Reducing the rate of infant mortality in the U.S. is an admirable cause, but some health and safety advocates say they aren’t yet convinced that placing your baby in a cardboard box to sleep is the right or safe way to achieve that goal. [More]
sleep
Melatonin Helps People Fall Asleep, But Has Potential Problems And Side Effects
January 7, 2016
If you’re having trouble falling or staying asleep, you may first turn to melatonin, a synthetic version of the hormone that regulates our sleep/wake cycles. It might seem like a mild and natural alternative to sleeping pills, but there are potential problems. The hormone can interact with other medications and have side effects like next-day grogginess, and since it’s regulated as a supplement, its potency may vary. You also may need a much lower dose than what’s in the bottle: as little as .1 mg works for some people. [Consumer Reports] [More]
Will This Biofeedback Sleep Hat Improve Your Slumber?
By 1.6.16
Nightcaps — as in hats that you wear while sleeping, not sipping booze before bedtime — have gone out of style with the spread of central heating, but maybe it didn’t have to be that way. For $150, an actual product that’s on the market promises to use biofeedback to monitor your brain waves and lull you to sleep, which is apparently a thing that people really want in a device. [More]
About 30% Of American Workers Aren't Getting Enough Sleep
By 4.27.12
Maybe you’re not hurting anyone if you’re slumbering peacefully at your desk in the middle of the workday, but for those who work the night shift in say, hospitals, warehouses or public transportation, getting enough sleep is extra important. A new study says 30% of American workers are sleep deprived, and are getting six or fewer hours of sleep a day. [More]
Does Sleeping Less Lead To Eating More?
By 3.23.11
In an attempt to determine the link between sleep deprivation and weight gain, researchers at Columbia University have found that when people haven’t had sufficient sleep, they tend to eat around 300 calories more per day. [More]
Researchers: Skipping Out On Sleep Can Lead To Earlier Death
By 2.10.11
If you burn the candle at both ends to squeeze some extra hours out of your days, you could be putting your body under enough stress to jeopardize your life. [More]
The $33,000 Mattress
By 6.24.10
How much would you pay to sleep on the Porsche of mattresses? How about $33,000? That’s how much E.S. Kluft & Co.’s king-size Palais Royale mattress and box spring will run you. It contains 19.5 inches of of luxury fabric and materials, including: [More]
Tauntaun Sleeping Bags Closer To Reality
By 7.9.09
For April Fools’ Day 2009, ThinkGeek launched a tauntaun sleeping bag as a fake-yet-awesome product. As everyone knows, pranks make the best market research, and now LA Weekly reports that they are going ahead with the product. Yes!
Can't Sleep? Your Best Bet Is Probably Cognitive Behavorial Therapy
By 6.9.09
Chronic insomnia is one of those life-altering problems that seems minor at first, but builds up over time until it’s negatively affecting everything in your life. The New York Times has a new article up about cost effective ways to treat it, including generic Ambien (so you can have generic sleep-sex, we guess). The treatment that seems to show the most promise is cognitive behavioral therapy, or C.B.T. Sessions cost between $100-150 each, but if your insurance won’t help, there’s an online self-guided version of C.B.T. for $25.
The Sleep Number Difference Is Mold
By 5.17.08
A recent class action claims that Select Comfort Sleep Number beds are nothing more than overactive allergen mills. According to the suit, the bed’s faulty air chambers allow moisture to form under the mattress foam, providing a perfect breeding ground for mold spores.
How To Buy A New Mattress
By 1.18.08
Elizabeth Mayhew of the Today Show gives a primer on mattress shopping, including the basics on types of mattresses, cost differences, what to look for, and when to replace your old one. “If you are a couple, shop together and if possible bring your pillows with you. Make sure you lie on a mattress for at least 10 minutes in your normal sleep position. Cuddle on it, and engage in light foreplay through your street clothes.” Okay, we made up that last sentence.
What To Look For In A Pillow Protector
By 12.29.07
Do you spend the nights fighting allergies and biting your pillow in agony? Wait, that sentence didn’t come out right. Anyway, the vice president of a custom-printing pillow company tells Newsday what he looks for in a good pillow cover.
6 Inflatable Mattresses Reviewed
By 11.16.07
Slate’s back with another Average Jane review of a common product: the inflatable mattress, which always seems to become a worthy topic this time of year when people are visiting. The top two mattresses—both with built-in electric pumps—are a $50 model from Wal-Mart that’s a surprising 24-inches tall when inflated, and an amazing $260 AeroBed that looks like a box spring and mattress.
Slate Tests Snoring Solutions
By 9.28.07
Living with a snorer brings out the worst in you—things you would never do while awake, like punching your partner in the face, seem trivial at three in the morning when your bedmate suddenly sounds like an old lawnmower. This chronic snorer tested several solutions to find what worked best, ranking them on ease of use, reaction of spouse, and how he felt the morning after. The surprising winner? A tennis ball tied to the back of a t-shirt to prevent him from rolling onto his back.
Above And Beyond: Smartbargains.com Helps You Sleep Well At Night
By 4.8.07
Stephanie was dissatisfied with a set of 1200 thread count sateen sheets she purchased from smartbargains.com. After “a few” washes, they felt more like a set of 800 thread count sheets she owned. Stephanie wondered if perhaps she had received the wrong sheet set, one with a lower thread count. She wasn’t sure, so she wrote smartbargains.com a letter.
