Are You Getting Enough Sleep?

Even if you think you’re getting a good enough sleep on mattress and feel OK during the day, it’s possible you’re not getting as much as you need. Do you feel you need a caffeine boost in the morning or get a bit sleepy later in the day? These could be signs you need some extra shut-eye.

You can check it by trying this simple little routine:

• Choose a day when you don’t need to set your alarm for the next morning and sleep till you wake naturally. Make a note of how long you slept.
• Run the above again until your confident you’ve identified your ideal length of sleep time.
• Now that you know what sleep you need just subtract that from your morning alarm time and aim to get to sleep at that time so that you wake properly refreshed and ready to tackle the day ahead.

Why is this important?

Increased Pain Threshold: Studies conducted with those experiencing chronic pain indicates reduced sleep lowers their pain threshold. Getting enough sleep decreases pain.
Improved Sex Life: A proper night’s sleep could increase the amount of sex you have. Studies by the National Sleep Foundation in America found that as much as 26% of people complained about being too tired for sex
Better Health: The Victorian Government ‘Better Health Channel’ found that sleep is essential for your health as it refreshes your mind and repairs your body. This is confirmed by numerous studies that indicate a proper sleep can reduce the likelihood of heart disease, diabetes, obesity and various other illnesses or problems.
More Alert: Lack of sleep can cause fatigue, poor concentration, memory lapses, mood disturbances, impaired judgment, poor reaction time and reduced coordination. It’s obviously of vital importance to be fully alert if you work with machinery or in other dangerous situations where mistakes can be fatal, but it’s also important to be able to drive to and from an office job and do your work competently.
Weight Loss: this is in the “Better Health” category because if you are overweight it is a health problem. If you are sleep deprived, you are less likely to exercise and more likely to crave carbohydrates. When you are tired, levels of the hormone leptin fall. Leptin makes us feel full. Less sleep equals lower leptin levels and the result is hunger.

If you've never really  considered the value of a good nights sleep perhaps you should do it now and remember a mattress that provides enough support to maintain proper alignment of your spine will reduce muscle fatigue and reduce pressure points resulting in better-quality sleep.