Sleep: more important than you know

We all know that we should aim for *8 hours of elusive sleep each night because, hello, grumpy and bags under the eyes… BUT, do you know the importance that sleeps plays in your physical health? For example, sleep is involved in things like repair and healing of your blood vessels and heart?

Need more reasons to stop that Netflix binge and get a little more shut eye? Then read on my friend.

Get a new mattress. This is our number one tip and for good reason. For something that should be high on the priority list people delay in purchasing a new mattress for several reasons but delay no more!! We’re loving the brand SleepX because they are as passionate about sleep as we are (just wait until you have a baby that doesn’t sleep and you too will be obsessed with it!)!

Here are some of the reasons we love what SleepX do:

• They are an online bedding retailer offering premium Australian made bed in a box mattresses and accessories and have the largestm range of choice to support a good night’s sleep (tick)
• Use a hybrid of the highest quality memory foam and high resilience foam for longevity and support (double tick!)
• Their Mattresses are available in six sizes / single, long single, king single, double, queen and king with three comfort levels soft, medium and firm.
• They were the first company to launch a ready-made customised mattress for couples with different bedding needs, providing alternate feels on each side of the mattress surface.
• All products are non-allergenic, anti-bacterial, recyclable and certified by Good Environmental Choice Australia – this was a biggie for us.
• Offer a 120-night free trial and a 10-year guarantee on their mattresses.

Sleep for health. High blood pressure, increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, stroke, kidney disease are all linked to ongoing sleep deficiency.

Sleep is restorative on the brain. Memory consolidation occurs during slow wave sleep, meaning that the different pieces of what we’ve learned during the day come together coherently so that the knowledge can be accessed when needed.

Go for the win! Getting extra sleep can even improve athletic performance. Five swimmers were monitored as part of a study in 2008, they extended their sleep to 10 hours a day for six to seven weeks. At the end of the study the athletes could swim faster and react more quickly.

It aids in your creativity. Researchers at Harvard University and Boston College found that people seem to strengthen the emotional components of a memory during sleep, which may help spur the creative process. In addition to consolidating memories, or making them stronger, your brain appears to reorganise and restructure them, which may result in more creativity as well.

Sleep helps you loose weight. Or curb your appetite at least! Hunger is controlled by two hormones: leptin and ghrelin. Leptin is a hormone that is produced in your fat cells. The less leptin you produce, the more your stomach feels empty. The more ghrelin you produce, the more you stimulate hunger while also reducing the amount of calories you burn (your metabolism) and increasing the amount fat you store. In other words, you need to control leptin and ghrelin to successfully lose weight but sleep deprivation makes that nearly impossible. Research published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinoloy and Metabolism found that sleeping less than six hours triggers the area of your brain that increases your need for food while also depressing leptin and stimulating ghrelin.

Need a little help before counting sheep? Here are some of our faves:

Getting the perfect Mattress:

You spend one third of your life in bed, so choosing the right bed is a big decision. You know when you’ve found the right mattress. It’s not too soft, not too hard. It feels just right. SleepX offers you three different mattress ‘feels’ and six sizes.

Choose your new favourite purchase of the year here

Soak the stress away

Little Wildling Co ‘Cleanse + Refresh’ magnesium chloride with botanical bath salts. Combining the best of both worlds – organic botanical herbs with a little extra something something added (ok its Magnesium Chloride) for THE ultimate soak. . Sleep will promote detoxification and prepare you for a peaceful slumber.

Yes please!

Grab yourself a bag here and use the code LWCfriend for freeshipping

Its all about the pillow baby:

So while the mattress is important, an epic pillow that doesn’t kill your alignment is just as important, if not, more. SleepX therapy pillows come in different sizes to suit different sleeping styles. Low profile pillows are ideal for back sleepers. A medium profile pillow is the best pillow for side sleepers or if you need that extra height to support your neck. They’re a combination of memory foam and high-resilience foam – so High profile pillows are designed to be comfortable for people with broad shoulders.

Sip this tea in the evening for a almost guaranteed good night sleep! Been saying yes more than you’ve been saying no lately? So stressed that you are surprised that you are still functioning? Or maybe sleep is calling your name yet you are counting more sheep than zzzz’s.We have all been there. You need a moment, and you also need a strong cup of this calming (valium in a tea pot) tea. Ingredients: oh so calming blend of Chamomile, Passionflower, Lavender, Hyssops, Valerian, and Oats.

Sip your stress zapping tea here

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