Tag Archives: better sleep

A Realistic Guide to Better Sleep Habits, Part 1

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Better Sleep Habits & Light StimulationIn 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

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Pillow Care Natural Comfort PillowPillows 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

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Goals and Better SleepNow 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:

  1. First, identify EXACTLY what you desire. We talked about this in Part 3 of this series.
  2. Spell out the exact reason(s) why you’d like to reach these goals. In other words what’s driving you to accomplish them?
  3. 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.
  4. 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?
  5. Identify what you need to know (learn) in order to reach these goals.
  6. 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.
  7. 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

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

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Better Sleep Clearly Defining GoalsHave 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

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Goals & Better Sleep Part 2 Discovering Your GoalsIn 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

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The Connection between Goals And Sleep Part 1 How to Sleep BetterIn 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

 

The Connection Between Sleep & Migraines

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The connection between sleep and migrainesIn previous articles, we’ve talked about how to reduce migraines through diet and how to decrease migraines by improving neck and shoulder health. In this article, we’ll cover the connection between sleep and migraines, as well as a handful of simple strategies to improve the quality of your sleep — which in turn can reduce migraine occurrence.

What is the Connection between Sleep & Migraines?
Did you know getting too little, or too much sleep can cause a migraine? Anyone who experiences insufficient sleep knows that it can be a vicious cycle, because lack of sleep is causing a migraine, which in turn causes poor sleep. Sometimes it may appear that you’re getting enough sleep, based on the number of hours you spend in bed. But if you’re waking up with a migraine, feeling run down and unrested, there’s a good chance that the quality of your sleep was poor.

STRATEGIES TO HELP YOU SLEEP BETTER
If you’re experiencing poor sleep and migraines, it’s always a good idea to speak with your health practitioner. That being said, here are a few simple strategies you can employ to improve your sleep quality …

Experiment with Sleep Length
If getting five or six hours of sleep has you waking up with a migraine, you might need to get to bed (or stay in bed) an extra hour or two. On the flip side, if you’re getting nine or ten hours of solid sleep, but waking up with a migraine, try getting up an hour or two earlier.

Avoid Electronic Devices Before Bed
We know, easier said than done. But if you’re not sleeping well, isn’t it worth missing an hour of email, Facebook or your favorite game in exchange for a good night’s sleep?

Establish a Pre-sleep Routine
The more ritualistic you make your pre-sleep routine, the more meditative and calming it can become. It’s not just about what time you brush your teeth and what time you go to bed. It’s also about what you’re doing in those in-between moments.

Get Meditative & Mindful
Continuing on our previous point, things like deep breaths, reading a calming book or listening to soothing music can help put you in a more Zen-like state that’s more sleep friendly. Meditation and listening to binaural beats is also very effective.

Darken Your Bedroom
Get rid of night lights, and make sure your blinds and curtains block out most or all of the light emanating from outside.

Implement Standard Sleep Hours
Go to sleep and get up at the same time as much as possible. Once you’ve created a consistent routine, your body will have an easier time sleeping. This includes weekends!

If You Nap, Keep it Short
Naps should last between 15-30 minutes. Longer times may affect your sleep at night.

Avoid Late Night Stimulants
Stay away from coffee, soda or anything caffeinated. It’s also a good idea to refrain from intense exercise late at night. Heavy meals, alcohol and nicotine are also stimulants that can disrupt your sleep.

Become a Fan of Your Ceiling Fan
It’s a great way to create a natural sound dampener, which masks distracting noises during the night.

Check Medications
Some drugs can interfere with sleep. If you’re unsure, speak with your health practitioner to see what the side effects are regarding your medications.

Use a Supportive Pillow
As the makers of the Natural Comfort Pillow, we know how important a role your pillow plays in the quality of your sleep. A supportive pillow can help reduce the neck joint and muscle “triggers” that can pre-empt a true migraine. Learn more about how our pillow can help you sleep better.

Thank you for visiting Natural Comfort Pillow. We hope these tips help reduce your migraines and improve your sleep!

Managing Stress for Better Sleep

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Managing Stress for Better SleepIt’s no surprise to anybody that stress is part of life. And although we can’t always control the events that cause stress or anxiety to manifest in our lives, we can control how we respond. Finding ways to manage stress is a critical factor to leading a happier, healthier life. It can also be the deciding factor as to whether or not we sleep well on a regular basis. Let’s take a look at a handful of ways to manage stress — including meditation, exercise and mindfulness.

Meditation
Meditation comes in many forms. Let’s examine two simple, effective ways to mediate that can be accomplished in as little as three minutes.

First, let’s turn to your smart phone. Healthline.com recently posted an article that details the top 17 meditation apps of 2014 for your Android or iPhone. Two of our favorites are Mindfulness and Mindful, which are very effective and only ask for 3-5 minutes of your time to complete a meditation.

Our second suggestion is much more low tech. Simply find a place in your home where it’s quiet and you can have some privacy. Sit comfortably, with your legs crossed (if possible) and your back straight. You can also sit in a chair if you find it more comfortable. Light a candle, and simply stare at it while you take slow, deliberate breaths. Breathe deeply through your nose into your stomach, and exhale completely through your mouth. At first, you may find that it feels impossible to sit still for even five minutes. But with a little practice, meditating in this way can be quite rewarding. An important tip is to try and clear your mind while you’re performing your meditation. That being said, if a thought enters your mind that’s totally OK, just let it pass as best you can and refocus on your breathing.

Exercise
There’s often a preconceived notion that exercise needs to involve immense amounts of effort. Not true. Even a 10-minute walk around the block at lunchtime is good exercise for your body, and can lower your stress. Bring that deep breathing into your walk for increased meditative benefits. Of course, if you prefer running, yoga, biking, weightlifting or some other form of physical activity, go for it! Doing something you enjoy is far better than doing something you feel you “should” do. The point of exercise is to de-stress, not add stress to your day.

Mindfulness
Mindfulness is defined as the quality or state of being conscious or aware of something; a mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, etc. In our tech-centric, fast paced world, it’s sometimes difficult to me mindful. Instead, our thoughts often focus on what’s next on our to-do list — even while we’re still currently working on a task. The best way to stop this cycle is to take a minute or two every few hours to focus on your breath. The simple act of focusing on taking slow, deep breaths is a form of mindfulness, and can help lower stress. While you’re taking these breaths, note how your body feels in the moment, and what your surroundings look like. Can you feel your muscles, and your brain, relaxing a bit?

Thank you for visiting My Better Spine. We hope these tips help reduce your stress.

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Is Your Pillow Causing or Relieving Neck Pain?

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Neck & Shoulder Pain ReliefNot all pillows are created equal. As a matter of fact, some can actually aggravate neck pain, cause headaches, insomnia — and even misalign vertebrae. The good news is that a well-made, supportive pillow has a wealth of health benefits. Let’s examine what goes into the making of a well-made pillow, and what types of benefits it can offer — including proper support of the head and neck, as well as relaxing neck muscles and de-stressing joints.

A well-made, supportive pillow should:

  • Support the head and neck — in both back- and side-sleeping positions
  • Relax the muscles of the neck, lessening stress on joints
  • Mold to your neck and head, with no recoil or spring back
  • Never stress the joints of the neck
  • Be comfortable, yet supportive
  • Be breathable

Benefits of a supportive pillow include:

  • Relief from neck pain or stiffness, neck injuries, headaches, insomnia and shoulder pain
  • Improved performance for athletes
  • Helping vertebrae remain aligned
  • Improved airflow and blood flow, while reducing breathing obstruction in the throat
  • A better night’s sleep

Hallmarks of a quality pillow:

  • A blend of natural down and feathers
  • 100% cotton casing
  • Bounces and fluffs into shape
  • Easily conforms to the size and shape of your head and neck (unlike molded foams and rubber)
  • Feathers and down also “breathe”
  • Absorbs body moisture

A non-supportive pillow isn’t only less comfortable, it can also have the opposite affect of a supportive pillow. In fact, a non-supportive pillow can exacerbate headaches, neck pain, or any of the conditions we’ve mentioned in this article. Learn More About How Our Pillow Can Help Visit the Natural Comfort Pillow homepage for specific information pertaining to neck pain, shoulder pain, osteoarthritis, insomnia, sleep apnea, snoring, TMJ and migraines. Try our pillow at no risk … When you try our pillow, we want to make sure you’re completely satisfied with your purchase. That’s why we offer a no-risk, 60-day money back guarantee that allows you to return the pillow for any reason. All we ask is that you use your pillow for at least 30 days to allow the feathers and down to mould to your unique neck and head shape — and for you to get accustomed to the special support the Natural Comfort Pillow offers. Thanks for visiting Natural Comfort Pillow!

5 Tips for a Better Night’s Sleep

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Tips for a Better Nights SleepConsistently getting a good night’s sleep is critical for physical and mental health, as well as your ability to be successful in your personal and professional life. Anyone who’s missed even a couple nights of restful sleep understands how debilitating exhaustion can be. Let’s take a look at five easy tips — including keeping a regular sleep schedule and creating a relaxing bedtime routine — that can help you get a solid amount of sleep on a consistent basis.

Get Comfortable
Although this may sound obvious, getting comfortable goes beyond making sure you have cozy PJs. In order to be completely comfortable for a good night’s sleep, you’ll need to create a room that’s ideal for sleeping. To do this, make sure your bedroom is cool, dark and quiet. If there’s light coming in from an outside streetlamp, or a neighbor’s porch light, try room-darkening shades. If there’s any type of noise you’d like to filter out, try earplugs, a fan or an ambient-sound sleep app on your smart phone that can add just enough background noise (like rain, or ocean waves) to cancel out disturbances while helping provide a more optimal sleep environment.

Your mattress and pillow also make a big contribution to the quality of your sleep. In addition to better sleep, a supportive pillow like our Natural Comfort Pillow can also reduce neck pain, TMJ, migraines and a host of other issues.

Keep a Sleep Schedule
This tip may take a bit of retraining your habits — especially if you’re a night owl. What you’ll need to do is go to bed and get up at the same time every day — even on weekends. A consistent sleep schedule reinforces your body’s sleep-wake cycle, promoting better sleep. That being said, if you haven’t fallen asleep within approximately 15 minutes, it’s OK to get up and something relaxing. The keyword here is RELAXING, so stay away from the temptation to work. Once you feel tired, go back to bed. Remaining in bed, stressing over falling asleep, may make it harder to actually fall asleep.

Stay Active During the Day
Physical activity isn’t just good for your overall health. It can also aid in better sleep. Consistent daily physical activity can help you fall asleep faster and experience deeper, more restful sleep. The time of day you have physical activity plays a role in how effective it is in helping your sleep improve. Exercising earlier in the day is optimal, making a morning run, or possibly a lunchtime walk, far more beneficial than exercising at night — which can leave you too energized to fall asleep. Other benefits of regular physical activity include more energy throughout the day and improved clarity of mind. Please note, before taking on any new type of physical activity, it’s always a good idea to consult with your doctor.

Create a Bedtime Ritual
A ritual is really just another way of getting yourself on a clearly defined schedule. Finding what bedtime routine works for you, and performing it every night, can go a long way in telling your body and your mind that it’s time to wind down. Reading, a warm bath, listening to relaxing music or meditating, are only a handful of tactics that can help you sleep better. Relaxing activities have a way of making us sleepy, priming us for restful slumber.

Part of your ritual can also include removing noise and excessive light from your sleep environment (in other words, turn off the TV).It can also involve fluffing your pillow, and setting your blankets in a specific way to make your bed more inviting.

Be Mindful of What You’re Eating
Going to bed hungry or full can affect the quality of your sleep. That being said, this is not an invitation to eat an entire container of your favorite ice cream. Instead, eat something light. It’s also a good idea to be mindful of how much you drink — starting at least an hour before you go to bed. This will help prevent the need to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night.

Having dinner earlier in the evening, and avoiding rich heavy foods within two-hours of bedtime, can help you sleep better. Heavy foods are harder to digest, and may keep you up. Spicy or acidic foods may cause heartburn, which can disrupt sleep. A simple cup of coffee, even when consumed hours before bed, can keep you up at night. Every person is different, so it’s a good idea to keep track of when you have your last cup, and how you slept that night. If you notice a trend of better sleep when you drink your coffee earlier in the day, why not make that part of your sleep ritual?

We hope these sleep tips help you rest more soundly. Please note that the tips on the Natural Comfort Pillow blog are not meant to replace the medical advice of your doctor.

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