Our sleep environment can greatly affect how we sleep, and although we spend roughly 6-8 hours a day in bed, we rarely ensure that our bedroom is meeting our personalized and supportive needs. We spend 25-33% of our day sleeping (or at least we should be), which means there's a great chunk of our time being spent in a room that should be a sleep haven.

Unfortunately, many of us suffer from sleep problems, such as insomnia and snoring. These problems decrease the chances of reaching our desired amount of sleep.

The simplest way to eliminate sleep problems is to examine your sleep environment and make appropriate changes. Here are a few simple steps to improve your sleep environment:

Prevent Sunlight
The amount of light that enters your bedroom can impact sleep, since our normal sleep cycles begin with darkness and end with the introduction of light. To avoid unnecessary light, install adequate shades or curtains to prevent sunlight from entering your bedroom in the morning.  If you have to sleep during the day, install light blocking shades that will block light throughout the day. Keeping your bedroom as dark as possible will allow your sleep cycle to return to normal.

Keep Cool
Your bedroom temperature should feel comfortable, as it should compliment your sleep. When you being to drift off for the night, your body temperature drops by 2 degrees. It's best to set your bedroom temperature between 65-69 degrees Fahrenheit, as your body will then fall into the cooling process easier. The coolness will slow down your natural body rhythm, allowing you to fall asleep quicker.

Block Out Noise
Everyone reacts to noise differently. You may be able to sleep through sirens or snoring, but for some, a slight noise can ruin sleep completely. To block such unwanted sounds, try earplugs or "white noise" such as a fan, air cleaner or sound conditioner. You can also block out annoying sounds with relaxing sounds from a rainfall or waterfall.

Sleep Comfortably
The last thing to consider is the quality of your mattress and bed pillow as it impacts your sleep as well. When choosing a mattress, you must feel comfortable. A good tip is to lay on the mattress for at least ten minutes in your sleep position to test your comfort level. If you find it comfortable, buy it!

Although a pillow must definitely be comfortable, there are other factors to consider as well. When selecting a proper bed pillow, you'll need to consider the density and form. A proper pillow should support and cool your neck, back and shoulders.

Since comfort and ergonomics is key - it makes sense to get a pillow that's customized for you!  Create your ideal pillow with our pillow fitting system. Ideal Pillow creates custom bed pillows that compliments your sleep position, body dimensions and personal preferences.  Create a pillow made especially for you at www.IdealPillow.com today!

Tired of holding the pillow against your ears while your partner snores relentlessly? Before running off to another room, share these four simple remedies with your partner so you can both have a restful sleep again.

What Causes Snoring?
Snoring often occurs when an individual either has too much nasal tissue, a narrow airway or an obstructed airflow, which leads to breathing vibrations. Genetics and age are some factors that cause snoring; you may be born with a  narrower throat, or as you get older you may lose muscle tone in your throat. While you can't change your genetics or age, there are still remedies to decrease snoring by fixing other factors such as sleep positions, diet and bedroom environment.

The following are simple remedies that will help reduce snoring:

Get Fit and Healthy
Exercising can remedy many sleep problems including snoring. Toning your arms and legs for example can lead to toning the muscles in your throat, which can lead to less snoring. Excess weight around your neck and chest also adds extra pressure on your breathing muscles. Try jogging or speed walking for 30 minutes a day to start getting active.

Use a Humidifier
Dry air can irritate the nose and throat making it difficult to breathe. Using a humidifier in the bedroom can reduce dryness and stuffiness in the room, which will keep your nasal passages clear from obstruction. Humidifiers help moisten the membranes in your nose and throat, reducing your snoring.

Change Your Sleep Position
A simple way to stop snoring is to change your sleep position. Most people who snore sleep on their backs. If you're sleeping on your back, your tongue and the soft tissue at the back of your throat will slide back and block your airway. Although sleeping on your back improves spine alignment, sleeping on your side would be a better option to eliminate snoring. You can still keep your spine aligned on your side if you have a proper customized pillow!

Keep Your Head and Neck Aligned
Bending your neck can obstruct your airflow. The best way to remedy this issue is to consider a new pillow that matches your sleeping position. If you are a side sleeper and tend to snore, try using a flatter pillow that will keep your neck from bending. To find a proper pillow that suit your needs, try building your ideal pillow with us!

Ideal Pillow takes into consideration your sleep position, height, weight, and mattress density. Try our pillow design system and stop snoring today. Your partner will thank us!

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Firstly, What Is Insomnia?

Insomnia is a very common sleep disorder where people have difficulty falling asleep. Although many of us have experienced the occasional lack of sleep, insomnia is best described as falling into a pattern of sleeplessness, where sleep is no longer enjoyable.

The symptoms of insomnia include a lack of energy, fatigue, irritability and difficultly concentrating. These symptoms leave a person feeling restless and less focused during the day.

There are two types of insomnia: primary and secondary. Primary insomnia occurs when an individual is having sleep problems that are not directly associated with any other health conditions. Secondary insomnia occurs when an individual is having sleep problems caused by other issues, such as health conditions like depression, heartburn, asthma, or arthritis pain.

The length of insomnia can either be short term, intermittent or chronic. Short term and chronic insomnia are often caused by neck pain, neck stiffness, shoulder pain, headaches or improper sleep ergonomics.

Tackle Insomnia With a Pillow!

There are many remedies for insomnia, such as natural remedies and prescription medications. But before turning to these products, it's best to try sleeping on a new pillow.

Although it seems simple enough, many individuals forget how important a pillow is for getting a perfect night's sleep. The proper pillow should be comfortable, and help eliminate stress in the neck and shoulders. Using a pillow that isn't suitable for your posture can cause back pain, neck pain and insomnia.

Don't underestimate a Pillow!

Finding a proper pillow is made easy with The Ideal Pillow system. The pillow addresses insomnia through its customized abilities. By gathering an individual's personal characteristics such as gender, height, weight, and sleep position, a custom pillow will be created to address any insomnia issues. A properly fitted pillow, such as The Ideal Pillow, ultimately promotes better sleep, spine health and alignment by removing the excessive stress and strain off the neck.

We guarantee that The Ideal Pillow will help you have a more comfortable and restful nights sleep. Start building your Ideal Pillow today!

Studies have shown that more than 40% of Americans have difficulty sleeping or are experiencing some sort of sleeping disorder. While some may look to relieve this problem through natural sleep medications, a change in sleeping patterns or even counting sheep - the answer to a perfect night's sleep relies in the pillow - a customized pillow.

A pillow should keep your head in line with your shoulders, while supporting the skull and neck without applying undue pressure. Your shoulder should not be angled at 90 degrees to the mattress as this can trigger muscle spasms. In this angle, sleepers may also wake up with pain in the neck and shoulders. The right pillow will help stabilize your neck and shoulders. A pillow is ideal when it keeps the spine in natural alignment.

Choosing a pillow that specifically meets your needs is a very important aspect of one's overall well being. In fact, there are a few factors to think about when choosing the right pillow. One of the factors is to understand your personal sleeping style and position you sleep in. A pillow should be adjustable and be able to conform to the exact shape of the sleeper. Since sleeping behaviors vary, a standard pillow doesn't cut it. Majority of individuals either sleep on their back, their side or on their stomach and pillows should meet that specific sleeping style. Back sleepers need flatter and thinner pillows, side sleepers need firmer pillows and stomach sleepers need thinner pillows.

Another factor to consider when choosing a pillow, is the material the pillow is made out of. There are many different materials used, including memory foam, organic cotton, down feather and polyester fiberfill. These materials satisfy a certain need and correspond with a certain sleeping style. A memory foam pillow is best for side or back sleepers, while an organic cotton pillow is best for stomach sleepers.

As you can see, there are many factors to consider when finding the right pillow. Now that you have this information and understand the importance of customized pillows - you may be asking yourself: How can I find the pillow tailored to me? How will I be able to find and purchase a pillow that promises a better night's sleep? Ideal Pillow is your answer.

With Ideal Pillow's Fitting System you can easily choose and purchase your perfect pillow in minutes! By answering a few questions on body type, personal preferences and sleep style, the Pillow Fitting System scientifically customizes your pillow density and support to your sleep style. By taking an individual's personal characteristics, a custom pillow will be constructed. This pillow will support the head and neck and ultimately diminish neck pain and pressure. Ideal Pillow also addresses problems such as snoring and insomnia. A properly fitted customized pillow will remove the stress and strain off the neck, while promoting better sleep and spine alignment. Ideal Pillows are specifically engineered to increase the amount and quality of sleep - it's guaranteed you'll have a great night's sleep!

There are several drugs on the market today which can assist you with getting to sleep. Unfortunately the long term and side effects of these drugs can ultimately cause more problems than they are helping. Two natural occurring substances, melatonin and valerian have shown improvement of a person’s sleep quality and ability to fall asleep. Melatonin, a hormone produced by the body needs to be administered in the correct dose and in a timely manner. Valerian is an extract from the roots of a valeriana plant. It is marketed as a natural treatment for insomnia and utilized in many products on the market today. Consult with your health care professional if you are interested in using these products.

The old adage, “the firmer the better” for selecting a mattress is found not to be always true. Recent research has determined that several factors play a important role in which mattress is best for you. A mattress’s perception and actual level of firmness to a 100 lb. person and a 250 lb. individual will be much different. A person who sleeps on their side will typically need a softer mattress than someone who sleeps on their back. Everyone has different support factors and getting the right mattress can be difficult and confusing. There is technology on the market today to assist with this or consulting with your health care professional who understands how the they affect your comfort and support of your spine. 

The concept that memory foam mattresses will fit everyone one is not true.  All memory foam mattresses have a certain density of support just like a regular box spring mattress has a level of support, soft/medium/firm. Therefore it will support you differently depending on your height, weight and sleep position. If you do use a memory foam mattress make sure you use the highest quality cotton sheets to help keep heat from building up around your body. This can cause you to have poor sleep by having to constantly tossing and turning to dissipate the heat. Temperature is the one of the biggest factors in poor sleep quality, whether it is from your mattress or the temperature of the room.

Most people associate noise with an interruption of someone’s nighttime sleep. In most cases noise of any kind does have a negative impact on your sleep pattern. Many times a background noise or machine which produces a constant level of noise such as the sound of the ocean or wind blowing actually assists in someone getting to sleep. Especially for those who have difficulty getting to sleep.  Evaluate your sleep environment for abrupt noises such as, air conditioner turning off and on, vents opening closing. If these noises are approximately 10%  above the normal level of your bedroom noise this can wake you up at night. If you can’t correct the noise issue in your bedroom, there are many comfortable ear plugs on the market today which can solve your problem.

Having a proper sleep surface and pillow is vital but your sleep environment is just as important in you getting good quality sleep. Having  light in your bedroom and bathroom is the main culprit for interrupted sleep. Black out shades for your windows are very effective in the most common light problem plaguing sleepers today.  If you use alarm clocks and night lights which illuminate light purchase products which have a “red light” as it is less stimulating to the brain and your sleep.  All colors of light except red light need to be eliminated in your bedroom.  Light stimulates the brain thus suppressing melatonin, the hormone which is produced as you begin your sleep cycle. Decreasing the production of this substance causes internal body changes which decreases the quality of your sleep.  Even with your eyes closed your brain can detect the light and affect your sleep pattern.  If you cannot correct your light problem in your bedroom, there are comfortable blind folds that can be worn at night.   

As your body prepares for sleep at night it naturally lowers your core body temperature. Having a warm bedroom or heated blanket is not going to produce the deep, good quality sleep your body needs. You want your body to gradually adjust to the covers and blankets needed to regulate our body. A bedroom temperature from 65-70 degrees is “ideal” for good quality sleep and the ability for your body to rest and heal itself. As morning approaches your body temperature increases naturally, so if you want to turn up the temperature at this time, go right ahead.