Would You Like Us to Send in a Human Bed Warmer?

Imagine checking into a hotel, and instead of the front desk telling you about their bed-turning-down routine in the evening (with the chocolates gingerly placed on propped pillows), they tell you about a new amenity: human bed warmers. As in, they send someone dressed in a special all-in-one sleeper suit to curl up in your bed for five minutes to heat the sheets up.

Sound absurd? Well, it's not. Starting at the end of January, the U.K.'s Holiday Inns in London and Manchester will test out this program in an attempt to outshine others in the crowded hotel industry.

Granted, there's nothing like getting into a warm bed. A cool bedroom combined with a warm bed is the perfect recipe for dozing off to a good night's sleep as the body's temperature takes a dip. But I wonder if there are other ways to stand out without resorting to this weird, human-required strategy? How about:

• A smart phone application that lets you control your bed's temperature or alert the front desk when to turn on the electric blanket.


• A sterile, non-human device that can be used to warm up the bed quickly when placed on top of it (note: no need to soil the actual sheets), like a big heated brick.


• More amenities elsewhere: a swankier bathroom, free wi-fi, more TV channels, a plusher mattress and blankets, etc.

I mean, really, who wants to get into a fresh bed that's already been used, albeit briefly, by a stranger? What if that person has a cold coming on and sneezes into your sheets and pillow when "incubating" your bed?

This is something for which the consumer electronics industry and sleep industry should combine forces. There must be a gadget that can do the same thing and give hotel guests more peace of mind. Besides, what if you run into your human bed warmer on your way back to your room (who happens to be chatty) and you just don't feel like engaging in conversation?

Maybe it is just me but this feels a little weird.

Sweet Dreams,

Michael J. Breus, PhD
The Sleep Doctor™
www.thesleepdoctor.com

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Social Media NOT Causing Sleep Problems?

I don't believe it.

A new study says the amount of time spent on social networking sites like Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn doesn't affect how much sleep college students get each night.

Like I said, I'm very skeptical of this study, though I should note that it wasn't done on American students.

The very next day, I read about another study - this one done on US soil by the Kaiser Family Foundation - that states plainly how connected our kids are these days. Check out the following facts:

• Those ages 8 to 18 spend more than seven and a half hours a day with such devices, compared with less than six and a half hours five years ago. (This doesn't count the hour and a half that youths spend texting, or the half-hour they talk on their cellphones!)


• Multitasking (ahem, texting while listening to music and watching TV) allows youths to pack on average nearly 11 hours of media content into that seven and a half hours.


• The heaviest media users were more likely than the lightest users to report that they were bored or sad, or that they got into trouble, did not get along well with their parents and were not happy at school. They also didn't score as well on their report cards.


• More than 7 in 10 youths have a TV in their bedroom, and about a third have a computer with Internet access in their bedroom.

A problem? Social media is here to stay. But that doesn't mean that parents can't take back the power and instill good habits in their kids when it comes to using social media responsibly. There have been plenty of other studies done to support the idea that all these digital distractions do, in fact, interfere with a good night's sleep.

So with all this in mind, I hope that parents increasingly consider establishing better ground rules at home. Think about setting "curfews" for electronic usage in the Power Down Hour before bedtime. This includes television, computer, cell phones, iPods, and portable players like DVDs. Your teenager might not like it, but his or her mind and body (and bed!) will.

And if social media truly doesn't affect how much our kids sleep at night, then I want more proof of that - at least when it comes to our over-stimulated and often privileged American children.

Sweet Dreams,

Michael J. Breus, PhD
The Sleep Doctor™
www.thesleepdoctor.com

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A Must See for a Good Laugh...

The challenge: Find a way to help people sleep in uncomfortable (and perhaps uncompromising) positions, like standing on a busy street corner, at a desk in a cubicle, or high on a cold, snowy hilltop.

The result: Some very unusual and often ingenious contraptions that will cause such a ruckus in public that you might as well just lie down and crash on the hard ground (and without the laughs).

I had to look twice at these apparatuses and scratch my head, wondering if they were serious products or just another Photo-shopped joke blowing through the Internet:

• The Vertical Bed, made by Substitute Material and built with the help of Lower Manhattan Cultural Council's Swing Space Program, is meant to support your body as you stand and catch some Zs above any subway ventilation grate. (Yes, it's designed to attach to the grate!) It includes glasses, a free-standing umbrella, and noise-canceling headphones. Best of all, it all collapses into a portable briefcase.


• The Vertical Bed is supposed to rival Japan's Commute Chin Stand, which allows you to stand and support your body on a big crutch-like device. Let's just say you will look ridiculous standing around a crowded area trying to get some shut-eye (and somehow keeping an eye on pick-pockets!).


• And then there's the funky Sleep Suit dreamed up by architect/artist/scientist/graphics designer Forrest Jessee. Adjustable soft foam rings are compacted together and envelope you well enough to feel like you're being cushioned all around. You won't be recognizable while wearing this thing, and may be mistaken for a cross between retro astronaut and the Michelin Man.


• This one may actually get some time in the real world: the Selky Bag, which is really like a Snuggie made with high-tech materials resembling a down sleeping bag. They should have invented this for mountaineers long ago.

I don't know about you, but a classic bed, with a great mattress, sounds so much more inviting, or even just a sleep box that may be found at some airports soon. Let's face it: not all of us like to be so exposed while trying to sleep.

And then there's the low tech solution - getting a good night's sleep to avoid the need to sleep standing up, at a desk, or over a subway grate.

Sweet Dreams,

Michael J. Breus, PhD
The Sleep Doctor™
www.thesleepdoctor.com

Get tips for a good night's sleep from the WebMD Sleep Well newsletter - in your inbox weekly.

Whose Bed Is It Anyway?

Bo in Bed
Joi Ito / CC BY 2.0

Usually when I am asked questions about co-sleeping or "the family bed" it is in reference to having children sleeping in the bed with their parents. But recently I was asked to comment on pets in the bed, so I thought this might be a good thing for us all to think about. Some bulldogs can snore louder than our human bed partners, and whether your bed partner is a Great Dane or a Chihuahua, having a dog in your bed can make a difference in how you sleep.

Not to mention cats. Cats seem to be nocturnal, in that they always want to choose between kneading the dough of someone's belly in the middle of the night, or sleeping on your pillow with their tail falling flat on your face. And having more than one pet in the bed can make you the "meat" of an animal sandwich.

I am a sleep doctor, a pet owner (two dogs, one cat), my sister is a veterinarian, and I am married to one of the largest animal lovers of them all. We have had pets in our bed, kids in our bed, and I've certainly heard both sides of the story. In contemplating the issues, as well as the pros and cons, here are my simple rules on the subject:

1. Everyone has a different tolerance level for these types of situations, so both bed partners must agree on who sleeps where. If your pets don't disturb anyone's sleep, then there's usually no harm (but you may not realize that your pet is actually disturbing the quality of your sleep!).


2. Understand that once you allow pets to share your bed, it becomes difficult to curb or stop the habit. Pets rarely understand moving from your bed to their own bed. And let's face it, you dog or cat will jump on in, in the middle of the night, or whine by your bedside if you don't let them in.


3. When drinking alcohol, no one should allow a child or pet in the bed. Studies have shown that this is when problems occur, such as injuries, pushed off the bed, smothered, etc.


4. Also make sure that your intimacy needs do not suffer from sharing your bed with pets. Remember the bed is for both sleep and sex; do not trade one for the other.


5. Have your allergies checked. Over time it's quite easy to develop allergies to pets and not realize it. If you wake with a stuffy nose every day, put Fido or Tabby in their own space (probably at the end of the bed, on a blanket). A recent survey demonstrated that a reasonable percentage of pet owners who allow their pets in bed have sleep problems.

It is really a bit of a trade off. Pets are a wonderful addition to most families, and in some cases, their unconditional love, lying next to you, offers wonderful emotional benefits and can provide a relaxation response.

Not to mention fleas.

Sweet Dreams,

Michael J. Breus, PhD
The Sleep Doctor™
www.thesleepdoctor.com

Get tips for a good night's sleep from the WebMD Sleep Well newsletter - in your inbox weekly.

Eating Your Way to a Good Night's Sleep

The new year typically brings a fresh batch of health tips and ideas for living better from all directions in the media. I recently read an interesting set of ideas online geared specifically for restful sleep, courtesy of a new book by Elizabeth Somer, RD, called Eat Your Way to Happiness from my friends the YOU DOCs, Dr. Michael Roizen and Dr. Mehmet Oz.

Can you really eat your way to a good night's rest?

Yes, you can. What you choose to consume throughout the day, in fact, can impact how easy it is for you to fall asleep, and how well you sleep that night. Certain nutrients can support restful sleep. Some of the sleep-friendly foods that Somer highlights:

• Salmon: The healthy omega-three fatty acids found in salmon don't just work wonders on your brain and skin health, but they may boost natural levels of melatonin - the sleep-regulating hormone that helps you fall asleep and stay asleep at night.
  
  Tip: Choose wild salmon over farmed; it will have higher levels of healthy fats and a better dose of vitamin D, which has also been shown to help stave off insomnia.


• Legumes: Beans and other legumes are packed with vitamin Bs, such as B6, B12, and folic acid-all of which help you to regulate your sleep-wake cycles and boost your natural levels of serotonin, a feel-good, relaxing hormone.
  
  Tip: You don't need to cook up a pound of lentils to get your Bs. Other sources of the B vitamins in the same legume family include alfalfa, clover, peas, beans, lupins, mesquite, carob, soy, and peanuts.


• Yogurt: This dairy product is an excellent source of calcium and magnesium, which are sleep-friendly minerals that can help you fall asleep faster and stay in the restorative deep sleep longer.
  
  Tip: go for low-fat, low-sugar varieties or try Greek-style yogurt, which is high in protein and low on fat.


• Dark, leafy greens: Your mother was right: eat your spinach! It's a healthier way to get your iron than through red meat sources. Maintaining optimal levels of iron in your body may help protect you against a sleep disorder called restless leg syndrome, which has been linked to low iron.
  
  Tip: Can't stand spinach and can't pretend to be Popeye? Other sources of iron (besides red meat) include baked beans, kidney beans, pork loin, chicken liver, dark turkey, and (who knew?) molasses.

Eat up, rest up!

Sweet Dreams,

Michael J. Breus, PhD
The Sleep Doctor™
www.thesleepdoctor.com

Get tips for a good night's sleep from the WebMD Sleep Well newsletter - in your inbox weekly.