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Transcript of RoomPlanners magazine - Sept '10
our annual sleep issue … including our favorite new sleep products!
roomplanners www.roomplanners.com
SEPTEMBER 2010
… take our quiz to find out!
are you sleep deprived?
eat, drink and be sleepy? foods that help you sleep
how to... fall asleep faster! create a bedroom with 5-star comfort! fight bed bugs!
2
a good night’s sleep… takes a little preparation! Our ancestors... of the cavemen and campfire variety, really had it right. Sitting
around the fire at night with little to do tell a few stories, their lives had a natural
rhythm. They simply followed the sun and moon, letting the sky dictate when it
was time to call it a day or rise and shine.
Since then, Thomas Edison brought us the light
bulb, making it possible to stay active all night. Our
TV sets brought us a 24/7 schedule of entertain-
ment and the Blackberry lets us stay connected to
everyone and everything.
Sitting around a campfire—doing nothing before
bedtime—sounds positively medieval today. It‟s
even hard to fathom, considering our more usual
practice of falling headfirst into bed at night,
uneasily aware of how few hours we left for sleep.
Most of us have accepted our chronically over-tired
state as the way things are. But even just a little
more attention to where we sleep, what we sleep on
and what we do before we sleep can make a big difference to our well-being.
In this issue, we share our favorite new sleep products, invite you to test your
sleep deprivation quotient (!) or to check out some easy ways to fall asleep faster,
create a 5-star bedroom and keep bed bugs away!
Enjoy!
about roomplanners
RoomPlanners.com is
committed to making profes-sional quality interior design
easier and more affordable.
We invite you to visit our web site to browse hundreds
of rooms for ideas, rate your
own rooms or to take our survey to identify your
environmental personality
profile. We offer a variety of
free home decorating arti-
cles, a no-fail paint color selection system and an ar-
ray of RoomCues™... con-
cise, practical guides to help you pull together a look you
love.
Find us online at:
www.roomplanners.com.
www.twitter.com/
roomplanners
on the cover If you regularly try to catch more zzz‟s between
the blaring of your snooze alarm, you‟re not alone.
We‟re more sleep deprived
than ever before. But if
you‟re up for taking con-trol of your sleep habits,
read on… our September issue is devoted to the right
sleep habits… and products!
Loreen Epp President, RoomPlanners Inc.
All written information herein is copyright ©2010 Room Planners Incorporated. All rights reserved. No part of the material protected by this copyright may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means without written permission from Room Planners Inc..
www.roomplanners.com
3
According to Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent
Medicine, teens are averaging 6.5 to 7.5 hours of
sleep a night. That‟s well below the 9-10 hours
generally recommended by sleep and health experts.
Inadequate sleep doesn‟t just make kids sluggish or
tired. Kids need enough REM sleep to secrete their
hGH, or human growth hormone. Without this
hormone, they‟ll be less able to remember what
they‟re learning, grow, focus, drive or fight obesity.
Here are 3 ways to improve your child’s sleep!
Cut caffeine intake at least 5 hours before bed.
(Some experts recommend cutting caffeine
intake by 2:30 pm). That includes soft drinks,
coffee and some energy drinks.
Shut down the computer an hour before bed-
time. Research indicates the light of computers
may delay secretion of the hGH hormone
(tricking the brain into thinking its still daytime
and slowing the rate of falling asleep)! Help kids
use their hour before bedtime for reading,
relaxing, praying, listening to music, quiet
conversation, going for a walk or family time.
Model the behavior and habits you wan your
children to have. Shut off all TVs and computers
by 10 pm, or enforce a quiet hour for everyone.
Kids pick up on parents habits; going to bed late
or watching TV makes them want to do the
same!
For more tips on improving kids‟ sleep, click here:
www.RoomsToRaveAbout.wordpress.com
did you know?
According to those who are buying them, a new bed is
apt to be better than the old one.
A full 72% of respondents in a Consumer Reports study
said their new mattress improved
their sleep. Those who spent at
least 10 minutes lying on a bed
before buying it were more likely
to be satisfied with their choice
than those who didn‟t.
THIS MONTH
www.roomplanners.com
kids need sleep!
how do you measure up? How much sleep do we really need?
# of hours
Age Min Max
1—3 12 14
3—5 11 13
5—13 10 11
13—19 9 10
20+ 7.5 9
Curious if you‟re getting
too little or too much
sleep at night? Check the
sleep chart to the left; it
shows the minimum and
maximum sleep quota
recommendations by age.
Kids need a lot of sleep
during their growth years,
since sleep activates
growth hormones. Adults
need less sleep, but a lot
more than many of them
get! And yes, there is a
maximum! Too much
sleep makes us lethargic.
new bedrooms offer high ROI
A depressed housing
market may not be the
ideal time to sell a
house… but it‟s the
ideal time to improve it!
So how does a „bedroom
re-do‟ rank on the latest
Return On Investment
(ROI) data for home
improvement projects?
(ROI is the amount of
money you‟ll recoup on
a home improvement project when you sell your home).
Converting a 15‟ x 15‟ attic space to a functional
bedroom (with closet and full bathroom) will bring an
83% ROI, according to Remodeling magazine.
Adding a 400 square foot bedroom suite and spa-like
bath on the main floor will bring as much as a 73%
ROI (… the large aging population is less interested
in climbing stairs to get to their bedroom!). Want an
even higher return? Make sure the laundry room is on
the same level… and build a private deck or patio off
that bedroom!
In comparison to a bedroom addition, an outdoor
deck will bring as much as a 92% ROI; a kitchen will
bring a 75%-85% ROI.
4
We‟re getting less sleep
than ever before.
But before we blame the
counting sheep for poor
leadership from #1... #8
being out of sequence... or
#86 too depressed to even
think about jumping fences
tonight, it behooves us to at
least consider what the
flock is facing.
They know we‟re sleeping
fewer hours.. and so tired
we don‟t always need
them. But they‟re also up
against a growing trend
toward insomnia, with
more of us lying awake
with plenty on our mind
besides them. The ups and
downs of the economy
alone are enough to keep
us wide awake. That‟s not
to mention fears of losing
our job or house, or other
personal issues competing
with our time to dream.
Those late nights trysts
with our computers aren‟t
helping either. Stimulating
our minds and illuminating
our brains isn‟t exactly a
good thing to do at night.
Studies are suggesting that
being up close and personal
with a highly lit computer
screen may decrease our
production of melatonin -
the hormone that goes into
high gear when the sun
goes down, sprinkling sleep
dust on us in the dark.
Sleep
prescriptions are
on the rise as we
spend less time
in bed...
and more time
awake once we
get there!
The bottom line? Recent
stats say 70% of us have
sleep issues (up from 60%
just 10 years ago!). Still
others just have really bad
nocturnal habits.
The good news is that 50%
of us with sleep disorders
(and 100% of us with really
bad nocturnal habits) don‟t
need medication. We can
cure ourselves. But it will
mean getting 7.5-9 hours of
sleep every night.
In exchange, we‟ll feel
better, be healthier,
smarter, thinner and even
better looking (more sleep
can make us look 3 years
younger!). We may even let
the sheep take the credit.
Sleeping on a comfortable
mattress is the best way to
fall asleep faster. But we‟ve
got plenty more good ideas
on the next page!
Counting a line of sheep jumping a picket fence is believed to be such a mundane, mind-numbing activity that our bodies will choose to sleep instead. Or so the theory goes. The practice is surprisingly widespread and embedded, so to speak, in American, European and Japanese cultures. So much so that it‟s synonymous with insomnia.
So does it work? Some (including the wooly herd itself) insist that the simplicity and repetition of this mental activity will indeed lull us to sleep. It may even tire our eyes, fueling the much-coveted rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. But others believe it‟s too much mental work for nighttime. Stimulating the mind, they argue, will stimulate the body and envisioning, say, a waterfall is a better choice. Still others, including sleep experts, say that a comfortable, supportive mattress will reduce the need to do either.
But by now, we know better than to expect #1 and his flock to take that idea lying down. So expect the counting sheep to keep insisting they be the last thing we think about at night.
will counting sheep help us fall asleep?
how to
faster! fall asleep
Get full sheep bios at http://www.serta.com/#/Serta-Sheep-Counting-Sheep-Buy-a-Serta-mattress-Count-Sheep-No-More
Serta® and the Counting Sheep
are registered trademarks of
Serta, Inc.
5
… not this!
Get plenty of exercise during the day; the earlier in the day,
the better.
Do muscle relaxation or mind relaxation exercises to cue your body that it‟s time to power down.
Go to bed as soon after it gets dark as possible. Our oldest
ancestors did this. Animals do this. Our body naturally goes into repair mode when the sun goes down.
Establish a relaxing routine before bedtime; include some
quiet time in your bedroom before turning out the lights.
Listen to 30 minutes of music; it‟s been shown to produce same effect as 10mg of Valium! Gentle classical music is best.
New age, soft jazz or pop ballades, also good. Save Led Zeppelin for the a.m.
Eat melatonin-rich foods. (More about this on page 17).
Meditate or pray before you sleep; it‟s calming and can help
take your mind off our worries.
Block unwanted noise in your bedroom. Complete silence is
best for deep sleep, but party animals or street sounds can be dulled with white noise machines or quiet music.
Play soothing sounds of waves or wind from a CD, nature
sound machine, sound pillow or sound eye mask.
Turn down the thermostat. The cooler your bedroom, the
better you‟ll sleep. Seventy degrees is maximum, less is better.
Invest in a top quality pillow, mattress and bed linens. If
there‟s one place you should pay more than you ever thought you would, it‟s on this troika of support and comfort.
Sleep on a Perfect Sleeper™ or Perfect Day™ mattress; their
advanced sleep materials and technology will support your spine, alleviate pressure points, conform to your body and
dissipate heat and moisture.
Use more than one pillow per person on your bed; extra head
or body pillows create a cocoon of comfort.
Layer extra blankets on your bed; if you get too hot or cold in
the night, you can add or delete without getting out of bed.
Make your bed in the morning; it‟ll be much easier to align
your sheets and get comfortable when you go to bed.
Wear clothes that fit loosely and comfortably; choose non-allergenic, non-restrictive fabrics. Less is usually more.
Wear socks in bed. They can compensate for poor circulation
and reduce wake-ups from cold feet... your‟s or your partners.
Use a drop of scented oil or spray on your pillow. Vanilla, lavender, peppermint, jasmine are among the most calming.
www.roomplanners.com
roomplanners + = ideas you can use
… do this!
want to doze off sooner? (and dream deeper?)
Eat a heavy bedtime snack. Some sleep experts even suggest stopping eating 3 hours before bedtime.
Eat heavy or spicy foods before sleeping. They‟ll stay with you,
causing indigestion, stomach acid and discomfort.
Consume nicotine or caffeine; they‟re stimulants.
Consume sugar, including alcohol. Alcohol will make you feel
drowsy, but you‟ll wake up wide-eyed and bushy tailed a few
hours later.
Drink a lot of fluids within 2 hours of bedtime. Unless you
enjoy trekking to the bathroom in the dark; not a good idea.
Read books or watch late movies that are very suspenseful or
scary. Our minds will dream up their own wacky stuff; we don‟t
need to fuel the surreal or work up our imaginations!
Watch the news after 7 pm. Ditto the point above. Watch the
early news, then give current events a rest.
Stay up when you feel tired; getting a second wind to work or
watch TV may seem like a windfall, but it ignores natural body
cues that help us sleep.
Sleep with light. Even small LED lights can be distracting. Use
light-blocking blinds, turn clocks away from your bed or wear an
eye mask for complete darkness.
Exercise strenuously within 2-3 hours before bedtime; a good
work-out also gets us worked up.
Sleep on a mattress with lumps, crevices or old sleep
technology.. Mattresses older than 7-10 years really do need to
be replaced. Really.
Sleep on a bed that’s too small. Bumping into a partner,
elbowing the wall or dangling your feet off the end of your bed really does a number on REM sleep.
Argue or have upsetting conversations after dinner. People,
situations or issues that press your buttons can wait until the morning.
Pay taxes or balance your checkbook right before you sleep. We
don‟t think we need to explain why this is a bad idea.
Use the computer late at night. The light emitted may delay or
suppress that shot of melatonin you need.
Think about how badly you need to sleep; unfortunately it‟ll just
cause more worry and less sleep.
Take a lot of medications. Some drugs interfere with natural
sleep patterns in the body. The fewer you take, the better.
Go to bed at a different time each night. Establish a routine and stick with it, even on weekends!
www.serta.com
6
bed bugs
don’t let
bite! It‟s near epidemic. Bed
bugs are infesting hotels,
offices, stores and theaters.
The ultimate hitchhikers,
bed bugs can cross your
threshold many ways…
along with overnight guests
who‟ve spent a night in a
hotel, inside your luggage
after you’ve spent a night in
a hotel, on your clothes
after a few hours shopping
or at the movie theater... or
even through the walls of a
neighboring suite.
Books and articles on these
stealthy critters reads like a
vampire novel. Their eggs
are invisible... they can live
up to a year without a
blood meal… their bites
look different on different
people (making a bed bug
problem hard to diagnose)
… they live anywhere we
www.roomplanners.com
do and especially like
burrowing deep into our
mattress... a single bug can
lay 4 or 5 eggs a day (300-
500 eggs in a lifetime!)...
they‟re good at hiding;
their flat shape lets them
squeeze in and out of tight
hiding places… they don‟t
need a nest, just a place to
hide… they head for the
bed when we do, but may
hang out elsewhere
between meals… and a
safe pesticide to eradicate
these thirsty predators isn‟t
available yet.
The widespread use of
DDT all but eradicated the
common bed bug in the
1940s and '50s. But DDT
was banned in 1972 as too
toxic to wildlife. By the
late 1990s, bed bugs had
developed resistance to the
chemicals that replaced
DDT.
In addition, a 1996 law that
required older pesticides to
be re-evaluated based on
more stringent health stan-
dards left exterminators
with fewer pesticides avail-
able to fight these strong,
stealthy pests.
More of a nuisance than a
health hazard, bed bugs are
nonetheless stressful and
their bites remarkably
itchy. An exterminator can
rid your home of them
(never spray your mattress
with insecticides yourself!).
But that can get expensive
fast. Keeping bed bugs out
of your house is always
your first course of action.
And if you do get them?
Address the problem right
away.
Better yet, don’t let them anywhere near your home.
the
7
how to know if you have bed bugs!
Determining if you have a bed bug infestation can be a challenge. Bed bugs are very small (about the size of an ap-
ple seed), they like to hide and only make an appearance for a brief period. Here are the top ways to tell if your
room is infested:
look for dark blood marks, usually small streaks on sheets.
look for the bugs or their shells where they like to hide... between mattress crevices, seams and handles, inside bed
linens, curtains, furniture, behind headboards, picture frames, outlets or screw heads.
lay double-sided carpet tape in strips around the perimeter of your room. If you have bed bugs, you‟ll likely see one
or more of them stuck to the tape after a few days.
inspect your arms and legs for close-together bites; often in a row.
Once bed bugs are in your home, it’s stressful and expensive to get ride of them. Stave off these crea-tures by taking preventative action! 1. Wash new or used sheets or clothes in very hot water before placing in closets or drawers. 2. Wash clothes in very hot water after being in pub-lic places (theaters, hotels) or in other people‟s homes. If you work in other people‟s homes for a living, leave clothing or uniforms in a sealed bag. 3. Avoid buying used furniture; bed bugs can hide anywhere. Never bring a used mattress into your home, unless it‟s from your previous home. 4. Carry a small flashlight to inspect your hotel room’s bed, headboard and sheets. Wrap suitcases in sealed plastic garbage bags during your stay. 5. Shake out suitcases over the bathtub when you get home from hotels, or leave empty suitcases in a hot car for a day or two to kill bugs and eggs. 6. Wrap your mattress in a mattress protector that‟s been vigorously tested to resist and kill bed bugs. 7. Avoid a cluttered home; it gives bed bugs more places to hide and makes them hard to find. 8. Watch regularly for bed bugs (and their signs) in your home. Early detection saves money and a lot of stress.
www.roomplanners.com
Left to right: a bed bug / bed bugs infesting a mattress seam / bed
bug bites. www.MedicineNet.com
9 ways to avoid bed bugs!
8
www.roomplanners.com
“When we sleep, our brains are active
- their activity is essential… to the
consolidation of memories, to learning,
to cognitive development,
to psychiatric health and to a
healthy immune system.”
Henry J. Kaiser Foundation Report
are you...
sleep deprived?
9
take our quiz to find out... If you need to place the alarm clock across the room to wake you, you may be one of a growing number
of us who are chronically over-tired. See for yourself how your sleep habits stack up!
www.roomplanners.com
SCORING YOUR RESULTS
85 points of higher. Congratulations! You‟ve got above average sleep habits! You may occasionally crave more sleep
than you get, but you‟re doing more right than wrong.
65-70 points. Some simple adjustments in your sleep habits will increase your focus, energy, memory and overall
well-being.
50-65 points. You may be suffering from a sleep disorder… or just poor nocturnal habits. Try simple changes to your
routine or consult a sleep expert.
Under 50 points. You may be dozing off as you read this! If you can‟t get more sleep using the tips in this sleep issue,
consult a sleep expert or a medical doctor.
Many people think that 5
or 6 hours of sleep every
night is all they need. After
all, they get through the
day without falling asleep
at their desks or behind the
wheel; that must mean
they‟re getting enough
sleep.
But according to sleep
experts, we get almost all
of our rapid eye movement
(REM) sleep between the
7th and 8th consecutive
hour of sleep. REM sleep is
that deep sleep when our
mind repairs and restores
itself… and us!
“REM sleep occurs about
every 90 minutes,” says Dr.
James Maas, MD and
sleep expert. He explains
that periods of REM sleep
get longer as the night
progresses. “If you‟re a six-
hour sleeper, you‟re
missing the last important
opportunity to repair and
to prepare for the coming
day.”
To make matters worse,
sleeping pills suppress
REM sleep. Natural sleep
(...and plenty of it) is what
the doctor orders!
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1. I need an alarm clock to wake me at the right time.
2. I hit the snooze button at least once or twice.
3. I need more than one cup of coffee to get me going
in the morning.
4. I easily forget things, including names of people or
places.
5. I eat sugar to feel more energetic.
6. I feel irritable or impatient.
7. I have a hard time being creative.
8. I fantasize about sleeping in.
9. When I wake up, I’m already looking forward to
going to bed that evening.
10. I take medication to help me sleep.
11. I fall asleep right after dinner.
12. I feel drowsy when driving.
13. On weekends, I sleep 2 hours or more later than
my weekday wake-up time.
14. People tell me that I look tired or have dark circles
under my eyes.
15. I have nightmares or wake up suddenly.
16. I wake up 2 or more times during the night.
17. I drool when I sleep.
18. I get twitches in one eye.
19. I fall asleep reading a book or studying.
20. I doze off during quiet movies, lectures, classes or
concerts, even ones I enjoy.
ALWAYS NEVER
10
But before you hit the
mattress store or haul out
the drop cloth, there‟s just
one more thing.
To really recreate a 5-star
ambiance, it‟s worth know-
ing that 5-star ambiance
isn‟t about a beautiful
room. (Well, it is too. You
wouldn‟t want to be in a
room that wasn‟t fabulous
to look at.) But it‟s about
much, much more.
Ever walked into a hotel
room that you wanted to
take home with you? Or
been at a world-class spa
that that you didn‟t ever
want to leave? Ever?
What if we could feel as
relaxed in our own home
as we do in these places
professionally designed to
relax us? Is it possible?
Could we leave behind the
personal clutter and real-
world limitations that deny
us such an oasis of calm?
Is it possible? Even with-
out those big budgets and
those hip designers resorts
have access to?
In a word, yes. But it does
mean paying very close
attention to the finer
points of relaxation!
Bedrooms are about the
body. But designing a
room for the body is as
much bout designing it for
the mind. Relaxed minds
become relaxed bodies!
The right sights, sounds,
smells and textures do so
much more than give luxu-
rious rooms their 5-star
rating. It also makes them
feel as good as they look.
World-class hotels know
that a room designed to
relax you is as much about
making you feel healthy as
it is about impressing you
with thread counts, mini
bars and views of the city
(or the very fancy ensuite!)
Without a healthy rest,
you‟re not coming back…
no matter how pretty the
bedspread or how swell-
smelling the shampoo.
More than ever before,
we‟re valuing the benefits
of a good night‟s sleep to
our health. A beautiful
bedroom means nothing if
it doesn‟t also help us
sleep. But with the right
product choices, beauty
and health can go hand-in-
hand.
On that front, we‟ve got
some ideas to get you
inspired. Read on!
your bedroom... as relaxing as a
first class hotel room?
www.roomplanners.com
11
Its modern design is very chic! But the new Embody, by Sealy, is
also the first mattress to integrate Polartec® into the top layer!
This breathable fabric wicks away moisture while you sleep, com-plimenting layers of memory foam or latex with anti-microbial
properties. Translation? It looks and feels as good as it is for you.
here’s how! 5-star comfort
Want hotel-inspired décor in your own bedroom? Find out what hotel designers spend their time and money on!
There‟s a reason why we
feel relaxed and rejuvenated
in chic hotels. For once, we
don‟t come face to face with
all of our stuff!
A slightly depersonalized,
clutter-free room is surpris-
ingly calming: we feel less
weighed down or attached
to our problems. Dispense
with paperwork, stacked
clothes, cords or ornaments
in favor of an open view.
It‟s not just the universal
appeal of contemporary,
sleek design that makes it
the style of choice in most
resort hotels. Clean lines,
tailored shapes and under-
stated design prepares us for
rest. With less for our eyes
and minds to look at, we
feel more relaxed.
Japanese-inspired décor is a favorite inspiration, not just because it goes along with
1. Indulgences
Today, luxurious hotels are
more about making us feel
pampered than surround-
ing us with glamour.
What‟s too fancy doesn‟t
relax us; it makes us
nervous to touch anything!
Look for ways to surround
yourself with creature
comforts—bottled water
next to the bed, a coffee
maker, plush bathrobes on
a hook or in the closet, a
large floor mirror or com-
fortable chair. Think of
yourself as a guest in your
own room!
2. High-touch materials
Our bedrooms let us get up
close and personal with
touchable textures—from
luxurious silk sheets to
nubby area rugs. Use fab-
rics that beg to be touched!
3. Banning clutter
a 5-star bedroom
our top tips Put yourself at easy with these hotel designer tricks!
Use a monochromatic scheme, or the same color on the wall, ceiling and floor for an enveloping, „cocoon‟ effect.
Use neutral colors for large areas and accents. Without jarring color contrasts, we feel calmer. Choose chic (cool) or organic (warm) neutrals.
Choose contemporary furniture; it takes less effort to clean, or look at!
Eliminate clutter and put away knickknacks. Large accents are more quieting.
Add a comfortable place to sit that‟s not the bed.
Lean an oversized floor mirror on a wall next to a window. It reflects relax-ing daylight into the room.
Invest in high-thread-count white sheets; you‟ll notice the difference in the quality... and white al-ways feels indulgent!
make your bed the way hotels do…. pull the com-forter halfway back and stack (instead of propping up) a double set of pillows.
invest in sights, sounds and scents that detox and decompress… a water fountain or aromatherapy.
create long, low horizontal lines; they simulate the horizon line - relaxing and stabilizing us.
roomplanners + = ideas you can use www.roomplanners.com
Asian hot stone therapies and Zen gardens! The Japanese are known for their contemplative, calming ways. They don‟t make a big statement with bright colors or fancy features. Simplicity makes a much more powerful one!
4. Breathability
Even more important than a
bedroom that takes our
breath away is one that
gives it back to us! Good
ventilation, a ceiling fan or
cross breeze from windows
will help put us to sleep.
We breathe deeply when we
relax and sleep, making it
critical to breathe in healthy
air, free of odors. Sleeping
surfaces should be free of
formaldehyde and ozone-
depleting chemicals.
We need a sleep surface that
breathes too; it helps regu-
late our body temperature.
A breathable mattress, such
as Sealy‟s new Embody, will
reduce clammy moisture at
night for a drier, healthier
sleep.
http://www.sealy.com
12
bedroom style? looking for the perfect
Hotel-style bedrooms are luxurious, quiet and
self-contained. They offer
a complete retreat from
the world, especially if
fitted with everything
needed for a night… and
day of sleep and relaxa-
tion. Hotel-style rooms
blend chic and organic
personalities… and look
inspired by chic, 5-star
urban hotels and luxuri-
ous spas.
Download our 24-pg
Hotel-style RoomCue for
advice on how to pull
together this urban,
sophisticated style.
Zen-style bedrooms are low-key, natural and
organic. They offer calm-
ing sights and soothing
sounds that quiet body
and mind. Nothing
distracts us here; these
rooms are as conducive to
meditation and relaxation
as they are to sleep. Zen-
styled rooms are 100%
organic and look inspired
by Japanese gardens and
world-class spas.
Download our 24-pg
Hotel-style RoomCue for
advice on how to pull
together this nature-
inspired, organic style.
Like a recipe for your room, our 24-pg
RoomCues™ will help you pull together
the furniture, accessories, paint colors and
much more for your favorite style. 2 sleep-inspiring looks for your personal place
RoomCue: Zen style / 24-pg / $12.95 Click here to find out more:
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RoomCue: Hotel style / 24-pg / $12.95 Click here to find out more:
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13
The first of its kind, as far
as we know, Our Favorite
New Sleep Products list
includes a range of new
ideas and solutions for our
most private of places and
activities. But one thing
runs through all our top
picks… a belief in better
sleep and relaxation
through innovation and
good design.
So how do you pick the
best new sleep products
from the many, many new
bedding products intro-
duced each year?
It‟s not easy. Our plan of
attack? Use three criteria to
pick our favorites.
First, each top pick had to
have a story… something
that made it relevant to
today… a solution to a
common sleep problem,
the best example of a
changing sleep trend, a
commitment to preserving
the environment or a way
to save money or space.
Second, our favorite new
sleep products had to be
durable. More of us want
to surround ourselves with
the best quality at the best
price. And none of us buys
new sleep products often
enough to merit trendy
purchases, so we insisted
on finding new products
with longevity.
Finally, we wanted to be
caught off-guard with
something really fresh and
different… something that
would make more of us get
excited about replacing that
old, worn-down mattress
and about making our
bedroom a favorite place to
spend more time!
A lot of new mattresses
come to market every year.
And a lot of them look and
seem much the same. But
with more attention on our
national sleep debt,
suppliers of sleep products
outdid themselves this
year.
We really think you‟ll love
what you see. Read on!
...they’ll help you bring on the zzz’s
9 favorite new
products sleep
our
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14
1
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2 This lower-priced, compact
alternative to a Murphy
bed… ideal for small
homes or guest rooms!
The unique ZzZ cabinet
bed, by Arason holds a
standard-sized mattress.
The sleeping platform is
made by folding down the
front panel onto felt-
covered extension runners.
A couple of things we liked
about this innovative idea.
It‟s a free standing cabinet
so there‟s no installation
required and you can take
it with you when you
move. It‟s got drawers at
the base of the footboard—
big enough to hold pillows,
extra sheets or guest towels.
The unit is easy to open
and a lot nicer than sleep-
ing on an air mattress on
the floor!
The shorter cabinet creates
usable storage space on the
shelf above... and you
If you‟re up for a mattress
that‟s beautiful, inside and
out, this one might be your
perfect choice. Using the most advanced
comfort and support tech-
nologies to date, Perfect
Day, by Serta, is a top-of-
the-line mattress designed
to address common sleep
problems—from tossing
and turning to temperature
swings. It combines tem-
perature regulating latex
foam and fibers that regu-
late the sleep surface tem-
perature….with a flexible,
pillow-soft coil core. This
smart, medically proven
sleep technology ensures a
good night‟s sleep… and
next day.
But all that good stuff
aside, this is one pretty
mattress. The clean, dia-
mond-quilted finish, white
crystal fabric along the
mattress edges and sophis-
ticated, charcoal-colored
box spring looks luxurious
and sophisticated.
We also think you‟ll like
the perfectly positioned
handles near the top and
bottom of the mattress for
ease of handling.
the perfect night… the perfect next day
a bed for a tight spot
don‟t have to move what‟s
up there to use the bed.
The ZzZ cabinet is avail-
able in twin, full or queen
sizes. The queen and full
sizes have a center support
runner so the platform can
support up to 500 pounds! Five styles and a variety of
finishes are available…
Perfect Day, by Serta http://www.serta.com ZzZ Chest Cabinet http://www.Fu-Chest.com
new sleep products!
15
4 www.roomplanners.com
3 A new line of progressive
latex and memory foam
mattresses offer a sleek,
contemporary design that
looks and feels as good as
it is for you.
Embody, by Sealy, is also
the first mattress to use
Polartec® in its top layer
for extra air circulation
and breathability (…five
times more breathable
than leading foam mat-
tresses, Sealy executives
told us). This miracle fab-
ric is already well-known
for its ability to circulate
air. That makes it as ideal
for a mattress as for ap-
parel; it‟ll help regulate
body temperature all night
long and wick away
moisture to ensure a dry,
healthy sleep.
This new mattress was
Want to enjoy warm
candlelight in your bed-
room without worrying
about burning down the
house down if you fall
asleep, knock the candles
over or place them too
close to curtains?
We recently came across
Enjoy Lighting candles:
they‟re flameless but
remarkably lifelike because
they‟re made of wax. But
instead of embedded wicks
for burning, there‟s 3 LED
bulbs… programmed to
create a realistic flickering
effect. The bulbs simulate
the kind of dancing shad-
wax candles... without the house fire! ows that a real flame
would.
The company cites over
15,000 house fires each
year caused by wicked
candles. But apart from
eliminating the fire risk,
wickless candles are 100%
safe around children and
pets, save on replacement
candle costs, eliminate soot
on walls and melted wax
on furniture or carpets.
Their LED bulbs will last
over 100,000 hours. The web site displays an
impressive variety of styles,
colors, textures and scents
to choose from.
also constructed with anti-
microbial fabrics to resist
dust mites and allergens,
while providing a natural
shield against microbes.
We also liked the stream-
lined, modern design; a
refreshing change to plush
pillow top mattresses.
The upholstery-like fabric
cover looks sleek and feels
durable, and the dark-
colored box-spring is a nice
contrast.
There‟s also a few unex-
pected extras… a side
pocket in the foundation is
handy for storing a maga-
zine, book or other bedside
essentials.
Enjoy Candles http://www.enjoycandles.com
Embody, by Sealy http:// www.sealy.com
breathe easy with Polartec™
16
7
6a pillow with comfort and support
a bug-proof bed cover
For those who like
memory foam pillows, but
miss the cushy comfort of
a soft down pillow, your
wait is over.
The new BioSense™
Better Than Down
pillow, from Brookstone,
has been re-engineered to
combine the support of a
memory foam pillow with
The right mattress cover will
protect your mattress from
dust mites, bacteria, mold…
and bed bugs!
By encasing your mattress
completely, bed bugs will die
in 12-18 months. While even
the best mattress cover won‟t
keep bed bugs out of your
room, it‟ll keep them from
ruining it. It also forces them
to move to more places
where you can spot them.
Total Mattress Encasement,
by Mattress Safe, is water-
proof, fire retardant and well-
tested (Certified) against bed
bugs. While some mattress
covers allow bed bugs to
escape through zipper teeth
and zipper endings, Mattress
Safe is one of few brands
that will not. Their „zipper
with a hook‟ technology
won‟t let these stealthy crit-
ters through. The cover is
breathable and will stretch to
fit up to a 22” mattress.
The encasement must stay
on to kill bed bugs, but the
company‟s Duo System
includes a simple overlay
that can be washed.
the softness of a down
pillow. Essentially, a mem-
ory foam core sits inside a
sleeping bag-like cover
filled with a plush, down-
like microfiber that‟s 100%
hypo-allergenic. The fabric
shell can be removed for
washing.
Well-known for its ability
to relieve pressure points
by conforming to the exact
contours of our body
shape, memory foam also
resets itself once we get up,
leaving no permanent in-
dentations.
We liked that the pillow‟s
memory foam is perforated
with small holes. This ven-
tilated design allows air to
flow through the pillow so
it adjusts to your body tem-
perature. The foam itself is
made with green tea,
charcoal and seed oil for
natural odor resistance.
The new pillow collection
features a neck pillow
(rolled surface) for back
sleepers, a contoured neck
pillow (one side cut in a
concave shape) for side
sleepers or in a classic
shape (standard pillow
shape).
5 Watching TV or surfing
the Internet aren‟t things
sleep experts recommend
we do in bed. But we‟re
doing it anyway… so why
not be comfortable!
The latest adjustable bed
to hit the market is the best
we‟ve seen to date. Most
adjustable beds are really
adjustable bases with a
regular mattress on top.
But the new Vivon Life
Positional Mattress is
actually an adjustable
mattress. In other words,
the frame and the mattress
work together to adjust
positions. A variety of
positions allow the feet to
be elevated and the back
angled, making laptop
work, reading or watching
TV easier. No more bunch-
ing pillows behind you to
the first adjustable mattress create a more comfortable
sitting position! The
mattress unit also in-
cludes a vibrating mas-
sage.
Available in stores soon.
BioSense™ Better Than Down pillow, by Brookstone http://www.Brookstone.com
Total Mattress Encasement,
by Mattress Safe
http:www.MattressSafe.com
removable overlay
Vivon adjustable mattress http://www.Vivon.com
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17
8
9
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For the fully half of U.S.
consumers who prefer a
softer feeling mattress…
but don‟t want to sacrifice
support, TempurPedic now
offers their TEMPUR-
Cloud™ mattress. And
this blend of soft and firm
has quickly become the
company‟s best seller,
according to company
executives.
TempurPedic developed
the mattress for consumers
who want a softer mattress,
but their goal was to
eliminate problems often
associated with softer
mattresses, including
bunching, sagging and
pre-mature wear.
Mattresses in the Cloud
Collection include an extra
thick layer of a new
Today‟s mattresses are
getting deeper and more
luxurious. Even those of us
not buying new mattresses
may be adding comfortable
toppers to our mattresses.
The result? Standard-sized
sheet sets are problematic.
Even ‟deep pocket‟ sheets
can be too shallow for the
most luxurious, specialty
foam beds.
If you‟re having problems
keeping sheets on the bed,
we found a solution.
DreamFit™ Luxury Sheets
are designed to stay on
your mattress, whatever
it‟s depth. The company is
so sure about that, in fact,
that they‟re even trade-
marking their guarantee
under Guaranteed to Fit™
and Guaranteed to Stay
On™ names.
The sheet sets combine
high quality materials with
a patented technology and
a choice of seven luxury
and comfort levels.
The company‟s patented
strap design includes a
high performance elastic
(four times wider and 20
times stronger than stan-
TEMPUR-ES™ material
designed to create the
softest, most responsive
sleep surface in the
company‟s history.
But this new pillow-like
material works in combina-
tion with the TEMPUR
Support layer… famous
for conforming to the
contours of the body, sup-
porting and aligning the
spine, relieving pressure
points and reducing move-
ment disturbances between
partners.
TEMPUR-Cloud™
mattresses include a
removable, washable cover
with a stretchable top,
MicroSuede sides and
accent piping.
a mattress for the other half of us!
sheets that stay put… even on deep mattresses
DreamFit™ Luxury Sheets
http: www.dreamfit .com
TEMPURCloud™, by TempurPedic http://www.TempurPedic.com
dard elastic) sewn around
the entire sheet.
18
Many sleep experts and nutritionists advise choosing
your supper meal and evening snack with care.
The following diet-related tips will have you snoozing
soon after your head hits the pillow.
Eat dinner/supper earlier rather than later in the
evening to give your stomach time to digest the food.
Make the last meal of the day a light one. If portions
are too large, your digestive system will have to work
over time. Eating a large meal may initially make you
feel drowsy, but you likely won‟t enjoy a restful sleep.
Choose foods that won‟t cause discomfort while you
sleep. Heavy, rich and fatty foods can be hard to
digest. Spicy, highly seasoned or acidic foods can
cause heartburn and stomach discomfort.
Limit your alcohol consumption. Drinking alcohol
Warm milk and cookies
sound like a soothing
bedtime snack.
But can what and
when you eat affect how
well you sleep?
might make you feel sleepy, but you may not be able
to achieve a really deep sleep.
Consume too many liquids during the evening and
you will be waking frequently to make trips to the
bathroom throughout the night.
Avoid caffeine. It‟s a stimulant, and increases the
activity of various body systems including the
nervous system. It can take 8 to 10 hours to eliminate
the effects of caffeine from your body.
Eat a small snack an hour or two before you go to
bed. Going to bed hungry will just keep you awake or
even wake you up.
Try the Nutri Cookie recipe on the next page. Served with
warm or cold milk, it really will help you sleep. And
don‟t let Number 7 (or any of his Serta® counting sheep
friends) convince you otherwise.
drink... eat...
sleepy? and be
Serta® and the Counting Sheep are registered trademarks of Serta, Inc.
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19
(Makes 5 dozen cookies)
½ cup (125 mL) butter or margarine, softened
½ cup (125 mL) peanut butter
1 cup (250 mL) liquid honey
2 large eggs
1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla
1-1/2 cups (375 mL) all-purpose flour
3 cups (750 mL) quick-cooking rolled oats (not instant)
1 cup (250 mL) medium unsweetened coconut
¾ cup (175 mL) natural bran
½ cup (125 mL) sunflower seeds or wheat germ
1 tsp (5 mL) baking soda
1 tsp (5 mL) salt
1 cup (250 mL) raisins
½ cup (125 mL) chopped nuts
Beat butter and peanut butter in a large bowl until blended. Add honey, eggs and
vanilla. Beat slowly until blended. Add remaining ingredients. Mix well.
For each cookie, scoop a heaping tablespoon (about 20 mL) batter onto a cookie sheet.
Flatten slightly.
Bake in a preheated 375F (190C) oven until lightly browned, about 12 minutes. Let sit
for a few minutes on cookie sheet before removing cookies to a cooling rack.
Recipe Source: Adapted from Timeless Recipes for All Occasions by Jean Pare,
Company’s Coming Publishing Limited, 2006
Wendi Hiebert is a home economist and food writer, living in Kitchener, Ontario.
For more of her recipes, visit www.CookingQuarters. wordpress.com
quarters cooking
nutri cookies
FOODS THAT
HELP US SLEEP
When planning what to eat close to bedtime, opt for foods that contain
tryptophan, especially for nighttime snacking.
An important amino acid, tryptophan is needed to produce serotonin and
melatonin in our brain, two chemicals that help us sleep.
Tryptophan-rich foods include:
dairy products fish & seafood meat & poultry eggs soy products beans whole grains & rice lentils nuts and seeds
Combining carbohydrate-rich foods with a small amount of protein food that contains tryptophan helps make tryptophan available to our brains.
Try these combinations:
oatmeal cookies & milk whole grain cereal &
milk half a peanut butter or
tuna sandwich crackers & cheese bagel chips & a hard-
cooked egg yogurt & granola
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