Blackout Curtain To Go

We Know You’re Stressed – But Relax!

Most people feel that they don’t get enough sleep because they feel stressed at the end of their days and end up lying awake at night worrying. However, just because that’s the norm for many doesn’t mean that it has to be what happens to you.
Getting enough rest is key to having less stress in your life, so it’s a little counterproductive to give stress any space when it comes to your sleep schedule. You have to take control of the stress and start considering your own needs. Take time today to relax and get rid of all of the things that are bothering you. Get a massage. Take a bath. Exercise. Go for a walk. Call up a good friend. Do whatever you need to do to get rid of the stress that’s preventing you from getting the sleep you know you should be getting.

Then, focus in on getting some rest. It’s healthy, important, and above all things, the secret to a happier, less stressful life.

Get the Blackout Curtain ToGo For a Great Night’s Sleep

The Blackout Curtain ToGo Kit

The Blackout Curtain ToGo Kit

If you’re the kind of person who needs complete darkness in order to get a good night’s sleep, then it might be time for you to try the Blackout Curtain ToGo the next time you’re feeling stressed when it comes time to get to bed.

Designed to block out light pollution from under doorways, alarm clocks, VCRs and DVD players, through windows, and anywhere else light might creep in to disturb your sleep, the Blackout Curtain ToGo is a great solution for those who travel frequently or just need something at home to block out all of that light that seems to keep you up at night. Simply put up the curtains using the included adhesives and take them down the the morning. Fast, simple, and totally easy – what’s not to love?

Get your Blackout Curtain ToGo today and start getting a good night’s sleep.

You’re Not Really Catching Up

If you’re the kind of person who is always running on only a few hours but plans on making it up over the weekend, it might be time for you to change your habits. According to a new study, even a good night’s sleep doesn’t compensate for many weeks of sleep loss.

The study, which involved approximately nine healthy people, asked for participants to live for three weeks on a schedule consisting of 43-hour periods in which they were awake for 33 of those hours. That equals about 5.6 hours sleep for every 24 hours. They then looked at how the volunteers performed on various reaction tasks.

The results: after waking from a 10-hour sleep, participants performance of activities, but as each sleep deprived period went on, that deteriorated. Moreover, it was found that an individual with chronic sleep loss who worked extended hours can have reaction times about 10 times slower than normal, increasing the risk of accidents and mistakes for those who commonly work irregular or nightly shifts.

“Many people have a false sense of reassurance that they can quickly recover from a chronic sleep debt with just one or two days of good sleep,” the lead author of the study, Daniel Cohen, said in a news release. “. . .However, the lingering effect of chronic sleep loss causes performance to deteriorate dramatically when these individuals stay awake for an extended period of time, for example, when they try to pull an ‘all-nighter.’ “

Moral of the study: stay consistent when it comes to getting your rest. You can’t make up for the lost time.

We Welcome, Snoozester Sleep Blog

We love featuring other sleep related blogs and site we’ve come across and we are thrilled to share with you the Snoozester Sleep Blog.  We recently connected with them and we just love what they have to offer!  Snoozester’s Sleep Blog offers its readers tips for sleeping better, that range from the benefits of taking naps during the day to suggestions on what bedding and pillows allow for a more peaceful night’s sleep.  Besides having a great blog for readers, Snoozester actually has a service that offers individuals appointment reminders, wake up calls, and other necessary announcements to get your morning started right and to keep your entire day running smoothly.  You can check out more details on Snoozester’s service here.

Their blog is great for any individuals looking for sleeping tips and suggestions and their service is a must have for those who are known to oversleep and who has many appointment that consume their day.  Check them out and tell them we said hello!

New Study Reveals More on Exercise and Sleep

In a new study, just published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researches have found that low levels of physical activity during the day may account for the link between chronic sleep deprivation and a heightened risk of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.

The study, which involved 15 healthy, normal-weight men, had participants go through two consecutive nights with four hours of sleep and two nights with eight hours of sleep. Throughout the study, the men were monitored for food intake, hunger, and hormone levels. Surprisingly, researchers found that men showed no differences in any of these observations after the four-hour night compared with the eight-hour night. However, it was observed that the men were less active after sleep-deprived nights — devoting both fewer minutes to physical activity and less time on more physically demanding tasks.

It was also noted that there was no evidence that sleep loss altered blood levels of appetite-regulating hormones or caused the men to eat more the next day, which are effects that have been seen in a number of previous studies, which in turn encourages assumptions about obesity. The implication is that there may be a broader range of reasons for the link between sleep loss and weight and health problems.

Start Off the New Year Right

The New Year is almost here and it’s time to start thinking about what you’re going to do to make the year worthwhile. If you’re like most people, you probably make a resolution, however, when it comes to keeping it, you don’t have to be like the millions that fall off the wagon by mid-February. In fact, you can keep your resolution and really make strides to improve your overall well being, especially when it comes to sleeping.

This year, instead of vowing to get back into the gym, start off with a fundamental thing you owe yourself: sleep. Vow to get more restful sleep this year so that you can have the healthy, active, and comfortable lifestyle you know you deserve. Just think, with the right adjustments to your sleeping schedule, you can end up feeling healthier, more energized, and ready to take on the new year in no time. Look to our other posts for some tips on getting better/more sleep and remember to stick with it! Resolutions are hard to keep, but when it comes to getting more rest, you have to make the commitment! Trust us – the payoff will be so worth it in the long run!

5 Foods for a Better Night’s Sleep

Eating right before bed isn’t always a good idea, however, if you decide to give yourself a snack an hour or two before trying to get some Z’s, try out some of these unexpected foods that could actually help you get a better night’s sleep:

  1. Non-fat popcorn encourages your body to make more serotonin, which makes you feel relaxed, plus without the added fat and oil, your body will be able to process the carbs faster.

  2. Oatmeal with a sliced banana on top can also help you relax, especially with its level of melatonin, a hormone that inspires sleep.

  3. Sesame seeds contain tryptophan, the same sleep-inducing amino acid that makes you feel tired after enjoying some holiday turkey. Eat a handful and start counting sheep.

  4. A small glass of unsweetened cherry juice also induces serotonin, which will relax you. Plus, with no sugar, you won’t have to worry about getting a jolt of energy and then a crash.

  5. Red bell peppers are packed with vitamin C, which helps reduce the amount of cortisol in your body. Cortisol can leave you feeling stressed, so therefore, less cortisol – more sleep.

Get More Sleep this Season!

The holidays are stressful, and we know it’s probably keeping you up at night. From shopping lists to complete to decorations to hang, we’re sure that you’re worrying about a lot this holiday season, but don’t let it affect your sleep. During this stressful time of year, sleep is what really keeps you going and by sacrificing on getting your 40-winks, you’re actually putting yourself at a much higher risk to get sick or feel even more overwhelmed.

So take some time this season to snuggle up with a cuddly blanket and get some shut eye. Naps or a few hours of extra sleep can give you all that you need to tackle the stress so that you can actually have a really happy holiday. Trust us – more sleep is the best gift that you can give to yourself during the holiday season, even if it can’t be unwrapped!

10 Tips for Sleeping Better

Sleeping may seem like easy business, but for people who have trouble getting to bed, it’s often a daunting task. Here’s 10 tips to help you fight sleeplessness so that you can get a good night’s rest. After all, the holidays are coming up and you surely can use it!

  1. Avoid caffeine in the later afternoon so that your system will be ready to go to bed when you need to.

  2. Don’t sleep on a full stomach. Instead, try to make sure that your last meal was at least two hours before you went to sleep.

  3. Try to limit the amount of clocks in your bedroom because it can be a huge distraction. All you need is just one alarm clock and that’s it.

  4. Exercise may make you feel tired at first, but if you exercise too late in the day, you’ll be less likely to drift off to sleep easily. Try working out early in the morning to get you feeling energized.

  5. Move the TV out of the bedroom. It can be a huge distraction, not to mention, it’s a huge cause for sleep deprivation.

  6. Make your environment dark and cozy by using a blackout curtain to stop light pollution. This is the ideal fit for anyone who has trouble sleeping in anything less than a totally dark room.

  7. Don’t go to bed too early, as it may end up making you stay up later in the end. Instead, try to fit you body in a schedule that’s consistent with your needs for sleep.

  8. Don’t use alcohol to make you tired or to help you fall asleep. Instead, do something quiet, like reading, until you begin to feel tired.

  9. If you decide to nap, keep it short – only 20 minutes at the most.

  10. Make sure that your lack of sleep isn’t caused by something serious by talking to your doctor. He or she will be there to help you so that you can get sleep and in turn, be at your best.

Save Just in Time for the Holidays!

The holidays are less than a month away and if you want to make sure that you get a hold on all of the best gifts for your loved ones, then the time to start shopping is now! All across the net this weekend through Monday, sites will be hosting some of the best deals of the year so that you can get a jump on completing your holiday shopping list. At Blackout-Curtain-ToGo.com, those deals are no exception. To help you find the perfect gift for the person who has everything, or for that person who often travels, we’re offering an exclusive discount on our Blackout Curtain set, which is ideal for making your room dark so that you can sleep without all of that added light pollution.

At only $19.95 plus S&H, this gift is a great stocking stuffer or an ideal fit for your Secret Santa exchange. So go ahead, stock up on this great gift just in time for the holidays at a great savings. Blackout-Curtain-ToGo.com is ready to help you complete your shopping list just in time. Shop our store today!