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It’s almost 5-4-3-2-1-Happy-New-Year- time! And clinking champagne glasses 🙂 But it’s also that time of the year where good sleep gets overlooked…I mean, there’s gatherings, holiday events, holiday shopping, etc. But I’m here to give you a tip that’s changed my sleep (and neck pain) for good… aka how to sleep better.
You know how important beauty sleep is and why it’s actually called that (if not read here). During good quality sleep:
-important physical and mental processes are carried out
-a good sleep improves concentration and productivity
-sleep improves your immune function
-adequate sleep boosts memory
-During sleep, your body repairs the damage caused by stress, ultraviolet rays, and other harmful exposure
A Pillow Can Have A Dramatic Significance In Your Sleep
Those are just a few reasons on why your body NEEDS good quality sleep. Now, these days, stress plays a major role in our lives and I happen to be quite a stressed person. On top of that, I have scoliosis and have 3 herniated discs (quite the package, right?😅) So good sleep for me is vital, not just for the reasons I mentioned above but also because my back and neck need a good rest so that I can be productive and in a good mood the next day.
Enter Ghostbed’s memory foam cooling pillow. I have tried many pillows in the past, I can actually say I’ve had a collection of pillows and down feather pillows used to be my thing until I found the GhostPillow. Now, why is this pillow so different?
[Thanks to my sponsor, GhostBed, for supplying the free product to help me write this post today!]
Let’s dig in right into the characteristics of this pillow:
- It has a phase change material, which is the newest thermo sensitive technology that senses heat and adjusts to keep the sleeping environment temperature neutral
- It has a performance fabric that is cool to the touch and wicks away moisture on the Phase Change side (where you put your head)
- It comes with an aerated gel memory foam that allows air to circulate and creates a plusher, more responsive feel (say bye-bye to having to fluff pillows every day)
- It has an air flow mesh scrim that allows air to flow through the pillow keeping it cool while protecting the pillow’s shape and function.
- The embroidered “ice” fabric cover is cool to the touch, ultra plush and kind to your skin. It’s also removable for easy care.
So as you can see, there’s quite a bit of tech behind this pillow, something to brag about I’d say.
Supernatural Comfort
As someone who has suffered from chronic back and neck pain, being able to get good quality sleep without recurring to pills, I can attest to how important a pillow is. You need an ergonomically designed pillow that adjusts to your neck and head to achieve ideal spinal alignment. And even if your back is perfectly fine with no hernias or anything like that, you still need to pay attention to your spinal alignment (if you want to make it to your late 40’s with no back pain that is ).
Why I love my GhostPillow:
By now I’d say the reasons for loving my GhostPillow are quite obvious but allow me to make it even more obvious:
-It is a memory foam cooling pillow. This means it will regulate temperature while you sleep. I also sleep in Ghostbed cooling super soft sheets that regulate temperature so pairing these two make for a great night sleep.
-I don’t ever have to worry about fluffing a pillow again. The aerated gel memory foam gets rid of the need for fluffing.
-It provides my neck and head with excellent support and helps achieve an ideal spinal alignment (I will repeat this as many times as needed because these two are super important!)
-It comes with a 5-year limited warranty
Why a memory foam cooling pillow helps to sleep better at night naturally:
For those of us who prefer not to swallow a pill just so we can go to sleep or even stay asleep, this pillow makes a radical difference due it’s technological characteristics. Obviously, it doesn’t replace what your doctor gave you if you suffer from insomnia or any other back/neck related pains but for me, I was finally able to stop taking meds.
Now, there was an adjustment period due to my chronic pain but it was totally worth it. Imagine sleeping with a bad neck and head support and poor spinal alignment for years!!! You bet your body needs to adjust to the proper position and will be thankful it did.
A couple more tips to sleep better:
1. Try sleeping on your left side if you suffer from acid reflux disease (I do since I was 12). For some reason, when you sleep on your right side, this position prompts relaxation of the lower esophageal sphincter-the tight ring of muscle connecting the stomach and esophagus that usually defends against reflux. Sleeping on the left side alleviates this. [“Is GERD keeping you up at night?” Everyday Health. 08 Sept.2011. Web]
2. Stop using your smartphone one hour before heading to bed. The blue light from this type of devices disrupts your sleeping pattern since it has a direct impact on your circadian rhythm, tricking your brain into thinking it is still daytime. This reduces hormones like melatonin, which help you relax and get deep sleep. If you’ve watched “Ask the Doctor” on Netflix you know what I’m talking about.
3. Optimize your bedroom environment. This includes minimizing external noise, light and artificial lights from alarm clocks etc. (when I stay at hotels, I cover the alarm clock with a small towel). Make sure your bedroom is quiet, enjoyable and relaxing.
4. Do not sleep with your smartphone near you. The radiation devices like this emit also disrupts your sleeping pattern. If you must have your smartphone in your bedroom or near you, make sure to switch it to airplane mode.
LAST BUT NOT LEAST
Please note the GhostPillow works great with any mattress but it is ideal to pair it with any GhostBed mattress. I mean, GhostBed has the best mattress for fibromyalgia. Their mattress tech is something to keep in mind since it’s top notch.
As always, I’d love to know your thoughts and comments so make sure you drop them down below. Now tell me, what are your natural sleep tips/hacks?
Cheers, Y’all! 😊
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