Monthly Archives: November 2014

Most articles on improving your sleep and addressing problems of insomnia concentrate on the activities that you participate in during the course of your day, the foods and beverages that you take in, the comfort level of your pillow and mattress, and the temperature, noise and light levels in your bedroom. Very few experts take the time to discuss bedding, yet it can play an important role in the comfort you experience. Most people assume that because a set of sheets is expensive or is said to have a high thread count that it is high quality, but that isn’t always the case. Here are some tips to help make sure that your bedding is as comfortable as can be. Continue reading →

With the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention sounding a strident alarm about sleep deprivation reaching “public health epidemic” proportions, it’s no wonder that Americans are searching for ways tot help them improve their sleep quality and quantity. Manufacturers, retailers and software companies are more than happy to oblige and sell them products that promise improvement. It seems like every day another company comes up with a new sleep tracking system. Some come in the form of apps, some are worn as wristbands and some are bedside devices, but all of them provide qualitative feedback that lets consumers know a little bit about their behaviors and sleep cycles. The information’s quality depends in large part on the manufacturer and what is being measured, as well as the accuracy of the device’s sensors. Here are several of the most popular new devices on the market. Continue reading →

A recent study has provided alarming statistics regarding the prevalence of sleep disorders among the nation’s firefighters. The research indicates that as many as forty percent of America’s firemen may be suffering from a sleep disorder, and that the chronic conditions may be the explanation behind sixty percent of firefighter deaths. Continue reading →

Struggling with getting a good night’s sleep? You’re not alone. According to surveys done by a number of health advocates and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, sleep deprivation is a problem that is impacting over one third of the American public, with a reported 30 to 40 percent of men and women getting less than seven hours of sleep per night and one third of adults falling asleep unintentionally over the previous thirty day period. The number of people who are hurt or killed as a result of this happening while they’re driving, over 41,000. represents a completely preventable tragedy. Continue reading →

Recent developments in smartphone applications for sleep have focused on the body’s various rhythms in order to provide a better night of high quality sleep. But now an Israeli teenager has created an app that is a smart alarm clock that takes an analytical look at the rest of your life. It’s called the SmartAlarm, and it is under development with the help of an Israeli company. Continue reading →

NBC’s Today Show has launched a week-long series that revolves around the important issue of sleep in America. The program is going to take a closer look at the fact that America’s level of sleep deprivation has reached epidemic proportions. The show will analyze the details of the trend, the reasons behind it, and what can be done to address and improve the situation.

The show began with the release of a survey that it commissioned to learn more about why Americans can’t sleep. The study found that almost fifty percent of adults, and 65 percent of adult women, would choose a night of good sleep quality and quantity over a night of sex. In fact, 72 percent of those polled ranked sleep as one of life’s great pleasures. But despite our obvious enjoyment and appreciation of getting a good night of rest, 46 percent of those over the age of eighteen admit that they aren’t getting enough of it. Look only at adult women and the number falling short of getting eight hours of sleep reaches an astonishing 58 percent. Continue reading →