Now that we are in the thick of winter we love to sleep longer, nestled under the blankets and repeatedly hitting the snooze button on the alarm, but sleeping is not just about the joy of being in a warm bed.
Sleeping well regularly and consistently practising good sleep habits is very much a part of staying healthy and having more energy too. As sleep and mattresses are inextricably linked, we believe that it is our duty, therefore, to our clients to bust a few sleep and mattress myths so that you can enjoy a better way of life!
Sleep myths
There are so many sleep myths that it is difficult to single out the most important ones. Old wives’ tales and those who are desperate to convince themselves and others that sleep is not that important have led to many nonsense stories about sleep. Let’s look at a few of these myths and the right facts about them.
Myth – Sleeping a long time is all you need
Fact – As true as it may be that having sufficient sleep (8 hrs per night being the average) is good for you, if it is not quality sleep or constantly broken sleep it will not benefit you as much. We need to go through all the stages of sleep for a reasonably uninterrupted period of time for a good night’s rest.
Myth – Sleeping in a warm room is better
Fact – A lower body temperature will always induce better and deeper sleep and assist you to get to sleep sooner. The discomfort of the body warming too much can be disruptive so don’t sleep with heaters on – rather keep the room cool and huddle up under a comfortable number of blankets.
Myth – You can do with less sleep once you’re used to it
Fact – As one research paper described it – ‘’Persistent sleep deprivation affects daytime performance, and can hinder decision-making, memory, focus, and creativity. With time, insufficient sleep can wreak havoc on diverse aspects of your health’’
Without the space in this article to explain exactly why, other sleep myths are that it’s ok to sleep with the light on, watching TV in bed helps to get you better sleep and catnaps are a good substitute for not enough sleep. None of these are true, just take our word for this!
Mattress myths
Myths about mattresses abound too, also mostly originating from people who don’t have the heart to lose their old mattress (It does become a personal sleeping partner) or sheer ignorance. Here are a couple of examples…
Myth – New mattresses don’t need flipping or cleaning
Fact – It is a good idea to turn any mattress every three months or so, even new ones and all mattresses need vacuuming and airing to ensure that dust mites and allergens are not building up.
Myth – An old comfortable mattress gives better sleep
Fact – A newer, firmer mattress, if it is a quality mattress like a Truform, with its extra comfort layer will always give more comfortable and therefore a better quality of sleep.
Myth – All mattresses are the same!
Fact – When one considers benefits like comfort, design to give better postural support and affordability, to name just a few examples, a Truform mattress is superior in quality to many others. You need to only test a Truform at a shop near you to find out that this is not a myth, but an absolute fact!