When Light Keeps You Awake (aka "When it's Better to be Kept in the Dark!")

Light is often a bigger problem than people realize when they're trying to fall asleep. Even the dim green or red light from your alarm clock on your bedside table can keep you awake.

So, what should you do? "Limiting your light exposure in the evening tends to transition you into sleep," says Helene Emsellem, M.D., Associate Clinical Professor of Neurology at Georgetown University and Director of the Center for Sleep and Wake Disorders in Chevy Chase, MD. And surrounding yourself in darkness all night helps you stay asleep.

Here are some more tips to keep you in the dark (a good thing when you're trying to sleep!!):

Cover your eyes with an eye mask big enough to cover your eyes completely. Contoured foam masks like Bucky's 40 blinks are ultra lightweight and very comfortable. If you need to block light completely, soft padded masks work best but cost a little more.

Use a low power light instead of a bright bedside lamp if you read in bed before sleeping. Low power lighting encourages your brain's shift to sleep. Clip on lights work particularly well (maybe that's why you feel so tired after flying at night with the little light button on).

Seal off your windows, especially important if your bedroom gets early morning light or if you have a streetlight right outside your window (like I do), with blackout shades or drapes. Heavy wooden plantation style shutters work well too, but cost a bit more.

Up next: Why what you wear to bed matters for how well you sleep

Lack of Sleep may Make you Fat!!

According to Anahed O'Connor in her recent blog article in the New York Times, lack of sleep is associated with weight gain. In a study published this year in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, a small group of men who slept only 4 hours took in more than 500 extra calories (that's 22%) than those who got 8 hours of shut eye.

A 2009 University of Chicago study had similar findings for both men and women. Subjects in this study took in significantly more calories from snacks and carbs after 5 1/2 hours than after 8 1/2 hours of sleep. I don't know about you, but I definitely crave carbohydrate rich foods when I don't sleep well.

O'Connor goes on to say that some studies blame hormones, aruging that decreased sleep creates increased ghrelin, a hormone that stimulates appetite and a decrease in leptin, which signals fullness. However, more study is needed.

The Bottom Line: Don't skimp on sleep and avoid carbs and snacks at bedtime if you don't want to gain weight (and you'll also probably be happier too!!)

Bucky Questions and Answers

There is some useful information on Bucky's website that I thought would be worth sharing. Some people who enjoy Bucky products don't know a lot about how they're made or how eco friendly they are so I thought I'd post an abbreviated version of the FAQ's for your reading pleasure and educational benefit.

Frequently Asked Questions (and Answers) about Bucky's Wonderful Products:

What's inside my Bucky?
Bucky uses only natural grain fillings in its pillows. Your pillow may be filled with whole buckwheat, buckwheat hulls, millet hulls, flax seeds or other botanicals.

Can I microwave my Bucky?
Bucky’s travel, kids, and bed pillows are designed to provide unsurpassed comfort without heating, and can not be microwaved.
Bucky’s spa and gift items, which includes the Neckwrap, Bodywrap, Heartwarmer, HotWaterBottle, Serena, Eyelove and the kids' Woopsise are designed for hot and cold therapy. They contain whole buckwheat seeds, without zippers or metal parts and can be safely microwaved. However, please do not heat the aromatherapy sachets. The essential oils used to scent the sachet can cause the Hottie to burn in the microwave. For best results, tuck the aromatherapy sachet into the Hottie after it is heated.
*Please read and carefully follow all heating/chilling instructions.

Are buckwheat hulls hypo-allergenic?
Yes! Less than .016% of people have a reaction to buckwheat hull pillows. That's 1 in 6000.

How do I clean my Bucky?
Read and carefully follow the care instructions found on packaging or on the care label sewn to the pillow. NEVER wash any grain or grain hull filling.

Does Bucky use buckwheat hulls that are sprayed with pesticides?
Bucky’s buckwheat hulls are pesticide and herbicide free, as these are not needed when farming buckwheat. No chemicals or radiation are used in the cleaning of the hulls.

Why does Bucky use buckwheat hulls?
Buckwheat hulls are lightweight and durable and adjust easily to fit the contours of your body. Their unique triangular shape allows the hulls to lock together to provide firm, even, restful support. Buckwheat hulls allow constant air circulation through the pillow, keeping you cool and dry. Those with allergies to feathers or synthetics will appreciate buckwheat's hypo-allergenic nature. Unlike other pillow fillings, buckwheat hulls (and millet hulls!) do not compress under pressure which reduces stress on your head and neck. Best of all, buckwheat is natural AND environmentally friendly.

Why does Bucky use millet hulls?
Millet is best known as bird seed in America, but this tiny, nutritious grain is eaten daily by many cultures. Milling millet releases the half-spherical hulls from the seed. The hulls are smooth and durable, able to support the weight of your head without losing shape. They're quiet and slightly heat conserving. Like buckwheat, millet is hypo-allergenic. Millet hulls are also rich in silicic acid which, when released through body heat, can soothe muscle pain, stimulate the metabolism and improve the immune system.

Will the fillings break down?
Buckwheat hulls, millet hulls, and flax seeds are durable and will give years of exquisite comfort with normal use of your pillow.