Get Some Sleep...Succeed in Business

An interesting piece by Cathie Anderson in yesterday's Sacramento Bee.  At Perspectives 2012 last week, Anderson writes that media mogul Ariana Huffington told business leaders that if they want to succeed in business they need to get more sleep.  Sounds paradoxical, until you think about  research that directly links lack of sleep to health problems like weight gain, early diabetes, heart disease, stroke and other problems.

She also quotes Amer Khan, M.D., a neurologist who specializes in sleep medicine, as saying that the average American gets 6 1/2 hours of sleep every night, which is significantly less than in the early 1900s when the average was 9 hours per night. Dr. Khan's blog where he writes about sleep in a personal and practical way can be found here.

The problem with not getting enough sleep, as I can well attest from personal experience, is that it makes it harder to concentrate, harder to make decisions, and generally makes you crabby.  It also makes you more prone to stress, which can lead to the myriad of health problems just noted.

One of the best ways I know of to ensure a good night's sleep is to block out all sound and light, which for me means wearing a sleep mask and ear plugs.  There are many choices when it comes to sleep masks but the two I like best are the eye shades mask and the 40 blinks foam mask, both made by Seattle based Bucky.  The eye shades mask includes a pair of ear plugs.

So until next time, sweet dreams!!

Yet Another Reason Not to Smoke

 
Health

Now there is yet another reason to quit smoking, or be grateful that you never started or have successfully quit. A new study suggests that smokers may get fewer hours of sleep and have a less restful slumber than non-smokers.

The findings cannot prove that smoking directly impairs sleep given that many smokers may have other habits that could affect their sleep, like staying up late watching TV.  But the stimulating effects of nicotine could play a big part in smokers' sleep difficulties.

Poor sleep has also been linked to other health problems, including obesity, diabetes and heart disease.  I wrote another post on this topic, Lack of Sleep May Make you Fat, a while back.

You can read more about this interesting study here. 

 

The Litttle Black Bucky Blinks



Bucky Blinks in Color



One of my customers recently asked what colors he could order the Bucky blinks mask in, and when I told him black he said that was perfect.  But it got me thinking about whether I should be carrying this sleep mask in the multitude of other colors and patterns that it comes in.  I have carried other colors in the past, notably the fuchsia and turquoise blue.  They eventually sell but never at the near breakneck speed at which the basic black Blinks do.

 

Maybe it's like the Little Black Dress.  Audrey Hepburn made this dress a fashion statement for all time.  And I know I'm not alone when I feel an almost gravitational pull toward a classic, stylish black dress when I'm shopping (despite the fact that I probably own 5 of them already). 

 

The Bucky blinks mask is like that, it's simple, well designed, functional, and yes it's even stylish particularly when it's in black.  And that's probably why it sells so much faster than its more colorful counterparts.

 

I think I'll stick with the sleep mask equivalent of the Little Black Dress!

Control Your Dreams with a New Sleep Mask

Here's an unusual story, to say the least, about a sleep mask that helps you control your dreams.  It's a simple device that might enable lucid dreaming.  Lucid dreaming is when you become conscious while in a dream state; that is, you're in a dream but you know you're in a dream. 

Lucid dreaming is not easy to master, and there are a great deal of tools out there -- books, websites, forums and specialized classes to name a few -- to help you do that.  The goal with the Remee mask is to make achieving the state of consciousnesss or awareness easier.  It costs around $100.00

You can read more about this interesing topic here and here.

But if you just want a plain and simple sleep mask you can get one here or here.  These are also a fraction of the price of the Remee mask.

White on White

There is something so incredibly relaxing to me about white, different shades of white, or tone on tone, or just plain old white on white.  White is the color of clouds, wedding dresses, cotton balls, sugar, kitchen cabinets, foam on ocean waves, milk, crisp summer linens, cotton bed sheets.  It is crisp, clean, pure, natural, and classic among many other things.

I am continually drawn to shades of white especially in my bedroom because it is so relaxing, peaceful and serene.  This photo makes me want to crawl into bed and take a very long nap. I can almost feel the breeze floating in from the open window. 

All that's left to do is slip on a nice comfy sleep mask and you will be dreaming in no time flat!!

Have fun creating your own personal sleep sanctuary to get the rest and rejuvenation you need and deserve. 

Enjoy!!

Bucky Blinks are #1

Bucky's lightweight foam Blinks Sleep Mask was recently rated #1 by Good Housekeeping. Bucky Blinks mask earned the highest score for its contoured shape, which lets the wearer blink comfortably, and its adjustable velcro strap.

Blocking out light and noise is essential for a good night's sleep.  So Good Housekeeping also rated contoured masks and pillow type masks with soft padded lining as top of the line products that will get you counting sheep in no time.

Sleep masks are 100% responsible for me getting a great night's sleep which I now do every single night.  I just lay my head on the pillow, slip my sleep mask over my head, and I'm asleep in no time flat!!

Sleep Tip #1

I'm a sucker for sleep tips. Because I am such a sleep obsessive, I'm always on the look out for concise lists telling me how I can get better sleep. Here's one I just found from the Mayo Clinic. It is a list of 7 things that you can do to improve the quality of your sleep, thereby improving the quality of your life.

The first sleep tip is particularly difficult for me though when I am able to do it -- stick to a sleep schedule even on weekends and holidays -- everything works out better. I'm more productive, in a better mood all day long, and generally just much happier. I have learned to do what this tip suggests, if I don't fall asleep fairly quickly (within 10 to 15 minutes of going to bed) I get up and do something else. Most of all I don't worry about it like I used to do. Like the article says, if you "agonize" over falling asleep (and what sleep obsessive worthy of the name hasn't don’t that), it will take much longer and more effort to do something that frankly should happen pretty naturally.

Writing in my journal is particularly effective, especially when I know there are things that I haven't "processed" during the day that are keeping me awake. Reading a fast paced, interesting novel is also really good because it makes me sleepy pretty fast.

What is your favorite thing to do when you can't sleep?