Trouble Sleeping While on Vacation ?

Posted in Factors affecting sleep, Light by admin
Apr 28 2010
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It has been a while since I last posted an article as I have been on a business/holiday/family gathering for my nephew’s wedding in sunny Mexico – Los Cabos to be exact – I know life is tough!

The weather and resort were fabulous and our room though very simple in design and furnishings exactly emanated the feel of the country and our surroundings. As I have mentioned previously , it does not cost a fortune to decorate your bedroom to fit your lifestyle or exhibit the mood which you want to create. Just check out the photo below.

Our room at the Resort

Simple beige and orange migrating to darker adobe brick colors, all complementing the colors found in the pillow shams and wall mural. Simple yet vibrant and relaxing!

Bedding and linens are the easiest way to go when it comes time for a small change. A comforter set can also be the catalyst to getting you to change the entire look of your bedroom.

Lighting in a bedroom plays an important part in creating the environment you desire. Creative lighting is the most flexible and effective way to change the mood or ambience of a room. Bedrooms are our refuge from the world, a safe place to get away from the day’s hassles, a sanctuary for rest and romance. Bedroom lighting can go a long way toward creating this feeling of safe haven.

Often one encounters difficulty in going to sleep while on vacation. We normally write this off as strange surroundings, a different bed and pillows, different lighting or just an adrenaline rush caused by finally being on holidays. Even though these could contribute to your difficulty in going to sleep – they may not be the main culprit.

Our body’s sleep/wake patterns are controlled by a natural hormone known as melatonin. Melatonin is a hormone produced in the pineal gland , a small gland in the brain. Artificial lighting is the main culprit in disrupting sleep patterns. Darkness stimulates the production of melatonin while light suppresses its activity. Exposure to excessive light in the evening or too little light during the day can disrupt the body’s normal melatonin cycles. So an entire day spent in airports and aboard an airplane can cause a disruption in the amount of light one receives during the day – that combined with crossing a couple of time zones will most likely make you toss and turn for a while your first night .

Melatonin is under investigation as a treatment for a number of conditions, including jet-lag, seasonal affective disorder (SAD), depression, and cancer. Melatonin is an extensively researched and widely used supplement for a variety of sleep disorders. Although available synthetically as a supplement, melatonin is best taken under medical supervision.

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Tagged as: bedroom, lighting, melatonin, sleeping difficulties, vacation

The Dust Mite

Posted in Allergies, Alternative down comforters, Factors affecting sleep, Pillows by admin
Mar 05 2010
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Look Who Is Sleeping in My Bed

Dust mites tend to thrive within dark, warm and humid conditions which your bed offers, especially within its mattress. It would be estimated that a single double mattress contains millions of dust mites and droppings, as well as dead cells of skin and their added bacteria. Dust mites are extremely small members of the Arachnid class and Acari subclass, similar to spiders and “cousins” to lice and ticks. People with dust mite allergy are allergic to both the organism and its feces. Dust mites do not Bite or sting, but constant contact with allergens that produce can cause respiratory and skin diseases in humans.

What Our Enemy Looks Like

Dust mites are tiny arachnids (which is true) it in the spider family, who survive mainly through consumption of dead human skin. Although it is almost impossible to see their facilities, 5 mm with the naked eye, they can be viewed using a bright light and magnifying glass. Dust mites are lurking all over your home, your car, your work, and pretty much everywhere you ever go. The key for allergy sufferers is to know how to get rid of dust.

Pillows and mattresses are a virtual paradise for dust mites because they thrive in warm, humid conditions while gorging themselves on shed human skin cells. Since people spend 8-10 hours a day in the bedroom, it’s where the greatest number of dust mites exist. Pillows, mattresses and other soft furnishings are often kept for many years either without proper cleaning or washing, this causes and accumulation of skin scales, house dust mites and their fecal pellets.

Dealing With the Mite

Replace feather and down pillows with those having synthetic fillings and replace woolen blankets with nylon or cotton cellulose ones.  Down alternative comforters and down alternative pillows are another good choice.

Also, make sure your child’s stuffed animals are washable because they can also attract dust mites. Replacing carpet with smooth flooring will reduce the buildup of dust. Since carpeting is a prime breeding ground for mites, the absence of it will create a more hostile environment for them.

Cover bedding with dust-proof material, avoid unnecessary dust-raising activity, avoid breathing dust raised by vacuuming and cleaning, and avoid having the reservoirs such as carpets and cloth-covered furniture from which airborne dust is raised. Wash or clean clothing which is likely to be a reservoir. Covering pillows and mattresses with allergen-impermeable covers will contain dust mites and their waste products and reduce exposure to dust mite allergen. Additional measures include washing stuffed toys and vacuuming and steam cleaning carpets. Cover all furnace outlets in the room with special filters or cover the outlets with 10 thicknesses of cheesecloth or muslin. This will catch dust in the furnace air.

The battle against the dust mite can be won but it will be a constant and never ending battle.

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Tagged as: Alternative down comforters, cleaning, dust, dust mites, mattresss, Pillows

Down Alternative Comforters

Posted in Allergies, Alternative down comforters, Choosing a comforter, Comforters, Factors affecting sleep by admin
Feb 22 2010
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Sleep is certainly nature’s most significantly gratifying restorative designed for worn out bodies. A good nights’ sleep isn’t really an extra; it is a requirement. In cases where one is sneezing and hacking and coughing almost all night as a consequence of allergies to down feathers or dust consequently a lot of our essential sleep is unobtainable.

Down alternative bed comforters have been developed specifically to help alleviate one’s sneezing that comes as a result of allergy symptoms.

There are a lot more down alternative comforters in the marketplace than you might be conscious of. There are plenty of man made as well as many created using natural fibers.

Polyester, a petroleum byproduct, is usually spun directly into extremely narrow fibres Advancements in production have resulted in the actual generation of fine, higher loft fibres that can be used in down alternative bed comforters. Polyester tackles the actual rumble and tumble of automatic washers together with dryers very well. The fabric will not clump up or simply compress readily. Even though they may not necessarily compete with the regular down in terms of warmth plus sturdiness, they appear quite close and you experience very much the same sensations as that of a regular down comforter. Fortunately they are a great deal less pricey than the regular down.

Primaloft can loft, is incredibly soft but Primaloft betters goose down in its resilience. Where conventional goose down may slowly and gradually wear out, Primaloft lasts and endures, typically three times more time compared to standard down. On the other hand, it will cost you, approximately as much as a real down comforter and the warranty will not be as extensive.

Hypodown is proven to be an important fill which is made from producing a mixture of 80% white goose down and 20% Syriaca clusters from the milkweed plant. Hypodown is actually warmer, much more breathable, and more durable than down on it’s own. With a Hypodown bed comforter, the wetness will be transferred from your body as well as released to the air 30% quicker than down and about 70% quicker than man made filled comforters . The hypoallergenic Hypodown is proven to trap all of the dust and it prevents it from being inhaled. Hypodown Bed comforters are an excellent alternative for those sensitive to dust mites.

Wool comforters regulate body temperature, helping to keep your heartbeat constant and are as expected non-allergenic. Wool comforters breathe with a process referred to as wicking. What this really does is to remove dampness from the body. Dust mites, one of the main reasons for bronchial asthma and other allergies inside the master bedroom, have a difficult time establishing a permanent residence inside wool comforters because of wool’s dry, porous nature. Among the truly attractive highlights of a wool comforter is that it’ will retain its shape as time passes. It is light and portable, won’t shift around or settle directly into clumps like a down comforter might.

A silk bed comforter is not only luxurious but also very strong as well as naturally hypoallergenic. It offers as much lightweight, breathable warmness as a normal down bed comforter. Whenever silk, made by silkworms, is employed to fill a bed comforter, its fibers are generally spun, definitely not woven. Silk bed comforters tend to be a bit flatter compared to down comforters, but they produce exactly the same warmth.

The options are numerous but even if you are unlucky to experience allergic reactions – now you too can benefit from the sensual experience a comforter produces.

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Tagged as: Allergies, Alternative down comforters, down comforter, fills, silk comforter, wool comforters

Color Your Bedroom Relaxing

Posted in Colors, Comforter Sets, Duvet covers, Factors affecting sleep by admin
Feb 15 2010
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We spend one third of our lives in this room so it is absolutely critical that our bedrooms be as relaxing and pleasing to the senses as possible. If we cannot feel completely at ease – how can we possibly attain the needed sleep, essential for us to perform at our maximum potential.

How does one create their own personal oasis? Where do we start ?

Personally I start with the bed linens. Choose a comforter or quilt and work outwards from there. If one owns a comforter or duvet, which are usually white or light beige, then duvet covers are a godsend. Not only do they protect but one can also change the colors as our moods or the season dictates.

Remember that tranquil areas are usually decorated in more subdued shades, sometimes even using absolute neutrals; nevertheless, it really is up to you to choose which hues are the most relaxing and tranquil for yourself.

Develop a relaxing color palette. The most soothing hues tend to be blues, greens as well as  light tans and beiges.

Green is certainly regarded as being the most relaxing color for the eye. Greens as well as blues  tend to be reminiscent of the variegated colorings of the Caribbean Sea.

Greens, just like other cool colorings, help to make bedrooms appear lighter and bigger. Although these colors can look and feel cold by themselves, they can possess a spectacular effect whenever combined with various other colorings.

Green is a healing and relaxing coloring.  Greens are a stress-free shade and reds on the other hand could possibly get your adrenaline flowing. Greens can also be soothing, which explains why they are frequently used in hospital wards.

Blue is known to have a soothing effect whenever chosen as being the principal color selection of any room. When choosing blue opt for less harsh shades of blue. Blue is better connected with water. Blues run the gamut of cool blues through to blue blacks, smooth and delineating and also mirror onto the green palette presenting an array of strong aquas.

The natural or earth tones – taupe, beige, brown colors, terracotta, and so forth – will give a much needed restful feeling and may behave as the complementing foundation that can be used with almost every other shades effectively.

Neutrals are usually blacks, whites as well as greys and can be employed for dramatic relief in opposition to the stronger feature colorings.

So create you own personal oasis by choosing the bedroom colors as per your choice and taste. This is your room.

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