May is recognized as Better Sleep Month, making it the perfect time to reflect on how we can improve our sleep quality. At Miskelly's, we're celebrating a weeklong SnoozeFest event, offering insights to help you transform your rest. Quality sleep isn't just about the hours you spend in bed—it's about optimizing every element of your sleep environment and habits to support your overall health and well-being.
The Sleep Position Connection
Your sleep position plays a crucial role in your sleep quality and health:
- Side sleeping is the most common position and is generally recommended by sleep experts. It helps reduce acid reflux, decreases snoring, and can alleviate sleep apnea symptoms. However, side sleepers need proper support to keep their spine aligned.
- Back sleeping provides excellent spinal alignment and reduces pressure points. However, it may worsen snoring and sleep apnea for some individuals.
- Stomach sleeping is generally least recommended as it can strain your neck and lower back, but with the right mattress support, even stomach sleepers can rest comfortably.
Sleep Tip: Your preferred sleep position should influence your mattress choice. Different positions create different pressure points and support needs.
Finding Your Ideal Mattress Firmness
Mattress firmness isn't one-size-fits-all—it's deeply personal and depends on multiple factors:
- Body weight: Generally, heavier individuals benefit from firmer support, while lighter individuals often prefer softer surfaces that allow for some contouring.
- Sleep position: Side sleepers typically need a softer surface to accommodate shoulders and hips, while back and stomach sleepers often require firmer support to prevent sinking.
- Health conditions: Those with back pain may benefit from medium-firm to firm mattresses that provide adequate support while contouring to the body's natural curves.
Sleep Tip: On our firmness scale of 1-10 (softest to firmest), most sleepers find their sweet spot between 5-7. During Miskelly's SnoozeFest event, our Sleep Experts can help you determine your ideal firmness level through personalized testing.
The Benefits of Elevation: Raising Head and Legs
Adjustable bed bases have revolutionized sleep for many people:
- Elevated head position can reduce snoring, alleviate acid reflux, ease asthma symptoms, and improve breathing.
- Elevated legs help improve circulation, reduce swelling, and may alleviate lower back pressure by relaxing the spine.
- Zero-gravity position, with both head and legs slightly elevated, mimics weightlessness and reduces pressure across the entire body—ideal for those with pain or discomfort.
Sleep Tip: Adjustable bases work with most modern mattresses, including memory foam, latex, and many hybrid designs. They're an investment in both comfort and health.
Sleep and Your Overall Health
The connection between quality sleep and health cannot be overstated:
- Immune function: During sleep, your immune system releases proteins called cytokines that help fight inflammation and infection.
- Mental health: Good sleep improves mood, reduces stress, and lowers the risk of depression and anxiety.
- Cognitive performance: Memory consolidation, problem-solving abilities, and creativity all depend on restorative sleep.
- Metabolic health: Poor sleep is linked to weight gain, type 2 diabetes risk, and hormonal imbalances affecting hunger and satiety.
Sleep Tip: Consider your mattress as health equipment, not just bedroom furniture. The right sleep surface supports your body's natural recovery processes.
Creating Your Sleep Sanctuary
Beyond your mattress, consider these elements for optimal sleep:
- Temperature regulation: Look for mattresses and bedding with cooling technologies if you sleep hot.
- Light control: Blackout curtains or sleep masks can create darkness that promotes melatonin production.
- Sound management: White noise machines can mask disruptive sounds.
- Consistent schedule: Train your body to expect sleep at regular times.
During Better Sleep Month, we invite you to revolutionize your rest by understanding how sleep position, mattress firmness, elevation options, and good sleep habits work together to enhance your health. During Miskelly's SnoozeFest event, going on now through May 10th, our Sleep Experts are offering in-depth Rest Tests to help you identify your specific needs and match them with the perfect sleep system. Plus, enjoy complimentary coffee and donuts and an opportunity to win daily prizes, including a grand prize drawing for a king-sized mattress!
Visit any of our Miskelly locations to experience our curated selection of mattresses and adjustable bases, which can transform not just your nights but your overall well-being. At Miskelly's, we believe that when you sleep better, you feel better, and when you feel better, you perform better!