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How a Down Comforter Can Help You Get Better Sleep
If you have ever spent a day fighting off exhaustion and sleepiness, you know that a loss of sleep can make life very difficult. Well some people deal with this problem all the time. They have a condition called insomnia.
Insomnia is too little or poor-quality sleep caused by one or more of the following:
* Trouble falling asleep
* Waking up a lot during the night with trouble returning to sleep
* Waking up too early in the morning
* Having un-refreshing sleep (not feeling well rested), even after sleeping 7 to 8 hours at night
Insomnia can cause problems during the day, such as excessive sleepiness, fatigue, trouble thinking clearly or staying focused, or feeling depressed or irritable. It is not defined by the number of hours you sleep every night. Although the amount of sleep a person needs varies, most people need between 7 and 8 hours of sleep a night.
There are many reasons for waking up a lot during the night, such as stressful daily events, too much light, too much noise, or too much caffeine or food right before bed. But a commonly overlooked reason for sleep disturbance is increased body temperature while asleep.
Body Temperature Cycle Regulates Sleep
Most people know that body temperature is 98.6 F on average. But many people are not aware that body temperature fluctuates throughout the day by a degree or 2. This rise and fall in body temperature is directly related to daily cycles in our environment and inside our bodies that help us regulate sleep.
Both our sleep and body temperature are regulated by biological mechanisms that operate on a circadian rhythm (daily cycle). Body temperature is directly influenced by the effect of the daily cycles of light and darkness on melatonin, a naturally occurring hormone found in the brain. Bright sunlight causes our
melatonin levels to decrease, which signals body temperature to rise and promotes wakefulness. Darkness causes melatonin levels to rise and body temperature to fall, promoting sleep.
Sleep studies show that a nightly drop in body temperature is directly tied to the onset of sleep. Conversely, a rise in body temperature in the morning helps us wake up. But a rise in body temperature during the night can also disrupt sleep. For this reason sleep specialists recommend that you keep your bedroom around 65 F. A constant, cool room temperature allows our bodies to best regulate temperature and get proper sleep.
Down Comforter is Ideal Bedding for Regulating Body Temperature
Because rises in body temperature can be a hidden cause of sleep disturbance, it's important to choose bed coverings that allow your body to regulate itself effectively. Using both light and heavy bedding layers together (like a top sheet, blanket, and quilt) lets you easily adjust warmth during the night as you sleep.
Down comforters, more than other bedding, naturally help you regulate your body temperature in a couple ways. First, they allow moisture to easily pass away from your body, preventing chills. Second, down allows heat to pass away from your body more quickly when your body temperature increases. Because a
down comforter regulates body temperature, keeping you from getting too cold or too hot, it will help prevent unnecessary sleep disturbance due to increased body temperature.
About the author: Will Robertson is owner of http://www.myluxurymattress.com
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