Vencasa Uncovers The Hidden Power Of Sleep
We might not be able to whisk away your stress and strains, but the sleep experts at Vencasa can help give you the support you need for restorative sleep.
20/11/2020
Are you dreaming of getting a good, quality, and healthy night’s sleep? Or does this dream feel like an unattainable luxury?
Whilst we may not be able to whisk away your stress, Vencasa, The World Leaders in Sleep, can help give you the support you need for restorative sleep.
With a flagship Concept store in Fourways, Vencasa takes it seriously when responded to the increasing need for better sleep. At the new store you will see their world-class range of sleep solutions is proudly on display.
Vencasa is proud to be the home to Malouf, Magniflex, and Tempur - offering you wide selection, quality range, and affordability.
On average, if you are sleeping less than six hours a night this will affect every aspect of your wellbeing, physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Lack of sleep has a huge impact on our immune system and studies reveal that lack of sleep increases the risk of cancer, is linked to Alzheimer's disease, and plays an important role in maintaining a healthy heart. Additionally, lack of sleep contributes to mental and emotional health with disorders such as depression and anxiety. Not only that, lack of sleep has been shown to lead to an increase in body weight due to sluggish thyroid function, the result of which can wreak havoc on your waistline.
SLEEPING YOURSELF SLIM
A the recent opening of the flagship Vencasa
store in Fourways, Lisa
Raleigh, renowned wellness and
fitness expert, looked at the science behind sleeping yourself slim.
When sharing the truths around sleeping well to
lose weight, Lisa agreed with the
sentiments of author, Matthew Walker, author of
'Why We Sleep: The New Science of Sleep and
Dreams', writes in his book “The less you sleep, the more you
are likely to want to eat”.
Ongoing lack
of sleep
increases hunger and appetite and compromises
impulse control and effective weight loss when
dieting. During waking hours when you are eating, even though you
have had sufficient food to feel
full, you still want to eat more, especially
more high-calorie foods. Keep in mind that if you are on
any kind of diet and are not getting adequate sleep, most of
the weight you lose will come from lean body
mass and not fat. Over and above this, your body
is
unable to manage calories effectively, and particularly sugar. Less than
an average of six hours sleep a
night over a long period of time can reduce
insulin sensitivity. That's why lack of sleep
will increase your probability of gaining
weight, being overweight, or obese, and
significantly increase your likelihood of
developing Type II Diabetes.
Sleep regulates the appetite thus helping to control body weight through healthy food selection rather than impulsive choices. “A good sleep replenishes the immune system, helping your body to fight malignancy, preventing infection, and warding off illness. It balances insulin and aids gut health. Having plenty of sleep not only helps to keep your blood pressure low, it also aids in maintaining heart-health,” says Walker.
BEDTIME TIPS
Great news! Regularly having a goof night's sleep will help you maintain control your overall health and body weight. Below we list a few practical tips on how to achieve this:
- ● Stick to a sleep schedule. It is important to have a daily routine and a bedtime and wake-up time that applies to weekends as well as workdays. As creatures of habit, people have a hard time adjusting to changes in sleep patterns. If there is one piece of useful information you take from this article it is to set an alarm for bedtime. According to Walker's publication, restricting the time insomniacs spend in bed, even to just to six hours initially, is an effective, if paradoxical cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) method as it builds up sleep pressure that results in falling asleep faster, and maintaining a more stable, solid form of sleep throughout the night. Any alarm you use should be a gentle sound, as a jarring noise can increase blood pressure and your heart rate. Snoozing only exacerbates this.
- ● Go to bed only when sleepy. If you remain away in bed for a while, the anxiety of not being able to sleep can make it harder to drift off. It is far better to get out of bed and do something quiet and relaxing, such as breathing exercises, until the urge to sleep returns.
- ● Avoid daytime naps, especially after 3 pm, if you are having difficulty sleeping at night. A short nap can help make up for lost sleep, but late afternoon naps will make it much harder to fall asleep at night.
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- ● Reduce bright light, electric as well as LED – complete darkness throughout the night is recommended. Aim to have a gadget-free bedroom and install suitable software or apps on all your electronic devices that gradually desaturate the harmful blue LED light from sunset onwards.
- ● Temperature regulation – decrease your core temperature by splashing your face with your hands, with water as this tells the body to release melatonin. As the cooling water evaporates on your skin is assists in cooling the inner body core temperature. The recommended room temperature is around 18 degrees. Alternatively, take a hot bath before bed as a drop in body temperature after a hot bath may help you feel sleepy.
- ● Limit caffeine from the afternoon as its effects can take as long as eight hours to wear off fully. It is well known that nicotine is also a stimulant to be avoided as it often causes smokers to sleep only very lightly.
- ● Limit alcohol before going to sleep – it sedates you rather than inducing natural sleep and it suppresses REM sleep, keeping you in the lighter stages of sleep. Heavy alcohol ingestion also may contribute to impairment in breathing at night. You also tend to wake up in the middle of the night when its effects have worn off.
- ● Exercise is great, but not too late in the day. Try to exercise at least thirty minutes on most days but not later than two to three hours before your bedtime.
- ● Nutrition plays a large role – reducing your calorie intake drastically makes it harder to fall asleep normally and decreases the amount of deep NREM sleep at night.
- ● Avoid large meals and beverages late at night. A light snack is okay, but a large meal can cause indigestion, which interferes with sleep. Drinking too many fluids at night can cause frequent awakenings to urinate.
- ● Avoid medicines that delay or disrupt your sleep. Some commonly prescribed heart, blood pressure, or asthma medications, as well as some over-the-counter and herbal remedies for coughs, colds, or allergies, can disrupt sleep patterns. If that’s the case, ask your doctor or pharmacist if any drugs you’re taking might be contributing to insomnia and whether they can be taken at other times during the day or early evening.
- ● Relax before bed. Don’t overschedule your day so that no time is left for unwinding. A relaxing activity, such as reading or listening to music, should be part of your bedtime ritual.
- ● Have the right sunlight exposure. Daylight is key to regulating daily sleep patterns. Try to get outside in natural sunlight for at least thirty minutes each day. If possible, wake up with the sun or use very bright lights in the morning. If you have problems falling asleep, sleep experts recommend getting an hour of exposure to morning sunlight and turning down the lights before bedtime.
- ● Designing your best night’s sleep ecosystem means the correct selection of these elements: mattress, pillow, bed base and bed frame, lighting, and temperature. Vencasa recommends using an adjustable base as the benefits of elevating one’s shoulders and feet whilst resting are well-known. With a touch of a button you can raise your head, body, and legs, further relieving any strain on your body, relieving pressure on your heart, and improving circulation. Having a comfortable mattress and pillow can help promote a good night’s sleep.
ENSURING QUALITY SLEEP
Quality sleep is not just a nice-to-have, it’s vital in maintaining your overall health. Vencasa, The World Leaders in Sleep, know that your body, mind, and soul need and deserve quality sleep. That is why they provide a range of exceptional sleep solutions to ensure that you get it.
ABOUT VENCASA
Vencasa has partnered with global and local
experts to bring a wide range of sleep solutions
to the South African market, including the
locally manufactured, Vencasa Signature
Collection. Their showrooms showcase mattresses,
headboards, bases and frames, side tables,
lamps, occasional furniture, ottomans, linen,
pillows, and luxurious bedroom accessories, with
several price points to accommodate their wide
clientele.
Vencasa is made for people
looking for a high quality, yet affordable range
of products, and the store reflects that.
“Essentially, our value proposition is to
provide the greatest sleep products at a
practical price,” explains Greg Smart, CEO of
Vencasa.
Visit http://www.vencasa.co.za or call 0861 60 60 60 for more information or for your nearest stockist.