For most people, while disgusting, dust mites are not harmful. However, their microscopic cast skins and waste can induce allergic reactions in individuals who were previously not allergic to dust mites. A typical mattress can contain tens of thousands of dust mites; one square yard of bedroom carpet can contain over 100,000. And studies have shown that up to 10% of the weight of a two-year old pillow can be composed of dead mites and their waste. Sick yet?

Read the full post on Dust Mites in the Bedroom.

A new study from the Wake Forest University School of Medicine revealed that not getting enough sleep can lead to increased accumulation of fat around your organs, which is more dangerous – according to researchers – than fat around your waist.

A clear association between people under 40 receiving less than 5 hours of sleep at night and large increases in visceral (organ surrounding) fat was documented.  The study also showed a similar, but smaller, association with people who sleep more than 8 hours a day in the same age group.  The researchers commented that it will be important in future obesity studies to document sleep patterns along with caloric intake.

Read the full post on Lack of Sleep Can Lead to Increased Fat.

You can’t get proper rest and maintain your health if your bedroom is not a sleep-friendly environment.  If you associate your bedroom with too many non-sleep activities (home office, snack bar, family recreation center), it then becomes a center of action instead of a place of rest.  Here are a few tips to create a room fit for a good healthy slumber.

Read the full post on Creating a Sleep Friendly Bedroom.

One of the keys to acquiring a healthy night’s sleep is making sure you have a proper pillow.

Research tells us that your pillow should help maintain proper cervical spine alignment as you sleep. Side sleepers need the thickest pillows, followed by a medium-thick pillow for back sleepers and a thin pillow for stomach sleepers. But what if you switch positions as you sleep? The best solution is to stack two pillows if you sleep on your side, and then slide one of the pillows out from under your head if you decide to sleep on your back.

Read the full post on How to Pick a Pillow.