SLEEP LIKE A BABY POSTURE CHALLENGE WEEK # 13 CHECK YOUR MATTRESS

SLEEP LIKE A BABY
POSTURE CHALLENGE WEEK # 13
 CHECK YOUR MATTRESS

Sleep well and you might wake up smarter!
Everyone knows sleep is important, but until recently no one knew exactly why.
Now research shows that waste products from the brain’s metabolism accumulates in the fluid surrounding nerves during the day, and then gets flushed out and eliminated when you sleep. The fluid is called cerebro-spina fluid (CSF), and the study found poor sleep was associated with a buildup of a substance (b-amyloid) in CSF associated with Alzheimers.  Get a good night’s sleep!

Create a posture smart sleep environment.
Let's start by discussing how important a supportive mattress is to how well you sleep.  Health professionals generally recommend a firmer sleep surface, but comfort is an individual preference. There’s a lot of new bedding options, like high quality foam and memory foam mattresses that expand on delivery, some with intricately designed layers for pressure point mapping and temperature-control.
 
Be sure whatever type of mattress you use that you have the correct sleep foundation. With newer sleep technology box springs are often replaced with slatted and other mattress foundations. It’s important to choose the correct foundation for your mattress to create the best sleep posture and so that the mattress cools, wears correctly and allows for sufficient air flow.

Mattress Check
Stretch out on your mattress and scan your body.
Are there any areas of slight tension or discomfort?
How can you align yourself to reduce that stress?
 
 

Did you wake up with a stiff back? 
A very general guideline is that persistent morning back pain or stiffness could mean your mattress is due for an upgarde.
Check out the stretch below - it's great for stretching out a stiff back.
 
Not sure? A chiropractic check-up can assess whether your alignment is out or if indeed it could be your mattress or sleep posture.
 
Next week we'll discuss proper sleep posture.
 

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EXERCISE WEEK # 13
THORACIC SPINE AND LOWER BACK STRETCH

This stretch is great if you wake up with a stiff or sore back.
Lie on your left side with both arms out in front of you.
Slowly bring your right arm up, reach for the sky, and then all the way back to rest on the ground behind you.
Hold this stretch position for 30 seconds then roll onto the other side and repeat.