Wednesday, May 29, 2002

10 keys to better sleep

The Better Sleep Council says that there are 10 key suggestions that could lead to a better night's sleep. A poll by the National Sleep Foundation reports that 65 percent of people say that they don't get enough sleep. Adults in the United States average six hours and 58 minutes of shut-eye during the week, less than the physician recommended eight hours of sleep.

"Trying these suggestions could make a significant change in your sleep patterns." said Whitney Spiecha, owner of Mattress Showcase in Fayetteville.

Keep regular hours, even on the weekends.

Develop a sleep ritual in which you do the same thing every night before bed.

Sleep on a comfortable mattress and foundation.

Exercise regularly.

Cut down on stimulants like caffeine.

Stop smoking.

Drink only in moderation.

Unwind early in the evening and don't take worries to bed.

Create a restful sleep environment in a cool, quiet, dark, room.

Make sleep a priority, instead of cutting hours for more work and playtime.

Kingsdown, the company that manufactures the mattresses that Mattress Showcase offers, agrees. "Some people just don't take sleep seriously enough," according to Kingsdown executives. "That is why we recently opened a research facility to develop a better bed." Kingsdown has been in the business of selling mattresses since 1904, but has been selling sleep since the early 1990s.

The company paid for a sleep study in 1993 and is now using computer technology to develop mattresses that accommodate certain body types. Using a computerized body profiling program called dormodiagnostics to measure the body's resting pressure points and read the shape of the spine in various positions, Kingsdown can build a mattress 10,000 ways to accommodate a person's body type.

"Everybody is different. Therefore the body should determine the bedding," Spiecha said. "Your body should determine the bed that you sleep on because the quality of your sleep determines the quality of your life."

Kingsdown's newest sleep center is located in the Glenn Hood Plaza on Ga. Highway 85 in Fayetteville. "We can fit you with the bed that is right for you," said Spiecha.