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All About Sleep

Ciao! Today we will be discussing our favorite thing to do, SLEEP! Here at GiNO, we think that sleep is just as important as our quality sleep products. The reason we are able to function each day is highly dependent on the amount of sleep we get. It is essential to get the right amount of sleep and make sure you are getting sleep in general, in order to take care of your body and mind.

The two topics we will be focusing on are how much sleep should you get, and why is sleep important!

Bene let’s begin!

How much sleep is the right amount?

For some of us, we would be considered the sleepy dwarf from snow white!  However, oversleeping or sleeping frequently during the day is not as healthy or good for you as you may think. Getting little to no sleep frequently is also not a habit you should get into. So, if sleeping too much and too little is not the right amount, then what is?

Well, the right amount of sleep is seven to nine hours! As you grow older your sleep needs to change in order for your body to properly rest and prepare you for the next day. For example, a newborn needs 14 to 17 hours of sleep, but a teen or adult could range from a healthy seven to nine hours. Even though the sound of getting eight hours of sleep seems simple, our busy and unexpected lives could potentially get in the way of that. However, creating a consistent sleep schedule and nighttime routine will help you achieve these hours each day!

Ways to make sure you reach eight hours:

  • Get into bed at a reasonable time each day, that leaves you enough room to rest for the eight hours without feeling restless
  • Create a nighttime routine that can help your body adjust to your sleeping schedule. The routine can include reading a book before bed, listening to music, meditation, or a hot cup of soothing nighttime tea!
  • Create a sleep journal to track how much sleep you have been getting. This can be a powerful tool to use because you will then be able to see what areas you need to work on, and what you have to adjust within your daily sleeping schedule. You will also then be able to see what days leave you with less sleep compared to others, so you can potentially change that for yourself.
  • Making sure you are maintaining your sleep hygiene. If you want to learn more about this be sure to check out our previous blog where we go over the do’s and don’ts in order to have the perfect sleep hygiene which leads to a good night’s rest.

Without the eight hours of sleep, you could potentially feel sleep-deprived, this is a topic we will get into more during this blog!

Why is sleep important

Besides the fact that sleep is comforting and allows us to shut our eyes and take a break to just simply ~ do nothing ~, there are so many essential reasons why sleep is vital for our everyday lives!

Sleep is a way your body can recharge. Just like our phones, for example, they can’t run properly unless they are changed frequently. For us, our body needs and DESERVES to rest, after all, it is why we are functioning every day.

Before a big event, game, or exam, you are probably used to making sure you get a good night’s sleep. This is because your body is more productive and focused when you had the time to rest the full required hours.

In fact, your body is less likely to gain weight if you get the proper amount of sleep. You would be gaining more Zzzz’z than weight, and your body tends to improve good bacteria which helps with your digestion! Amazing right? While sleep physically helps your body stay healthy, it also helps mentally. With enough sleep, you can wake up feeling like sunshine; but with lack of sleep, your mood might be off and it could be hard to process your emotions in the way you normally would.

Speaking of lack of sleep, let’s get into the signs of being sleep deprived:

If you are getting less than eight hours of sleep each night frequently, you might be sleep-deprived, and the idea of feeling “widely awake” might be something you can’t remember anymore.

Here is a list that can help you diagnose if you are sleep deprived, and not to worry, we will also go over ways to fix this issue 😊 As always, GiNO’s got your back from comfy mattresses to healthy sleeping tips!

Let’s get started:

  • You get tired and drowsy after heavy meals, or when you are doing physical activities, such as driving.
  • You frequently if not always hit the snooze button. (We have all been there, but if it is a constant habit, it means you did not get the proper sleep in order to function well when it is time to wake up!)
  • You feel the need to take naps during the day (if you nap more during the day, your body will not be able to rest properly at night!)
  • You feel weak and tired during the day
  • You end up falling asleep while reading a book or watching TV at night
  • You wake up with a mood instead of feeling refreshed

Now before any freakouts, let’s move on to the list of what you can do, in order to prevent sleep deprivation.

  • Get you eight hours of sleep
  • Exercise for at least 20-30 minutes each day to get your body moving
  • Avoid heavy meals and caffeinated drinks close to bedtime
  • Get enough sunlight exposure when possible
  • Meditate
  • If you have been trying to prevent this or improve your sleep but have not seen results, talking to your doctor would be a great way to get down to the problem

The most important thing is to make sure you are taking care of yourself and giving your body everything it needs to keep shining! Sleep is vital, and I hope you all get the chance to have the needed amount of rest each day! As always GiNO is here to answer any questions you may have.

Buona notte e sogni d’oro from yours truly

GiNO.

What is Sleep Hygiene

Ciao! Welcome to our snooze o‘clock section, besides the mattress world, there is also a whole world of sleep! Our first topic to touch on is sleep hygiene.

You might be wondering, “what is sleep hygiene? and I am here to answer this for you.

Sleep hygiene is the practices and habits you obtain in order to get a good night’s sleep, these habits can also prevent certain sleep issues and discomfort as well.

Okay so now you are probably wondering if you have good or bad sleep hygiene! Listed below are signs that you need to improve on your sleeping habits:

  • Having background noises while sleeping
  • You tend to nap throughout the day
  • You do not have a consistent bedtime or sleeping schedule
  • You tend to drink a cup of coffee before bedtime
  • You have a lot of build of anxiety that troubles you to fall asleep

If any of these sounds like a familiar habit to you, not to worry! I will now the good practices you can take part of to ensure you a restful satisfying sleep:

  • Avoid daytime naps
  • Establish a nighttime routine
  • Make sure to sleep in an environment that is clean, healthy, and makes you feel comfortable
  • Perform stress relieving activities before bedtime such as; yoga, meditation, and journaling
  • Avoid eating heavy large meals and drinking coffee prior to your sleep time
  • Try to stay away from your phone, laptop, or any electronic devices before bed
  • Make sure to have a consistent sleep schedule
  • Associate you bed mainly for sleeping, try to avoid doing work or eating on it

That was a handful of good habits! There are many more tips and suggestions to improve your sleep hygiene, however, I will go more into depth on the ones previously listed.

Bene let’s begin!

Avoid Frequent Day Time Naps

Ah, the bittersweet daytime naps. It is a tempting feeling to just “rest your eyes” for a “few minutes” but what we all get tricked on is those short little resting minutes end up turning into a full three-hour nap! Oh mio dio, now the whole night you are up and the next day you will want to rest your eyes again because of the lack of sleep you got. See the endless nap trap pattern?

Napping can help you feel less tired during the day, but it will affect the amount of sleep you get during the night. A great alternative to napping is going on a walk instead! Even though it might sound like too much work, it is refreshing and can wake you up.

The key to feeling less tired is keeping your body moving, exercising and meditating are healthy ways to take care of your body and stay clear of the tempting yet dangerous daytime naps.

Establish a nighttime routine and keep your sleep schedule consistent:

It is important to also have a steady daily nighttime routine, just as you might have for during the day.

Usually, nighttime routines can include calming activities that are able to relax your body and prevent any stress and anxiety that could interrupt your sleep. Some of these activities include but are not limited to; journaling, meditating, reading, listening to soothing music, or even taking a hot bath!

We are accustomed to habits and routines, so make sure to allow your body to have consistency when it comes to the thing we need and love the most: SLEEP.

Avoid eating heavy meals or drinking coffee prior to bedtime:

That late-night pizza craving or that hot cup of coffee does sound molto delizioso, but it is not so great when it comes to maintaining a healthy sleeping hygiene.

Heavy meals before bedtime can lead to an uncomfortable feeling in your stomach! You could possibly get indigestion, acid reflex, a heavy feeling in your stomach, and pain.

However, you can still have a light snack such as some fruit, nuts, and occasionally some homemade popcorn won’t hurt!  

Caffeine and Alcohol are stimulants, this means they will surely keep you restless at night if taken close to your bedtime. Now I am all for a tall glass of wine, but you have to make sure you are intaking these beverages at a reasonable time that won’t affect your precious sleep.

Try to stay away from your phone or any electronic devices before bed:

Yes, I do mean say goodbye to before bedtime Instagram scrolling! But only for a good reason of course.

The bright lights from the electronic devices can actually trick your brain into thinking it is daytime! So when you are staring at the screens right before bed, it will be difficult to get your body back into the resting mood.

Try to associate your bed with sleeping only:

Our beds are usually the most comforting place to be in the whole house, however, it is important to make sure you are not always plopping yourself on the bed for things such as work, or even eating!

When you associate too many other habits with the bed, your body and mind will be less likely to immediately want to sleep. Your bedroom and bed should be a calming sanctuary where you can take a step away from the busy life and take a breather! If you are working on your bed, you have now correlated rest and relation to stress and deadlines.

Keeping your bed clean and a place for a good night’s sleep can help boost your sleep hygiene tremendously! Maybe even purchasing a comfy new mattress can do the trick as well 😊

That’s a wrap!

Bene! You are all educated on the ins and outs of good sleep hygiene, and you might have realized there are some things to work on, for your sleep routine! Here at Gino getting the most comfortable and restful sleep is important to us, and I hope this helped and inspired you to keep your hygiene in check! If there are any questions, feel free to ask Mr.GiNO.

As always

Buona notte e sogni d’oro from yours truly

GiNO.

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