Lori Bongiorno over at Yahoo! Green’s Conscious Consumer blog has some great tips for getting a better sleep in your own bed:
You don’t have to spend a fortune on bedding to get a good night’s sleep. Taking good care of the pillows, comforters, and sheets you already own will help you sleep like a baby and also save you money because you won’t have to replace them as often.
Prolonging the life of bedding is also a plus for the planet. Fewer resources are needed to make and ship replacements and it will also put less strain on landfills.
Below are some tips for making the most of what you have:
Pillows:
- Cover your pillow in two layers to protect it from dust, dirt, and body oils. The first layer should be a case with a zipper and then put a traditional pillowcase over the zippered cover.
- You can throw polyester, feather, and down pillows into your washing machine. Use the delicate cycle. Be sure to check the seams on down pillows first so that feathers don’t leak out. Good Housekeeping columnist Heloise suggests washing two at a time for balance.
Pillows can go in the dryer on a low setting. Fluff often. You should add tennis balls in with down or feather pillows to help plump them up. They’ll take a long time to dry.
-- Important: The Sleep Blog does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Instead, this website provides general information for educational purposes only. Always seek the advice of a qualified health care provider if you have questions or concerns regarding any medical condition or treatment.
Some good advice there – providing the root cause of the insomnia is in fact an uncomfortable bed. I appreciate the fact you remind us that spending a fortune on bedding is often unnecessary. Bed manufacturers are increasingly introducing gimmicks to encourage new purchases that often are simply not needed.
I must admit that I’m a bit sceptical to that a new pillow is enough to do the trick.
The only thing that really has worked for me was cbt (cognitive behavioral therapy). Used a self-help book and it worked like a charm. I sleep a lot better now.
Buy a book on amazon or get it online at http://www.cbt-tree.com.
/Bill
I like your advice. I sleep on a latex foam pillow from finestpillows.com.
It is mold and dust mite resistant, hypo-allergenic, and never bunches. I have not had a bad night sleep since I’ve started sleeping on it. The pillow comes with the cotton zipper cover like you suggested. Plus it is all natural.
Washing down can cause mildew, due to the feathers and it is very hard to dry.
Latex foam pillows from finestpillows.com is the best pillow I’ve ever had.
Great advice. It’s worth considering the colour and fabric of your bedding and bed linen used too – which can make a real difference to the ambience of a bed room before going to sleep.