So many elements contribute to our sleep quality. At Mattress Clarity, we believe that knowledge is power – especially when it comes to improving your sleep life!
From life stages and nutrition to mental health and disorders, we’ve cultivated a sleep resource hub to help you along the way. Check out our latest resources and articles below!
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How Sleep Works | Sleep Habits | Disorders & Conditions | Mental Health | Physical Health | Nutrition | Life Stages | Travel | Relationships
Featured Articles
How to Sleep With Sciatic Pain During Pregnancy
Pregnancy and motherhood can bring many new blessings. That doesn’t mean they don’t come with their share of hardships, as well. In fact, pregnancy can quite literally be a pain in the backside, with many expecting women experiencing persistent discomfort in their lower back and tailbone area. This pain, caused by a condition known as … Read more
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What Would Happen If You Didn’t Sleep?
What happens if you don’t sleep? More precisely, what happens to our minds and our bodies when we decide not to sleep? Our research tells us that it’s far from healthy to deny our bodies much-needed sleep. We’ve created a sleep deprivation timeline based on scientific studies and personal accounts of those who pushed the limits … Read more
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Early Birds vs Night Owls – Is One Better Than The Other?
Some people wake up bright and early, ready to tackle the day. Others find their stride later in the evening. These are two common sleep chronotypes, or specific patterns of sleep, but is one better than the other? Here’s what the research suggests about early birds and night owls. How to Tell If You’re an … Read more
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How to Sleep When You’re Sick – The Best Sleeping Positions
Getting quality sleep can be difficult when you’re feeling under the weather. This article discusses ways to get your best night’s rest when sick. It is no easy task to sleep when you’re sick. Whether you’re dealing with a cold, flu, or stomach problems, it can be so hard to close your eyes and drift … Read more
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How Sleep Works
How Genetics Impact Our Sleep
Sleep is something all humans need, and yet, so much about it remains a mystery. Scientists have established the basics—that there are multiple sleep stages, and that one stage, REM sleep, is associated with learning and storing memories. However, the exact mechanisms behind sleep and dreaming are still unclear. Research suggests that behavioral sleep habits … Read more
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Everything That Happens To Your Body While You Sleep
When falling asleep at night, it might feel like your brain and body are “shutting down” or switching off for a few hours. In fact, a variety of complicated things happen in your body when you’re asleep — both obvious and not-so-obvious. Yes, you’re dreaming (which you may or may not remember) and snoring lightly … Read more
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These 7 Sleep Myths Are Doing More Harm Than Good
How much do you really know about sleep? There are a number of popular myths and misunderstandings about sleep that you’ve likely heard. For example, that alcohol helps you sleep, or that insomnia is exclusively characterized by trouble falling asleep at night, or that you can catch up on sleep during the weekend if you … Read more
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The Complete Guide to Your Sleep Cycle
Going to bed each night might be the most relaxing part of the day. But while someone sleeps, their body and brain continue to work hard — the brain isn’t “switched off” by any means. When someone is asleep, they move through different stages of sleep to complete a full sleep cycle, which lasts around 90 … Read more
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Sleep Habits
Yoga and Meditation Experts Share Sleep Tips
Whether it’s stress from work, school or a hectic schedule, many of us have trouble winding down and falling asleep each night. Before giving up on getting quality rest, try incorporating meditation or yoga into your nightly routine. More than just beneficial for flexibility, yoga can help reset the body and mind after a long … Read more
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How to Fall Asleep Faster and Stay Asleep All Night
For many people, getting into a cozy bed after a long day is one of life’s great pleasures. All your tasks are done and you’re snuggled up between your sheets in blissful quiet, ready to rest. But that pleasure can quickly turn to frustration when you suddenly realize… you can’t get to sleep, even though … Read more
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How Much Sleep Do I Need?
Sometimes, sleep can feel like the boring option compared with everything else you’d love to fit into your day. But it’s absolutely imperative for your physical and mental health, job performance, and relationships. So how much sleep do you really need? Let’s examine the research for the full scoop. Editor’s Note: The content provided on … Read more
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How Does Daylight Savings Time Affect Sleep?
If there’s one thing most of us can agree on, it’s that daylight saving time (DST) is a huge bummer. But still, we roll our clocks forward and back every year. So how does DST affect sleep? I’ll examine the research to see how, exactly, this biannual tradition impacts our health. The Trouble with Changing … Read more
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Disorders & Conditions
Can Your Sleep Affect Your Risk of Developing Alzheimer’s Disease?
You need sleep to keep your brain functioning and your memory sharp. So, it’s not completely surprising that poor sleep is a potential risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease. The most common form of dementia, Alzheimer’s is a brain disorder that progressively destroys someone’s memory and thinking skills. The lack of restorative sleep can damage areas … Read more
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How to Overcome Down Syndrome Sleep Challenges
Sleep apnea can impact anyone, but it is especially common among men, women, and children with Down syndrome. It can actually have a number of causes, some of which are neurological (the brain doesn’t send the right signals) and some of which are anatomical (the throat muscles become too relaxed). In this article, we’ll explore some … Read more
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Shift Work Sleep Disorder
Not everyone has the luxury of working regular, traditional hours. An estimated 15 million Americans, from nurses to skilled tradespeople, are required to take unusual shifts; these may include graveyard shifts, early morning shifts, or shifts that rotate throughout the week. Working such irregular hours can have a significant impact on the body’s ability to … Read more
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What Is Sleep Apnea? – Symptoms, Causes, and My Personal Experience!
Years before I began writing about sleep, I heard about “sleep apnea” a few times. This was usually mentioned in response to my excessive snoring and my habit of choking while I sleep. I ignored the issue for years and, looking back, my sleep was absolutely terrible. I would wake up as if I hadn’t … Read more
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Mental Health
Grief and Sleep: How Grief Affects Sleep and What You Can Do About It
If you weren’t already familiar with grief before 2020, you probably are now. In the wake of Covid-19, so many of us lost loved ones, jobs, homes, incomes, and plans for major life events such as weddings and vacations. Grief is the emotional pain that we experience in the face of loss, and it’s perfectly … Read more
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A Complete Guide to Therapy and Sleep
The word “therapy” is typically associated with mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In reality, therapy is a tool that can assist with mental illnesses but also help people process various things going on in their lives, including coming to terms with grief, communicating within relationships, identifying harmful behaviors and … Read more
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A Complete Guide To Sleep And Depression
We all know that physical maladies can affect our sleep — tossing and turning due to congestion, or lying awake due to heartburn are all too common. But mental conditions are linked to our sleeping patterns, too. One super common issue that can affect sleep is depression. “There’s still a stigma around depression, even though … Read more
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The Complete Guide to Anxiety and Sleep
If you’ve ever had trouble falling asleep, you know the feeling of anxiously watching the clock, worrying about why you can’t sleep and dreading being sleep-deprived for the day ahead. As it turns out, anxiety and sleep are connected in a number of ways. Sleep problems can cause anxiety, and anxiety issues can cause sleep … Read more
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Physical Health
How Sleep Impacts Muscle Recovery and Risk of Injury
Looking for the best way to reduce your risk of athletic injury and to ensure that your post-workout recovery times are optimized? Well, why not sleep on it? No, really: One of the best ways you can minimize your risk of injury and speed up your muscle recovery time is to get some shut-eye and … Read more
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How to Sleep with Arthritis
Everyone deserves a comfortable night’s sleep, but it doesn’t come so easily to everyone. There are many factors that can disrupt a good night’s sleep, and pain is a big one that can get in the way. For those who have arthritis pain, comfortable sleep can seem nearly impossible. In this article, we’ll explore the … Read more
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Fibromyalgia and Sleep Problems: Tips for Getting Deeper Sleep
Living with chronic pain can disrupt many aspects of daily life – especially the ability to get a good night’s sleep. To stop a lack of rest from resulting in a bad cycle that worsens the daily pain, we’re here to provide some basic steps to mitigating the effects of fibromyalgia at night. First we’ll … Read more
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How to Sleep with Hip Pain
You deserve a good night’s sleep. But that may be easier said than done if you have hip pain. No matter how well you prepare for bed or how tired you are, hip pain can cause you to toss and turn all night. So how can you sleep with hip pain? What steps can you … Read more
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Nutrition
The Relationship Between Popular Diets and Sleep
We know good nutrition is crucial to good health. It helps you maintain a healthy weight, reduces you risk of chronic diseases like heart disease and cancer, and promotes overall wellbeing. But did you know that nutrition also plays an important role in the quality of your sleep? How Are Nutrition And Sleep Connected? Researchers … Read more
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How Alcohol Impacts Sleep – What You Should Know
Those who drink alcohol have probably had a night where a few drinks left them feeling drowsy. Alcohol is a depressant, which means it may help one fall asleep faster. However, it can affect the quality of our sleep, and not in a good way. In 2013, researchers reviewed 20 studies centered on alcohol and … Read more
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Sleep Aids: The Ultimate Guide
If you have trouble falling asleep at night or staying asleep through the night, a sleep aid can help you get some shuteye. There are lots of sleep aids available today, from prescription medication to over-the-counter aids and herbal remedies. You can also turn to relaxation strategies, such as meditation or mindfulness, as a type … Read more
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40 Aphrodisiacs From Around the World – Does Sleep Make The List?
If couples are looking to spice things up in the bedroom, an aphrodisiac may do just the trick. An aphrodisiac is a substance that can boost libido or sexual desire. The word is derived from the Greek word ἀφροδισιακόν (aphrodisiakon), which means “pertaining to Aphrodite,” the Greek goddess of love. While aphrodisiacs were originally sourced … Read more
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Life Stages
Stress And Sleep In College
There’s no doubt about it — college can be stressful. Gone are the days when your routine is predictable and calm. Now, you’re navigating sporadic schedules, packed lecture halls, and thousands of new faces. And while these days often feel inspiring and exciting, they can also bring anxiety and insomnia. Quality sleep has numerous health … Read more
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12 Inspiring Bedtime Stories for Your Child
The bedtime story is a time-honored tradition; across the world, parents share cherished tales with their children as part of the evening ritual, and eventually the children grow up to do the same for their own sons and daughters. A good bedtime story can be crucial for creating a nurturing sleep environment… but more than … Read more
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How to Sleep With Sciatic Pain During Pregnancy
Pregnancy and motherhood can bring many new blessings. That doesn’t mean they don’t come with their share of hardships, as well. In fact, pregnancy can quite literally be a pain in the backside, with many expecting women experiencing persistent discomfort in their lower back and tailbone area. This pain, caused by a condition known as … Read more
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Everything You Should Know About Your Baby’s Sleep
The common phrase that someone “slept like a baby” implies that babies sleep deeply and peacefully. But if you’ve ever actually spent time around a baby, you’ll know that while babies sleep a lot, they also wake up a lot. And cry a lot. And struggle to settle back down to sleep. For tired new … Read more
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Travel
Sleep Tips for Holiday Travel
As the holiday season approaches, many of us look forward to a nice, refreshing vacation that leaves us feeling well-rested and energized. But reality doesn’t always live up to that fantasy, especially if travel is involved. Being away from home can make it hard to sleep—especially if you’re in a different time zone. Let’s see … Read more
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How to Beat Jet Lag
Hopping on a plane to head to another time zone can be fun and exciting, but it can also have an unwanted side effect: jet lag. Jet lag has the potential to cast a shadow on any trip, whether that’s an important business trip or the vacation of a lifetime. And once people are home … Read more
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How to Sleep on a Plane: Tips for Pre-Flight and Mid-Flight Rest
Do you sleep on a plane or stay awake? Many of us who travel frequently have simply become accustomed to sleeping poorly (or not at all) during flights. We’ve grown used to the mediocre movies showing and the deep envy we feel as we look around the cabin and see our fellow passengers in a … Read more
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5 Tips For Sleeping On A Red-Eye Flight
Sleeping on a red-eye flight can be very difficult. You’re in a small seat, surrounded by strangers, and breathing in stale airplane air—not exactly the setup for an ideal night’s rest. Nevertheless, sleeping on a red-eye is crucial if you want to prevent jet lag from ruining your vacation or business trip. Luckily, there are a … Read more
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Relationships
Cohabitation Convenience Statistics
Have our readers ever heard of the saying, “Two can live as cheaply as one”? Well, it appears many Americans have taken this to heart. We surveyed 2,000 couples and found that, on average, nearly 44 percent moved into together early for financial reasons. However, the numbers are quite different depending on the state. In … Read more
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How Long Does the Honey Moon Period in a Relationship Last?
There is nothing sweeter than new love. The heart pitter-patters, butterflies dance in the stomach, and the sun never seems to pass being the clouds. It is an exciting time in any relationship, a time when everything is fresh, new, and exciting. This time is often referred to as the “honeymoon period,” and like all … Read more
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How to Maintain a Solid Relationship with Conflicting Sleep Schedules
Relationships can be a lot of work – even when you get to spend time with your partner every day. Add night shift schedules and natural early bird vs. night owl tendencies and issues can arise quickly from lack of quality time together. There is hope for couples who spend less time together than they’d like. … Read more
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What Is Sleep Divorce?
While it may sound alarming, the term “sleep divorce” simply describes a scenario in which a couple chooses to make separate sleeping arrangements. This could mean one person takes the bedroom and the other is on the couch, sleeping on a mattress in a guest room, or at another home. “A sleep divorce sounds very … Read more
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Additional Helpful Sleep Resources
- https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/good-nights-sleep
- https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/index.html
- https://medlineplus.gov/sleepdisorders.html
- https://www.womenshealth.gov/mental-health/good-mental-health/sleep-and-your-health
- http://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/healthy/science/what
- https://health.columbia.edu/content/sleep
- https://health.cornell.edu/resources/health-topics/sleep
- https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/Patient-Caregiver-Education/Understanding-Sleep
- http://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/healthy/getting/overcoming/tips
- https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/sleep
- http://sleepeducation.org/essentials-in-sleep/healthy-sleep-habits