Top Causes of Sleep Deprivation

Posted on April 29, 2015April 29, 2015 by Joey Donovan-Guido

We’ve all experienced the occasional night of inadequate sleep. But if you’re not getting enough sleep, night-after-night, sleep deprivation can occur. Let’s look at what sleep deprivation is, what its top causes are, and how it affects our bodies and minds. We’ll also offer up some solutions to help you get a better night’s sleep.

Sleep deprivation is a condition in which you can’t get enough sleep. If you are affected by sleep deprivation, you may struggle with symptoms such as depression, memory issues, weight gain, becoming accident-prone and getting sick more often due to a weakened immune system.

The causes of sleep deprivation vary from drinking coffee too late in the day to sleep apnea, during which a person repeatedly stops and starts breathing throughout the sleep cycle. Because of these variations in causes, it’s essential you get to the bottom of what’s depriving you of the sleep you need. If you are waking up in the middle of the night and struggling to go back to sleep, you may want to talk you’re your doctor or experiment with some easy solutions first.

Try to satisfy your caffeine cravings before 2:00pm for five days. Observe if you sleep better. In addition, stop drinking wine or beer at least three to four hours before bedtime. One of the most effective, yet difficult things to do is lock your pet(s) out of your bedroom. It’s unfortunate but true: sleeping with your pet, according to WebMD, is the number one sleep stealer outside of a medical condition.

You can also try switching out your foam pillow for a quality feather and down pillow like the Natural Comfort Pillow, to help you sleep better.

If nothing seems to be helping you get a better night’s sleep, you may need to have a sleep study done. This is the best way to record what happens to your body during sleep (e.g. sleep apnea) and explore solutions with your doctor.

Thank you for visiting Natural Comfort Pillow, and sleep well!

A Realistic Guide to Better Sleep Habits, Part 1

Posted on April 14, 2015April 14, 2015 by Joey Donovan-Guido

In some of our previous articles, including Managing Stress for Better Sleep, and 5 Tips for a Better Night’s Sleep, we offered up practical ideas and strategies on how to consistently get better sleep. In this series of articles, we’d like to dive a little deeper and talk about how to realistically and effectively integrate a handful of better sleep habits into our daily routine.

We understand that everyone is busy, and many of us are overwhelmed, so adding more things to your routine may seem daunting, if not impossible. But if you follow our advice, you won’t have to add a thing. Instead you’ll be replacing some old habits with a few new habits that promote better sleep.

Out with the Old, in with the New

It’s been scientifically proven that in order to change a habit, you’ve got to give up the old habit and replace it with a new, healthier habit. Deciding on what habits are most critical to replace is something that only you can decide, but here’s one that most people struggle with …

Light Stimulation
This comes in many forms, from our mobile devices, to our computers, TVs and of course the lights in our home. There are also forms of “deceptive” light stimulation that can inhibit a good night’s sleep. This usually comes in the form of light filtering through blinds or thin curtains, as well as night lights or even our alarm clock.

The solution is simple, especially if we implement it in stages — have the light in your home (or hotel room if you’re traveling) replicate what’s happening in the natural world. In other words, if it’s dark outside, it should be dark — or darker — inside.

This can occur in stages, starting around dinnertime and completing at bedtime:

At dusk, lower the light sources within the home.
Stop watching TV and using electronic devices about an hour before bed. While you’re watching TV close to bedtime, turn the lights off, and use night mode on your electronic device if it’s an available option. For your computers you can try Flux, a free app that you can load onto your Mac or PC that lowers your screen brightness automatically to help induce sleepiness.
Get in the habit of reading a good book an hour before you plan to go to bed. Make sure there’s enough light to read comfortably, but doesn’t replicate daytime “wattage.” This helps your eyes and brain disengage from the unnatural light of your devices, readying your for sleep.
Remove nightlights in your bedroom and get yourself some drapes that block out light. We recently put up curtains with a light-blocking layer and it’s incredible how much darker our bedroom has become.

The reason darkness is so important is because it is directly connected to your melatonin levels and biological clock — which expects your surroundings to be light in the day and dark in the night.

Our advice is to make these changes one at a time. It’s less intimidating, and much easier to do it in baby steps. If you do, you’ll be taking great strides in getting in sync with your biological clock and experiencing better sleep more consistently.

From all of us at Natural Comfort Pillow, we wish you a good night’s sleep!

Do You Fluff Your Pillow? A Guide to Better Sleep Through Proper Pillow Care

Posted on February 23, 2015February 23, 2015 by Joey Donovan-Guido

Pillows come in all shapes and sizes. The good ones, like the Natural Comfort Pillow, can help you sleep better, reduce neck and shoulder pain, and even help with recovery after athletic activity.

We depend on our pillows to take care of us, night after night. The question is, are we taking proper care of our pillows so they can effectively take care of us? To follow is a list of easy, fun and effective ways to improve the performance of our pillows so they can help us sleep better consistently …

These tips are most effective with supportive pillows like the Natural Comfort Pillow, which is made from feathers and down, a 230 thread count cotton cover and a versatile bolster system.

Fluff Your Pillow!

We’re not talking any ordinary fluffing, here. To fully fluff the feathers and down in your pillow, we suggest putting it in the dryer before its first use (by itself) for 20 minutes on a warm or hot setting. When you do this, an amazing thing happens — the pillow puffs up, much like a kernel of corn when it becomes popcorn! It becomes so full and puffy that it can more than double in height! Don’t worry though, once you begin resting on the pillow it will immediately begin to contour to your body.

We recommend hand-fluffing your pillow 2-3 times per week to keep the feathers and the down properly spaced. We like to call this “active pillow care,” and it’s an important component in making sure your pillow gives you optimal results.

Break Your Pillow In

Because of the unique qualities of your neck, your Natural Comfort Pillow may need a week or two to adjust to your neck and create a custom fit. During the adjustment period, it’s OK to switch back and forth between your old pillow and your Natural Comfort Pillow, or simply fluff your new pillow before you go to bed each night.

During the break-in period, you may want to experiment with the different bolsters in our pillow. One side is for people with smaller shoulders, while the other side is for people with broader shoulders. Depending on your physiology, one side may prove more comfortable than the other.

Flip, as Necessary

So, this tip addresses proper use more than it does proper care. Since one side of the pillow is for side-lying and the other for back-lying, it’s important to make sure you’re using the appropriate side so you are supporting your head, neck and spine in an optimal manner.

How to Clean Your Pillow

Never wash your Natural Comfort Pillow. If it is in need of a cleaning, please dry clean only! Typically, all you’ll need to do is change your pillow case regularly to keep your pillow clean. One of the unique benefits of our 230 thread count cover is that it keeps the feather and down filling in while blocking out allergins (which have a tendency to build up in lesser-made pillows).

Learn more about the Natural Comfort Pillow, and how it can help you sleep better, reduce pain and live well!

And remember, if you take care of your pillow, it will take care of you!

Thank you for visiting Natural Comfort Pillow, and sleep well!

The Connection Between Goals & Better Sleep, Part 4: Implementing a Step-by-Step Plan of Action

Posted on February 19, 2015February 19, 2015 by Joey Donovan-Guido

Now that we have a clear understanding of what our goals are, it’s time to set a plan of action to attain them. Often times, once someone’s clarified their goals, it becomes apparent that there is a huge chasm between where they are and where they want to be. And that’s OK.

Bite-sized Steps

The problem arises when we start to look at leaping across this chasm in one fell swoop — which is typically impossible, unless your goal is very small. Instead, let’s look at breaking down your goal attainment into bite-sized steps that will have you consistently moving forward without getting frustrated.

What we’re really talking about is keeping each step in the process manageable. Sure, outside forces may cause obstacles, setbacks and frustration. But setting steps that are manageable helps diminish these things.

Let’s be clear about something before we move forward. Manageable does not mean comfortable, so don’t be surprised if your bite-sized steps make you feel uneasy. Discomfort is not necessarily an indication that you’re trying to do too much, it just means you’ve left your comfort zone — which is good. This is the only way you will fulfill your potential in life. The key ingredient here is to give yourself a step-by-step plan of action that you can handle. If it turns out to be too much, or too little, make the necessary adjustments.

Everybody has different limits, so don’t get caught up in comparing yourself to others. Instead, learn what works for you and what doesn’t, and do your best every day. Remember, most people can’t eat an entire pizza in one bite. We all eat pizza by the slice, one bite at a time — but we all take different sized bites, right?

How to Create a Step-by-Step Plan of Action

Although everybody’s plan is different, there are some high-level strategies everybody can do to get a clear plan in place. We learned these strategies from a man named Zig Ziglar, and they work whether you’re looking to reduce neck and shoulder pain, create an incredibly supportive pillow, or grow your business. Mr. Ziglar was an expert on goals, and this process has worked for thousands of people.

Here’s what you’ll need to do:

First, identify EXACTLY what you desire. We talked about this in Part 3 of this series.
Spell out the exact reason(s) why you’d like to reach these goals. In other words what’s driving you to accomplish them?
Identify the obstacles you need to overcome in order to get there. These can include actual current obstacles, as well as potential obstacles that may arise.
Identify the people, groups and organizations you need to work with to get there. For example, do you need to go back to school, or join local networking groups? Or maybe you just need to find a good physical therapist?
Identify what you need to know (learn) in order to reach these goals.
Once you have steps 1 through 5 answered, write down your plan of action. First do it on a global level (the big steps), then begin to break down each big step into several bite-sized steps. This is your road map, and no detial is too small.
Finally, set a date on it. When do you expect to get there? If you don’t set a date, you will be in a perpetual state of limbo with no actual deadline (people respond to deadlines)!

Create Mantras & Remain Mindful

Creating a short mantra for each of your goals is a good way to remain mindful of them. The more mindful you are about something, the more likely you are to act in alignment with what you are thinking about.

For instance, something as simple as, “I wake up free of any and all neck pain,” can be a great catalyst to actually manifesting this reality. What do you need to do for this to actually happen? Get a better pillow or mattress? Exercise more, or possibly less? Get more massage?

The Goal of Better Sleep

So how do we set a step-by-step plan of action into place for better sleep? Although a lot of it can be trial and error, following the suggestions in our article, Five Tips for a Better Night’s Sleep is a good place to start. We also have articles that address Managing Stress for Better Sleep, and Regulating Your Sleep/Wake Cycle for Better Sleep. Sometimes, simple changes can make a world of difference. Of course, speaking with your healthcare professional is also a good idea if you’re experiencing chronic sleep issues.

Thank you for visiting Natural Comfort Pillow! We wish you the best in setting your step-by-step plan of action and attaining your goals.

You may also like:

The Connection between Goals & Sleep, Part 1: How to Sleep Better

The Connection Between Goals & Better Sleep, Part 2: Discovering Your Goals

The Connection Between Goals & Better Sleep, Part 3: Clearly Defining Your Goals

Posted on February 11, 2015February 19, 2015 by Joey Donovan-Guido

Have you ever tried driving somewhere new without directions? These days, all we need to do is enter an address into a maps app on our smart phone, and step-by-step directions detailing how to get from where we are, to where we want to be, are instantly available.

But could you imagine making a cross country trip from New York to Los Angeles just by pointing your car toward the west? Without an exact address, your GPS cannot plan a step-by-step route to get you exactly where you want to go (we’ll talk more about a step-by-step plan of action in Part 4 of this series). Let’s say you’re trying to get to Rivera, one of Los Angeles’ more popular restaurants, simply by entering “Los Angeles” in your GPS. There’s a good chance you’d never find it. Instead, how about we enter 1050 S Flower St., Los Angeles, CA 90015? Now we know exactly how to get there.

It’s the same with goals. “Kind of” knowing what our goals are is not enough. The more clearly defined they are, the better chance we have in attaining them.

How to Clearly Define Goals

For example, let’s say your goal is to be a doctor. What kind of doctor do you want to be? A general physician, OBGYN, pediatrician, or maybe a veterinarian? Once that’s clarified, you’ll have to decide which school you want to attend. Is it a large universtiy that will impress potential employers after you graduate? Or is it a universtiy that has an exemplary program that’s in your area of interest?

These are only a couple of the questions you may encounter when defining your goals. You may not have the answers to all of these questions, and that’s OK. The point is to acknowledge them and then investigate until you have your answer.

Here’s what Brian Tracy, a world renowned speaker, has to say about defining our goals …

“Imagine that five years from now your whole life has been made perfect in every respect. Every aspect of your life. All your dreams have been fulfilled. Every goal has been achieved. What would it look like if five years from now your life was ideal in every way?

– Where would you be in five years?
– Who would you be with?
– What would you be doing?
– How well would you be doing it?
– How much would you be earning?
– What kind of home would you live in?
– What would be your level of physical fitness?
– What would your family be like and your relationships?
– How would your children be doing?

If your life were perfect 5-years from now in every respect – what would it look like?”

Powerful questions, for sure. But often times, your answer to some of these questions may be, “I don’t know.” The good news is that if you feel like you don’t know, there’s one more question you can ask yourself that will help: WHAT IF YOU DID KNOW?

Make it hypethetical and see how it feels. Remember, you can always alter something if it doesn’t feel right, but until you get a clear picture of what your future looks like, how can you begin your journey there?

Whether you’re dealing with neck pain, insomnia, or opening your own business, we highly recommend you take some time to think about each of Brian’s questions. In fact, it’s optimal to write them down (or type them up) and answer them with as much detail as possible.

Once you’ve answered all of the questions, and possibly added some of your own, set the document aside for a day or two before revisiting it. Then see if you need to add or delete anything from it. Discuss it with people you trust, but only if you can depend on them to be supportive and positive.

The Goal of Better Sleep

At first glance, clearly defining what better sleep looks like may seem unnecessary. It’s all about sleeping through the night and waking up well-rested, right? But what does a good night’s sleep look like for you? Is your room dark enough? Do you meditate before bed? Avoid bright lights and screen time on your phone or iPad? As you look at your routine, what changes can you make to help yourself sleep more soundly?

Of course, two major players in better sleep are your pillow and your mattress — each of which should be supporting your neck, spine and body while you sleep. If you’re not currently using a supportive pillow, or if you’re waking up with neck or shoulder pain, feel free to peruse our website to learn more about how the Natural Comfort Pillow can help.

Thank you for visiting Natural Comfort Pillow. Until next time, sleep well, and good luck with defining your goals!

You may also like:

The Connection between Goals & Sleep, Part 1: How to Sleep Better

The Connection Between Goals & Better Sleep, Part 2: Discovering Your Goals

The Connection Between Goals & Better Sleep, Part 4: Implementing a Step-by-Step Plan of Action

The Connection Between Goals & Better Sleep, Part 2: Discovering Your Goals

Posted on January 22, 2015February 19, 2015 by Joey Donovan-Guido

In Part 1 of our series, we talked about the importance of sleep in relation to accomplishing goals. In Part 2, we’ll be discussing how to discover your goals, which will make it possible for you to clearly define them.

Discovering Your Goals

Do you know what your goals are? Each year, millions of people make New Year’s resolutions, but they don’t really understand how to accomplish them. Of course, before you can accomplish a goal, you need to know what it is. This may sound obvious, but when asked what their goals are many people’s response is “I don’t know.”

What I like to ask people who give me this answer is, “if you did know, what would it be?” This is a question I learned from Brian Tracey, and it has a way of freeing up the mind so an individual can discover their goals. So if your answer is “I don’t know,” ask yourself what if you did know? A good rule of thumb is to be mindful of what you love to do the most in life. Make sure you have a pen and paper handy and start writing down what comes to mind. Don’t worry about whether or not you can make a “living” at it. The only contingency is your love of doing it.

Make sure your list is full of things you really want to do — not things you think you’re supposed to do, or what others might expect of you. Remember, if you focus on doing what you love, you’ll be more apt to do a fantastic job with it — and make a better living, too!

Once the list is completed, set it aside for at least a day or two. Then, sit with it again and cross off anything that doesn’t really get you excited, and circle the items that still get you really pumped. There may also be ideas that are stuck in the middle of these two options. Cross them off. If they’re not getting you excited enough to place them in “pumped” section, there’s no need to put them there.

Addressing Fear

The exception to this rule is fear. In other words, if you’re crossing something off the list because it scares you, that’s not a good reason not to do something. If you feel it would be really great to do but, you you’re not “good enough,” or it seems too difficult, think long and hard about putting it on your goals list.

At the end of the day, if you believe you can than you probably can. And if you believe you can’t, you’ll be right, too. If you’re having trouble with your goals list, it might be a good idea to sit with a good friend or loved one to discuss it. As a matter of fact, it’s a good idea to do this even if you wind up being crystal-clear about what your goals are. The more support the better!

Once you have a paired down list of goals, you armed with the foundation of information you need to manifest each goal into reality. Some may take only days to accomplish, some years. Our next installment of this series will focus on clearly defining your goals, which will help you create a step-by-step plan of action to accomplish them.

The Goal of Better Sleep

One of the main reasons our customers buy the Natural Comfort Pillow is the fact that it helps them sleep better. In all, our supportive pillow can be of assistance with eight different types of sleep issues — from reducing neck and shoulder pain, to reducing snoring, and more. The importance of a good night’s sleep cannot be understated. So when you’re thinking about your goals, consider whether or not you’re getting the quality of sleep you need in order to accomplish those goals most effectively.

Until next time, sleep well, and good luck with creating your goals list!

You may also like:

The Connection between Goals & Sleep, Part 1: How to Sleep Better

The Connection Between Goals & Better Sleep, Part 3: Clearly Defining Your Goals

The Connection Between Goals & Better Sleep, Part 4: Implementing a Step-by-Step Plan of Action

The Connection between Goals & Sleep, Part 1: How to Sleep Better

Posted on January 15, 2015February 19, 2015 by Joey Donovan-Guido

In our last article, Resolve to Reduce Pain & Live a Happier, More Active Life in 2015, we talked about New Year’s resolutions, which in essence are goals. In this series, we’d like to dive deeper into the connection between goals and sleep, and offer a step-by-step process that can help you sleep better and attain your goals for 2015.

Let’s start off with strategies that can help you sleep better. Without proper sleep, attaining your goals becomes more difficult. And if you’re experiencing sleep deprivation, you’re facing a major obstacle that’s smack in the middle of where you are and where you want to be. And sometimes, better sleep and less pain are the most important goals you can attain!

In a previous post, we talked about 5 Tips for a Better Night’s Sleep, which include setting a schedule of when you go to sleep and when you wake up, staying physically active during the day, creating a bedtime ritual and being mindful about what you eat close to bedtime.

Another tip we covered is making sure you’re comfortable in bed. It’s one of the easiest things to do — if you know what to look for. But the kind of comfort we’re talking about here goes beyond comfy PJs and a soft down feather pillow. As a matter of fact, that soft feather (or foam) pillow may be doing you more harm than good.

Sure, down feathers and foam are soft, and we associate soft with comfort, but what your body craves when you lay down to sleep is support — especially in the head, neck and back areas.

Whether you’re a world-class athlete, or simply suffering from neck or shoulder pain, the trick to getting a good night’s sleep is alleviating the tension in your neck, shoulders and back. Once the tension is alleviated, muscles have the chance to relax, which can help speed training recovery in athletes and lower pain, stiffness and soreness in anyone who uses the Natural Comfort Pillow.

And with less pain, comes a much better opportunity for better sleep.

With such busy lives, it’s often a challenge just to get through the day. Add in the initiative to attain one or more goals, and good sleep becomes a critical component to succeeding. We encourage you to read more of our articles on improving sleep (see the “Better Sleep” category in the right-hand sidebar), and to explore the Natural Comfort Pillow website to gain a better understanding on how our pillow works and what types of issues it can help resolve. In addition to diminishing neck and shoulder pain, our supportive pillow also helps align your spine and can help with snoring, sleep apnea and more!

In our next installment of The Connection Between Goals & Sleep, we’ll be talking about how to discover and clearly define your goals.

Until then, sleep well!

You may also like:

The Connection Between Goals & Better Sleep, Part 2: Discovering Your Goals

The Connection Between Goals & Better Sleep, Part 3: Clearly Defining Your Goals

The Connection Between Goals & Better Sleep, Part 4: Implementing a Step-by-Step Plan of Action

Resolve to Reduce Pain & Live a Happier, More Active Life in 2015

Posted on January 8, 2015January 8, 2015 by Joey Donovan-Guido

Have you been suffering from chronic pain in your neck, shoulders or back? There’s no better time than now to make a few simple New Year’s resolutions that can help reduce that pain, and put you in a position to lead a happier, more active life.

What is a New Year’s Resolution?
We’ve all heard of resolutions before, but what exactly to they mean? Many people treat their resolutions as a wish list, but then never do anything to follow up on making their New Year’s resolutions a reality. We’re going to be honest with you: if you want to reduce pain in your neck, shoulders or back, you’re going to have to take action on making things better. Sure, pain reliever can make your discomfort bearable, but it’s not a solution.

The good news is that there are plenty easy strategies you can add to your life that can provide a lot of help. That being said, let’s take a look at a handful of New Year’s resolutions that you can implement to reduce pain in 2015 and beyond …

Physical Activity
There are a broad variety of physical activities that can help reduce pain. Your interests and physical ability should drive the type of activities you choose. Yoga is an excellent, low-impact, activity that both strengthens and stretches the body, and there are specific yoga positions that help reduce neck pain. Running, walking and cycling are also excellent choices, but keep in mind that any of these may exacerbate pain. Of course, you can also go the gym, but be sure to avoid overworking a muscle group that’s already causing you discomfort.

One of the main ways physical activity helps with neck, shoulder and back pain is by bringing additional blood flow to these areas. Something as simple as a stretching regimen each day can help you loosen up those tight muscles.

Eat Better, Drink More Water
A common New Year’s resolution is to eat better. But you might be wondering how eating better can help reduce pain. For starters, without enough water, your muscles are more likely to become tight. You’re also more likely to get headaches. In addition to drinking water, eating foods that are water-rich — like fruits and veggies — can help. Plus you’ll get the benefits of the nutrients these foods provide. Including foods that contain omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, calcium, vitamin D and magnesium can also help reduce neck pain. In essence, we’re asking you to eat whole, fresh foods as opposed to junk food. If you are performing some form of exercise, it’s also important to make sure you’re eating enough protein to help your muscles recuperate.

Meditate
Meditating more is an excellent New Year’s resolution for many reasons. When it comes to reducing neck pain, meditation can help reduce your stress level. And since stress causes muscles to tense up — especially in the neck and shoulder region — reducing it with meditation is a good way to help keep muscles from tightening. Learn more about how to manage stress.

Get a Better Pillow
One of the main reasons we make the Natural Comfort Pillow is to help people reduce pain so they can lead happier, more active lives. Through the support of our pillow, muscles in the neck shoulders and back are more likely to relax during sleeping hours instead of tensing up because they’re out of alignment. Our pillow also helps align your spine, making it the easiest way to reduce neck, shoulder and back pain. All you have to do is get a good nights sleep!

Learn more about how our pillow can help reduce neck and shoulder pain.

Thank you for visiting Natural Comfort Pillow!

Simple Ways to Reduce Neck Pain

Posted on December 25, 2014December 25, 2014 by Joey Donovan-Guido

Have you ever seen someone use a bow and arrow? There’s a tremendous amount of tensile pressure involved in pulling back the bowstring before the arrow is released. In order for the arrow to hit its mark accurately, the bowstring has to be incredibly tight.

Those of us with chronic neck pain can identify with this, because that’s often what a tense neck feels like — pressure, pain, tightness.

That’s why we’ve put together this list of strategies to reduce neck pain and help loosen up a tense neck.

Get a Massage
In addition to helping relieve stress, a good massage is an excellent way to reduce neck pain and improve mobility. Make sure you go to an experienced professional. They’ll cost more, but the benefits you receive will be worth it. There are times that neck pain is caused by muscle issues in different parts of your body, including the back. Neck pain can also be caused by the tightening of your body’s fascia, which is a thin layer of tissue that runs throughout your entire body, covering your muscles and organs.

Stretch or Practice Yoga
Another way to combat tight muscles and tight fascia is to stretch or practice yoga regularly. To follow are some simple stretches and exercises you can perform during the day …

The TV Stretch
Retract your shoulder blades by sitting on the edge of your chair. Next, lengthen your spine, extending it as if you were growing taller. Put your hands on your lap and gently move your shoulders back, “pinching” your shoulder blades together. Hold for about 30 seconds, and remember not to overdo it. Repeat at least one more time.

Mimic a Turtle
If you’ve been sitting at your computer or driving for more than 45 minutes, this is an excellent strategy to help reduce neck pain. When in either of these seated positions for too long, most people tend to project their heads forward toward the computer screen or windshield. When a person does this, it puts stress on the back of the neck (remember your brain and skull are about ten pounds). In addition to neck pain, this can also cause headaches, which of course cause neck pain, too.

The turtle technique strengthens your neck and back muscles, and helps you form a new sitting habit with better posture. When typing or driving, think of yourself as a turtle “retracting” your head into your shell. Keep a level chin, move your head back and flatten the curve in the back of your neck. Hold this position for about 5 seconds, and repeat 10 times. When retracting your neck, do not retract down into your shoulders, as that will compress your neck. Instead keep your shoulders relaxed and remember not to force anything when performing the turtle technique.

Neck Roll
Although you can’t make a sandwich on it, you’ll enjoy the neck roll just the same. Simply, and gently, drop your chin to your chest, and slowly roll your neck to the left, to the back, and then to the right and back down in a smooth motion. Repeat in the opposite direction. Remember to keep your body straight when doing this, and not to lean into the neck roll with your shoulders or upper torso. Continue rolling one way and then the other until your neck feels more loose.

Use a Supportive Pillow
Most people have grown accustomed to sleeping on foam pillows, or even down feather pillows that offer no support. Using a pillow like the Natural Comfort Pillow helps relax the muscles of the neck to reduce tension, which reduces neck pain. And with less neck pain comes better sleep. Our pillow helps keep your spine in alignment, too!

Although these strategies can help reduce neck pain, it’s always a good idea to speak with a medical professional before embarking on any type of new exercise regimen, or if you’re experiencing chronic neck pain.

Learn more about how our pillow can help with neck pain and help you sleep better.

Thank you for visiting Natural Comfort Pillow!

The Top 6 Causes of Insomnia

Posted on December 17, 2014December 17, 2014 by Joey Donovan-Guido

In a recent article, What is Insomina?, we defined the different types of insomnia and touched upon some common causes and symptoms. Today, we’re going to take a closer look at the many different factors that can cause insomnia. There are over ten major causes, including stress, medication and anxiety. Being aware of the causes gives you the ability to make life changes (sometimes extremely simple ones) that can help you get a better night’s sleep on a consistent basis.

In all of these cases, seeking help from a medical professional, as well a trusted friend or family member, is highly advised. Here’s our list of the top 6 causes of insomnia, in alphabetical order …

Anxiety
Everybody suffers from anxiety sometimes. But some of us have more severe anxiety disorders, like post-traumatic stress disorder or constant worry that may be disruptive to our sleep and cause insomnia.

Caffeine (Nicotine & Alcohol)
Caffeine and nicotine are stimulants. Refrain from drinking coffee in the late afternoon or evening. And although alcohol is a sedative that can initially make you sleepy, it also stops your body from entering the deeper stages of sleep, causing you to wake up during the night.

Depression
With depression, you might suffer from insomnia or actually sleep too much.

Medical Conditions
Chronic pain, arthritis, asthma, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), overactive thyroid, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s and other medical conditions can cause insomnia.

Medications
There is a lineage of prescription drugs that can cause insomnia. They include medications for depression, allergies and high blood pressure. Here’s a partial list of some of the meds that can cause insomnia:

ACE Inhibitors
Alpha-blockers
ARBs
Beta-blockers
Cholinesterase Inhibitors
Corticosteroids
H1 Antagonists
SSRI Antidepressants
Statins

Stress
Like anxiety, everybody has stress in his or her lives. How we perceive the stressful event is often what drives how stressed we actually feel. If we’re feeling like stress is a heavy weight on our back, it can cause insomnia.

In addition to the issues listed above, another factor that can lead to insomnia is sleeping on an unsupportive/uncomfortable mattress or pillow. If this is the case, we suggest finding a mattress that supports your body and trying a supportive pillow like ours. Learn more about how our pillow can help you sleep better.

Thank you for visiting Natural Comfort Pillow! We wish you a good night’s rest!