Humans spend nearly a third of their lives sleeping, or trying to sleep at least. Sleep is a natural process that allows your body and mind to rejuvenate, and without enough of it, you can’t function at full mental or physical capacity. Sleeping is worthy of its own field of scientific study, and there are many factors which you can control which have been shown to improve healthy sleep habits.

Sleep Science Has Fostered an Industry

Sleep is so important to consumers that they are willing to spend big money on anything that could possibly improve the quality of their sleep. Mattresses have become one of the most expensive pieces of furniture in the home, with consumers often spending thousands of dollars to make sure they have the highest quality, most technologically advanced mattress possible. Sleep number technology and memory foam technology have certainly taken sleeping to a science. The sleep industry includes everything from noise-cancelling sonic technology to devices that prevent snoring by keeping the nasal passages open.

How Important Is Your Mattress?

Given that you spend more time on your mattress than any other piece of furniture or surface in your home, from your couch to your carpet, and that it has to keep you adequately supported from your head to your toe for hours on end, finding a quality mattress is quite important. Your body has its own natural shapes and curves whether you sleep on your side or on your back. When your mattress can’t adjust to those curves, it causes pressure and pain that can make sleep uncomfortable. New mattress technologies have led to the use of special materials that can adjust to different body positions to provide comfortable support each night without permanent deformation. Checkout websites such as http://www.sleepjunkie.org/get-the-best-memory-foam-mattress-for-the-money/ for tips on buying your next mattress.

memory foam mattress

Sleeping and Food

Everyone is tempted to partake in the occasional midnight snack, but eating right before bedtime can cause complications and interrupt your sleep. As your digestive system breaks down food, some of that food is immediately converted to energy, fuelling your metabolism at a time when it should be winding down. In turn, because you are not expending substantial energy while you sleep, much of the caloric content of your food is stored as fat, which can be unhealthy. Sleeping on a full stomach can be a health hazard to your cardiopulmonary system.

Tips to Make Sleeping Easier

Aside from not eating right before bed, there are a few other tips you can use to make sleep easier, longer, and more refreshing. Strenuous daily exercise before noon helps maintain a healthy metabolism all day, as your body begins to burn calories early and is ready to slow down at night. Drinking a glass of water before bed and lying on your side can help prevent cardiopulmonary and breathing problems. Maintaining a healthy and balanced diet with limited sugar and fat content can also promote healthy sleep.