And so to sleep

Rest is not the only benefit we get from sleep. What we might think of as a time devoted to a general state of inactivity is actually a most active time for certain important body functions. Research has shown that sleep plays an important role in our brain development. It is essential in maintaining normal levels of cognitive skills, such as speech, memory and creative thinking. When we lack sleep or do not get a good night’s sleep, we tend to be not only groggy but grouchy during the day. We tend to be irritable and even forgetful. We lack concentration and tend to have a shorter attention span. 

Sleep restores our body. Studies have shown that it is the time when tissue regeneration, muscle building, as well as fat metabolism, take place. Our immune system is strengthened. Conversely, too little sleep can wear down our immune system, making us more susceptible to infection, flu and the common cold.

The amount of daily sleep that we need varies according to our age and gender. Have you noticed how babies seem to be sleeping all the time? That is because they need as much as 14 to 15 hours of sleep per day. Adults, on the other hand, need only half as much or seven to nine hours of sleep per day. Women tend to need more sleep than men. And have you noticed that the elderly tend to sleep much less? They usually go to bed early at night and wake long before the cock crows in the wee hours of the morning. For some, four to five hours of sleep is enough.

Insomnia refers not only to the inability to fall asleep but also to restless and interrupted sleep, which may happen several times during the night. A host of factors can cause or contribute to sleep deprivation, such as anxiety, stress, depression, excitement or anger, sleep apnea (the cessation of breath, which some experience several times throughout the night), nocturnal hypoglycemia (when the blood sugar level drops), caffeine, alcohol, extremes in temperature (too hot or too cold), light, noise, a snoring partner or even just an uncomfortable bed.

"People spend thousands and thousands of dollars on a bed frame, but all it does is look good. It’s not helping you. At least now, more people are focusing on the mattress," says Stephen Thirgood, Tempur business development manager for Asia Pacific.

Tempur is a manufacturer of bedding products, which are publicly listed on the New York Stock Exchange, with production plants in Denmark and the USA.

The choice of mattress and pillows can spell the difference between a restful and restless sleep. A poor quality mattress can be the culprit for your endless tossing and turning during the night, resulting in bodily aches and pains the morning after. Studies have shown that a Tempur mattress relieves tossing and turning by as much as 80 percent. Unlike ordinary mattresses, Tempur conforms to the shape of the body, thus preventing body pressure points caused by unnatural sleeping positions.

"Some mattresses are either too soft or too hard," Thirgood observes. "It’s actually a common perception in Asia that a hard mattress is good for the posture, but it’s not. Your spine has an S-curve, so it’s crazy to force your spine to be flat while lying down. It’s bad for your posture. Tempur allows the body to rest in its natural position."

Thirgood adds, "Tempur mattress does so much for the body. It improves the circulation because there is an absence of pressure or pain while lying down. Eighty-six percent of people with back pains say that Tempur relieves the problem. It reduces tossing and turning, which disturbs brain function. It also reduces snoring by up to 75 percent."

Unlike ordinary foam or spring mattresses, Tempur is made up of millions of visco-elastic and spherically shaped open cells that shift position to conform to and support the body’s unique shape and weight. Visco-elastic simply means that the material, when pressed down with weight, does not recover its original position immediately, so it does not exert any upward force on the body. The ideal mattress should adjust to your body and not the other way around.

"Tempur’s visco-elastic pressure-relieving mattresses and pillows are the biggest breakthrough in sleep technology in over 75 years," says Aline Lopez, business manager of Focus Global, exclusive distributor of Tempur and other internationally renowned brands from Europe and the USA. Originally developed for the NASA Space Program in the 1970s to relieve the pressure of the G-forces experienced by astronauts during liftoff and flight, Tempur is the only authentic visco-elastic material recognized by NASA and certified by the Space Foundation.

Tempur was launched at the Tempur showroom at the fifth floor of the EDSA Shangri-la Plaza Mall recently in a press event that matched the world-class product. Guests got a chance to experience for themselves the total relaxation and sleeping comfort exclusive to Tempur at the special Tempur Space Cabin equipped with Tempur mattresses and pillows. A sleep doctor was present to provide free sleep consultations, while a dream interpreter and hand reflexologist added fun to the event. To add to the ambience, the program host and attendants were costumed in pajamas and bedroom slippers. And to complete the picture, a sweet buffet of milk and cookies by famed pastry chef Jill Sandique was served and enjoyed by all.

Sweet dreams, everyone!