Food Fun Family

Sleep Well in the New Year with the Brentwood Sleep Wellness Bundle

Lolli — Tue, 20 Dec 2016 22:10:34 +0000

This giveaway is brought to you by Brentwood Home and does contain affiliate links. We were sent the same bundle that I’m giving away below, but all opinions are my own.

My husband has had trouble sleeping for years. He simply can’t find a position that keeps him feeling consistently comfortable throughout the night.

So it was pretty incredible news when he declared, after the first night sleeping with our new pillows from Brentwood Home, that he had slept more soundly and more comfortably than he could remember doing for years.

Sleep matters. A good night sleep sets you up for being productive during the day, for getting more done. When I start my day with a sufficient amount of restful sleep, then I get more done, I have a better attitude, and I am a happier person.

In contrast, a restless, short, or interrupted sleep usually sets me up for a grumpy, distracted, unproductive day.

Nobody has time for that!

As we approach another January (I’m still in denial that 2016 is over!!), I’m thinking about my goals for the coming year, as I usually do at the end of December. One of my goals, year after year, is to get better sleep. There are so many things I can do to improve my sleep – from setting a bedtime for myself and sticking with it to getting better pillows to support my neck and back.

Luckily, Brentwood Home sent us each two new pillows that are helping us with a big part of our “better sleep” goal. We each received a Helena Latex Filled Pillow and a Carmel Latex Pillow. The Carmel pillow is the perfect amount of soft firmness for my head and neck, and the Helena is ideal to support my back while laying on my side. I love that the Carmel is a firm, formed pillow and the Helena is a soft, plyable pillow. They work so well together!

Helena Latex Filled Pillows – Filled with a combination of 100% natural latex ribbons and silky-smooth kapok fibers, this pillow is both fluffy and supportive. This is my ideal cuddle up, huggable, lean-against kind of pillow!

Carmel Latex Pillows – Made with 100% natural latex, the Carmel pillow is ideal for those in need of a firm, supportive foundation through the night. This is my ideal under-the-head supportive pillow that makes my neck feel amazing!

Check out all of the bedding – from pillows, sheets, quilts and more – that Brentwood Home has to offer! Brentwood Home is committed to create the most comfortable and most natural sleep products as possible to give you your best night’s sleep.

Click HERE for a coupon for 10% off the entire store!

Enter to Win a SLEEP WELLNESS BUNDLE ($276.00 Value!)

One winner will receive FOUR new pillows: 2 (two) Helena Latex Filled Pillows and 2 (two) Carmel Latex Pillows.

Enter to win these four amazing pillows, worth a total of $276, on the giveaway widget below. This giveaway is courtesy of Brentwood Homes and will run through January 4, 2017 at 11:59 pm ET. After the giveaway is closed, a winner will be selected at random and notified via email. Residents of the US only, please.

Good luck….and good night, sleep tight!

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7 Tips For a Better Night Sleep #CommitToSleep

Lolli — Mon, 04 May 2015 10:30:40 +0000

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Sleep Number for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.

Did you know? According to research, it takes 30 days to break a bad habit, so in honor of Better Sleep Month in May Sleep Number is challenging their fans to create some good sleep habits and break some bad ones. How will you #CommitToSleep during Better Sleep Month?

According to a recent Sleep Number® survey, Americans are getting an average of 6.7 hours of sleep which is well below the recommended 8 hours. I know I’m even further below the recommended number of hours…usually closer to 5 hours per night.

While I am probably not the idea person to be giving sleep tips, I can tell you for sure that I am a person who NEEDS sleep tips, so I have gathered a few of my favorite tips (ie – some things that I do and swear by, and a few of the things that I know will help ME #CommitToSleep this month!)

Tips For a Better Night Sleep

Cut the caffeine – Resist the urge to have another Coke past early afternoon. Even though you might not feel the effects of your 4:00 pm soda, your body might still be effected by it.
Power down – experts suggest stepping away from all electronics (computers and mobiles phones, TVs and more) an hour before bed time. This is a challenge for me, as I tend to get my best work done after 10pm.
Set an alarm…to go TO bed – most of us are used to setting an alarm to wake up each morning. In my case, I have to start waking kids up at 5:00 am every weekday. My wake-up time is non-negotiable. So my go-to-bed time should be non-negotiable, too.
Add white noise – I have a hard time sleeping when the room is too quiet. I sleep much better with a consistent white noise in the background, like the sound of a fan or a noise machine. I actually love using an app on my phone (“brown” noise is my favorite).
Black out – studies say that blue lights (like small lights from electronic devices and alarm clocks) interrupt sleep. Do yourself a favor and turn them over, cover up the lights, or turn them off all together (who uses a traditional alarm clock, anymore, anyway? Keep the bedroom dark and you’ll sleep better!
Create a sleep routine – kids have a bed time routine, so it makes sense that adults should have one, too. Stick with your routine, even if it’s as simple washing your face and brushing your teeth and getting dressed in pjs to get your body and mind prepared for sleep.
Get comfortable – being comfortable in bed makes a huge difference in sleep quality. Our Sleep Number bed has helped us immeasurably get comfortable at night, especially since my husband and I have such different comfort needs.

Last week, I talked about Sleep Number®’s SleepIQ® Technology, which allows you to track your sleep right from your bed. I visited a Sleep Number® store where I was shown the pressure my body was feeling on the mattress I was laying on.

The first image shows my body laying on a very firm mattress. As the employee took the firmness down, I could see that pressure being reduced, but most importantly, I could FEEL the difference. My body likes a soft 25, but as the associate reminded me – numbers don’t matter. Comfort does. And my body is comfortable at 25.

About SleepIQ® technology

When you know how well you’re sleeping, you can make better decisions about your sleep habits and routine. Sleep Number® makes tracking your sleep easy – with their new SleepIQ® technology, you have nothing to wear, nothing to turn on. All you have to do is sleep. And I like sleep.

Sensors inside Sleep Number® beds work with advanced DualAir technology to measure average breathing rate, average heart rate, movement and bed presence to show you the quality of your sleep.

You can use the data collected to make changes to improve your sleep, such as your Sleep Number® setting, or your daily routines like diet and exercise.

Enter the Sleep Number #CommitToSleepSweeps

Enter Sleep Number’s sweepstakes by sharing your commitment on Instagram or Twitter with hashtag #CommitToSleepSweeps, or by visiting the sweepstakes landing page at SleepNumber.com/CommitToSleep (get more details by visiting the link).

Ready to give Sleep Number® a try? Check the Sleep Number store locator for a location near you!

How do you plan to #CommitToSleep for May’s Better Sleep Month?

What’s Your Sleep IQ? #SleepIQ

Lolli — Wed, 22 Apr 2015 12:00:06 +0000

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Sleep Number for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.

Later this month, my husband and I will celebrate our 20th anniversary. It didn’t take us long after we got married to recognize that we had very different opinions on what made for a perfect night’s sleep. I like super soft and pillowy. He likes very firm. He doesn’t understand how my “comfortable” can be supporting my back at all. I don’t understand how he can sleep on a board.

Luckily, with our Sleep Number® bed, we don’t have to agree.

We went through several beds before we finally realized that a Sleep Number® bed was what we HAD to get. And I mean…it was the only option that would ever work for us. I’m convinced. We’re going on at least 10 years with our king sized Sleep Number® bed, and it still makes me happy when I lay down to sleep at night.

Now if only I could figure out how to fit more HOURS of sleep into my schedule, I’d be even happier.

What Is Your Sleep IQ?

How much sleep do you get per night? And when you wake up in the morning, do you feel well-rested? Does your body feel comfortable or do you start the day off achy and tired?

According to a recent Sleep Number® survey, Americans are getting an average of 6.7 hours of sleep which is well below the recommended 8 hours.

I know that I get far less than the recommended 8 hours of sleep – even on the weekends. I don’t have a problem falling asleep or staying asleep. I have a problem getting to sleep on time.

When I started tracking my sleep at the beginning of this year, I was kind of shocked to see that I was often getting less than 5 hours of sleep per night during the week. On the weekend, I was averaging 7 hours.

And it’s not because of the kids that end up in my bed frequently…

According to that Sleep Number® survey, I mentioned a minute ago, 43% of Americans track exercise, 41% track diet, but only 16% track sleep. I have been extremely curious to have my husband start tracking his sleep because he has had sleep issues for years, and I was excited to find out about the new Sleep Number® SleepIQ® technology that makes tracking your sleep super simple. There’s nothing to wear, nothing to turn on before getting in bed at night or before waking up in the morning. All you have to do is sleep and SleepIQ® technology takes care of the rest.

How Does SleepIQ® Technology Work?

Walt, the friendly associate who helped me at my local Sleep Number® store, explained the SleepIQ® technology: Sensors working directly with advanced DualAir technology inside the Sleep Number® bed measure average breathing rate, average heart rate, movement and bed presence to show you the quality of your sleep.

You can then view your sleep results on an app or online and use that data to help identify routines and factors that affect sleep. You can use that information (plus data that you can “journal” in) to make decisions to improve your sleep – like how much diet and exercise effect your sleep, how much caffeine intake effects your sleep, how the firmness or softness of your bed effects your sleep, and more. The more information you give SleepIQ®, the more help it can give you in return for a better night’s sleep.

And the cool part? SleepIQ® technology is available with all Sleep Number® beds.

We are already big fans of the Sleep Number® bed, and couldn’t imagine sleeping without ours. I was happy when Walt reminded me that Sleep Number® beds come with a 25 year warranty. He did recommend checking and flipping the foam piece on our pillow-top mattress to give it a fresh feel. I am so glad that we made the Sleep Number® choice years ago. However…if I had to do it over again, I’d get this bed: the FlexFit 2 with adjustable base. Seriously. My dream bed!

Do You Know Your Sleep Number®?

My Sleep Number® is a soft 25 – but when Walt showed me the pressure being relieved on my back as he took that number down, I was reminded…the number doesn’t matter. One number isn’t better than another. Find what number works for YOU for your ideal night’s sleep. Mine is 25. My husband’s is much higher. Thank goodness we don’t have to sleep on the same firmness!

Check the Sleep Number store locator to find the store nearest you and see what YOUR Sleep Number® is.

Learn more at https://www.sleepnumber.com/sleepiq and let me know in the comments below why you need a Sleep Number® bed.

Terrific, Wonderful, Awesome, Very Good Night #Giveaway #VeryBadDay

Lolli — Sat, 04 Oct 2014 20:38:33 +0000

I’m sure you’ve seen my tweets and Instagram and Facebook photos about my recent press trip to LA for the #VeryBadDayEvent. I’m excited Mattress Firm has offered an exclusive giveaway to those of us on that press trip (see below…it’s exciting. And it’s PURPLE)…in addition to the HUGE “Sleepstakes” that they are running. Mattress Firm is sending a Lux Living Memory Foam Lux Gel Pillow to me AND to one winner from my blog (a $129 value!)…so be sure to scroll down for the giveaway JUST for Better in Bulk readers! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

“Terrific, Wonderful, Awesome, Very Good Night” Sleepstakes

In Celebration of Disney’s “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day” coming to theaters this month (October 10!!) Mattress Firm is holding a “Terrific, Wonderful, Awesome, Very Good Night” Sleepstakes Contest. You can enter for a chance to win $5,000, a Beautyrest queen-size mattress and more. The Sleepstakes is running now through October 28.

After entering the Sleepstakes, all participants will receive a special coupon for $100 off their mattress purchase of $598 or more, to ensure all entrants can enjoy a “terrific, wonderful, awesome, very good night.” Enter the Sleepstakes contest HERE.

Connect with Mattress Firm online at mattressfirm.com, or on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

About The Movie

Disney’s “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day” follows the exploits of 11-year-old Alexander (Ed Oxenbould) as he experiences the most terrible and horrible day of his young life—a day that begins with gum stuck in his hair, followed by one calamity after another. But when Alexander tells his upbeat family about the misadventures of his disastrous day, he finds little sympathy and begins to wonder if bad things only happen to him.

He soon learns that he’s not alone when his mom (Jennifer Garner), dad (Steve Carell), brother (Dylan Minnette) and sister (Kerris Dorsey) all find themselves living through their own terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. Anyone who says there is no such thing as a bad day just hasn’t had one. “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day,” directed by Independent Spirit Award-winner Miguel Arteta (“The Good Girl,” “Cedar Rapids,” “Youth in Revolt”) from a screenplay by Rob Lieber, is a 21 Laps Entertainment/Jim Henson Company production. The film hits theaters nationwide Oct. 10, 2014.

Connect with ALEXANDER:

Like ALEXANDER on Facebook: Facebook.com/DisneyAlexander
Follow ALEXANDER on Twitter: @DisneyPictures
ALEXANDER AND THE TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY opens in theaters everywhere on October 10th!

Win a Lux Living Memory Foam Lux Gel Pillow

About the prize: The Lux Living Memory Foam Lux Gel Pillow combines the best of both worlds. The cooling Lux Gel creates the perfect sleep surface and puts an end to pillow flipping, while advanced memory foam alleviates pressure points and supports your head and neck for deeper, longer, more restful sleep. Retail Value $129.00.

One winner from Better in Bulk entrants will win one of the above pillows. Simply enter on the Rafflecopter form below before midnight 10/18. A winner will be chosen at random and notified via email. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

6 Critical Steps to Better Sleep #BetterSleep

Lolli — Tue, 21 May 2013 18:52:39 +0000

This post has been sponsored by the Better Sleep Council, in the form of a new mattress (yay!). No monetary compensation has been received and, as always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

When asked the question, “Do you feel that, on average, you are getting enough sleep?” I didn’t have to pause to think of my answer.

“No, I definitely don’t get enough sleep,” I said. “I wish I could sleep more, but at night after the kids go to bed, I have a few hours of really productive work time and I have a hard time giving up that time (and turning off my mind!) to go to sleep early.”

I have gotten into a few detrimental sleep habits…and although I know that they aren’t good for me, it has been difficult for me to make any changes. I rarely drink caffeinated sodas after lunch, but I do like an evening snack. I tend to work after the kids go to bed until I am so tired I can no longer keep my eyes open. I love sleeping with the windows open, despite the fact (or sometimes because of the fact) that our backyard sounds like a bird sanctuary. I keep my iPad and phone charging or just sitting on my nightstand, just inches away from my pillow. My phone is my alarm, so I feel like I have to keep it close. I like to check my email right before I go to sleep, often after I’ve turned the lights out to go to bed.

I could go on and on…I’m a horrible example of good sleep habits, not to mention the fact that I tend to get between 5 1/2 and 7 hours of sleep per night.

Two weeks ago, I kept a sleep journal and was brutally honest about the things I did and didn’t do surrounding sleep, bedtime routines, and my bedroom environment. Last week, I got that survey back with a handful of the most helpful sleep-related tips ever.

Sleep expert and Certified Clinical Sleep Educator, Terry Cralle, RN gave me this advice, “Sleep is a biological necessity – critical to your quality of life – affecting everything from your productivity to your health to your mood.” Sleep deprivation leads to a host of problems including decreased performance and alertness, impaired memory, stress and accidents. Did you know that studies have shown that sleep deprivation can also increase your risk for stroke, diabetes, osteoporosis, depression, heart disease, obesity and cancer?

Here are 6 customized tips that Terry shared to get better sleep:

Tips to get better sleep

Create a “wind down” routine for the night.

A few things can help with shutting down your brain at night. It’s a very common problem! Complete your to-do list (and perhaps a separate worries and problems list) for the following day – several hours prior to bedtime. It will help to clear your mind. Also, be sure to have a bedtime routine. A relaxing, pre-sleep routine (sometimes referred to as a pre-sleep ritual) helps you transition from wakefulness to sleep. The repetition of a personal sleep routine actually serves as a prompt to your mind and body to wind down and prepare for sleep. You will begin to associate the activities of your sleep routine with going to sleep. Your routine can consist of a few steps that you can follow every night – and can include activities such as lowering the lights, turning off electronics, getting ready for bed, having some tea, reading non-engaging, non-fiction, doing a crossword puzzle, listening to calming music, taking a warm bath, and some meditation, yoga, guided visualization or breathing exercises to help with relaxation.

Create a sleep-conducive environment that is dark, quiet, comfortable and cool. Make your bedroom a sleep sanctuary – a relaxing, restful retreat with no electronics or work related items visible. Try mental exercises – like listing all animals that start with the letter “A” or list one vegetable for every letter of the alphabet – or think of relaxing scenes or images. Don’t use electronics in bed either. Our beds should be reserved for sleep and sex only – and not associated with doing work-related activities such as checking emails.

Head to bed earlier.

Try going to bed earlier – even for one week to see how you feel. You may just end up liking how you feel with a good night’s sleep! With very few exceptions, most people do require between 7-9 hours of sleep daily.

While most of us assume that sleep hours cut into our productive hours – we are actually more productive with sufficient sleep! So while it may seem counterintuitive, your productivity should increase with sufficient sleep time, because you will have more energy and think more clearly – while working smarter and more efficiently.

Research has demonstrated that we can’t train ourselves to require less sleep. Some people can try to get by on less sleep – but the short and long term consequences to health and quality of life are not worth the risk. Only a small number of individuals are genetically “short sleepers”, and it is estimated that they represent only 1-3% of the entire population.

Replace your mattress.

We recommend replacing mattresses every 5-7 years. Ten years is the upward limit of mattress life. Dust mites, dirt and allergens will have collected over that period of time. Also, changes in your body, lifestyle and sleep needs have probably occurred in that 10 year period; necessitating replacement.

Avoid electronics for 1 hour before bedtime.

Checking emails at bedtime can negatively impact your sleep. The light from electronic devices is a concentrated blue light which mimics daylight, suppressing melatonin, a natural hormone which helps you to sleep. These portable devices are also held much closer to the eyes than a computer or television screen – and therefore may be even more disrupting to sleep. Sleep researcher Dr Chris Idzikowski has been quoted as saying that checking your e-mails before bed on any electronic device is essentially the equivalent to drinking a double espresso at bedtime!

While the best recommendation is to avoid all electronics for one hour prior to bedtime, there are ways to reduce the negative effects of screen usage at night by dimming the brightness and lowering the color temperature of your electronic devices. There is an app available called F.Lux which automatically detects when it’s nighttime, and adjusts your screen light accordingly, lessening the negative impact of the blue light on your sleep.

Additionally, using electronic devices at bedtime can create a false alertness which can make it difficult to settle down and drift off to sleep. One Japanese research study showed that people who use electronic devices just before bedtime report lower-quality sleep even when they get as much sleep as those who do not use them before bedtime. Using the devices often encroaches upon your overall sleep time by further delaying bedtime.

Cut out the caffeine.

Try limiting caffeine intake before bedtime to see if that does not help you with winding down. It can reduce your total sleep time and increase the likelihood of waking up during the night. Many experts recommend avoiding caffeinated beverages as much as eight hours before bedtime due to the extended length of time it remains in your system after consumption.

Eliminate light and noise sources.

Exposure to noise during sleep can be very disruptive to your sleep, even if it does not wake you up. Some studies have shown that noise can have negative effect on sleep stages and cause more tossing and turning – negatively impacting your sleep quality. Unfamiliar noise, and noise during the first and last two hours of sleep, has the greatest disruptive effect on the sleep cycle.

In addition to avoiding electronics prior to bedtime, be sure to eliminate light sources in your bedroom as best you can to get the best quality sleep possible Once again, light is one of the most important external factors that can affect sleep. Your brain will not produce melatonin in the presence of light. Melatonin is one of the hormones that help you fall asleep and stay asleep to get the recuperative sleep your mind and body requires. You may want to try black out curtains and to cover the lights on the power strips. The luminous rays from a digital alarm clock can be enough to disrupt your sleep cycle. Some people find a light blocking sleep mask to be helpful. A dark room is the most conducive to a good night’s sleep.

Join me at the #BetterSleep Twitter Party!

This Thursday, May 23, in honor of this year’s Better Sleep Month, I’ll be co-hosting a twitter party with the Better Sleep Council. In addition to a ton of helpful sleep tips and information, we’ll be giving away several $25 gift cards as well as one $125 gift card. Here are all of the details you need to join us:

What: Better Sleep Council Twitter Party (custom tweetgrid for the party)
When: Thursday, May 23 from 9:00 – 10:30 p.m. ET
Hashtag: #BetterSleep
Who: Host – @Sleepocalypse | Better Sleep Council
Co-host Bloggers – @1momof5 (me!) and @BusyWorkingMama (Aleks, BusyWorkingMama)
Expert participants – @PowerofSleep – Terry Cralle, RN, Sleep expert
Better Sleep Council participants – @KarinSleeps and @MaryHelenSleeps
And YOU!

Hope to see you there!

Sleepocalypse? I’m Taking the #BetterSleep Challenge

Lolli — Wed, 15 May 2013 16:01:35 +0000

This post has been sponsored by the Better Sleep Council, in the form of a new bed (yay!). No monetary compensation has been received and, as always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Did you know that May is Better Sleep Month? Now, that is a holiday I can truly embrace. When was the last time you got consistently good sleep, where you slept sufficient hours at night and woke up refreshed and not sore or tired?

I’m guessing that the last time I had consistently good sleep and enough of it was when I was a child. As a teen, I stayed up late doing homework and woke up extra early to go to a before-school religion class. Then I was off to college (does anyone get enough sleep in college?) and soon on to married life while still living the college life. I went straight from college to being a mom, and everyone knows that moms with babies don’t get enough sleep.

My babies are grown enough now that I technically don’t have a good excuse for not getting enough sleep, other than the fact that I have developed a habit and fallen into a rut. This month I took a sleep survey, answering some basic questions about my sleep environment and habits – and I was both ashamed at times and surprised by some of my answers. Here are a few of the points from the sleep survey (and a few “better sleep red flags”) that stood out to me…

My sleep habits and environment:

I go to sleep around 11:30 pm each night – sometimes later, but rarely any earlier. I wake up at 5:50 am 5 days a week and sleep in until 8 or 9:00 am on the weekends.
I work in my room. I know that having my bed right next to my work desk/computer is a big no-no, but I don’t have another room to put my office.
Some of my most productive work is at night, after 9:30 (ie, after the kids have gone to bed). While I am often tired after dinner, I get a boost of energy and motivation because I am so productive in the evening hours. I have a hard time shutting my brain down for the night.
I keep my iPad and cell phone on my nightstand at night. Checking emails and statuses are usually the last AND the first things I do each day.
I’ve got chargers and an alarm clock that all let off blue or green lights in my room.
I like sleeping with the windows open and often have nature and street noises and lights coming in through my windows (have you ever noticed how bright the moon is?).
I prefer sleeping with some kind of white noise (fan, humidifier, or sound machine). Silence makes my mind go to over-time AND I notice the snoring more. Yes, there’s snoring, too.

The result? I am often tired. I crave naps and hit a wall in the afternoon where I am not productive in my work at all. I don’t exercise enough (I’d rather sleep when I really should be going to the gym).

Within the next week, I’ll be receiving a plan with personalized feedback about my sleep habits from registered nurse and sleep health and wellness professional, Terry Cralle. I admit that I’m a little scared to hear what she has to say about my bedtime routine, my lack of hours in bed, and especially about my bedroom home office space.

As hard as it is to make changes, though, I do recognize that a comfortable and restful night’s sleep (that includes plenty of solid hours in bed) makes a huge difference in productivity, mood and over-all health. When I do, on occasion, get enough sleep, I have more energy and use my time more efficiently. While I know that this is the case, it’s still hard to make changes in my routine. I know I’m not alone in this!

Shopping for a new mattress

About a week ago, we headed out to a local Sleepy’s location to pick out the perfect mattress. The Sleepy’s employee who guided us to the right mattress was so helpful. We started out by taking their Bed Match “test” which helped the Sleepy’s mattress professional find the right kinds of mattresses to show us. In selecting a mattress, she said there are a few basic questions to kick off your search. First, what size mattress? Then, what type of mattress (spring, foam, air, combos)? And, lastly, what sort of mattress top (pillow top, plush, Euro top)?

I am personally drawn to pillow top mattresses (our helper described my preference as “marshmallow beds”). She had us lay on several mattresses for several minutes each, and she pointed out that typically when a customer has found the right bed, she knows it before they do because she can sense it in their face and body language. When you find a bed that fits your body and sleeping preferences, your body instantly relaxes.

Making the final decision was not easy, but Sleepy’s was incredibly helpful in coming to our final choice.

I’m hoping that implementing the personalized tips and suggestions from the Sleep Professional along with the better sleep from sleeping on a new mattress will transform my sleep. I’ll be reporting back in a few weeks to let you know how it has been going.

About The Better Sleep Council

Established in 1979, the Better Sleep Council (BSC) is a non-profit organization supported by the mattress industry. The BSC is devoted to educating the public about the importance of sleep to good health and quality of life and about the value of the mattress and sleep environment in pursuit of a good night’s sleep.

Often, people will make everything else a priority before sleep, but sleep on a quality mattress is quite literally the foundation to be at our best each and every day. It is the BSC’s goal to “wake up” the world, and awaken them to the importance of sleeping 7-8 hours on a comfortable, supportive mattress. We all know how it feels after a bad night’s rest, and conversely, how we feel after sleeping great!

Connect with The Better Sleep Council:

Visit the Better Sleep Council website for a ton of better-sleep tips, quizzes, and resources
Facebook Page: facebook.com/BetterSleepCouncilOrg
Twitter: @sleepocalypse

Win a free mattress for Better Sleep Month!

Be sure to enter the Sleepocalypse Sweepstakes. The prize is something you do not want to miss – a $2000 gift card to purchase a new bed! The sweepstakes runs through June 1, 2013.

Five Tips To Get Kids To Bed (And To Stay in Bed!)

Lolli — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 14:30:46 +0000

The kids’ bedtime is both my favorite and most dreaded part of the day. Getting kids out of bed in the morning and dressed and ready for school is a lot of work, but it’s manageable. The trick is to keep everybody moving until they’re moving their way out the door. Helping four school-aged kids with homework after school is a lot to handle, but it keeps my mind active. And my kids are good students. Dinner-preparation hour is often the crazy hour at our house. The kids are tired and restless. Their after-school melancholy has disappeared, they’ve finished their chores and their homework, and they either want my attention (in the form of endless questions and hanging on to my legs)….or they are getting on each other’s nerves.

To put it mildly, when bedtime rolls around, I am ready. I want those kids in bed, and I have never quite understood their hesitation to GO to bed or stay in bed once I leave the room. When do people change from fighting sleep like it’s a punishment to craving sleep like it’s a treat?

I have been putting children to bed now for 13 years this month. I have not always been successful at it, but I have learned a few things along the way. Here are a few tips that have worked for us. Now if only I could remember all of them on any given night….

1- Develop a bedtime routine (that’s a given, isn’t it?). Brush teeth, go potty, get dressed in pjs, read a story, etc. Do whatever it is that relaxes your child.

2- Make bed time a happy time. I realized many years ago that I wanted my kids to get to sleep so desperately that it was an angry time. I was making the act of going to bed something that they were being punished to do. Instead, I try to make story time a pleasant, cuddly time. And often, I will snuggle with the little kids in their bed.

3- Make the rest of the house really boring. There’s nothing more frustrating to a child trying to go to sleep than laughing or tv sounds coming from downstairs. The more we turn off lights and limit our activities for a while, the faster the kids will settle down ad go to sleep.

4- Find out what helps your child sleep and implement it into the routine. For one child it’s having the door closed. For another, it’s playing the “bedtime playlist” on the iPod. Yet another loves to sleep with a fan blowing towards her bed. I personally like to sleep with a sound machine. Figuring out what helps each child fall asleep and stay there can be tricky (it takes some trial and error) but it is so worth it!

5- Keep your kids active during the day. Nothing produces deep, night-long sleep like some good tiring play earlier in the afternoon.

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What are your tips and tricks for getting your kids to have a good night’s sleep?

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