American Down & Feather: How to Choose a Pillow

American Down & Feather: How to Choose a Pillow: Pillows. They're the last thing you feel before you fall asleep. Since we spend a third of our lives sleeping, it's important ...

How to Choose a Pillow

Pillows. They're the last thing you feel before you fall asleep. Since we spend a third of our lives sleeping, it's important that you have a pillow that is comfortable and provides you with a great night of sleep. Here are some tips on choosing a pillow:


First, determine what your sleeping position is. Do you sleep on your back, side or stomach? The way you sleep is going to give you an idea of the firmness the pillow needs to be. Back sleepers need medium support that provides the perfect position for your head and neck. Side sleepers need firm pillows that will provide an even sleeping surface. Stomach sleepers should have a soft pillow to ensure that the head and neck stays at a natural and comfortable angle. If you find you change your sleeping position throughout the night the best route is a medium pillow that can fit all positions.

Decide what you would like the fill to be. If you are concerned about any allergies, avoid down and feather as they can cause an allergic reaction. There are plenty of alternatives when it comes to pillow fill.

Did you know that there are multiple pillow sizes to choose from? Just like a bed, pillows come in a variety of sizes. Typical sizes are standard, queen, king and Euro. Euro sizes are square and are typically pillows that you don't sleep on, they're there for looks. King pillows and long and require a king size pillow case, perfect for king size beds. Queen pillows go well with a full or queen bed, using a standard pillow case. Standard pillows work well on twin beds or with two on a full or queen bed.

Now that you know a little more about pillows it will be easier for you to know which route to take when you are choosing a pillow.

Sleep Tips for Anybody

Why do we need to sleep when we are so busy and could use more hours in the day just to accomplish what needs to be done? Sleep is a very important part of your life, without it you cannot function properly. Here are some sleep tips for anybody thanks to sleepfoundation.org.

1. Stick to the same bedtime and wake up time, even on the weekends.

   This helps to regulate your body's clock and could help you fall asleep and stay asleep for the night.

2. Practice a relaxing bedtime ritual.

   A relaxing, routine activity right before bedtime conducted away from bright lights helps separate your sleep time from activities that can cause excitement, stress or anxiety which can make it more difficult to fall asleep, get sound and deep sleep or remain asleep.

3. Avoid naps, especially in the afternoon.

   Power napping may help you get through the day, but if you find that you can't fall asleep at bedtime, eliminating even short catnaps may help.

4. Exercise daily.

   Vigorous exercise is best, but even light exercise is better than no activity. Exercise at any time of day, but not at the expense of your sleep.

5. Evaluate your room.

   Design your sleep environment to establish the conditions you need for sleep. Your bedroom should be cool – between 60 and 67 degrees. Your bedroom should also be free from any noise that can disturb your sleep. Finally, your bedroom should be free from any light. Check your room for noises or other distractions. This includes a bed partner's sleep disruptions such as snoring. Consider using blackout curtains, eye shades, ear plugs, "white noise" machines, humidifiers, fans and other devices.

6. Sleep on a comfortable mattress and pillows.

   Make sure your mattress is comfortable and supportive. The one you have been using for years may have exceeded its life expectancy – about 9 or 10 years for most good quality mattresses. Have comfortable pillows and make the room attractive and inviting for sleep but also free of allergens that might affect you and objects that might cause you to slip or fall if you have to get up during the night.

7. Use bright light to help manage your circadian rhythms.

   Avoid bright light in the evening and expose yourself to sunlight in the morning. This will keep your circadian rhythms in check.

8. Avoid alcohol, cigarettes, and heavy meals in the evening.

   Alcohol, cigarettes and caffeine can disrupt sleep. Eating big or spicy meals can cause discomfort from indigestion that can make it hard to sleep. It is good to finish eating at least 2-3 hours before bedtime.

By using these tips you are going to be able to sleep more efficiently and effectively.

Your Brain Doesn't Stop When You're Asleep

Did you know that your brain does not stop when you're sleeping? Research has shown that your brain is very active while you're sleeping. Here are just some of the things that your brain focuses on.

Your brain processes information and prepares for actions during sleep. A recent study found the brain processes complex stimuli during sleep and then uses the information to make decisions while awake.

Another thing your brain does while you're asleep is form new memories, consolidate older ones and linking memories together. This happens during REM and non-REM sleep. Have you ever heard that sleep is highly important when it comes to learning? A teacher has probably told you that before, and now studies have shown that sleeping before you learn will help your brain prepare for initial formation of memories. Sleep after you learn is important to help save new information as well. Without sleep, your ability to learn information can drop up to 40%.


Your brain doesn't stop when you're asleep, because it is also clearing out toxins at the same time. During sleep, the brain clears out damaging molecules associated with neurodegeneration.

If these are not good enough reasons to convince you of the importance of sleep, then read on for more information on what your brain does while you're asleep: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/28/brain-sleep-_n_5863736.html?ir=Healthy+Living

Did you Catch That Nasty Cold?

You might have heard that there is a respiratory illness sending many children to hospitals this season. It is a severe illness that has taken over many other states besides Colorado, starting as a common cold but continuing into something much worse. What are some things you can do to avoid this nasty cold for you and for your family?

1. If you or a loved one has a respiratory problem to begin with, such as asthma, make sure you are taking all medications necessary. This will help if you do catch a cold to lessen the harshness of the illness.

2. As always, wash your hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds. After every time you use the rest room, cook a meal and sneeze, you should be washing your hands to ensure that this cold doesn't spread, especially if you already show signs of a cold.


2. People who are already sick are the ones you should avoid kissing, hugging and sharing cups and eating utensils with.

3. Disinfect frequently touched surfaces. This includes things from doorknobs, toys, Washing hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds. A good cleaning around the house with disinfectant can help with any frequently touched surfaces.

4. With kids, make sure vaccinations are up to do. The influenza vaccine is one that is highly important since it can help avoid the flu any time of the year.

By taking these steps you can help avoid that cold that could knock you out and keep you from work for a few days. As winter nears us, it's important that we keep our health in check. 

Prepare Your Home for Fall

Did you notice the leaves changing colors and you have slowly been adding more layers to your outfits? It's that time of the year again; the time where you dreadfully are aware that winter is upon us. Here are some ways you can prepare your home for fall.

1. It's important to always think of that one way you keep warm in your house every winter: the furnace. Without heat you are going to be pretty miserable, so to avoid being miserable look up your favorite professional that will inspect your furnace and provide you with the comfort in knowing you will stay warm and cozy this winter. It's always best to hire a professional instead of trying to inspect your furnace yourself so you know it is working as efficiently and effectively as possible.

2. One thing you can do for your furnace is change the filter. A fresh filter will help your furnace run smoothly as well.

3. If you have a fireplace, make sure you have a professional clean the chute and make sure nothing is clogging the fireplace as well. You will want your fireplace to produce a warm atmosphere, not a smoky and hazardous atmosphere.

4. Do a home safety check. This means checking all of the smoke and CO detectors, fire extinguishers should be full and get rid of any fire dangers such as old newspaper. Making your home as safe as possible should always be a priority. Your home needs to be prepared for fall before it becomes an issue.

5. Make sure outside is safe as well. Gutters can easily get clogged from all of the falling leaves as well as downspouts. You don't want to be dealing with anything outdoors such as your gutters when it's the middle of winter and a blizzard is blowing through.

6. Inspect your roof for any leaks, damage and corrossion. A faulty roof can be a huge problem in the winter time, so make sure that none of the summer storms caused any substantial damage.

These are just a few of the ways you can prepare your home for fall. Fall is a great time of the year and a time where you should be spending your time carving pumpkins, going to corn mazes and other fun events, not a time where you should be dealing with issues because you ignored them to begin with!

Do you sleep walk?

Do you or somebody you know suffer from sleep walking? Sleep walking is a serious issue because it can cause harm. Although mostly children suffer from sleep walking, adults can also have the problem as well. Let's learn more about sleep walking.

Approximately 15% of children between 4-12 years of age will experience sleepwalking. Genetic tendencies could be the cause, but scientists are not positive that genetics have anything to do with sleep walking. It is also much more likely to occur if a person is sleep deprived because when they are sleep walking they remain in a deep sleep, so when someone is sleep deprived it makes it harder to wake them.

Most people do not remember sleep walking. Since it is a deep sleep, other complex behaviors can happen such as talking and sitting up in bed. Many people have been told not to wake a sleep walker as it could be dangerous, but it can be even more dangerous not to wake a sleep walker.

Between 1 and 15% of people sleep walk. There is no association with psychiatric or psychological problems, but common triggers include sleep deprivation, sedative agents, febrile illness and certain medications.


Sleep walkers might also experience:

• Sleeptalking
• Little or no memory of the event
• Difficulty arousing the sleepwalker during an episode
• Inappropriate behavior such as urinating in closets (more common in children)
• Screaming (when sleepwalking occurs in conjunction with sleep terrors) 

So what can you do if you or someone you know are suffering from sleep walking? There is no treatment, but working to improve your sleeping is one way to alleviate sleep walking.  Talking to your doctor about ways to prevent injuries and what could be the underlying issue will help you treat sleep walking.

American Down and Feather can help you find the best products to provide you with the best night of sleep possible! Contact us today.