Sometimes, proper cognitive behavioral therpies including sleep hygiene, relaxation therapy, stimulus control, and sleep restrictions are all you may need to keep insomnia at bay, without pharmaceuticals or medical therapy.

1. Sleep Hygiene: some steps to remember

• Sleep as much as you need to to feel rested, but do not oversleep
• Exerise regularly at least 20 minutes daily, but at least 4 hours before bedtime
• Keep a regular sleep and waking schedule
• Don’t drink caffinated beverages in the afternoon, and avoid “night caps”. Finish all alcoholic beverages at least 2 hours before bedtime
• Don’t go to bed hungry
• Write down worries or resolve them before trying to fall asleep

2.  Relaxation Therapy: involved measures such as meditation and muscle relaxation or dimming the lights and playing soothing music prior to going to bed.

3.  Stimulus Control: some ideas to keep in mind

• Go to bed when you feel sleepy
• If you don’t fall asleep within 30 minutes after going to bed, get up and go to another room and resume a relaxation technique
• Set your alarm clock to get up at a certain time each morning, even on weekends. Do not oversleep.
• Avoid taking long naps in the afternoon

4.  Sleep Restriction: If you still can’t sleep, set rigid go to bed and get out of bed times. If you don’t sleep well, but force to get yourself up at a certain time, the sleep deprivation from the previous night may help in falling asleep the night after.

Also, remember to avoid large meals and excessive fluids before bedtime,

and to control your environment.

• Light, noise, and undesirable room temperature can disrupt sleep. Shift workers and night workers must be especially careful. Dimming the lights, relaxation, limiting the noise, and avoiding stressful tasks before going to bed may also help. Also, invest in a good mattress that helps reduce motion between partners.
• Avoid doing work in the bedroom that should be done elsewhere. When you work in bed, your brain may associate the bedroom as a place of stress, and it should be used only for sleeping and sexual activity.

Stearns and Foster has been known for it’s quality materials and craftmanship, and now they’ve expanded their assortment to include pressure relieving mattresses that look as great as they feel!

There are 3 models in the new “Monogram Line”: the Primera  (3″ UltraSense Memory Foam), the Annalise (4″ UltraSense Memory Foam), and the Infinia (5″ UltraSense Memory Foam).

All 3 models feature:

• A Cashmere & Silk-infused Cover, which is warm in the winter, cool in the summer, and gets softer with age. The silk adds even more softness, regulates heat, and increases breathability.
• ClimaLux Gel Memory Foam with OULAST, where the top layer is designed to promote a temperature range for deep, relaxing, and restorative sleet. ClimaLux gel memory foam fused with Outlast is more effective at removing excess heat than standard gel memory foam alone.
• UltraSense Memory Foam, which absorbs motion while conforming to your unique size and shape for individualized comfort and pressure relief.
• UltraCore Support Layer, that includes high-density Infinilux foam for a more supportive sleep experience.

All of the new Monogram models feature a 25-year limited warranty, and a 120 night comfort guarantee!

They are also designed to accomodate an adjustable base.

Come and try one today!

Posture, by definition, is the position in which you hold your body upright against gravity while standing, sitting, or lying down. Good posture involved training your body to stand, walk, sit and lie in positions where the least strain is placed on supporting muscles and ligaments during movement or weight-bearing activities.

Proper Posture:

- Keeps bones and joints in the correct alignment so that muscles are being used properly

- Helps decrease the abnormal wearing of joint surfaces that could result in arthritis

- Decreases the stress on the ligaments holding the joints of the spine together

- Prevents the spine from becoming fixed in abnormal positions

- Prevents fatigue because muscles are being used more efficiently, allowing the body to use less energy

- Helps prevent strain and overuse problems

- Helps prevent backache and muscular pain

Good posture is also important when lying down. Here are some tips:

- Try to sleep in a position which helps you maintain the curve in your back (such as on your back with a pillow under your knees, or on your side with your knees slightly bent). It’s not good to sleep on your side with your knees drawn up to your chest, and you may want to avoid sleeping on your stomach, especially on a mattress that isn’t very supportive, since this may cause back strain and be uncomfortable for your neck.

- Select a quality mattress and boxspring set that is supportive. If you’re used to sleeping on a soft surface, try a pillowtop mattress with a good innerspring underneath.

- Try using a back or lumbar support to make you more comfortable. A rolled towel or sheet tied around your waist may be helpful.

- When standing up from the lying position, turn on your side, draw up both knees and swing your legs on the side of the bed. Sit up by pushing  yourself up with your hands. Avoid bending forward at the waist.

To take the guesswork out of proper sleeping posture, check out an adjustable base that will allow you to raise the head and foot of the bed electronially and relieve strain on your lower back. Most every mattress is adjustable base compatible, and come in many different price ranges, to suit any budget!

Similar to other industries, mattresses also undergo line changes and new product creation, to continue to bring technological (yes, even in mattresses) advancements to market. So, now is a great time to shop for new mattresses, as you’ll be able to see the latest and greatest that manufacturers have to offer.

This year we’re seeing lots of memory foam, which has become a mainstream material and quite affordable in the last few years. In some cases, like the new Sealy Posturepedic Gel Collection, the memory foam is infused with gel particles to offer even better pressure relief.

We’ll also be launching our proprietary mattress brand, uDream, this spring. These new products were created after years of listening to what was most important to our customers when shopping for a quality mattress, and will provide superior value when compared to brand name products at similar price points.

Tempur-Pedic will be releasing their new Air Collection, as well as a new and improved power base in the coming weeks as well!

Many of these exciting products will be available FIRST at a Sleep Outfitters, and with new products arriving daily, there’s never been a better time to shop for the mattress that best suits your needs!

Did you know that a throughout Spring cleaning may actually improve the quality of your sleep? (I don’t mean by throughoutly wearing you out, either).

With Spring around the corner, it’s a great idea to start taking some steps to rid your house of all of the dust and allergens that have likely accumulated over the winter months. Doing so should help to reduce congestion and help you sleep through the night more soundly. Also, bedding and other bedr0om textiles are especially guilty culprits of harboring dust and allergens.

A few tips:

•        Wash your comforter or duvet. Dry clean if neccessary
•        Wash or dry clean your curtains
•        Have your carpets cleaned
•        Switch to lighter sheets and bedding to prevent overheating as warmer weather returns
•        Wash or remove dust ruffle
•        Wipe down lamp shades
•        Wipe down fan blades and reverse their cycle
•         Thoroughly wipe baseboards
•         Change all air filters
•         Replace old pillows as they harbor dust bites
•         Vacuum your mattress and apply a mattress protector if you don’t use one already

Follow these tips and you should be sleeping better before the first day of Spring!

First things first: There is a difference in milk and dark chocolate. “The average milk chocolate bar contains tyrosine, which is converted into  dopamine — a stimulant,  [...]. This causes alertness and restlessness,  which can keep you up at night.” Dark Chocolate, however
“contains serotonin, which relaxes your body and mind”, among other health benefits when enjoyed in moderation.

So,  whether you want to lull your Valentine to sleep this Thursday, or make them more alert may need to be reflected in what chocolates are in your chocolate box.

As a rule of thumb, it takes about 200 milligrams of caffeine to affect your sleep inside of 6-8 hours before bedtime. Many servings of chocolate are well below that, but just be sure to remember moderation is key when you celebrate with chocolate this Thursday, or you may be tossing and turning all night.

Here are some suggested servings sizes and their caffeine content:

• Hershey’s Chocolate Bar (1.55oz)  9mg
• Chocolate Syrup (2 T) 5 mg
• Hershey’s Miniatures (5 pieces)11 mg
• Coldstone Creamery Mocha Ice Cream (12 oz.) 52 mg
• Dryer’s, Edy’s or Haagen-Dazs Chocolate Ice Cream (4 oz.) <1mg

Happy Valentine’s Day Everyone!

Read more: Foods That Affect Sleep Habits – Sleep Inducing Foods – Real Beauty

The grand opening and ribbon cutting celebration will be presented in collaboration with the Beavercreek Chamber of Commerce on Thursday, January 24, 2013 from 4pm to 6pm. Refreshments will be provided at the opening and a dream vacation will be given away. One guest present at the time of the drawing will have the opportunity to choose a trip to San Diego, Miami, or another location.

Sleep Outfitters may be new to the Beavercreek area, but it is a part of the fast-growing parent company, Innovative Mattress Solutions. “Our company is growing because we guarantee comfort and value, and we carry an outstanding selection of America’s best brands,” stated Debbie Green, Director of Media and Events for Sleep Outfitters. “After all, the company was founded and led by Kim Knopf, and when she first started in this business, she ran all aspects of the business, including delivering mattresses on the top of her car when necessary! She still travels around, helping schools, the community, and working to bring others a good night’s sleep. Her values and desire to serve are inspiring.”

The new Sleep Outfitters showroom features name brand mattress sets from Sealy, Stearns & Foster, Beautyrest and Tempur-Pedic. Sleep Outfitters also carries many new and innovative sleep systems, including latex foam and visco-elastic foam. They also offer complete beds, electric adjustable beds, bed bug protectors, sheets and pillows.

Sleep Outfitters makes it easy to outfit you for a healthy life. Their 120 day comfort and price guarantee will help you rest easy, knowing you have 120 days if you find a better price on the same product or you are not comfortable sleeping in your new bed. Financing options are available.

About Sleep Outfitters and Innovative Mattress Solutions

A healthy lifestyle begins with a healthy night’s sleep. For sleep tips, lifestyle motivation, and to learn about specials, visit and like Sleep Outfitters on Facebook and follow Karrie Knopf at her Pillow Talk blog. To learn more about Sleep Outfitters, their products, financing a purchase, and all of Innovative Mattress Solutions visit their website.

Tempur-Pedic has just announced the release of 4 new models at the Las Vegas Furniture show, and 2 of them may really surprise the public!

This April, Tempur-Pedic will be hitting retail sales floor with 2 Air Mattress models! This will allow customers an alternative to the well known, Sleep Number bed, but with added advantages and huge improvements to the current design.

Rather than one large bladder for each side like the Sleep Number models, The Tempur-Pedic models—called the Tempur-Choice—will offer 3 bladders on each side, for added lumber support and head and neck comfort. Also, set up will be simply with all components color coded and in one box; completely different than the Sleep Number beds that come in several boxes and require lots of time to set up.

Like all the well-loved Tempur-Pedic mattresses, the Choice collection will also feature their patented Tempur visco foam for wonderful pressure relief and product longevity, and will be adjustable base compatible for even more benefit to your bod.

How cool is that!

If anyone has been looking into the Select Comfort Sleep Number bed, I’d absolutely recommend holding off for a few months to try the Tempur-Choice and compare!

We often spend so much time discussing the benefits of a great night’s sleep in the master bedroom that I thought we should shift our focus on how to select a wonderful mattress for a guest room!

A lot of my customers tell me when shopping for a guest room that they “don’t want something too comfortable, or guests will never leave!” While I totally understand this sentiment, I just want to point out a few perks of investing in a good quality mattress set for guest rooms, and this doesn’t mean you have to spend a fortune, either!

First, it might not only be “guests” using it. That’s right. Ever had a sick spouse? It’s nice to have a place to sleep alone during times when it doesn’t make sense to share your bed, and not be loathing in pain all night long. If your partner is keeping you up with that cough or by getting up to go to the bathroom all night, it might be useful to have somewhere other than the couch to retreat.. Call me insensitive…

Second, with the holidays around the corner, it’s a great time to take advantage of Black Friday specials to select a guest bed for those extended visits that the Christmas holidays bring.

It it wise to stick to an innerspring, even though there are many foam options at increasingly affordable price points. While I do love memory foam, not everyone is used to the feel, and sometimes they cause soreness for the first few nights while a person’s body adjusts to the difference. Instead, look for a plush, or firm pillowtop–something that has a very “in between” feel that will keep your guests happy and sleeping soundly. It just have enough loft to give cushioning when turned on one’s side, and enough firmness to stay well aligned.

If you do decide to invest in something that will go the miles, look for a mattress with at least a full 10 year warranty, in a mid-range price point of $600-800.

It has now been a month since I had delivered the most wonderful, life-changing, sleep inducing, relaxation promoting piece of furniture ever–my new BeautyRest bed and NuFlex adjustable base!

We have NEVER slept better (or gotten less done around the house!), but we are truly loving this new bed! First, we upgraded to a king size, which has allowed us to spread out so much more, and honestly I didn’t think we needed the space, but it has ended up being such a luxury to have! Next, the BeautyRest System has been awesome at dissipating heat, which has been crucial in our converted attic master bedroom. And there’s no way I could say enough about the adjustable base! Our bed is never flat anymore! Not only do we love reclining for reading, working, watching tv, surfing the web, breakfast in bed and more, but we’re also elevating our head and feet slightly while we sleep, and my body has never felt so rested and rejuvenated in my life!

If it’s making a physical difference in my 26-year old body, and affording me a more comfortable place to do my hanging out, I can’t imagine what it would do for everyone else! The adjustable base is truly something for everyone to enjoy, not just the elderly or sick.

Huge bonus: our base has an outlet on either side, so Chase and I are no longer taking turns charging our phones at night, or debating on whether to run the fan or turn on the bed side light.

I honestly can’t say enough about how much we are loving this new addition to our bedroom! Our couch is definitely jealous!

Have a great weekend, and SLEEP IN!