Sleep is a critical part of both managing stress and living a healthy lifestyle. During sleep, our body recovers from the stresses of the day and our minds begin to recharge for the next day’s challenges.

Very few of us are getting the sleep our bodies require to function at our best. Work stress, family demands and the ever-increasing amount of electronic distractions keep us from getting that all important good night’s sleep. Most of us think that since we went to bed at 11:30 and woke up at 7:00, we got a solid seven and a half hours of sleep……YET it is not the quantity of sleep we think we got, but the QUALITY of the sleep we get that determines how our body recharges and repairs itself.

Take Mandy, age 36, as an example. Mandy goes to the gym 3 days a week, eats a fairly healthy diet and gets between 7 and 8 hours of sleep each night. So she must be getting a great night’s sleep with a healthy diet, exercise and the amount of sleep she is getting ……Right?…..Think again……Mandy thinks she gets enough sleep each night, but her inability to concentrate well at work each afternoon and her difficulty being able to focus on the tasks at hand led her to do a sleep study. Mandy’s symptoms are what so many of us experience each day, but we pass it off as work stress or we ate a big lunch or that we are just getting older. In fact, what Mandy found was that although she insisted that she slept between 7 and 8 hours each night, she was only getting approximately 3 hours of restful sleep. The balance of the night Mandy spent tossing and turning, dozing on and off for very brief periods of time, trying to get comfortable. Mandy could not get into a comfortable position which in turn would not allow her body to relax and her muscles to release the tension needed to stay asleep.

Sleep better and wake up feeling more rested with this advice.

• Eat meals (especially dinner) at the same time each day and at least two to three hours before bedtime.
• If you nap, limit them to 30 minutes at least six to eight hours before bedtime. One trick is to drink a cup of coffee just before your nap. If you are tired, you’ll fall asleep and the caffeine won’t kick in for 20-30 minutes allowing you to wake up naturally.
• Stay active. Any activity is good. For best results, get moving 20 to 30 minutes most days, at least four to six hours before bedtime.
• Avoid stimulants such as decongestants and nicotine.
• Go to bed at the same time every night and get up about the same time every morning — even on weekends.
• Get fitted for the mattress that gives the correct support for your body. Visit Factory Mattress and experience cutting edge RIGHTfit Technology.

RIGHTfit uses science to determine your pressure points and recommend the support that your body needs. Then you get to choose from dozens of mattresses and choose your perfect comfort level and the quality level you are comfortable with. It’s the way to get your best night’s sleep!