Expectant mothers, especially those in advanced pregnancy, often complain about not being able to find the right and ideal sleeping position, and thus they get very little sleep for most of the night. Hip pain, heartburn, waking up because the baby is changing its position in the stomach, and sore muscles, are only some of the problems that future moms face in this blessed condition. The consequences of all that can be increased stress, nervousness, and tiredness during the day.

During the first trimester of pregnancy, the sleeping position of the mother is not of utter importance for the proper growth and development of the baby. During that time, it is possible to sleep even on your stomach, if that is comfortable for you. However, after the first trimester, you will have to steer clear of sleeping on your back, because if you don’t, the uterus will press the veins, which will send blood back into the heart, and it will also limit the amount of blood and nutrients that baby will get. Sleeping on your right side is also not recommended, however, it is better than sleeping on your stomach.

Doctors state that it is best for the future mom and her baby that after the first trimester, she sleeps more often on her left side. In that manner, the baby will get a proper amount of nutrients and oxygen through the placenta. This position also improves blood circulation, so mother’s body will not have to struggle to provide a sufficient amount of blood, and at the same time, the baby will be able to be comfortable and to grow. Besides that, one New Zealand study showed that sleeping on your left side also decreases the risk of premature labor.Bildschirmfoto-2016-01-02-um-19.02.39

Everyone who was forced to stay in the same position for a long period of time, whether it was because of pregnancy or for another reason, knows how hard and frustrating that can be. Our customer Ksenija states that „Sedent“, pillow of the „Novitet“ company, from the Sanus line of pillows, helped her a lot during pregnancy.

My mother bought me a Sedent pillow and I used it with pleasure during pregnancy. Now I’m using it while I’m feeding my seven-month-old baby and it also provides my baby with great stability while it is playing. The baby is really enjoying it.

Sedent is a crescent-shaped pillow which helps expectant moms to choose a perfect sleeping position, especially in advanced pregnancy. Due to its shape, it provides moms with stable and comfortable support for the back, stomach, and legs, and it is also great for an afternoon nap and relaxing time. This pillow helps a lot during nursing but also with fencing the child (while they are playing or eating). One of its many excellent features is that it is easily washable. right-sleeping-position (1)nova

For better sleep in pregnancy and better body relaxation and regeneration, the experts advise the following:

  • While you are sleeping on your side, keep your legs and knees mildly bent and put the pillow between them.
  • If you’re experiencing backache, try putting the pillow under your stomach while you are sleeping in the SOS position.
  • If you happen to experience hot flashes during the night, it is recommended that you support your upper body with lots of pillows and cushions.
  • Also, in advanced pregnancy, in the second and the third trimester, you may also encounter heavy breathing. To make it easier for yourself, raise your upper body with pillows.

 

Pregnancy is, indeed, a different condition, so it is necessary that every woman, a future mother, changes some of her habits and adapts to a new situation. In order to feel better during pregnancy, you should help your body relax and regenerate because it is now “feeding” and “supporting” two beings – a mom and a baby. Here is some practical advice:555a48be9ce74af09360710b96c7db1e

  1. Try to avoid stressful situations whenever possible. Spend most of the day with your dear people, without nervousness and tension, and if you’re working, limit your work obligations to a reasonable degree. Don’t forget, priorities are different now.
  2. Relax before going to sleep – listen to relaxing music, watch your favorite tv show. You will also easily fall asleep by reading an interesting book.
  3. Adjust your diet to your own needs, but make sure to take vitamins and minerals which are necessary for the proper growth and development of the baby. Fruit and vegetables should become a “must-have” on your table, you should have more frequent meals. Have a light dinner, but not right before going to bed, in order to avoid heartburn. You can drink tea in the evening which will relax you and prepare you for sleep.
  4. Make a hot bath and treat yourself to a home-made aromatherapy session.
  5. Many expectant mothers are complaining about leg cramps. You can prevent those by keeping your feet up while you relax in the evening or while you are getting ready for bed.
  6. Try to wear comfortable sleeping clothes and to always use cotton bedding. If you use the appropriate pillow, which will keep your head and kneck in the right position, it will also help you relax and drift off to sleep easily.
  7. The last but not the least, which you should not forget during nine months – in order for the baby to be content and comfortable, it is necessary that the future mom is content too.

“A healthy man is a wealthy man, although he doesn’t know it.”

ITALIAN PROVERB


Good-quality sleep is of utter importance for both mental and physical health. Good sleep strengthens the organism and prepares us for all the challenges that the following day brings our way. However, although it is important to get enough sleep, the latest research has shown that the quality of sleep is as important as its quantity. In other words, it is also important how we sleep, and not just how much we sleep.
The first question that we need to answer is what is the optimal time of sleep for the working person and can that time be determined without exception?

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kockicaAlthough increasingly hectic lifestyle makes people believe that five to six hours of sleep during the night can provide enough rest, the data from the University of Pennsylvania and the Walter Reed Institute show that even seven hours of sleep for longer periods of time can take its toll on our general health.

For most of us, optimal sleeping time is, in fact, eight hours and without that amount of sleep, our body, as experts say, bears the consequences.
The participants of the study have been monitored for two weeks in controlled laboratory conditions. Those who were sleeping for eight or nine hours a night didn’t show any signs of tiredness or lack of concentration during the testing, whereas groups of participants who were sleeping for four to six hours a night after a few weeks started behaving as people under the influence of alcohol. The general condition of those people wasn’t improved by longer periods of sleep during the weekends. They all simply needed more sleep every day.

Lack of sleep during longer periods of time can lead to the advancement of arteriosclerosis, increased secretion of the hormone leptin, which is responsible for increased appetite and obesity, increased blood pressure, anxiety, diabetes. However, some research has shown that sleeping longer than optimal 8 to 9 hours can also be a cause of disease. Still, experts believe that fatigue and longer sleep are not the direct cause of disease, but only a risk indicator which can be reduced by a change of lifestyle.

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How to sleep better or a guideline to sleeping

The first thing that any of us needs to do is to follow our body rhythm and determine the optimal time for going to bed. Eight hours of sleep is wasted when you spend it squirming and turning around in bed and if you spend only three or four hours actually sleeping. Trying to change your habits by going to bed earlier is the same as spending more time in the gym in order to lose weight, but without changing the workout regime. At that moment, when you really learn to use your time wisely, you will see the anticipated results. Finding an optimal solution to the sleeping problem is actually composed of three components – preparation (adopting good habits), environment adjustment and timing (going to bed the moment you feel sleepy).

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Preparation – it is actually an act of creating good habits which will help you fall asleep faster, have a sound sleep and rest better.
• Workout regularly – Research has shown that working out in the morning and during the afternoon speeds up sleeping. Just be cautious not to work out right before going to bed because then you will get the opposite effect.
• Set a non-irritable and easy-listening alarm sound which will wake you up in the morning and gradually increase your mood. That sounds needs to be as relaxing and as natural as possible.
• Turn off all your devices at least two hours before going to bed – the light of the tablet, phone or TV screen can confuse your brain into thinking that it is still daylight, and even if you manage to fall asleep, your sleep will not be sound and your body will not rest.
• Improve your evening rituals – have dinner on time so that hunger would not wake you up, and use the restroom before going to sleep. It is recommended that persons who have difficulty falling asleep should meditate by visualizing the dream they wish to have that night. Also, if you wake up during the night, try to relax, focus on going back to sleep and on what you dreamed about right before you woke up.

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Before you go to bed, you should make sure that the environment you are sleeping in is suitable for a good night’s rest.
• Your bed should be comfortable for sleeping – since we spend almost 24 years sleeping during our lifetime, make sure that your bed is suitable and comfortable enough to provide you with a good-quality sleep. Besides the mattress, also try to choose an adequate pillow and soft bedding.
• Adjust the room temperature to your body and your habits – Numerous research has shown that the optimal sleeping temperature for adult persons is somewhere between 15 to 20 Celsius degrees. The temperature that is too high or too low can cause insomnia and make it more difficult to fall asleep.
• Lightning should be dimmed, and all blinking lights on your devices should be covered. If it is necessary, also get a sleep mask.
• Try to turn down or turn off everything that distracts you or disturbs your sleep – such as notifications or other alarms on your mobile phone. If you happen to have noisy neighbors, you can try to “cover” their noise with quiet and pleasant music and other relaxing melodies.

 

Timing
You probably know the importance of good-quality sleep, so for achieving the best results, you should adjust the time of going to bed and waking up and stick to it. It is recommended that you practice the routine of waking up at the same time even on weekends and during holidays, in order not to disturb an established process.

What does your sleeping position tell about you?

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A British sleep expert, Chris Idzikowski, has determined, through numerous research, what are the six most common sleeping positions and revealed that each position tells something about us and our personality. For example, it showed that persons who sleep in the Fetus position hide a gentle heart under their tough appearance. Although they may seem shy when you first meet them, they quickly become relaxed in communication and very straightforward. 41% of the respondents in this study said that they slept in the Fetus position, making it the most common answer. More than twice as many women as men use this sleeping position.

kvalitetan san-2People who sleep in the Log position, with both of their arms on their hips, are relaxed, sociable, they like to be a part of the group, they easily trust people. However, they can sometimes be gullible.
On the other hand, those who sleep on their side with both of their arms in front of them (the Yearner position) have an open mind, but sometimes they can be suspicious or cynical. They have difficulty making decisions, but once they make it, they stick to it.
A person who sleeps with both of their arms aligned with their body adopts the Soldier position. This person is quiet and reserved, doesn’t like crowds, but he/she also sets high standards both for himself and for others.
In the Freefall position, in which you lie on your stomach with both arms around the pillow, and your head is turned to one side, sleep people who are sociable but often very anxious. They don’t like to be criticized or to be involved in extreme situations because it makes them nervous.
People who sleep in the Starfish position, on their back and with their arms raised around the pillow, are good friends, always ready to listen to others and help them. However, they don’t try and they don’t like to be the center of attention.

In the end, professor Idzikowski, along with the other experts in this field, reminds us that no matter how we sleep, if that position is not suitable for our body, the next morning we will wake up feeling tired and cranky.


Although we spend almost one-third of our life sleeping, we often give little attention to choosing an appropriate pillow or mattress. While there is a general rule than a mattress should be firm in order to support the spine, when it comes to pillows, it seems that we care about its aesthetics first, and then about its comfort and shape.

Experts say that it is only in the morning, when we wake up tired, feeling tension in the neck and shoulders, that we realize how much the pillow we sleep on is uncomfortable. This can be caused by the pillow which is not thick enough, which lacks a proper shape and is made of inadequate material.
One of the most common advice is to, no matter in which position you sleep, you should choose a pillow which will support your neck and shoulders, by filling the space under your head. For this reason, many people choose pillows which are made from materials which adapt to their sleeping position. That is particularly important when one sleeps on his side, because the neck and shoulders should be in the same line with the spine and in that way, prevent its curvature.

In the last few years, anatomic pillows are more present on the market. They enable the spinal cord to take a natural position, while the muscles of the neck, shoulders, and back are relaxed. In this way, the morning tension and pain in the shoulders, neck, and head are reduced, and we wake up feeling fresh and rested.
When you choose an anatomic pillow, you should pay special attention to its filling. Material from which a pillow is made should be hypoallergenic. It should prevent the growth of bacteria and other microorganisms, and also not absorb dust and not encourage the development of dust mites. This is especially important for persons who suffer from allergies, have asthma, or other problems with respiratory organs.
In the end, there is one practical – but not less important – advice: when you choose a pillow for you and your family, besides its comfort and characteristics that doctors and chiropractics recommend, also pay attention to its maintenance, that it does not absorb sweat, that it is washable and that it does not lose its shape and elasticity in time.

Sanus sleeping pillows

Sanus sleeping pillows – an anatomic pillow which adapts to the needs of your body and makes it possible for you to have a peaceful, good-quality and healthy sleep. Thanks to its filling made of the micro-beads, it does not absorb water nor saliva, it prevents the growth of bacteria and dust mites, and it also has good isolating characteristics and a low level of noise. You can wash it in the washing machine, you can dry it easily and quickly, and its shape remains the same despite frequent use and washing.


People who sleep at least eight hours a day look more attractive. Research has shown that, when we are well-rested, we look to ourselves and to others better and prettier. “If you want your skin to look younger and healthier, you should sleep at least seven to nine hours a day”, says Michael Breus, the author of the book “Beauty Sleep: Look Younger, Lose Weight, and Feel Great Through Better Sleep”.

We present you with the five benefits of good sleep on your physical appearance:

1. You’ll look healthier – Good night’s sleep cannot magically erase deep wrinkles, but it can surely slow down the process of skin aging. While you’re asleep, your body produces collagen which keeps the skin fresh and elastic.
2. Skincare products will be more effective – Retinol and fruit acid creams, the greatest fighters against skin aging, are most often used at night because of their unstable state and photo-sensitivity, i.e. reaction to daily light. Also, because of intensive blood flow during the night, every cream or lotion which is used then will be absorbed more quickly, says a dermatologist Dr. Delphine Lee from the Health Centre “Saint John” in Santa Monica.
3. Less fine lines and dark circles – “Your body regenerates while you sleep”, says Breus. As a result, fine lines and shallow wrinkles are not that visible, and the face has a healthy glow. When you get enough sleep, even deep circles under your eyes can become less noticeable.
4. Sleep reduces the existent skin problems – If you have eczema, rosacea, or acne, good night’s sleep can help you with that. “Many of the skin problems are related to our mind and body”, says dermatologist Lee. “Those problems can become enhanced when you’re under a lot of stress, so sleep is one of the ways for you to relax and unwind”.
5. Recovery – During the day our skin is exposed to many pollutants, as well as UV rays, so while we’re asleep, it also recovers. “Good night’s rest makes it possible for the oxygen to reach the cells through circulation and in that way, repair the damaged cells”, says Bruce Katz, a dermatology professor at “Mount Sinai” medical school in New York. Even cuts and bruises can heal faster after a good sleep.