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We Love Black Friday Mattress Giveaway

The Puffy Mattress has exploded on to the mattress scene. It is quickly becoming a very popular online brand. I recently received a queen size Puffy mattress for review. This mattress has a simple 2 layer construction with a denser foam for the top layer. I found it to be on the softer end of the spectrum. Below are my findings and recommendations.

Unboxing and Overview of Puffy

The Puffy is one of many new online mattress companies that ship their product in a box. A queen size currently retails for $950 which puts it a little higher on the end of the price spectrum in comparison to similar mattresses. It comes with a 101 night sleep trial where if you don’t like it you can return it for a full refund.

Here’s a picture of the box that my queen size Puffy came in.

Once you get it out of the box you will find that it is wrapped in plastic. This protects it from all the elements it may get exposed to in delivery. Unboxing is easy. From here, just cut the plastic carefully and the mattress will slowly expand into shape.

Here’s what the mattress looks like a few hours after  opening. You can see the signature puffly clouds stitched into the mattress ticking.

Puffy has a nice border around the front of the mattress with their logo…

Below is a video overview of the mattress along with what you can expect in terms of feel and bounce. This is a two layer mattress with the top part being a more dense foam followed by your standard base foam. It has a washable zippered cover. I have washed many covers like this and they are easy to unzip and wash. Just make sure you don’t use too much heat when drying. You don’t want to shrink the fabric as that will make it harder to get back on the mattress. I don’t recommend washing these covers and usually prefer people use a mattress protector instead.

Construction of the Puffy Mattress

Below are the construction details of the mattress. I also took a picture for reference. From what I can tell, there are two pieces of foam that make up the base layer and I believe they are the same densities.

PUFFY’S COOLING CLOUD™ FOAM

Our Top layer is a gel infused visco polyurethane foam (non-latex) manufactured with our Variable Pressure Foaming (VPF). It is 3” of 2.5 PCF CertiPUR-US Certified foam

FIRM CORE SUPPORT FOAM

Base layer is a polyurethane foam (non-latex) manufactured with our VPF. It is 7” of 1.5 PCF CertiPUR-US Certified foam.
PCF = Pounds per Cubic Foot – a measurement of density.

My Puffy Findings

Overall I found this to be a softer mattress. Despite only having two layers, it transitions well so that you don’t feel yourself hitting the base layer when you lie down.

Here’s a video of me squishing the mattress so you can see how each layer reacts. As you can see the top layer responds much more slowly.

Here’s another video illustrating motion transfer. There is very little bounce with this mattress and I believe this was by design. This mattress would be a good choice for couples looking to eliminate motion transfer.

Here’s a picture of how much by bowling ball sinks into the mattress. The Puffy will cradle you fairly well and will give good pressure relief.

The video below was taken with my thermal camera to illustrate heat retention on the mattress. I thought this mattress hanled heat fairly well given it’s construction.

My Puffy  MattressRecommendation

Overall the Puffy is a conforming, soft mattress that should please people that like a softer feel with conforming foam. At $950 for a queen size though it is a bit pricey. The Puffy has a relatively simple construction. Usually mattresses at this price point have at least 3 layers. Despite that though it still transitions well.

I think heavier sleepers may want to go with a thicker mattress to ensure proper support and prevent bottoming out on the mattress. I didn’t have that issue and I am 190 lbs. but I think beyond that it may be a concern.

Learn more about the Puffy Mattress.

The Purple and Nectar mattresses are two very popular mattresses online. Interestingly, they are also completely different feels. In this post we break down the key differences between the Purple and Nectar mattress so that you can make a more informed decision about which is best for you.

Let’s start with the purchase process. Both can be bought direct online via their respective sites. Both should arrive about a week after purchase however because these mattresses are in such high demand, they may arrive a bit later than a week.

Each have a generous trial period although Nectar has a 365 day trial period while Purple has a 100 night trial.

Each also has a good warranty period. Purple has a 10 year warranty while Nectar advertises a lifetime warranty. Of course with any warranty it’s important to read the fine print but after reading through them, Nectar seems to be the most generous here.

Construction of the Nectar Mattress

The Nectar mattress is an all foam mattress. Below is a graphic that shows all the layers.

Compare that with the specs of the Purple mattress

• The top layers is a 2′ hyper elastic ploymer also know as the “smart grid”.
• The midle layer is 3.5 inches of polyurethane foam.
• The base layer is made of 4 inches of a polyurethane foam which is a standard foam mattress base.

In terms of motion transfer the Nectar does a better job in that it absorbs motion much better. Here are a few videos to illustrate the point.

First the Nectar Sleep Mattress

And now the Purple Mattress

Which sleeps cooler, Nectar or Purple?

Although the Nectar is treated with a phase change cooling material at the top cover, the Purple has the edge here as heat will pass right through the polymer grid. This makes it a top pick for hot sleepers.

In terms of cost, a queen size Nectar retails for $795 while the Purple costs $999 a significant difference in price.

Who should buy a Nectar Bed?

I recommend the Nectar mattress for people that want the ultimate in pressure relief. This mattress will contour extremely well. If you find your current mattress is leaving you with aches and pains in the moring, this mattress should cure that.

People that are looking for a good deal will be hard pressed to do better than the Nectar. It is one of the best priced mattresses online.

Finally, if your partner tends to wake you up at night from their tossing and turning, the Nectar will put a stop to that. You won’t feel a thing due to the high density foams used in the Nectar mattress.

Who Should buy a Purple Mattress?

Again, hot sleepers will find immediate relief with the Purple mattress. It is basically temperature neutral in that it really doesn’t trap heat. The top layer grid allows air to freely pass through.

I also tend to recommend the Purple mattress to heavier sleepers. We find at the Yawnder store in Minneapolis that heavier people respond well to the Purple and it gives them the right amount of support.

Finally, people that have tried tradtional foam and coil mattresses but are still unsatisfied owe it to themselves to give the Purple a try. It’s something you really need to lie on to understand how it works and for many, it’s the mattress they have been seeking.

Want to know more about these two great mattresses?

Get the full Nectar Mattress Review

Get the full Purple Mattress Review

Have you ever experienced excessive daytime sleepiness, so much so that you almost fell asleep at the wheel of your car? Or maybe you dozed off at your desk, only to be seen by your boss. Yeah, that was bad.

According to National Sleep Foundation, everyone suffers from daytime sleepiness at some point. When the condition persists and becomes chronic, it is called hypersomnia (or hypersomnolence).

Not all cases of daytime sleepiness can be called hypersomnia. For instance, if you do not get enough sleep at night for a long stretch it may result in daytime sleepiness, but getting enough sleep again is going to make it all right. When sleep alone does not cure the sleepiness and fatigue it usually is a symptom of hypersomnia.

This condition is often accompanied by other symptoms like poor concentration and lack of energy. Hypersomnia can disrupt day to day life, and severely affect productivity. In some cases, it may even cause accidents if the person falls asleep while driving. Hypersomnia can be properly diagnosed and treated by a medical professional.

Causes of Hypersomnia

There are several causes of hypersomnia:

Sleep Disorders: More often than not, sleep disorders cause excessive daytime sleepiness. When a person does not get enough sleep at night, it results in fatigue and sleepiness during the day.

Two major sleep disorders that cause hypersomnia are narcolepsy and sleep apnea. Narcolepsy is a central nervous system disorder that causes daytime sleepiness, hallucinations, sleep paralysis, muscle weakness, and disturbed sleep at night, whereas sleep apnea is a breathing disorder in which the air passage is blocked by the tissues of the throat and the roof of the mouth (soft palate), resulting in snoring and disturbed sleep.

Sleep Deprivation: This is often the most common cause of EDS, and can be cured with enough night-time sleep and short naps in the day. Lack of sleep is mostly caused by stress, little or no exercise, shortage of vitamin D, or a pair diet. Managing these helps in dealing with hypersomnia.

Obesity: Being overweight can give rise to a number of health problems, including EDS. When a person is obese or overweight, they are more likely to suffer from sleep apnea, because fatty tissue in the throat and the soft palate obstruct the air passage in the supine position. The difficulty in breathing results in unsound sleep, several episodes of gasping awake, and also snoring. This leads to sleep deprivation and hypersomnia.

Neurological Disorders: Quite often, neurological disorders like multiple sclerosis or even a head injury can have symptoms resembling hypersomnia. When EDS develops after a head injury, it is called post-traumatic hypersomnia. This is not exactly hypersomnolence but has some of the same symptoms. Excessive sleepiness is also one of the earliest signs of brain tumor even when other symptoms are not present.

Substance Abuse: Addiction problems like substance abuse are often the reason behind a number of sleep disorders. Withdrawal can also give rise Insomnia sleep apnea and other disorders. Prolonged use of prescription drugs can also lead sleep disorders by affecting normal body functions. All these result in disrupted sleep at night and excessive sleepiness during the day. Smoking, caffeine, and other lifestyle problems also result in sleep disorders and hypersomnia.

Genetics: Research has found that sleep disorders run in the family. So if any member of your family suffers (or suffered in the past) from sleep disorders or hypersomnia, you may be at a greater risk of EDS.

Diagnosis of Hypersomnia

Not all daytime drowsiness is hypersomnia, and only a qualified medical professional can diagnose if you are suffering from excessive daytime sleepiness.

If you feel excessively drowsy during the day, try making some lifestyle changes first. Cut down on the consumption of caffeine and alcohol, and get enough exercise and sunlight during the day. Even after making these changes, your symptoms persist, talk to your GP.

The doctor is going to talk to you about your medical history and your lifestyle to try and find out if you have any sleep or neurological disorder. Hypersomnia is usually caused by an underlying condition, and the doctor will attempt to treat that condition to eliminate EDS.

Treatment of Hypersomnia

There are various treatments for excessive daytime sleepiness, but it will depend on your symptoms and the underlying cause.

The first thing your doctor will try to find out is if you suffer from a sleep disorder. To diagnose this, you have to undergo certain tests, including a polysomnography, in which you have to stay overnight at a sleep center to analyze abnormalities in your sleep pattern. If you are found to have sleep apnea, then a proper course of treatment is going to be prescribed. Two of the most common treatments for sleep apnea are Oral mouthpieces, where dental appliances are fitted to your mouth to correct the jaw, tongue and soft palate position for unblocking the airway, and Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) that involves wearing a pressurized mask over your mouth and nose during sleep, to keep the air passage open by forcing air through it.

If your hypersomnia is being caused certain prescriptions drugs that make you drowsy during the day, then the doctor may change the medication or stop it altogether for some time to check for any improvement in your condition.

Excess weight should be reduced if the sleep disorder is being caused by obesity. Your doctor may suggest a diet, exercise, and medications to bring down your weight and unblock the air passage while sleeping. In extreme cases, surgical options may also opt for quick weight loss.

Iron and Vitamin D deficiency can also cause daytime sleepiness. In such cases, you will be given supplements, and also advised to be on a healthy diet.

Making lifestyle changes is the most recommended treatment for excessive daytime sleepiness. Setting a proper bedtime every day, getting more sleep, quitting caffeine and smoking, and reducing alcohol consumption are some of the ways hypersomnia can be treated effectively. If a sedentary lifestyle is the problem, thirty minutes of physical activity daily could be beneficial in treating hypersomnia.

In extreme cases, your doctor may prescribe certain medications to treat the condition. These include stimulants like Provigil or Ritalin, sodium oxybate to treat narcolepsy, and antidepressants. However, in most cases, making lifestyle changes and treating sleep disorders are enough to cure excessive daytime sleepiness. A thorough diagnosis by a doctor is necessary before jumping to any conclusion.

Excessive daytime sleepiness can be a nuisance that affects normal life and even gives rise to risks like road accidents. Whether you are driving, crossing the street, climbing the stairs, being drowsy can result in freak accidents and injury. Hypersomnia may not always be serious. Taking iron and Vitamin D supplements and proper diet and exercise can often help when the symptoms are mild. In more severe cases, a doctor’s opinion must be sought, and the appropriate course of treatment taken to cure the condition.

Hypersomnia is a curable condition that affects several people throughout the world. If you suffer from excessive drowsiness during the day, make an appointment with your doctor to get to the root cause and start the journey to a more productive life.

Benefits of Sleeping Naked

What if someone told you that by doing one simple thing every night, you could beat stress, build self-confidence, and have an overall healthy life? Would you be intrigued? Or would you laugh, and call that person crazy?

You are not alone. Most people would laugh it off if they were told that sleeping naked could dramatically improve their health and life. It isn’t surprising that a mere 8% of the world’s population sleep naked, while the rest wonder about its benefits.

A Google search will reveal the huge number of ways you can improve your life, but none of them is as simple as stripping to your birthday suit before going to bed. It takes a little effort and has several benefits that you may not have ever imagined.

Read on to find out the great things sleeping in the nude can do.

• You Sleep Better Naked

We have all heard that sleep is good for the brain. But a new study shows how exactly sleep benefits the brain. When we are asleep the brain removes toxic proteins from neurons, which accumulate when we are awake and do the neural activity. But the brain is only able to remove these proteins when we get quality sleep successfully.

Sleeping naked helps us sleep better by lowering our body temperature. When the skin temperature is low, we sleep deep and wake up less at night. This results in high-quality sleep that improves brain function.

• It Cuts Down Stress

How stressed we are usually depends on the amount of cortisol released by our body. This hormone leads to several issues like anxiety, unnatural weight gain, and sleep disorders. Cortisol production is higher when the body is overheated.

It has been seen that the release of cortisol is regulated and reduced when our body temperature is low. One of the best ways bring down body temperature is sleeping without clothes on. When cortisol production goes down, it reduces stress and keeps you healthier.

• It Boosts Male Virility

You must have heard that men who wear loose boxer shorts have better sperm quality than those who wear tight underpants. According to a 2015 research, men who sleep naked have even better sperm quality than those who wear loose boxers.

This is good news for men who are planning to start a family or add to an existing one. Sleeping without clothes on also increases happiness between couples. The skin on skin contact brings couples closer, leads to spontaneous sex, and aids in overall health.

• It Regulates Growth Hormones

If you have always feared those dreaded wrinkles and crow’s feet, then you should be sleeping in the buff. Melatonin and growth hormones are responsible for keeping your skin in great condition and looking youthful. The best way to regulate your growth hormones is to keep your body temperature below 70°F.

Sleeping without clothes keeps your body temperature regulated and balances your melatonin and growth hormone levels, slowing down the aging process.

• It Boosts Self-Confidence

We all know that self-confidence is crucial to success.  When you are confident, you take on challenges more easily and are more likely to succeed in every role in life. It means you are comfortable in your own skin and not afraid to be the real you.

When you sleep naked, you grow more comfortable with your body and more confident in your own skin. This affects your overall self-esteem and makes you a more confident person.

• It Is Good For Your Skin

Sleeping in the buff lets your skin breathe. We usually wear layers of clothing throughout the day, and it restricts the body, especially the armpits, feet, and private parts. Taking off your clothes at night airs out these parts and aids in better blood circulation, leading to glowing skin. Letting your skin breathe, particularly in summer, prevents fungal infections, rashes, and itchiness.

• It Is Simply Easier

Sleeping naked is so much easier than deciding what to wear to bed. You don’t need to buy pajamas or lingerie, don’t have to worry about washing extra clothing, and you also save money. Who wouldn’t love to save some money, as well as a lot of space in the wardrobe? Stripping off your clothes and simply hopping into bed to sleep makes life easier.

• It Makes You Feel Free

Know that feeling of lying naked in bed, free from all your clothes? Yes, that’s what we are talking about. That’s also the feeling sleeping naked gives you. Imagine taking off your bra after a long day, or getting out of your underwear while going to sleep. You feel free and unconstrained. Without clothing on, your body feels lighter, just like it’s meant to be.

Now imagine being between the sheets in your birthday suit. How great is the feeling? That feeling of being light and free automatically makes you smile and makes you feel good after a hard day at work. If sleeping au natural can make you smile and feel good more often, then why not?

• It Reduces Sleep Distraction

How many times have your uncomfortable lingerie or the tight waistband of your pajamas woken you up from sleep at night? Plenty of times, we are sure. It takes something as small as the drawstring of your pants to ruin your night’s sleep. When you sleep naked, there is no chance that uncomfortable clothing is going to disturb you at night. Strip off your clothes, and slip between soft sheets for the most peaceful sleep and a fresh morning.

• It Makes Sleeping Easy During Summertime

When the mercury soars, it becomes difficult to sleep comfortably. If you don’t have the convenience of an air conditioner, you must be familiar with the trickling sweat or the itchy skin that keep you up at night all through summer. That’s when sleeping in the buff is the most comfortable. Even when the bedroom feels stuffy, your bare skin will give off heat and keep you cool. You may not even need the AC anymore when your body becomes cool and you sleep comfortably, no matter how sultry the summer is.

Sleeping naked has benefits that you may not have considered before. Apart from letting your skin breathe and helping lower body temperature, sleeping in the buff aids in overall better sleep by removing distractions and makes you more comfortable in your skin. Of course, it isn’t always advisable to sleep naked, especially if it’s too cold or if you are sick. At all other times, go commando to make the most of your forty winks!

Everything You Need To Know About Night Terrors

Have you ever found your child screaming awake in the middle of the night, and wondered what could be wrong?

If you answered yes to that, you are not alone. Several parents around the world still don’t quite understand what makes their children wake up screaming and crying from sleep in the middle of the night when nothing is seemingly wrong. What worries parents more is the fact that the children have no memory of what made them wake up agitated.

Most people assume such occurrences to be nightmares. But there is something more common than that behind these episodes: night terrors.

What Are Night Terrors?

Unlike nightmares, night terrors are actually a sleep disorder, mostly affecting children below the age of 12. During a night terror episode, the child may still be partly asleep, and not be aware of their surroundings.

Although night terrors are most common in children, it also affects a small percentage of adults. While children grow out of night terrors as they get older, adults may need help to get better.

How To Recognize Night Terrors

Some of the most common symptoms of night terrors are the same as that of nightmares. These include:

• Sudden awakening from sleep
• Crying or screaming
• Sweating
• Rapid heartbeats
• Fear of going back to sleep
• Harsh breathing

While children are more likely to forget these episodes, adults tend to remember them. This is because children don’t fully awaken during a sleep terror episode, but adults wake up completely, allowing them to remember what happened. Quite often, night terrors are accompanied by sleepwalking (also called somnambulism). This creates more danger for the person by increasing the risk of injury and accidents.

What Causes Night Terrors?

No definite cause has yet been found for night terrors, but a significant factor might be sleep deprivation or too much stress.

In children, a very important cause of night terrors is an unhealthy environment at home. When a child is constantly affected by stress and conflict, it may result in sleep disorders like night terrors.

These episodes can also occur in children because of their underdeveloped nervous system. This causes the fight or flight mode to be activated at wrong times, resulting in night terrors. Other underlying causes may include illnesses like high fever, tiredness, or head injuries.

In adults, the causes of night terrors can be more severe, and often accompanied by other disorders like anxiety or insomnia. Night terrors in adults can also be a result of post traumatic stress disorder or drug abuse.

While childhood night terrors usually go away with age, adults need medical help to get better since there are underlying causes that need to be treated.

Treatments For Night Terrors

Sleep terrors in children are fairly easy to treat since most of the time they are not caused by any underlying condition. The most important treatment for childhood night terrors is a comfort. Being with the child and providing comfort and reassurance is usually enough to pacify them and help them fall back asleep.

Parents must be aware of any unusual symptoms they notice about their children’s night terrors. This may include a particular pattern of these episodes, or any underlying causes like anxiety, illnesses, or injury.

Doctors treat childhood night terrors by either therapy, medication, or by suggesting relaxation techniques.

Therapy includes talking to the patient, finding out underlying conditions, and suggesting coping mechanisms to manage stress. If any particular event has caused stress and anxiety in the child, then the doctor will try to find it out by talking to the patient and gently seeking information. In more severe cases, hypnotherapy or cognitive behavioral therapy may also be used to get to the root of the problem and treat sleep terrors.

Medications are rarely used to treat night terrors, but if these episodes aren’t caused by any serious condition and still continue to affect the person after therapy, the doctor may prescribe sleeping pills or tranquilizers bring about uninterrupted sleep.

In children, the most effective way to cope with night terrors is by establishing a relaxation routine before bedtime. This includes taking a warm bath, having a hot drink, reading or listening to stories, or doing meditation. These techniques must be initiated by parents, and usually, take some time to show results, but are effective in the long run to calm down the child and aid in better sleep.

Coping With Night Terrors

Comfort and reassurance are usually enough to treat childhood night terrors as long as they are not caused by any underlying condition. Holding the child and assuring them that they aren’t in any danger is the best way to help calm them down. If possible, one of the parents may sleep with the child to provide a sense of safety.

Parents must make sure children get proper sleep every day, and eliminate stress by incorporating fun and relaxing activities in the daily routine. The environment at home should be peaceful, and not create stress in the child’s life. If a child doesn’t grow out of these episodes by age 10 or 12, medical help must be sought.

Adults can try making some lifestyle changes, like getting more sleep, reducing intake of caffeine or tobacco, and indulging in relaxation before bedtime. Usually, these will suffice unless there is any serious cause behind the sleep terrors. In that case, a doctor must be consulted for appropriate treatment. This might take some time to eliminate the sleep terror episodes but generally, provide relief if treatment is completed.

Night terrors are not usually a cause for concern. While both children and adults may experience them, some simple lifestyle changes and proper sleep are enough to provide relief. Any unusual pattern or symptom must be reported to a doctor to rule out any serious medical condition.

Update: Get the Full Sleepovation Mattress Review Here

SleepOvation is a new mattress with a completely revolutionary design. It is a patented design that consists of 700 tiny matttresses. In other words, it is made up of independent pocket coils with a layer of foam over each of the coils so that each spring and piece of foam move independently. This not only makes for better conforming and pressure relief but also creates air channels so you will sleep cooler at night. The cover is also removable and washable. By being able to remove the cover, you can clean the inside of the mattress too as you can vacuum in between the coil systems.

Below is a quick snapshot of how each of these spring/foam units work on the mattress:

Not only is the support system a revolutionary design but the cover is also designed for maxium airflow and comfort. Here’s a picture of the cover which is removable and washable.

You can now order this mattress direct to get special discounts not available when the mattress officially launches in September. I expect this mattress to have a strong backing given how unique it is.

“The Kickstarter community is a group of tech-savvy individuals perfectly fit to preview and assess our technology prior to launching”, says SleepOvation CEO Richard Codos. “Kickstarter provides us with a new channel for early sales and valuable product feedback. In appreciation of this, we’re offering backers sizable discounts and mitigating their risks”, Codos adds.

Kickstarter supporters get discounts up to 33% off the retail price of the mattress, a 100% money back guarantee and a 100 night trial with free shipping within the United States. If you just want to get a feel for the technology, you can order 1 tiny mattress for $3. A California King goes for $990. All backers no matter thier plege amoung will get 1 tiny mattress after the campaign completion.

Here are the rewards for each level of backing:

Here’s what the mattress looks like with the cover off. As you can see there are hundreds of these individual spring and foam units to make up the entire mattress. Not only will this help with breathability but also help with contouring and comfort.

About SleepOvation

SleepOvation is a hi-tech mattress manufacturer focused on innovating the industry with its patented “Cushion Pocket Spring” technology. Our mattress is the culmination of a development effort by a dedicated team of sleep scientists and engineers with decades of mattress experience. Our mission is to improve your sleep-experience through unprecedented developments in sleep technology.

Just about all the mattresses I have reviewed are basically rectangles with traditional spring units and foam. I am really excited to get my hands on the SleepOvation mattress and try it out. I expect it to sleep cool and provide more conforming than a traditional mattress. Because you get the free trial period there is little risk and I’m sure it will be a great choice for hot sleepers. This could be the next evolution of the hybrid mattress.

You can learn more about the SleepOvation mattress and this unique technology and pre-order so you can be the first to get your hands on this mattress