The most prevalent reason for sleepless nights is the inability to let go of all the stuff that goes on during the day: your stressful job, your kid’s soccer loss, a tiff you had with your spouse are all hard to shake off when night falls.

So, to help you strip off the negativity along with your stuffy suit and pinchy shoes, Englander has teamed up with sacred sound guru Fabeku Fatunmise for a free download of one of his soothing singing bowls tracks. It’s simple really – just head over to our Singing You to Sleep page, fill out the VERY small form and you’re on your way to a better night’s sleep!

More About Fabeku Fatunmise

Fabeku has dedicated the past 18 years to learning the inner workings of the thing he calls “sacred sound.” That combined with a master’s level certification in “this sound stuff,” he’s the guy you want to know about when you need to he’s unwind through music and cut out the “stuck and struggle” that can make sleep impossible.

“I’m most comfortable in a Bob Marley t-shirt and Chuck Taylors…When I was 9, I was pretty sure I was going to marry Cyndi Lauper.”

- Fabeku Fatunmise, Sankofa Song Sound Healing

More About Remembering Through Resonance

Fabeku has quite a way with words and can describe his work much better than I can. Check out his description of Remembering Through Resonance, the full-length album that contains this track:

“When things go fuzzy, stuff goes wonky. But don’t beat yourself up for forgetting. It’s normal. It happens to all of us. The good news is that since stuck and struggle show up when we forget stuff, they also take off once we remember. Remembering causes stuff to shifts.

Composed entirely of singing bowls, Remembering Through Resonance helps you to plug back in to your bigness—back to the big, deep, always-there awesomeness that is you at your best and most brilliant and most beautiful. It’s a call back to the place within you that’s beyond the stuck and the struggle, the part of you that holds the mojo to move mountains. When you reconnect with that, stuff shifts. Quickly. Deeply. For good. And for real. That’s a thousand kinds of awesome.”

Awesome, indeed.

“Self-love + world-love = will make you whole.”

So succinct and totally to-the-point, we think this easy equation is great. Jen’s less concise version of her outlook, on the other hand…is also great. Jen writes on her web site’s “Who I Am” page:

“Ever feel restless – even though your life is so so busy? Ever feel that, with the talents and the compassion you have, you could be doing more for the world? Ever wish you could find a better way to both slow down and ramp up, so your life is both one that you savor and one that better serves the world? Then you have come to the perfect place. I’m so curious about the sweet spot where our longing to be happy meets our desire to make a difference I’m devoting a year to exploring it.”

Jen invites you to explore along with her, to discover your passions and yourself in order to—you guessed it—live better.

Words to Live By

In her best-selling book, The Woman’s Comfort Book, Jennifer offers encouragement and advice on how to derive peace and pleasure from daily rituals by focusing on self-care and self-kindness.

Her suggestions range from the routine (herbal baths, journaling) to the whimsical (blow bubbles when stuck in traffic), each tackling different areas of a woman’s busy busy life. When you are asked to do it all, Jennifer seems to ponder, how do you fit it all in? Why, by taking care of yourself first.

Start Today with a “Like”

Jen graciously signed copies of her The Woman’s Comfort Book, and we will be giving away one a week to our followers on Facebook. (Yay! Cool!) All summer long, we will choose winners randomly from among those who “Like” us – so don’t forget to head over our page and click that Like button for a chance to win!

Spread the word: to your friends, your family, anyone you love and respect, and start living better now.

Brunch happens in the garden, dinner happens on the patio, washing happens in the outdoor shower and napping happens in the hammock. Oh, glorious sunshine! It seems the only thing that we continue to do inside, most likely because we feel like we have to, is get a good night’s rest. But what if someone moved the mattress outside? The perfect midsummer’s night dream with an outdoor bed is just a little imagination away!

From the practical to the fantastical, these whimsical outdoor boudoirs could be just what the doctor prescribed for your spring fever. Let these gorgeous photographs jumpstart your imagination, then move on to our tips for functional-izing your vision.

Seek shelter.

The biggest concern involved in taking it outside is the elements. It would be very unfortunate if your mattress and linens got a thorough soaking in a storm. So, eliminate the rain factor by finding a covered area for your bed. A screened-in or roofed-in porch, a fanciful tent or a pergola all would do the trick.

Go versatile.

You can also incorporate your outdoor bed into your existing décor by dressing it up as a daybed. Or, go for a stripped-down approach to minimize the risk of damage to your bedding; use linens sparingly, a throw pillow here a quilt there, and add extra accoutrements on the clear nights you want to sleep under the stars.

The idea of hauling a mattress to the great outdoors may seem daunting, but I imagine the rewards far outweigh the inconvenience. One perfectly cozy mattress + a bottle of red wine or some tea + the sky’s velvety canvas of stars sounds like a waking dream—one soon to be followed by an actual dream.

Don’t worry, there’s no reason to panic! The Better Sleep Council has launched the “Stop Zombieities!” movement for the month of May – getting the word out that a cure is on the horizon to halt the epidemic of the “un-slept”

What’s the cure you say? We’ll give you a hint – it’s that thing you sleep on every night.

Stop the onset of Zombieitis—it’s real, we swear!—in its early stages by getting a mattress that means business.

The Symptoms

Are you worried that you have zombieitis? Maybe you find yourself staring into space, or dozing off at your desk. Or maybe you have fantasies of chomping on your friend’s arm…

Here are some easy-to-spot symptoms. Diagnose yourself at will:

• Dark, swollen eyes
• Irritability
• Depression
• High blood pressure
• Anxiety
• Malaise
• Dry skin
• Headaches

The Causes

The leading cause of Zombieitis is a bad mattress or one past its prime. In fact, in a recent survey of orthopedic surgeons, 95% believe that their patients’ mattresses were a factor in their back pain. Further causes of Zombieitis include:

• Excessive stress or anxiety
• Insomnia
• Physical pain
• Technology
• Caffeine
• Overeating
• Suppressed Anger

The Scary Facts

Still a zombie skeptic? Here are some horror-movie worthy tidbits about the power of sleep deprivation.

1. Lack of sleep can be so debilitating it is sometimes used as a tactic in military interrogation.
2. 17% of Americans say they only get five hours of sleep Monday through Friday.
3. Studies show that getting five hours of sleep a night for a week induces impairment that is equivalent to a blood alcohol level of 0.1%. So don’t get into a car after sleeping so little, you would be legally drunk.

The good news? All this can be avoided by getting the right mattress. And respondents even say a peaceful night on their mattresses increases their desire to exercise the next day. Nothing makes you feel more alive—and therein less like a zombie—than boosting your endorphin levels with a good workout.

So, the next time you find yourself lumbering down the hallway moaning and tearing your coworkers limb from limb, you might want to consider getting a new mattress. (We recommend an Englander mattress…)

In the meantime, join the cause and keep up to date with Stop Zombieitis!

Facebook – Stop Zombieitis! Page Twitter – @StopZombieitis YouTube – Stop Zombieitis! Channel Website – STOPZOMBIEITIS.COM

1. Establish a routine.
2. Find a soothing pre-sleep activity.
3. Understand that everyone has different sleep habits.

And voila! Instant sleep, yes? Nope. Knowing good habits is often much more difficult than actually following them—you can add “sleep regimen” to your list of good-for-you-but-ignored things, such as flossing and eating Brussels sprouts.

A Smartphone sleep app might be just the thing to keep you on track. Mashable.com compiled a list of the 10 best iPhone apps for a better night’s sleep! Here are some of my personal favorites:

1. Deep Sleep with Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson is a leading relaxation and mediation expert, and in this app he leads you through a series of breathing exercises designed to ease your mind and body into the perfect sleep. And as an added bonus, he sounds like 007!

2. aSleep 3
This sleep app seems to have it all—it’s a sweet alarm clock, sound machine, snore detector combo. You can set it to play myriad soothing sounds while you nod off (do you prefer rolling waves or gentle rainfall?) and then wake you up when it’s time for work. This app even tells you the weather, although I’m not sure how useful that is while you’re sleeping…

3. Long Deep Breathing
Similar to our friend Andrew Johnson’s meditation app, this app teaches you calming breathing techniques. A breath gauge is connected to a visual aid on the phone’s display, which helps instruct you to increase the duration of each inhale and exhale. Longer, deeper breaths can help chill you right out.

4. Sleep Cycle Alarm Clock
When discussing naps, we talked about how it’s important to wake up during lightest part of your sleep cycle—waking up suddenly from REM sleep can leave you feeling groggy. You use this high-tech alarm clock by placing it right on your mattress. It can then measure your nightly tossings and turnings to gauge when you are in the lightest stage of sleep, and therefore at the prime waking time.

Doesn’t a wake-up call suddenly seem so 1989?

Those Aren’t Butterflies…

While it’s not the most polite of dinner conversation, we all know that sometimes an upset stomach can keep you from nodding off. One in 10 people suffer from painful acid reflux symptoms any given day, making it difficult (well, that may be an understatement) to fall asleep.

Along with altering your diet, doctors often recommend sleeping in an elevated position to combat indigestion, acid reflux and GERD. The natural incline is supposed to help make those upset insides settle right down. Thus, enter a stack of pillows; pillows under your torso, pillows piled high under your head, so many pillows. Wouldn’t it be awesome if your mattress could take care of things for you? Aha! It can!

Another Something

The HealthWedge mattress foundation can be used instead of a box spring, placing your mattress at the slight incline needed to set you straight. This means you can rest comfortably with your whole body equally supported without having to deal with the shifting and moving of individual pillows.

I know, it seems so simple—because it is. Sometimes the easiest solutions are the best ones.

Lean on Me

Tension Ease mattresses are zoned to provide the right parts of your body with the right amount of support. This way your back and lumbar spine are properly taken care of — there’s no need to sleep with a pillow between your knees or under your lower back to straighten yourself out.

Super-Coils to the Rescue!

The coils in your Tension Ease mattress are super hi-tech. First of all, they are each individually encased with a specialty fabric that minimizes friction and motion. These superhero coils are also bonded in a way that allows them to move independently of one another. Therefore, as you readjust during the night, your mattress shifts right along with you.

Go Green

Tension Ease mattresses use eco-friendly foams and fibers. So not only do you feel great while you sleep, you can also feel great about what you’re sleeping on.

For all the nitty-gritty details, head to Tension Ease section of Englander.com.

1. Exercising right before bed makes for a good night’s sleep.

Since you are physically tired after a workout it’s not a far mental leap to believing that this means it’s best to exercise right before bed. However, exercise increases endorphins (which give you energy) and raises your body temperature. Both of these things make sleep rather difficult. Exercising a couple hours before bedtime (rather than immediately before), however, is a great idea. Your body’s temperature will begin to go down—a sign that tells your body sleep is imminent—just as your head hits the pillow.

2. You can make up for lost sleep on the weekends.

If only this were the case! Harvard sleep expert Robert Stickgold, Ph.D., has a nickname for this dangerous habit of sleep-bingeing on the weekends: “sleep bulimia.” Large disparities between the amount of sleep you get each night can disrupt your circadian rhythm, thus making it increasingly difficult to catch a refreshing bout of Z’s.

3. Sleeping more at night will get rid of daytime fatigue.

When it comes to sleep, it’s largely a matter of quality over quantity. Even if you are catching the eight or so recommended hours each night, you’ll feel groggy during the day if you are suffering from a sleep disorder or waking up frequently during the night. So, if you are stifling an inappropriate amount of yawns during the day, it may be worthwhile to see if there is another problem at play.

Good luck, fellow sleepers!

It’s a fairly simple equation: better sleep = better life. And a bunch of little mini equations tell you exactly how to achieve that better sleep. We’ve got enough hours + enough quiet = better sleep, and a consistent schedule + relaxing pre-bed activities = better sleep. And—perhaps most importantly—we have the right mattress + your unique needs = better sleep. Awesome, right? Because this means that a better life is right around the corner!

Wiggle Room

I’ve heard people again and again refer to a larger bed as a “luxury.” A queen or king-sized bed is often something that is spoken of longingly but considered, for whatever reason (too expensive, not enough room in your room, yada yada) unattainable.

I think it’s about time we erase this idea. One of the most important variables in achieving your best sleep is enough room in your bed. You should never feel restricted and should always have enough space to move around. If you’re sharing a bed, this usually means that a larger bed is necessary. And your mattress should most definitely fit your size, which, for larger people, could mean investing in a more supportive model. (Englander’s definitely got you covered here—oh hey Posture Support Plus.)

Guilt-free Sleep

Heading to bed with a clear mind is vital to a great night’s sleep. You’ve gotta shake off the pressures and stressors of your waking life before slipping in between those sheets. That annoying colleague at work or quickly-approaching deadline should be muted until you are back in your office. Reading a book or listening to soothing music before bed can help fade distressing thoughts.

It’s also a great feeling to know that your mattress is doing it’s part to save the world—and with Englander’s green line of mattresses you don’t even need to break out the Superman sheets! Organic materials and energy-saving business practices mean that sleeping on one of Englander’s green mattresses is like winning the environmental karma jackpot. You can for sure sleep soundly knowing that your mattress is helping to reduce your carbon footprint.

Constant Evolution

While establishing a pre-bedtime ritual may be the most vital thing to remember when seeking the elusive perfect night’s sleep, it’s also important to remember to stay in touch with your body’s changing needs. Going to sleep at 10pm every night is great, until it just doesn’t work anymore. Maybe your job requires you to get up a little earlier now, or your kids need your attention later into the night.  Whatever it may be, the point is that it’s key to monitor how your lifestyle changes and adjust your sleep habits accordingly. Handily, Englander is here to help you make those adaptations.

Maybe the most important equation to remember is knowing yourself + caring for your changing needs = better sleep (= better life).

Image Courtesy of Betsssssy

I like to say that I won’t take a nap if I know it will be dark out when I get up, but it turns out there are a bunch more rules involved when it comes to effective napping. Lucky for you I’m going to break it down for you.

Sleep is Scientific

When you fall asleep your body goes through five distinct sleep stages. The key to a good nap is to wake up before you hit stage number three, which is when deep sleep starts to kick in.  Sleep scientists (there must be a name for this—napologists, snoozocologists?) have determined that each of the first two sleep stages are around ten minutes long, which is why a 20-minute power nap may sound familiar to you.

Keeping naps to around 20 minutes long (some experimenting may be required to find out exactly the right amount for you) eliminates grogginess and bad moods upon waking.

Set an Alarm

Chances are your body’s not going to want to wake up all by itself after the magic 20 minutes, at least not without a little practice. So set an alarm! I think it’s nice to use music or the radio to wake myself up, which is a little less jarring than that terrible beep beep most alarms default to.

The Caffeine Nap

The fabled caffeine nap is rumored to be the most effective type of nap. This calls for climbing into bed for your catnap immediately after drinking a cup of coffee. The caffeine’s extra energy boost is said to kick in after 20 minutes (that number again!), just in time to wake you up. Of course, this particular type of nap is not recommended to those with adverse reactions to caffeine.

So, the nap verdict? Go for it! But keep it short (even if this takes all of your willpower, as it does for me). And during the workweek, remember to close your office door; some bosses frown upon sleeping on the job…