SLEEP! Inemuri; Consumer Reports;

Windy... 40 mph gusts.  Cold wave is probably coming in.  So far, the weather has been unseasonably warmish.... in the 50's and sometimes 60's.  As I mentioned before, our winters here in the mid-Atlantic region  seem to me to be like the weather in Spartanburg, South Carolina in the 1980's.  Soon, we'll be seeing palm trees growing all year along our sidewalks.

Sleeping on Duty

Normally, if an American is found sleeping during their work shift, they would be fired.  However, "in Japan, napping in the office is common and culturally accepted"  according to Bryant Rousseau, writing in the New York Times for January 8th, 2017.  Bryant says that napping in the office is sometimes seen as "diligence" ... that is, it shows that you are working very hard..  to the point of exhaustion.

 The Japanese have a word for this, "inemuri"  which translates loosely to "sleeping while present."

Mr. Rousseau says that "inemuri" has been practiced in Japan for at least one thousand  years and is not practiced just by people in their workplace.  "People may nap in department stores, cafes, restaurants or even a snug spot on a busy city sidewalk."

I doubt that "inemuri" will ever catch on in the United States.  I could even envision President Trump telling employers to "fire those sleeping losers!"

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Sleeping at Home

Consumer Reports (CR)  for February 2017 publishes an article with the title: "Secrets to a Great Night's Sleep"  They give a number of tips that I will try to put together in a list that I can more easily refer to when I'm grouchy from lack of sleep.

01.  Make sure you have a good mattress.

To help you, CR rates 74 of them. (A lot of brands I've never heard of.)

02.  Don't continue to sleep on lumpy mattresses with sharp points.

03.  Snack on the right food before bed.

My choice would be warm milk, but CR doubts its efficacy.   Better (per CR) would be Kiwi fruit, malted milk, or tart cherry juice. The article describes some conditions:  which I will fit into these tips:

a.  Eat two kiwi's one hour before bedtime... to help you fall asleep faster, and sleep longer.

b.  Drink malted milk  30 minutes before bedtime... to be less restless during sleep.

c.  Drink a cup of tart cherry juice in the morning and at night.. to slow down insomnia  and mid-night awakening.

(These results were not the results of scientific studies, so be wary.  But, why not give them a try.)

04. Buy yourself a "good" pillow.  ("sleep on a pillow for a week to know whether it's right for you")

Some pillows come with labels that let  you know if it is good for  your sleep position....side, back, or stomach.  (I vary those positions all night long.)

CR discusses the various types of pillows:

Down
Feather
Polyester microfibers
Memory foam
Latex Foam
Hypoallergenic fiber filled
Buckwheat hulls
Gel
Combinations

05.  Be wary about Over the Counter (OTC) Sleep Aids

There may be a lot of side effects, like constipation, dizziness, next-day drowsiness, hangover, impaired balance, etc.  Besides, if  you are not careful, they become habit-forming.

06.  If problems persist, see a doctor, who may prescribe CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) ... CBT therapists help you find out about habits that are keeping  you from getting a good night's sleep.


07.  Also, remember, if your partner requires a different mattress than  you do, and you still want to sleep together, consider the Sleep Number beds. 

PLEASANT DREAMS!
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