Are you in the market for a comforter set that will last for years? Investing in a high-quality comforter might seem expensive, but it is an investment worth making. From increased comfort and softness to enhanced warmth and insulation, there are many benefits of investing in a good quality comforter set. Let's take a look at 10 reasons why investing in a high-quality comforter is worth the price tag.
First, you'll enjoy increased comfort and softness that only comes from high-quality bedding. High-end materials are used to craft these luxurious comforters for superior comfort and durability. In addition, the fabrics are woven with extra fine yarns for improved softness and coziness.
Second, high-end comforters provide enhanced warmth and insulation to keep you comfortable throughout the night. These breathable fabrics efficiently regulate your body temperature while you sleep, keeping you warm during cold winter nights and cool during warmer summer evenings. Plus, they're designed to resist allergens and other irritants so you can enjoy a restful, uninterrupted sleep.
Third, high-quality comforters are designed to be durable and long-lasting. They feature quilting methods that ensure even distribution of the fillers throughout each corner of the bedding for years of use. Plus, they are made from fabrics with enhanced stain resistance properties so you don't have to worry about spills or accidents ruining your investment.
Fourth, comforters made from hypoallergenic materials have allergy-reducing properties which make them an ideal choice for those who suffer from allergies or asthma. These special fabrics can effectively block out allergens and other irritants for improved comfort during sleep time.
Fifth, investing in a high-quality comforter can improve your sleep quality and reduce tossing and turning. The fabrics are specifically designed to help you fall asleep quickly, maintain a steady temperature during the night, and wake feeling refreshed in the morning.
Sixth, high-end comforters provide a luxurious look and feel that adds value to your bedroom decor. These designer pieces come in a variety of styles, patterns, and colors which will enhance any bedroom's aesthetic appeal.
Seventh, these comforters are versatile enough for use throughout multiple seasons. Thanks to their breathable materials and insulation properties, they can be used all year round so you don't need separate sets of bedding for different times of the year.
Eighth, these comforters are easy to maintain and care for. They can be machine washed with cold water and dried on a low heat setting without any shrinkage or fading of the fabric.
Ninth, investing in high-quality bedding can improve your overall health and wellbeing. Studies have shown that getting a good night's sleep is essential for physical and mental health, so snuggling up in a comfortable, luxurious comforter will help you get quality rest each night.
And finally, investing in a high-end comforter is an investment in quality and comfort for years to come. You'll enjoy the superior luxury of these designer pieces for years without worrying about replacement or damages – making them well worth the price tag.
So if you're looking for superior comfort and long-lasting quality, it's time to invest in a high-quality comforter set. With its many benefits, this investment will be well worth the price tag!
Hope this helps! :)
]]>Dear Overheated,
It is hot out there, isn't it? Where some of us are, the temps are well into the hundreds during the day, and lows at night are in the 90s. Thankfully, you're not the first person to have this problem and there are great ways to keep cool when you're trying to get a good night's sleep. Here's how.
We've talked about a number of different DIY air conditioners that you can make, but they all rely on one principle: using ice from the freezer and a fan to spray cool mist through the air while you're sleeping to keep you cool. You can do this a number of ways, but the tried and true method is a simple desk or standing fan with a shallow bowl full of ice in front of it. As the fan blows and the ice melts, you'll get a fine mist of cool water in the air that will help keep you cool.
Another way to get a similar effect is to spray a sheet with cold water and put it in front of an open window. If there's a breeze, let nature do the work and blow a cool mist through your room or home. Just don't wet the sheets too much.
If you have a breeze or at least a window, instead of just blowing the hot air around your home, set up a through-breeze by putting a pair of box fans at opposite sides of the room, preferably with one in the window, to either draw cooler air in and push hot air out of your room, or push the hot air out of your house entirely. Either way, the through-breeze in your room will make it easier to sleep.
Lifehacker's own Jason Chen swears by his Chillow, a cooling pillow that can help cool your brain and make it easier to fall asleep, even in otherwise hot environments. The Chillow isn't the only kind of cooling pillow on the market: there are others you can find online or in department stores, but all of them work by cooling your brain – it's the same reason we all flip over to the cool side of the pillow during the night when it gets warm.
This old trick won't relieve the heat all through the night, but it may help you fall asleep faster. Put your sheets into a plastic sealed bag and pop them in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes. Make sure the bag is sealed tight so you don't get any moisture in the sheets. If you leave them in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes, they'll cool down, and when it's time for bed, put the now-chilled sheets on the bed and enjoy the quality cold. Granted, your body heat will warm them after even a few minutes, so it's momentary relief at best, but it's still relief.
This old technique calls back to legends of how ancient Egyptians used to stay cool on hot nights. Simply soak a sheet or blanket large enough to cover you in cold water, then wring it dry so it's damp and cool, but not dripping wet. Then just use it as a blanket. As the water evaporates, you get the benefit of staying cool but not wet.
There are a few more common variations on this theme, like the cold washcloth or ice pack on your head or wrists while you sleep, or going to bed with cool, damp (but again, not wet) socks on to keep your feet cool and you comfortable enough to fall asleep.
These are just a few ways you can try to stay comfortable enough to sleep if you don't have a lot of control over where you sleep or the building you're sleeping in. If you have a vented attic or skylight, open that up to let the hot air that's risen to the top of the room out. If you have a downstairs or basement you can sleep in, it might be cooler down there and worth moving for a night or two.
Hopefully these suggestions help you stay cool while you ride out the heat wave. It's important to get a good night's sleep, so make sure to prepare for it ahead of time so you don't spend hours prepping your new, cooler bed that you could have spent sleeping in it. Stay cool!
]]>The Egyptian method requires holding the top and fitted sheets (or just the top sheet) under running water in the shower or tossing them in the washing machine’s spin cycle until saturated. Next step: Wring the sheets out so they are damp but not soaking. Then make your bed as you would usually do. The moist sheets provide a cooling sensation while sleeping. Another option is to use damp towels.
Whether or not this method results in a better night’s sleep depends on whom you ask. Some people swear by it on hot nights. If you enjoy the sensation of water or live in a very warm climate without air conditioning, you may find the Egyptian method improves you ability to drift off at night. Others, however, may find sleeping on a damp bed uncomfortable. With this method, it truly is a case of try it and see for yourself.
There are other ways to keep cool when the temperature rises. Cooling mattresses, which regulate your body temperature while sleeping, are designed to achieve the same result of the Egyptian method with less mess. Wicking sheets and pillowcases that pull sweat away from your body to keep you dry and cool can also help you sleep better on warm nights. Or, try the straightforward approach of cranking up the air conditioner and turning on a fan.
]]>Give yourself a curfew. First, set a specific bedtime for yourself. Turn off all digital devices 30 minutes to an hour before you plan to turn in for the night. The reason: Exposure to light-emitting screens can reset your body’s circadian rhythm, making it harder to fall asleep when you want to. Note: If you are trying to go to bed substantially earlier (like by an hour or two), give yourself curfews in stages—try bumping your bedtime 15 minutes earlier one week, and then 30 minutes earlier the next week, and so on.
Work out earlier in the day. Exercising at least four hours before you hit the sack can help you feel tired before tuck-in time and fall asleep more easily. The exception: Doing some gentle stretches or yoga moves in the evening isn’t likely to wreak havoc on your slumber; in fact, they could help you relax and drift off.
Avoid sneaky stimulants. Steer clear of caffeine (including chocolate and other surprising foods that contain caffeine), nicotine, and alcohol in the evening. The same goes for caffeine-containing pain relievers. All of these can pep you up and interfere with your ability to fall asleep.
Reschedule your bedtime rituals. Get ready for bed—by washing your face, brushing your teeth, putting on your PJs, and relaxing with calming activities such as reading or listening to soothing music—an hour before you want to go to sleep. This will help you downshift into a soporific state. Stick with the same bedtime routine night after night and your mind and body will come to anticipate sleep at an earlier hour.
Set an alarm. To encourage you to stop catching up on tasks around your home and to remind you that bedtime is fast approaching, it helps to set an alert on your phone to go off when it's time to start your bedtime routine. Think of it as launching the countdown to your journey to the Land of Nod.
]]>Anxiety is a major problem for sleep. There’s an abundant body of research that demonstrates the anxiety-sleep connection. I see anxiety wreaking havoc with my patients sleep and I hear from many of you how stress, anxiety, and a “wired and tired” mind interfere with your ability to fall asleep and rest soundly at night. Anxiety can intrude on sleep at any age; kids have this sleep issue, as do many adults. It can occur for all kinds of reasons, from environmental and circumstantial stressors to physical and psychological conditions.
Some time ago, I began working with the company Remzy to develop a weighted blanked designed to help everybody feel more calm, more able to relax in comfort, and better able to sleep. To go along with the Remzy blanket, I also developed a special web-based sleep program specifically for Remzy users. The blanket uses high-density micro beads that provide just the right amount of weight, without a lot of additional thickness. Keeping the blanket on the thinner side helps keep sleepers from getting too warm, no matter where you live or what season it is. Remzy blankets come in different sizes and with removable duvet covers that make it easy to wash and keep clean. It’s a great product I’m really proud of—you can check it out, here: https://getremzy.com.
What’s it like to sleep under a weighted blanket?
A lot of my patients want to know. Many people describe the feeling of a weighted blanket as like being held in a gentle hug. Weighted blankets apply light, even pressure over the entire body. That can help keep you more still when you’re in bed, and provides the soothing sensation of being gently held, which creates for many people a deep sense of relaxation and calm that makes it easier to fall asleep—and may help you sleep more soundly, with fewer restless awakenings during the night.
Weighted blankets have an interior lining that’s filled with evenly distributed weight. Different blankets come at different weights, ranging from 4 or 5 pounds to 25 or 30 pounds. In our research, we determined that 12 pounds of evenly distributed weight was ideal for sleep and relaxation—without excessive pressure or the generation of too much heat (which can interfere with sleep).
How do weighted blankets work?
Think about how comforting and relaxing it feels to be embraced in a good, long hug from someone you love. Think about how soothed a baby is when swaddled, or a child is when snuggled in a parent’s lap. Think about how relaxed—and often sleepy—you feel after you’ve had a massage. Touch and gently applied pressure have powerful psychological and physical effects. Eliciting those effects is what weighted blankets can do.
The evenly distributed weight added to a blanket exerts what’s known as “deep pressure stimulation.” That’s the gentle, firm pressure that can also come from massage, or other physical contact. Deep pressure stimulation lowers arousal. As research shows, deep pressure stimulation decreases the activity of the body’s sympathetic nervous system—that’s the system that promotes alertness and vigilance, and responds to stressful stimuli. It’s the “fight or flight” division of the nervous system. At the same time, deep pressure stimulation increases activity of the parasympathetic nervous system, which is sometimes called the “rest and digest” system. When it’s activated, it lowers heart rate and blood pressure, and increases relaxation and feelings of calm.
A 2015 study examined the effects of deep pressure stimulation from weighted blankets, and found a 33 percent reduction in stress, as measured by a test of physiological signs of arousal. Among the participants, 63 percent reported feeling a decrease in anxiety, and 78 percent said they found using a weighted blanket a preferable way to increase their level of calm.
The changes to nervous system activity that come from deep pressure stimulation are accompanied by a cascade of changes to hormones, which also contribute to lower anxiety and generate feelings of calm. These hormonal changes can also be beneficial for sleep.
May stimulate oxytocin. This hormone can stimulate feelings of attachment and closeness, and generate a deep sense of calm (think about the relaxing feeling of a warm, welcome hug—that’s oxytocin at work). A highly versatile hormone with functions we’re still working to understand, oxytocin plays a number of roles in the body, from stimulating sexual arousal to encouraging social bonding and parent-child attachment, to reinforcing emotional memories.
Oxytocin also plays a facilitating role in sleep. This hormone is one of several that’s involved in regulating our sleep-wake cycles. Oxytocin levels go up during sleep, typically peaking during longer periods of REM deep into a night of sleep. A 2017 study found that increasing oxytocin during sleep can increase sleep time and sleep quality, and may reduce the symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea.
Can decrease cortisol. Research shows deep pressure stimulation reduces levels of cortisol, an alerting hormone that plays a central role in the body’s stress response. The stimulating effects of cortisol make it difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep throughout the night. An evening drop in cortisol is part of the body’s natural progression toward sleep—but feelings of stress, anxiety, and being wound up can interfere with that natural nightly drop. The gentle pressure of a weighted blanket may help your body with its natural nightly suppression of this stimulating hormone.
Can increase serotonin. Research also shows that deep pressure stimulation increases the hormones serotonin a “feel good” hormone that helps keep you in a more relaxed state, day and night. Serotonin helps to stabilize mood and regulate energy levels and also contributes to regulating sleep-wake cycles. A lack of serotonin can lead to depression and anxiety, and to disrupted circadian rhythms. Keeping serotonin levels healthy is one way to encourage healthy, restful, sleep routines.
Serotonin is what’s known as a “precursor” to melatonin, a key hormone that promotes our nightly rest. The body produces melatonin from serotonin through a chemical process; when serotonin levels are deficient, healthy, sleep-promoting levels of melatonin are also at risk.
Interested in learning more about how hormones and their timing affect sleep, and the best times to do everything from snooze to eat to have sex? Check out my recent TED Talk! It was so much fun to do.
How to use a weighted blanket
The short answer is, just like you would any other blanket! When selecting a weighted blanket, you want one that’s heavy enough to exert the pressure you need, but not so heavy that it excessively restricts your movement, feels uncomfortable, or causes you to overheat in bed. Those effects can all be counterproductive to sleep. (That’s why we determined 12 pounds of blanket weight to be optimal for anxiety relief, relaxation, and sleep.)
You may find yourself more inclined to sleep with less clothing with a weighted blanket—go for it! I’m a proponent of sleeping in the nude. (Among other benefits, it may help you stay at a healthy weight, which I wrote about recently.) Go ahead and shed some layers, and let the blanket do the work of keeping you warm and swaddled.
Last point is this, and it’s an important one: DON’T slack off on the rest of your sleep hygiene. A weighted blanket can help you to de-stress, relax, and relieve anxiety. It can help you fall asleep more quickly and sleep better over the course of the night. But it can’t do ALL the work of a good night’s rest. You still need to pay attention to the basics, which are key for healthy sleep:
Let me know what you think of the weighted blanket, and how it works to help you sleep better.
Sweet Dreams,
Michael J. Breus, PhD, DABSM
The Sleep Doctor™
]]>We love talking about sleep so much we can do it in our sleep – true! But believe it or not our SleepBlog isn’t the only blog to offer healthy, interesting sleep tips and advice. We’ve searched the web to bring you the best sleep-related news and advice blogs out there. Here they are for your reading pleasure and research. Enjoy!
The Better Sleep Council. Ready to learn more about getting a good night’s sleep? The Better Sleep Council’s mission revolves around helping people understand how a quality mattress aids in sleeping more soundly. From choosing the right mattress to scientific sleep tips, you’ll find everything you need here: BetterSleep.org.
National Sleep Foundation. The National Sleep Foundation is dedicated to improving health and well-being through sleep education and advocacy. SleepFoundation.org.
Better Sleep = Better Life. This blog’s title says it all. This blog covers everything from sleep disorders to sleep health. They focus on offering advice and research to ensure everyone gets the right amount of sleep needed to live a long, healthy life: Better-Sleep-Better-Life.com.
The Insomnia Blog. Michael J. Breus, Ph.D., a Clinical Psychologist with a specialty in sleep disorders, is dedicated to informing the public and healthcare communities about sleep disorders and “disordered sleep” in a sleep-deprived society: TheInsomniaBlog.com.
Sleep Dallas Blog. Offering resources for sleep apnea sufferers and others who don’t get quality rest, this blog offers insight into a number of sleep-related topics ranging from alcohol consumption to snoring and beyond. SleepDallas.com
Dana Obleman’s Child Sleep Blog. Dana Obleman is a parenting and sleep consultant. Her blog focuses on how to help parents develop healthy sleep habits in their children – she’s the creator of the famous Sleep Sense Program. Load up on Dana’s advice and tips and help your children sleep better at SleepSense.net
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