Jane Seymour, Paris Hilton, The England Rugby Team, Paul McCartney, David Blaine, The Ozbournes, Kyran Bracken, Claire Sweeney, Charlie Dimmock, Susan Hampshire and Noel Gallagher.
TEMPUR Mattress prices start from £675, and TEMPUR Pillows are priced from £69.95. For more information about TEMPUR Products, call 08000 111081 or visit Tempur
