To sleep or not to sleep...

26 March 2021

Focusing on your health and well-being has never been a greater topic than in these stressful yet restless times. To exercise, to eat healthy and not to spend too many hours on your phone. The list grows long. With oh-so-many habits to adhere to, one item stands out but is still taken for granted by so many. Sleeping. Together with two SCC members, Hästens Beds and Carpe Diem Beds, we unveil why a good night’s sleep is so important to us, the health effects and what can be done to improve one’s sleep.

Sleep is vital for us humans to function properly. With the mission to create the best condition for a good night’s sleep, bedmakers Hästen Beds and Carpe Diem Beds are challenging the industry with the craftsmanship of handmade beds made of natural materials. Global Retail Director at Hastens, Sara DiCarlo, dives right into the subject: “A good night’s sleep is not waking up in the middle of the night. It’s about ideally waking up on your back and about feeling rested, so when your alarm clock goes off, you can get up in the morning. It’s about having fewer aches and pains and not solely relying on the coffee at 4 pm. It’s almost about being a better version of yourself”.

Sleeping as an investment
Most people believe a firm mattress will do the trick, but Sara disagrees. Many suffer from back pain or aches as a result of a badly fitted bed. “If you think about the force and amount of weight that you’re putting on your shoulder by sleeping on the hard bed, and what it can do over time and to your posture, versus sleeping in something where your shoulder is pressed into the softness of the bed. Then technically, you don’t even need a pillow or at least a very thin pillow. The whole spine alignment is then totally changed, you’re getting more oxygen up to your brain, and your body is in a more relaxed position, you’re moving less at night. ”In short, a sound bed is something you sleep in, not on.”

A good night’s sleep is vital for a wholesome lifestyle. Carpe Diem’s Dana Grinberga, Sales Associate and Sanjay Verma, In-house sleep expert, sets the scene and prerequisites of a good night’s sleep; a cool-tempered room, avoid eating three hours before sleep and switch off from all screens at least an hour before bedtime. “Bad sleeping habits interfere with the circadian rhythm, the internal process that regulates the sleep-wake cycle that repeats every 24 hours, and indicates to the body and mind that something is wrong.” To create harmony, keep your bedroom activities to the bedroom and don’t make it your living room. So, what can you do? Exercise on a regular basis, grab some sunlight when possible and have a balanced diet with a moderate intake of caffeine. And of course, having the right bed fitted for you.

Luxury item or a Swedish essential
Sleeping is an experience and a personal one. Established in 1995, Carpe Diem originates from an epiphany by chiropractor and founder Börje Thuleskar, as he was laying relaxing on a bed of heather on the sunny west coast of Sweden. Aesthetics meets comfort with Carpe Diem’s hypoallergenic materials such as slow-growing Swedish pine, natural latex, organic cotton and wool. Dana emphasises the conscious choices of high-quality materials and how Carpe Diem embodies a good night’s sleep. “I believe it’s the combination of honouring the tradition and heritage of our brand, whilst also constantly innovating and investing in research and development to bring the best sleeping experience to our customers”.

With 20 years’ presence in the UK, Hästens has a reputation sprung from a rich history dating back to 1852. Originally founded as a saddlery, Hästens naturally progressed into mattress and bed-making as the automobile industry took off. The company purpose changed, but the craft and the quality product remained the same. With love for natural materials, Hästens is an ambassador for sleep in a world and time where sleeping is sometimes undervalued. Having a good night’s sleep has a massive impact on your mental health, concentration, decision-making and optimum performance. “We want to make sure that we have as many people as possible sleeping in a Hästens bed, but foremost have people truly understand the value of sleep because that’s when we’re saving lives. If people are having problems due to their bed, and the quality of their sleep and we’ve educated them, and they’ve changed, then I think we’ve done a great job.”

Advocates for sleep
No one will come out of this pandemic unaffected, but the trick is to turn the challenge into an opportunity. Hästens is stretching its neck to look far ahead, ensuring they keep their mission making as many people as possible happy and healthy. If you sleep longer, the body will recover longer, and you will have a better sleep quality. Sanjay Verma, sleeping expert at Carpe Diem, paints the picture: “We can measure sleep differently, and we can define it differently. But it’s like a car, we take our car for servicing once a year, right? But our human body and brain are designed to get this service done every night. So during the 7-9 hours of sleep you have, the damaged cells are repaired, new cells are generated, memories are consolidated. All those things happen so that you are ready for the next day”.