Forty-seven percent of adults would like to improve the quality of their sleep, and 37 percent feel that they do not get enough sleep, according to a new survey conducted by the Better Sleep Council (BSC).
“Growing demands on our lives and endless “to do” lists can make it difficult to get enough sleep,” says Andrea Herman, Director of the Better Sleep Council. “However, it’s important to make sleep a priority and to strive to get the best quality sleep that we can.”
“We all have too much to do, so make the most out of your time in bed. Sleep in a cool, quiet, dark room on a comfortable, supportive mattress to help ensure a great night’s sleep. How well you sleep at night can make all the difference in how productive you’ll be the next day,” says Herman.
Because your mattress plays such an important role in how well you sleep, the Better Sleep Council recommends that you ask yourself the following questions:
-Do you wake up with pain, stiffness, or soreness?
-Are you not sleeping as well as you were a year ago?
-Was your best night’s sleep somewhere other than your own bed?
-Does your mattress shows visible signs of wear and tear?
If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, your mattress could be affecting the quality of your sleep. An uncomfortable mattress can rob you of sleep, causing you to toss and turn and preventing you from deriving the full benefit of your time in bed. Sleeping on a mattress that meets your needs for comfort, support and space can help you sleep better.
Too often, people are unaware that their mattress is no longer meeting their needs. Sleepless nights can be avoided by carefully evaluating the comfort and support of your sleep set twice a year to make sure your personal comfort preferences are still being met.
“Your mattress is such an easy factor to control, yet so few people think about how comfortably they sleep or can sleep on their mattress,” says Herman.
Here are ten tips to help you get the sleep you need and deserve:

1. GIVE YOURSELF “PERMISSION” TO GO TO BED. As hard as it may be to put away your “to do” list, make sleep a “priority.” You’ll thank yourself in the morning.

2. UNWIND EARLY IN THE EVENING. Try to deal with worries and distractions several hours before bedtime.

3. DEVELOP A SLEEP RITUAL. Doing the same things each night just before bed signals your body to settle down for the night

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