Did you know that research says that if you want to lose weight, you need to get more sleep!

Eating right, and exercising are the obvious go-to fat busters, but what many people don’t know is that not getting enough sleep could affect a hormone called ghrelin, known to affect appetite and weight.

Here are a few sleep tips to help you sleep your way into healthy:

• Don’t have a big meal right before crawling into bed- but don’t go to bed hungry either!
• Exercise regularly, but not right before bed.
• Avoid caffeine.
• Don’t nap during the day.
• Create a comfortable sleep environment.

Sweet dreaming!

I once heard that an average mattress will gain 40 pounds every 10 years. If any of you are like me, I got a little squeamish and absolutely did not want to believe it! I read into the subjects of mattress health, mattress cleanliness, and mattress protection and really found some interesting (and gross) facts.

• One adult will produce 1 million skin flakes a day.
• One adult secretes 1.5-6 gallons of sweat/day. 99% is water….1% are other compounds.
• Bacteria and dust mites feed on our dead skin and secretions
• Used beds have anywhere from 100,000 to 10 million dust mites inside.

While I couldn’t prove the claim that a mattress will gain 40 pounds every 10 years, it didn’t take me too long to decide that I would never sleep on a mattress without a mattress protector. A washable mattress protector will help prevent these problems from happening because they block bacteria, dust mites, and body secretions from getting into your mattress! Couple of tips when using one of these handy protectors- they go on like a fitted sheet, and should be washed every two weeks with your sheets in HOT water! Choose who you sleep with and protect your investment, and your health by keeping your mattress clean and sanitary.