Category: Blog

Sleep and the immune system

Sleep and the immune system are deeply connected, and the quality and quantity of sleep has a direct effect on your immune system. Your immune system works at its best when you receive the necessary quantity and quality of sleep, which is usually around 7 to 8 hours per day.

T-cells, sleep and the immune system

One of the important cells that make up our immune system is T-cells. If you’re trying to remember where you’ve heard about this cell earlier, this is a cell that fights against HIV. However, this T-cell is more than HIV infection; it has a role to play in protecting our body against many forms of viral infections.

These T-cells work by activating a special element in our body called integrins. The activation of these integrins is highly essential for killing viruses and even cancer cells. Many studies show that healthy sleep of at least 7 hours has a prominent role in increasing the activation of integrins of T-cells.

Stress, sleep and the immune system

Sleeplessness is associated with stress and this can be translated as a high amount of cortisol, which is a ‘stress’ hormone. Cortisol and other substances as if prostaglandins that are secreted as a result of stress can decrease the activation of integrins and thereby, decrease the effectiveness and functions of T-cells.  This shows that importance of sleep to live a healthy life.

Several scientific studies show that healthy sleep is essential for the production of specialised immune substances called cytokines. These cytokines are highly essential to activate inflammatory reaction whenever any foreign particles or microbes enter our body. Sleeplessness or insomnia deprives our immune system of the production of these important immune molecules and thus, decreases the strength of our immune system. These studies and scientific facts not only show the link between sleep and the immune system but also encourage us to give importance to sleep.

Is your mattress contributing to sleeplessness?

The quality and quantity of sleep also depend on various factors. Among them the environmental factors such as the amount of light in the room, noise in the environment and the sleeping conditions are vital. One of the important factors for healthy sleep is the quality and the form of mattress that we use. Mattresses that absorb heat too much or the ones that are too soft to maintain the correct posture can disturb your sleep. Choose your mattress wisely as your sleeping posture and overall comfort will also impact your sleep.

A mattress is a long-term investment, both in terms of the money you spend and the impact it has on your daily well-being. Considering you spend a lot of time on your mattress throughout your life, this is an important decision and one you should consider carefully. Every person is different, with different sleeping habits, different physiques, and different preferences, so make sure you research and test various mattress options to ensure you invest correctly.

A ‘Lovilee’ look at hygge just before winter arrives

We know there’s still a few warm weeks left before the big chill officially sets in but failing to prepare is preparing to fail – which is why we teamed up with the author of the Lovilee blog, KaRi, to find out exactly what it takes to create a warm and cozy bedroom, just in time for winter.

In her blog post, ‘The best kept secret to a beautiful room’, KaRi explains that she likes to evoke the feeling of ‘hygge’ in her bedroom. What exactly is hygge, you ask? Hygge is a Danish practice and it’s about creating a feeling of coziness, comfort and contentment. That sounds about right for a cozy bedroom!

KaRi provides some tips on how to decorate your room to create a feeling of intimacy and warmth, the kind of place where you want to snuggle up and relax. Of course, it doesn’t matter how many fluffy blankets you buy or how much mood lighting you invest in, if your mattress is old and lumpy, you won’t be able to get too comfy.

A cozy bedroom starts with a comfy mattress

Sealy is synonymous across South Africa with quality mattresses. Sealy Posturepedic Technology™ supports your life by providing:

• Pressure relieving comfort for undisturbed sleep: from ultra-plush to cushion firm, built with premium materials.
• The support you need: deep-down orthopedically correct support with a superior edge support system.
• A system where everything works together to give you the same great comfort and support for a long time: extra durability that repays your investment day after day.

If you’re serious about hygge this winter, start with your mattress first. Browse the Sealy South Africa website to find the right mattress for your needs.

(Pic credit: Hello Love Photography)

How often should I wash my sheets?

Sheets. We drool on them, snore in them, mess them up, sweat, eat in them and sometimes might even spill something unknown in them. Hence, when it comes to washing them, when or how often is a question we usually ask. For good sleep hygiene, making sure they are fresh and clean for our exhausted bodies to relax in after a long day.

After an average of seven to eight hours of sleep, our bodies tend to produce quite a few gross things. We also seem to shed a lot of dead skin cells, which dust mites feed on, and they accumulate significantly over time. Taking it one step further, if you sleep naked, there is a significant chance you are sleeping in some dried faecal matter. Yuck.

If we look into the recommended timeframe of washing sheets, we are typically looking at once a week. However, not only is this not really realistic, but with water shortages and wanting to be a little more earth-friendly, doing this is not exactly our best option. So, for good sleep hygiene, if you’re washing your sheets once every two weeks, you’re doing a pretty good job of keeping them as clean as you can.

Extra steps for washing sheets – sleep hygiene

Along with washing your sheets every two weeks, there are other precautions you can take to make sure they are getting a good, deep clean. These are:

1. Wash sheets with hot water as this will better remove pollen and successfully eliminate other things that fall off of our bodies.
2. Use a gentle detergent on your linens to help them last longer and be more adequate for your skin.
3. Allow for plenty of room in your washing machine, so sheets have enough room to be cleaned thoroughly.
4. Since we live in a water scarce country, always try to save water. So while we don’t recommend washing sheets in a full machiine (see point 3!), we do recommend filling it up as much as possible. In this case, I would think make sure your machine is 3/4 full.

On the same note, purchasing sheets that are not only durable but also make you feel comfortable is important. By sticking to cotton or cotton blends, you’ll still get an amazing sleep with this breathable, lightweight, soft and popular material. Sealy sheets are made from 100% cotton percale, with a minimum 200 thread count.

When it comes to what colour sheets you can buy, the usual colours land within neutral colours like whites, beiges, ivory or browns. However, studies have shown that blue is the best colour for better sleep. Warm colours (not including red), greys, silvers and greens come in close behind.

Sheets remain an interesting product as they make such a considerable difference in our sleep, but can often be something we don’t focus on. This autumn season take care of your sleep hygiene by washing your sheets the right way. Washing them every two weeks is good, but adding some extra steps into your washing methods will allow for longer-lasting sheets and a much cleaner bed.

Are you a sleep deprived new parent? Read this

According to a study released last year, new parents can expect to lose sleep for six years after the birth of their child. As a father to two young children, South African blogger, the Don Father, understand what it feels like to be sleep deprived!

In a recent collaboration with Sealy South Africa, Don shared some of his family’s tried and tested tips for getting more sleep. “It’s a fact: Life will be a bit chaotic for the first few months. But new parenthood is not the time to try to live up to the unrealistic ideal of the ‘perfect parent’,” he writes in this blog post on The Don Father blog.

This is an important point. Even if the baby or child is sleeping, parents will sometimes be kept awake by their worries and anxieties, or simply planning for the next day, week or month. Results from the parents and sleep study, showed that while parents’ sleep patterns did improve significantly over time. But, to some degree, sleep disruption continued even six years out, regardless of parental income or whether a mother or father was raising a child alone or with a partner. If you’re feeling sleep deprived, you’re not alone

Sealy understands family sleep

Of course, if there’s a brand that understands family sleep, it’s Sealy! That’s why we craft mattresses for the entire family – whether it’s a single bed or an extra length king sized bed for the whole family. And it’s not only the bigger people we cater for, did you know Sealy also produces baby and cot mattresses? Our cot mattress (132cm x 66cm x 10cm) gently cradles your baby from day one, while our baby mattress (140cm x 70cm x 10cm) is recommended for a small child under the age of four. Both mattresses come with a free mattress protector.

Why deep sleep is important

You may have heard that you need to get eight hours of sleep, but when you’re talking about sleep, the quality matters as much as how long you sleep.  Throughout the night you go through different stages of sleep.  Deep sleep is what allows you to wake up refreshed.

Cycles of sleep

Stage 1– During the first stage of sleep, your body starts to relax. Bodily functions such as breathing and heartbeat slow down and your muscles relax and your brain waves begin to slow down.

Stage 2– This stage encompasses half of your sleep cycle. You fall into this stage of sleep more than any of the others. During this stage your body continues to relax, your brain waves are much slower with short periods of activity, your eye movements stop and your body temperature drops.

Stages 3 and 4– These stages are considered deep sleep stages.  This is where your body is in the deepest state of relaxation and brain waves are at their slowest.  At this stage, it’s hard to wake up, and you don’t even wake up with loud noises.

Your body stays in deep sleep the longest during the first few cycles.  As the night progresses the deep sleep cycle gets shorter.

Stage 5– This last stage is REM sleep.

Why Stage 3 and 4 sleep is important

Sleep stages 3 and 4 facilitate several processes in the body.  During these stages, the brain metabolises glucose which helps with memory and overall learning.  These are the other benefits of deep sleep:

• Promotes growth and repair of tissues and bones
• Cells regenerate
• Strengthens the immune system
• Increases blood supply to the muscles
• Restores energy

Deep sleep is a vital part of your body healing itself so you are healthy.

Deterrent to deep sleep

There are many things that can cause you not to fall into sleep stages 3 and 4.  One of the main contributors is your mattress. When your mattress is not comfortable, it doesn’t allow your body to fall into a deep sleep because your body can’t get comfortable enough to relax.  You may toss and turn which keeps your body alert.

If you are waking up tired all the time, even after getting the right amount of sleep, you might not be getting enough good sleep, and you may need to look at your mattress as the culprit.  A good mattress supports your body and allows it to relax and fall into a deep sleep.

Having the right mattress can make all the difference with feeling more energetic as well as keeping you healthy.  Now that you know how important deep sleep is, maybe it’s time to reevaluate your mattress and how you feel after a “good night’s sleep”.

Is reading part of your child’s bedtime routine?

Make reading part of your child’s bedtime routine right from the start. You might think it’s not that important to start reading to babies even during the newborn stage but you’d be surprised to know that they would benefit a lot from reading.

In fact, it’s very important to start reading to babies even just after birth. Sure, they don’t have the attention span and cognitive ability yet to understand what a story is about. Additionally, their memory hasn’t been developed so they won’t remember what the book is about even if they were to understand it.

Why reading should be part of the bedtime routine

Reading serves an important purpose for babies because:

• Babies that are read to develop language skills earlier on
• It helps babies develop listening skills
• Reading helps babies become more curious which gives them an opportunity to keep learning
• It helps build their cognitive skills

And parents must continue to read out loud to their kids during toddlerhood and when they start  going to school because:

• Reading helps stimulate their imagination which leads to expressing creativity
• It helps them become good problem-solvers which they will need when they enter the world of academics
• Reading helps kids become more empathetic even though they are naturally egocentric at this point of their development
• Reading helps prepare kids at this stage for understanding the written world
• It helps strengthen their memory development

Reading is one of many tools that can help provide kids with the opportunity to be successful in life and to become well-rounded people. Of course, reading to kids as part of your bedtime routine gives parents and their children special bonding time. Here is a list of our favourite books for bedtime reading:

From Ages 0 to 2:

• Llama Llama Nighty-Night by Anna Dewdney
• Nighty-Night by Leslie Patricelli
• Touch and Feel: Bedtime by DK Publishing (this book for babies helps to stimulate their senses as it is the touching kind as that is how they learn from the world around them as well)
• Kiss Good Night by Amy Hest, illustrated by Anita Jeram
• Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown

From Ages 3 – 5

• If I Were a Kangaroo: A Bedtime Tale by Mylisa Larsen, illustrated by Anna Raff
• Brush Your Teeth, Please: A Pop-Up Book by Leslie McGuire, illustrated by Jean Pidgeon (this popup book teaches kids to brush their teeth)
• Monkey: Not Ready for Bedtime by Marc Brown
• Even Superheroes Have to Sleep by Sara Crow, illustrated by Adam Record

What other books would you recommend as part of a child’s bedtime routine?

Other important tips for a good bedtime routine:

• Create a comfortable sleep environment for your child. A Sealy cot mattress is ideal for children four and younger, giving your child the correct support. Once your child is ready to graduate from the cot mattress, invest in a good quality, bone-supporting single mattress for your child, rather than giving him or her an old hand-me-down mattress.
• Start your routine early enough that you have enough time for a calming bath, putting on pyjamas, brushing teeth, reading, snuggles and a final goodnight.
• Make your child’s bedroom a calm and inviting sleep environment. Use a night light and give your child a security object like a stuffed animal or a blanket.
• Avoid stimulating activities before bedtime. No screen time at least 30 minutes before lights out.

Slow down the signs of aging in 2020

A healthy diet, regular exercise, smart lifestyle choices, strong social connections and good sleep can help slow down the signs of aging. We teamed up with South African blogger, Fiona Rossiter, to explore practical ways to boost your chances of healthy aging, and to make the most of 2020.

In the latest blog post on her Inspired Living blog, Five tips to slow the signs of aging, Fiona shares some real-life practical tips to incorporate this year. While it’s impossible to stop the clock or turn back time, it is possible to slow it down.

A lack of sleep increases the signs of aging

Research shows a link between a lack of sleep and slowing metabolism. However, the National Sleep Foundation reveals that although women aged between 30 and 60 should get an average of seven to nine hours of sleep each night, most women are getting less than seven.

Good sleep reduces stress, improves memory, lowers blood pressure, increases immunity and helps put you in a better mood. But did you know a good night’s sleep can also give you better skin? After all, it’s not called “beauty sleep” for nothing. Just think about it: If you don’t get enough sleep, you start seeing bags under your swollen eyes, paler skin and more wrinkles and fine lines. Your skin wants sleep! Yes, it’s wise to invest in good quality skin care products, but if you’re not making sleep a priority, you’re doing yourself a disservice.

A good quality mattress will help slow down the signs of mattress

A good quality mattress means good quality sleep! Considering you spend approximately one third of your life in bed, a quality mattress and sprung foundation is a smart investment in your health.

Sealy manufactures comfortable mattresses to suit everybody.  The absolute luxury of Essensual with its sumptuous feel for a gorgeous night’s sleep.  It looks and feels refined and luxurious.  Our Crown Jewel collection is sophisticated and elegant made from the best lavish materials and is the height of perfection in luxury.  The Hybrid Collection offers the best of both worlds with the top half featuring a Coolsmart Memory foam or the Dual-Flex Hybrid Foam layer with a pressure reducing properties and the bottom half providing pocket spring support to reduce motion transfer.  The Sealy Posturepedic range has a patented spring system with luxury layers to ensure healthy, restful sleep and providing the perfect balance for back support.

Sleep: Your most important New Year’s resolution

Adding this one New Year’s resolution to your list will help ensure you achieve all the other resolutions: Sleep more. We’re talking approximately eight hours per night!

Nothing compares to the benefits of getting enough sleep. In fact, studies have shown that inadequate sleep over time can shorten your lifespan. Trading sleep to cram more into the day increases your risk of developing serious medical conditions, especially when you factor in additional bad habits of poor nutrition and lack of exercise.

Reducing sleep from the recommended eight hours per night by two to three hours can have dramatic consequences to your health.

Risk of sleeping only six to seven hours

• Cardiovascular disease – Missing just an hour or two per night is associated with a greatly increased risk of coronary artery calcification which is a predictor of future heart attacks.
• Common cold and immune function – If you get less than seven hours of sleep per night you are about three times as likely to get a common cold. Studies have shown that people who get eight hours of sleep are also less likely to come down with cold symptoms.

Risk of sleeping six hours or less

• Obesity – Several studies have shown a correlation of obesity and lack of sleep. People who sleep less than 6 hours per night are more likely to have excess body weight. So, if weight loss is another one of your New Year’s resolutions be sure to add getting eight hours of sleep to the top of your list.

Risk of sleeping five hours or less

• Diabetes – Sleeping fewer than five hours have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, while sleeping eight hours can have positive influences on blood sugar control for those who already have it.
• High Blood Pressure – Sleeping less than five hours per night puts you at risk of developing or worsening high blood pressure.

An analysis of data from three separate studies suggests that sleeping five or fewer hours
per night may increase mortality risk by as much as 15 percent. – Harvard Medical Study

After several days of missing sleep your body begins to give you signals, such as feeling tired and irritable, with some serious side effects such as brain fog and inability to concentrate or make decisions. This means if being more productive is one of your New Year’s resolutions, getting enough sleep should be at the top of your list.

Tips for getting enough sleep

It will take more than a New Year’s resolution to change your sleeping habits.  Here are some tips that will help you make the change to better health and longer life:

• Set your internal body clock by creating a regular sleep schedule.
• Wind down before bedtime.
• Make your bedroom a relaxing environment.
• Keep a sleep diary so you can review your habits.
• Check the comfort of your mattress.

Simple solution

Replacing your mattress for a more comfortable mattress just might be the best purchase you make for your health.

It may be time to replace your old mattress for one that is more comfortable if you:

• Wake up tired
• Suffer from allergies from the dust that collects on old mattresses
• Have back or body aches
• Just can’t get comfortable

The type of mattress you choose depends on your personal needs.  There are mattresses for side sleepers versus back sleepers, those that give back pain relief, and those designed to be orthopedic.

Adding the goal of “Getting eight hours of sleep” to your New Year’s resolution list and investing in a comfortable mattress could be a life changer for the coming year.

How alcohol can impact sleep

‘Tis the season, right? For many people that means an office Christmas party, family gatherings and big celebrations… a few cocktails here, a couple of beers there, a shooter or five… it all adds up and will eventually impact your sleep.

In this blog post, we explore how alcohol can impact sleep and overall health. Alcohol and insomnia have a complex link.

While some may say a glass of wine helps them fall asleep at night, in the long run, it can actually disturb the pattern of your sleep. It is recognised that even a single shot can interfere with reaching deep sleep. Deep sleep is very necessary as it relaxes the mind and body and helps you wake up refreshed the next day. A lack of deep sleep can make you feel tired and fatigued throughout day.

Ever notice you wake up early the morning after?

Although consuming alcohol might help you fall asleep, it also might make you wake up in the middle of the night, or really early the next morning (we’re talking 5am!). This is because as the alcohol makes its way through your body, your body is in a lighter stage of sleep (REM sleep), which is why you keep waking up. It’s also why your dreams might seem a little crazier than usual.

Long-term effects of binge drinking

In fact, just one night of binge drinking could have long term effects on your sleep. A 2018 study revealed that drinking four drinks in four hours could damage the gene that encourages sleep – potentially causing permanent sleep disturbances.

Having sleepless nights can increase the stress hormone levels and these hormones can put you at a higher risk of developing heart conditions, diabetes, obesity and many more unwanted health conditions. Alcohol itself is associated with increasing heart diseases and stroke.

Bad news for your partner, too

Alcohol can impact sleep, for you and your partner! Alcohol’s sedative effects relax the jaw and throad muscles, which could lead to snoring and development of sleep apnea. Not to mention the potential harm caused by your partner kicking you or elbowing you to try get you to stop snoring!

Water is your friend

If you know you’re going to have a big night, make sure water is part of your action plan. Alternate, drinking a glass of water after every glass of alcohol. Before going to bed, drink one big glass of water.

A comfortable sleep environment

When you’re ready to collapse into bed after a night of partying, switch off all lights and close the curtains and/or blinds. It’s right about this time that you would really benefit from a comfortable mattress. Browse through our selection of mattresses – a good mattress encourages healthy sleep and it just might be the ultimate tool to help you deal with the festive season!

The gift of sleep: A comfortable mattress

It’s that time of the year again.  Family, presents and traditions.   As you rush around buying gifts for your friends and loved ones, don’t forget about yourself.  All throughout the year we often think about everyone but ourselves.  This holiday season, the best thing you can do is give yourself the gift of sleep with a comfortable mattress.

A new mattress may be just the thing you need to kickstart the new year. Since we spend half our lives sleeping, a good mattress is essential to getting a good night’s sleep.  When you don’t get good quality sleep you will feel tired all the time and you’ll be less productive, your health will be impacted negatively, you will have difficulty dealing with stress and you might gain weight.

Getting the right quality of sleep may be the ticket you need to have a more successful year in 2020.

The life of a mattress depends on how you sleep, the bed cover you use and how often it’s turned.  Take a look at the mattress you have, and ask yourself the following:

• Are you still tired when you wake up?
• Do you toss and and turn all night?
• Is your mattress sagging?

If you feel it’s time for a new, comfortable mattress, here are the main types of mattress available.  Mattress technologies have changed over the last 10 years to help you get good quality sleep.

Finding a comfortable mattress: Discover the latest sleep tech

Innerspring mattress

This technology has been around the longest.  An innerspring mattress uses steel coils for support.  Sealy has advanced the technology of the innerspring to make it even more comfortable than what the old innerspring mattresses used to be.

The Sealy Collection has an advanced Double Offset spring with a Low Profile pocket system that offers pressure relief and reinforced support in the areas of the body that need it the most.  There is a firmness for every preference with comfort layers designed to help you get a good night’s sleep.

Innerspring memory foam hybrid mattress

An innerspring hybrid mattress as the name implies is a combination of memory foam and an innerspring system.

Sealy’s hybrid mattress is a combination of Coolsmart Gel Memory Foam or Dual Plex Hybrid Foam on the top layers for comfort and offset pocket springs for support and to minimising motion transfer.  Coolsmart Gel Memory Foam will keep your body cooler at night when you sleep, which helps you sleep more soundly.

Pillowtop

The pillowtop mattress takes the innerspring mattress to a new level.  A pillowtop has an extra layer on top for comfort.  The mattress has a noticeable layer on the top that looks like there is a pillow sewn on top of it.

Sealy’s Crown Jewel collection and la différence collection have every detail you need to get a good night’s sleep.  When you lay on these luxurious mattresses, you can feel the comfort and craftsmanship that went into making them.

Other sleep accessories

If you don’t need a mattress or can’t afford to buy one, there are other accessories that can help you get a good night’s sleep.

• Pillows

A pillow is important to get the right support for your head, neck, and shoulders.  You may need a new pillow if your current one:

• Feels saggy or lumpy
• Shows visible signs of dirt or smells like sweat
• Doesn’t feel the same as when you bought it

Your pillow should be replaced every one to two years.  Sealy offers a variety of pillows to help you sleep comfortably.

• Sheets

Soft breathable cotton sheets go a long way to making you comfortable and helping you sleep better.  A good quality sheet will not bunch up when you sleep and can keep your body temperature even.

Getting the right quality sleep is good for your health, productivity and success.  Make 2020 the best year yet and give yourself the gift of sleep.  Invest in a comfortable mattress – you deserve it!