An old Chinese proverb states, “Only when one cannot sleep does one know how long the night is.” Anyone who’s ever experienced an occasional bout with insomnia—and that’s most of us—can relate to this all too well.

In fact, surveys have shown that between 40 and 60 percent of the general population has trouble sleeping. Daily stress and worries, pressures from job and family, body aches and pains caused by uncomfortable beds or pillows, and a host of other issues can keep a person from getting enough quality sleep.
As wellness experts, doctors of chiropractic can provide patients with a different approach to their sleeping problems-without the use of sleeping pills, which leave many people in a mental haze the next morning. To start, here are a few helpful tips they would recommend for the sleepless in Seattle (or any city, for that matter):

• Exercise regularly. Exercising in the morning is best, but if you must exercise in the evening, do so at least two or three hours before bedtime. Any later, and your increased heart rate can interfere with your sleep.
• Limit your intake of caffeinated beverages such as coffee, colas and tea-try to avoid them altogether late in the day and near bedtime. In addition, for each cup of caffeinated beverages you drink each day, drink an equal amount of water.
• If you have trouble sleeping and then get thirsty, drink tap water at room temperature (cold water may disturb the digestive system).
• Eat an early dinner. Eating after 6 p.m. may interfere with sleep as your body works to digest the food you’ve eaten.
• Go to bed at the same time each night and get up at the same time each morning. The routine will help your body know when it is time to rest.
• Keep your bedroom at a cool, comfortable temperature and try to make it as dark as possible when you’re ready for bed.

Comfort Council member Mary Kelley is an expert in natural ways to ease the transition to sleep. Mary says that summertime can pose special challenges when it comes to getting kids the sleep they need, and offers these tips on keeping kids well rested come summer. Mary’s general guidelines for kids and smart sleep time habits appear below her summer tips.

For more information about Mary, visit www.sleepgarden.com

SUMMER SLEEP TIPS

Travel Smart

• • If vacation takes you to a new time zone, allot a transition day for your children (and you!) to adjust, catch up, sleep, and get acclimated with new surroundings.
  • Make sure and pack at least one favorite bed toy and/or other things that help comfort your child.
  • Try your best to recreate familiar pre-bedtime rituals, like game playing, reading and quiet talking.

Keep It Steady

• • Children need routine. Even though summer’s lazy hours may change a child’s sleep pattern, make sure that your child is always getting the same amount of sleep as during school months.
  • While it is common for summertime bedtimes to slide a little later, do your best to avoid wild fluctuations.
  • As during school months, keep weekend wake-up and bed times consistent with weekday times.

Wind Down

• • Rather than tire a child out, more outdoor, evening activity often does precisely the opposite: leave them tired, but wired and not ready for sleep.
  • Allot enough calm, indoor wind-down time – a long bath, a good book – to make the transition to sleep soothing and easy.

Keep it Dark

• • Longer days mean more light both morning and evening. Kids can be especially light sensitive, making them prone to disrupted sleep patterns come summertime.
  • If your child is light sensitive, think about investing in blackout shades or other light blockers to keep their “sleep nest” sleep conducive.

Give Kids Their Say

• • Most kids hunger for a sense of control. It may sound counterintuitive, but you can put that hunger to work to make bedtime easier and more routine.
  • Summertime is a great time to start a “sleep chart” with your child. With some crayons or markers and a white board or paper, children old enough to write can mark down their bedtime each night, and their wake-up time each morning. Kids love keeping score. Tactics like these can help ease the change to an earlier bedtime, if that’s your goal.
  • Give your child narrow latitude over bedtime. Suggest a “perc” – an extra book, for example – they may choose if they select an earlier bedtime.

Those who got less sleep than they needed had reduced leptin and elevated ghrelin, metabolic hormones that regulate appetite.  Leptin is a blood protein that suppresses appetite and seems to affect how the brain senses when the body has had enough food.  Ghrelin is a substance that makes people want to eat.   “In Western societies, where chronic sleep restriction is common and food is widely available, changes in appetite regulatory hormones with sleep curtailment may contribute to obesity,” says the study’s author.

In another study conducted at Columbia University and St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital in New York, the results also indicate a link between sleep and the various neural pathways that regulate food intake.  The effect of chronic sleep deprivation on the body’s food-seeking circuitry is what specialists think may be making the difference in obesity risks.

Dr. Philip Eichling, a sleep and weight-loss specialist at the U. of Arizona and the medical director of Canyon Ranch, a spa in Tuscon that offers health and weight management programs, notes that sleep deprivation also hurts ‘executive function’ – the ability to make clear decisions.  “One of my treatments is to tell them they should move from six hours to seven hours of sleep.  When they’re less sleepy, they’re less hungry,” he says.  Americans average only a little more than six hours sleep a night, suggesting that the growing prevalence of sleep deprivation might be contributing to the growing obesity epidemic.

Tips for Better Sleep

• Exercise regularly but not close to bedtime
• Avoid alcohol and foods high in sugar, caffeine or salt before bedtime
• Don’t discuss highly emotional issues with your partner right before bed
• Stick to a standard bedtime routine and regular sleep time
• Practice deep breathing if you wake in the middle of the night
• Turn off the TV or computer an hour before bedtime

How can you tell if you have a sleep problem?

It really isn’t so much about how long it takes you to get to sleep or how often you wake during the night as it is about feeling good and productive during the day.  If you are feeling tired every day, then you probably have some kind of a sleep problem.  The National Sleep Foundation published their annual study of sleep habits in America and noted that 28% of high school students fall asleep in school and another 14% fall asleep doing homework.

When you are not feeling alert and “with it” during the day (even when you think you are getting enough rest) you probably have a problem getting quality sleep.  If it persists over a period of weeks, then it is time to consult your primary care physician.

What are some of the reasons people have a hard time going to sleep?

Stress is one of the biggest reasons for having trouble getting to sleep.  Many people have an “overactive mind” that takes over when they lie down to sleep.  They review lists of things that they forgot to do during the day, worry about bills, external events, and generally have a hard time winding down from the stress of their day.  That’s why we created zYoga, the Yoga Sleep Ritual, a product that helps release stress for the neurological system (including the brain) through calming yoga asanas.

Does eating a late snack keep you awake?  What’s the impact of room temperature?

Eating too close to bed time can cause you to have trouble falling asleep.  You have just stimulated your digestive system, making it harder to relax into Stage One sleep.  Even eating highly spicy foods at dinner can make it harder for the digestive system to do its work and impact your ability to sleep.

Room temperature is important since it is hard to sleep if you are uncomfortable.  During the recent heat wave, it was hard for many people to sleep because night temperatures remained high.  In order to get quality sleep you need to be comfortable, not too cold or too hot.  Your body temperature drops during sleep so it is also important to have a blanket or coverlet to reach for if you wake up in the middle of the night.

What physical conditions cause you to lose sleep?  When should you see a doctor and what kinds of tests are used to diagnose sleep problems?

There are many physical conditions that can impact sleep.  One of the most frequent is sleep apnea, a condition in which the sleeper stops breathing repeatedly during sleep.  This makes the person feel sluggish and fatigued during the day and in some cases can be fatal.

The most common diagnostic test to look for sleep disorders is a sleep diary.  In this diary, the patient keeps track of how much sleep they get each night, the time they went to bed, the time the arise and other pertinent information.  By looking at this pattern, the doctor can draw some conclusions regarding the patient’s sleep patterns.

However, to get a more detailed profile, the patient is connected to an instrument that measures brain wave — the electrical impulses that are created by chemical changes in the brain.  His brain wave patterns are recorded over night as he sleeps in the diagnosis center.  Then the doctor looks at the record for abnormal activity that helps identify the disorder.

Another cause of poor sleep can be interactions of various medications that have been prescribed for the patient.  Physicians should be aware of the drugs a patient is taking and the patient should be assertive about telling the doctor about any sleep problems.  Too often, the physician does not ask about the patient’s sleep and the patient neglects to let the doctor know they are having trouble feeling rested.

Is you have a genuine medical reason for losing sleep, is there something you can do for it short of taking sleeping pills?

Yes, there are a number of things you can do:  Make sure your sleep environment is supportive of a great night’s sleep by making it comfortable, dark, and quiet. Move computers, TVs and other electronic distractions into another room.  Stick to a routine and try to go to bed at the same time every night.  Soon the body learns that that time is a cue to sleep.  Eliminate caffeine, stop smoking, and don’t drink alcohol before bed.  Give yourself time to wind down, perhaps take a soothing bath, stretch or read a book.  Don’t engage in stimulating or stressful activities (like paying bills or watching late night news).  These are some of the components of ‘sleep hygiene’ that contribute to getting a better night’s sleep.

If the problem is not medical, what are some of the things a person can do besides taking over-the-counter sleeping pills to make sleep easier?

Again, the sleep hygiene examples given above will help.  Sleep music like Sleep Garden’s zMusic or progressive relaxation like zYoga Lullaby, also from Sleep Garden, can lead you in a relaxing process that culminates in Stage One sleep (the entryway to full sleep) in most people in less than 15 minutes.

Is it bad to leave the TV on if you’re trying to get to sleep?

Generally, the answer to that is yes, it’s not a good idea.  However, some people have become habituated to falling asleep with the TV on.  The TV tube flickering can be disruptive to the sleep process.  We recommend zMovie, a video experience that uses the music bed of zMusic and video of the Pacific Ocean modified to become slower and darker (less flickering) over the duration of the video.  As seen on American Airlines, zMovie lets those who have gotten used to TV as background for sleep induction to wean themselves off of traditional TV.  ZMovie gives the user a far better sleep experience.

Does counting sheep work?

Whether its sheep or muskrats, it probably works because it shuts out other thoughts, focuses your attention on a simple, repetitive task and lets the mind wind down.  Yes, it does work for those who can focus on sheep (or muskrats) but it’s not effective for those who have a higher stress level.  ZMusic meets the mind at its functioning level of activity and then gently drops it down, level by level, from beta brain wave to theta, the opening to Stage One sleep.  Since we all have known how to sleep since birth, the body takes over at that point and does the rest.

What OTC products can help you get a good night’s sleep if your problem is temporary?

Like prescription medications, OTC products are chemical interventions.  And some of them can be helpful if, for example, you are crossing time zones.  However, we encourage people to learn to change their state of consciousness without drugs.  That is why Sleep Garden, Inc. is such an advocate of safe, non-drug, non-ingestible sleep solutions.  We believe you can work to retrain your mind and body to do what it did when you were a child, get a deep night of restorative sleep.

Do most people have trouble getting to sleep?  What is the relationship between losing sleep and age?  Do you need less sleep as you get older?  Do women have more problems falling asleep than men?

First, experts estimate that over 70 million Americans have trouble getting to sleep.  Some portion of these (about 10%), have physical issues such as sleep apnea.  But most have stress-induced insomnia.  Even kids report more and more sleep deprivation.  Age and sleep problems are associated for a number of reasons: increasing use of prescription drugs for other conditions that may interfere with the sleep process, increased stress from family, work and aging in general, as well as a keener awareness of their own body.  They know more readily when they are tired.

Women, the gatekeepers of family health, are generally more open and vocal about health issues than men.  They are more forthcoming in surveys about sleep issues.  And they experience more sleep issues during pregnancy, after birth and during menopause.  Hormonally, the swings they experience create a harder time getting a good night’s sleep.  And they are more vigilant about sleep problems among their children.  But we have found they are the most open to finding non-drug solutions.

Summer is here! The days are longer but that doesn’t mean our sleep patterns should change. We still need the same personal length and quality of sleep that made us feel good and productive during the winter months. But sometimes it is harder to get in the summer. First, the days are longer…there is light later in the day and earlier in the morning. So we can do things earlier and later and we want to make use of the daylight rather than sit inside and read a book or wind down in a nice bath. And it is harder to get comfortable…it can be humid and hot, too cool and dry due to the air conditioning and too bright because the curtains don’t block all the light.

Set The Sleep Scene – So summer is a time to really be alert to your sleep needs. Make sure your shades or curtains can really cover your windows and block out the light. Ensure that your bedding is lightweight and comfortable but that you have enough blankets or comforters in reach to keep you warm if you have air conditioning, as it can get very cool during the middle of the night. You may want to keep a glass of water by the bed if the air conditioning makes it dry in your bedroom. If your air conditioner has a humidifier feature, be sure to use it and keep it filled. It will help keep your throat and nasal cavities from feeling dry in the morning.

Be Consistent – Try to stay on your normal bedtime routine rather than extend your day or wake earlier. Shortening your sleeping time will make you feel tired and less alert. Remember not to exercise or have a meal right before going to bed. Take time to wind down before getting into bed, either with stretching, slow yoga, reading or a bath or shower. Turn off the TV, radio and computer before beginning your bedtime wind down. Pamper your body with a foot rub or fragrant oils to relax you. Or listen to soothing music. In bed, breathe deeply for several minutes, close your eyes and visualize your muscles relaxing starting with your toes and working up to the top of your head.

Keep Kids on Track – For children, summer is magical and tempting. It is exciting to go out after dinner, stay up late, have sleepovers in the tent outside and chase fireflies in the dark. But changing sleep patterns can create grumpy, tired and wired monsters the next day. Remember, kids need their sleep even more in the summer because they are more active, often using more energy outside. Try to keep them to a standard schedule as much as possible, letting them wind down before bed and being consistent from day to day. Make sure their bedrooms can be made dark and their beds are comfortable and cozy after a day of fun exertion. Since they are likely to be more wired than usual, be prepared to spend more time helping them wind down before bed, perhaps even spending time bed-bouncing to get out the excess energy so they can calm themselves and fall asleep. Be sure they have all electronics turned off, if not removed from their bedrooms (preferable). A body massage with some wonderful oil will feel great to them after a day at the beach or pool. And treasure the time you spend with them during this magical time of year, reading, talking about their discoveries and adventures and just listening while the pressures of school are not so intense.

• Exercise. 20 to 30 minutes at least three days a week – but not too close to bedtime.
• Limit Naps. Taking long afternoon naps can interfere with nighttime sleep patterns. If you need a nap, don’t sleep longer than 30 minutes.
• Take A Walk. Studies show people who get adequate natural daylight tend to sleep better at night.
• Create A Good Sleep Environment. Sleep in a cool, quiet, dark room on a comfortable bedding.
• Check Medications. Some medications may cause daytime drowsiness while others may cause sleeplessness. Ask your physician.
• Don’t Worry About Falling Asleep. Stay relaxed. The more you worry, the worse you’ll sleep.
• Sleep on Good Bedding. In the same way you need good glasses to see well, you need good bedding to sleep well. Good bedding helps you fall asleep, stay asleep and prevents damage to your back and neck while you sleep. Start with a good mattress. Layer on top of that a featherbed to cushion body pressure points and improve circulation. Good down and feather bed pillows are adjustable for healthy support and comfortable sleep. Down comforters keep you more comfortable and are lighter than conventional bedding.
• Avoid Caffeine in the Evening. Stimulants such as coffee, tea, chocolates and sodas make it harder to fall asleep and slay asleep.
• Keep Regular Hours. Go to bed at the same time each night and wake up at the same time each morning. Sticking to a schedule helps your biological clock.
• Watch What You Drink. Limit drinking liquids a few hours before bedtime. Drinking alcohol before bed makes it harder to get a good night’s sleep.
• Don’t Go To Bed Stuffed Or Starved. A stomach that is either too full or too empty may cause physical discomfort, making it difficult to sleep through the night.
• Develop A Sleep Ritual. Transition to sleep is easier by doing the same things each night just before bed.

Anti-Bacterial / Anti-Microbial:
Terms applied to products that inhibit the growth of a broad range of bacteria, mold, and fungi.

Back-Filling:
A coating of starches that is applied to the back of a cloth to increase the air perm of the cloth.

Branded Fiberfill:
Fibers that carry national advertising and or distribution. Examples include Dupont Dacron Polyester and Hoechst Celanese Trevira.

Calendering:
A process of passing cloth between one or more rollers under carefully controlled heat and pressure to produce a variety of surface effects or textures.

Cambric Fabric:
A plain weave cloth of 200 thread count of more. Originally made in Cambrai, France.

Cluster Fiber:
Fibers that are rolled into small balls or puffs. A man-made version of down.

Colorfast:
A term used to describe fabrics of sufficient color retention so that no noticeable change in shade takes place during the “normal” life of the garment.

Continuous Filament Fibers:
A fiber that is one long piece. Most polyester fibers are cut into short lengths between 1″ to 3″. Continuous Filament fibers are not cut and can be millions of yards long. Serene pillows contain Continuous Filament fibers.

Crimp:
Waviness in fibers either natural (such as in wool) or manufactured by crimping techniques.

Denier:
A weight-per-unit-length measure of any linear material, usually refers to the thickness of a fiber.

Dobbie Weave:
A method of weaving cloth with a design. Example designs are squares, checks, dots, or any design that employs a 90 degree edge. Doobies are different from Jacquards.

Down:
The soft fluffy clusters found under the breast feathers of ducks and geese. Unlike a feather, down clusters have no quill. Down is very lightweight and warm.

Dry Polyester:
A term used to describe polyester that has no silicone finish on it. Fibers will feel rough and course and will not launder well.

Feather:
One of the light, hollow-shafted growths forming the plumage of birds.

Fiberfill:
Generic term for all synthetic stuffing materials used in battings, quilting, sleeping bags, pillows, etc.

Filling Yarn:
An individual yarn that interlaces with the warp yarn at right angles in weaving fabric.

Jacquard Weave:
Intricate method of weaving invented by Joseph J.M. Jacquard in the years 1801-1804. Jacquard fabrics are fabrics that have a design woven into the cloth. Example designes are flowers or circles and any design that employs curved edges.

Microdenier:
A fiber that is less than one denier. For comparison, a human hair is usually two to four denier. Microdenier is the newest technology in man-made fibers.

Non-Woven Fabrics:
Fabrics that are not woven on a loom. Non-woven fabrics include flet and are usually made of polyester or high polyester blends.

Percale:
A plain weave cloth of 180 thread count or more. A term often used in sheeting.

Plain Weave:
Plain weaves are when the filling yarn passes over one warp yarn then under one warp yarn.

Sateen Weave:
Sateen weaves are when the filling yarn passes over many warp yarns then under one warp yarn.

Slick Polyester:
Term used to describe polyester that has a silicone finish on it. This silicone finish allows each individual fiber to slip past each other. The fiber will feel slippery and will launder better than fibers without this finish.

Staple Fibers:
Fibers that have been cut into a desired length. Most polyester fibers used in filling material is cut between 1″ and 3″ in length.

Spiral Fiberfill:
Polyester fiber that has a spiral crimp. This crimp style causes each fiber to work like a spring.

Thread Count:
The actual number of yarns in one square inch of fabric. For example, percale cloth has 180 yarns in one square inch of the cloth.

Ticking:
Fabric used to contain and/or cover filling material. Term used in mattress and pillow industry to refer to the cloth used.

Twill Weave:
A fabric that is woven where the filling yarn passes over the warp yarn in a set pattern. For example two over one. A pair of blue jeans is a twill weave.

Unbranded Fiberfill:
Fibers that carry no national advertising or national distribution.

Warp Yarn:
The yarns that run vertically or lengthwise in woven goods.

Most polyester filled bed pillows can be washed in a regular washing machine. Machine wash in warm water, gentle cycle. For best results, use front loading machine. Do not bleach. To maintain balance in front loading machine, wash two pillows simultaneously. At the end of complete cycle, reset to normal spin dry cycle for maximum water extraction. Tumble dry and allow pillow to dry thoroughly.

Natural Feather & Down Filled

We recommend professional dry cleaning. Air between cleanings to help freshen.
Feather & Fiber Beds

Because of the bulky size of these products, we recommend spot cleaning only. Take a mild detergent and a damp cloth and gently rub the dirty area until clean. Allow to dry. If you want or must clean the entire product, take to a professional laundry and have featherbeds professionally dry-cleaned and fiberbeds professionally laundered.

Down Comforters
We recommend professional dry cleaning only. Dry cleaning helps protect the down filling as well as the finish of the fabric.

Mattress Pads
Machine wash warm, gentle cycle with like colors. Tumble dry low heat setting. Do not bleach. Do not dry clean.

Polyester Filled Comforters
Machine wash warm, gentle cycle with like colors. Tumble dry low heat. Do not bleach. Warm iron as needed. Do not dry clean unless dry cleaning is recommended by the manufacturer.

Sheets
Machine wash warm, gentle cycle with like colors. Tumble dry low heat. Do not bleach. Warm iron as needed. Do not dry clean.

Duvet Covers
Machine wash warm, gentle cycle with like colors. Tumble dry low heat. Do not bleach. Warm iron as needed. Do not dry clean unless dry cleaning is recommended by the manufacturer.

Sleep Deprivation Quiz

Are you at risk? Answer the questions below:

If you answered yes to two or more of these questions, you may be suffering from a sleep disorder.  Studies indicate that approximately 60 million Americans experience some degree of sleep deprivation while nearly 20 million suffer from sleep apnea.
Sleep Facts

• The American Sleep Disorders Association recognizes 85 sleep disorders

• Losing 1 ½ hours of sleep reduces alertness by 32%

• 1500 deaths a year result from drivers falling asleep at the wheel

• Experts believe the Challenger disaster and several friendly fire accidents in the Gulf war may have resulted in part from sleep deprivation

Women and Sleep

Women report more sleep problems than men.  In a National Sleep Foundation poll 53% of women aged 30-60 reported difficulty sleeping often or always.  However, only 41% of all the women surveyed thought they had insomnia during the past year.

Women also experience more sleep problems because of hormonal variations (menstruation, pregnancy and menopause).  And women report more nighttime pain than men from conditions like migraines, tension headaches, chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia

Where to learn more
National Sleep Foundation (www.sleepfoundation.org)

Making a choice is no simple matter. When comparing Down and Synthetics there are advantages on both sides. As producers of both we take no sides on what ultimately comes down to personal preferences but we are in a perfect position to vouch for their various virtues.

Down is a soft and fluffy cluster material that comes from ducks and geese. Long known as nature’s finest insulating material, Down makes for the lightest weight Comforters that are heavy on warmth.

The general indicators for quality are Fill Power, Thread Count and Stitch Pattern which have to do with increased warmth, more luxurious feel and better heat retention.

Performance and Luxury

The comfort is just as real with synthetics. And the synthetics offer some real advantages, in particular — price. You’re also likely to have a wider range of pattern choices. The comforters are machine washable. And they’re also hypoallergenic.

Whether you choose Down or Polyester, be sure to trust the brand names for best quality.