Use Autumn as a Reason to Take a Sleep Inventory

(Richmond, VA) – Labor Day has come and gone; the kids are back in school and the days are getting shorter. Autumn has always been an ideal time to step back and look at your family’s needs, but this year there’s new research that confirms the importance of good rest. And leading sleep tips website Sleepbetter.org is offering some advice to help.

“Recent headlines about the effects of too little sleep offer compelling reasons to look at your sleeping habits,” said Dan Schecter, vice president of consumer products at Carpenter Co. and creator of SleepBetter.org. “Researchers have known for some time that getting a good eight hours of sleep can help adults maintain a normal weight. But now, studies are showing that even infants and preschoolers who don’t get enough sleep are much more likely to have obesity problems.”

Schecter says getting a good night’s sleep may be just as important as diet and physical activity. In school age children, sleep deprivation can cause inattentiveness’, irritability, lack of judgment, poor memory, anxiety, and even depression.

Here are some good rest tips from SleepBetter.org:

  • Avoid caffeine and nicotine in the evening hours. Coffee, tea, many soft drinks and tobacco products are stimulants that can hamper your effort to fall asleep.
  • Avoid alcohol close to bedtime. It may make you drowsy now…but later it will interfere with normal sleep.

  • Exercise regularly, but make sure your workout if finished at least three hours before bedtime.

  • Most computer screens emit a blue light that tells the brain to wake up. Avoid surfing the Internet or playing computer games right before bedtime.

  • Create a sleeping environment that is dark, comfortable and cool

  • Establish a regular relaxing bedtime routine for the entire family, such as reading a bedtime story.

For more tips to help you sleep better, please visit http://sleepbetter.org. You can also get sleep advice from SleepBetter on Twitter and Facebook.

About Carpenter Co. / SleepBetter.org
SleepBetter.org is dedicated to helping people sleep better. Designed as an online resource, the web site creates a forum for visitors to define, discuss, and discover solutions to their particular sleep needs. SleepBetter.org’s quest is to continually gather pertinent sleep information, then share this knowledge with the general public. The site also shares tips on the best sleep related products, both in stores and online. SleepBetter.org has created the Sleep Better seal as a way to easily identify products recommended for their superior quality or scientifically based design. Created by Carpenter Co., the world’s largest producer of comfort cushioning products, SleepBetter.org provides information and advice that visitors can use to sleep better. For more information, please visit http://SleepBetter.org.

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