Bed Bugs - Irish Independent

10 Health The inside info on ... the big sleep

PILLOWS Buying the right pillow for your usual sleeping position is essential so that your your neck and head get enough support. If you sleep on your stomach and have a small frame, then pick a pillow with a firmness rating of 1-2. If you have a medium/large frame, pick one with a firmness of 2-3. If you sleep on your back and have a small frame, you should choose a pillow with a firmness rating of 1-2; if you have a medium frame, a 2-3; and if you have a large frame, a 3-4. If you sleep on your side, the pillow needs to be firmer to support the gap between the shoulder and the head. If you have a small frame, choose a pillow with a firmness rating of 2-3; if you have a medium frame, a 3-4; and if you have a large frame, a 4-5.

COLD FEET If you are one of the many who suffer cold feet in bed, this might be the answer: Cosyfeet Hip to Toe’s new Super-Soft Bed Socks. They’re ideal for anyone who suffers with poor circulation or cold feet at night. Made from 100pc brushed acrylic for fleecy comfort, these loose-fitting, mid-calf-length socks won’t pinch around the ankle or impair healthy blood flow. Their light, pressure-free fabric means you’ll hardly know you’re wearing them. Priced at £10 (¤14.50) for a two-pair pack or £11 (¤16) for a two-pair extra-roomy pack, the Super-Soft Bed Socks are available in a variety of colours and aim to fit sizes from 4-9 (ladies’) and 6-9 (men’s). For more information call the customer care line on 00 44 1458 447275 or see www.hiptotoe.com. There’s nothing worse than a cold if you’re trying to fall asleep. Perhaps you should try the Healthtek Vaporiser. It may help to relieve stuffy noses, soothe sore throats and ensure a good night’s sleep.

Independent Life 27.1.04

Don’t be bugged into having your sweet dreams disturbed ... Jane Lyons takes you through the secret of a good night’s sleep

Who’s been sleeping in your bed then?

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nlike the Three Bears, you might not realise that you have unwelcome visitors trying out your bed for size. But every night, you snuggle down with millions of uninvited bedfellows and none as sweet as Goldilocks. Recent research carried out by bed-linen manufacturer John Cotton into our sleeping habits revealed some disgusting results about what goes on between our sheets. Phil Atherton, of John Cotton, says: “One of the things we have uncovered is how seldom people change their pillows and duvets. Most people will get a new pillow, on average, around every five years — although we did find one family who’d had their pillows for 20 years.” Mr Atherton says that, after three years of constant use, perspiration accounts for 10pc of a pillow’s weight because you lose half a litre of sweat through your head every night. Also, as you move about in the night, the friction sloughs off minute dead skin cells from your face, which then land in your pillow. What then takes place is described as the ‘greenhouse effect’. Heat from your head allows fungus to grow on dead skin cells and other bacteria. Then the battalions of dust mites come along, feed on the proteins growing on the fungus and bacteria and drop their faeces in the pillow. Dust mites are microscopic, which allows them to move about inside the pillow and makes them easy to inhale. So if you wake up with red eyes (not after a night out), a bunged-up nose or red around your nose, this is irritation caused by dust mites and their droppings. “We are trying to get people to realise what’s in their pillow and encourage them to change their bedding more often. They should change their pillows at least every 12 to 18 months,” says Mr Atherton. “People keep their duvets for an average of seven years when they should change it every three to five years. But duvets are not as bad for collecting skin cells as a pillow because it is on top of the person.” John Cotton has a range of anti-allergy pillows and duvets that can help combat this problem. You can also buy washable pillows and duvets. In Germany people will take their duvet back to the store every couple of years to have the down and feather taken out and washed. Owning a duvet is a serious business for Germans and they will spend an average of ¤300-¤500 on a duvet that they will keep for life. You may not be able to avail of the same kind of cleaning treatment but you should regularly hanging your duvets outside. You should also pull back your duvet in the morning, so it’s doubled up on itself, and leave it for at least an hour. This helps

body moisture that has soaked into the duvet to evaporate. Of course, an even bigger playground for this sleepy-time ecosystem is your mattress, which the average person keeps for 17 years — an extended playtime that you don’t want. But with size precluding it from a quick spin in the washing machine, a mattress is difficult to clean. You should cover it with a mattress protector, which should be washed every month.

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leanliness is not the only thing to ensure you wake up brighteyed and bushy-tailed. Although we spend about one third of our lives sleeping, only 10pc of people get a good night’s sleep. Heat can be part of the problem. People seem to think you need to be warm when you go to sleep but you should be climbing into a cool bed — so hands off that electric blanket. The ideal temperature for the bedroom is around

You would not believe the bacterial soup acquired in a pillow after 18 months’ use yet some people have not changed their pillows in 20 years!

16-18C. The thermal resistance of your duvet is another thing to consider. This is measured in tog and the higher the tog, the warmer the duvet. The recommended tog is 4.5 for summer and 10.5 for the rest of the year, unless it is really cold. And to settle, once and for all, the argument over who stole more of the duvet, Snuggledown have produced the two-vet — a tailor-made, his-and-her duvet. This is thinner on the man’s side and thicker on the woman’s because men’s metabolism means they are more likely to get too hot while they sleep. Although it is important not to be too hot, it is also important not to be too cold. As you fall asleep, your body will also start to cool as the metabolism slows down. However, if your temperature drops too far your body will wake you up to regain some warmth. Often the culprits are your feet, which lose large amounts of heat. The best thing to do is wear a pair of socks to bed. Lastly, try to adopt a good sleep routine, aiming to go to bed at the same time every night. Taking more exercise, cutting down on coffee and tea, avoiding food/alcohol/stimulants 10 minutes before you go to bed and creating a restful sleeping environment will help ensure you have a good night’s rest. So goodnight, sleep tight and don’t let the bed bugs bite. John Cotton products are available in Argos, Penneys, Primark, and The Spinning Wheel in Belfast, or online at www.kays.com

Sleep well: you need to change your pillows every 12 to 18 months if you want to avoid dust mites