Tag Archives: Bed MOT

National Bed Month

National Bed Month

As Spring approaches The Sleep Council, through its Bed Month campaign, reminds us that it might be time to be thinking about giving grotty old mattresses their marching orders – and invest in a better night’s sleep with a comfortable new bed.

Considering we spend a third of our life in bed, getting a good night’s sleep is essential to our health, well-being and productivity. Sleeping on the the right mattress ensures that we wake up refreshed.

The average lifespan of a mattress is around 7 years so it’s worth spending as much as you can afford to get a good quality, comfortable bed.

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Out With The Old And In With The New…Bed!

How to buy a new bed

The New Year signifies a time of change and transformation, offering us the chance to discard those things that hold us back.

For many the New Year encourages us to kick bad habits and establish new routines, from getting fit, eating healthier, to getting more and better sleep

Most adults need between six and nine hours of sleep every night and yet almost two-thirds of us suffer from sleep problems.

Buy the right bed and you could be buying into night after night of quality sleep,” says Lisa Artis of The Sleep Council. “Anyone who has ever slept in a really comfortable or really dreadful old bed will know how it can affect the quality of sleep.”

If you know you need a new bed, but are unsure what you want or what suits you best, check out The Sleep Council’s guide to the questions you should be asking yourself… Continue reading

Celebrate National Sleep In Day with a Lie In!

As a parent of small children it’s not often I get a chance of a lie-in but with next Sunday, 27th October marking National Sleep In Day – the day that we can turn back our clocks by an hour – you never know, it might just happen!

Northern Ireland Sleep Habits

According to a major report published by The Sleep Council, the average person in Northern Ireland has less sleep than the rest of the population in the United Kingdom averaging just 6hrs 19 minutes of sleep per night.

Some 46% of people reported that worry or stress was keeping them awake at night, and scarily, 26% have used alcohol as a remedy to help them get to sleep.

So how do we ensure we get that all important sleep, never mind that all too precious lie-in?

Top Tips on Getting a Lie-in

  • As National Sleep In Day falls at the weekend we can justify turning off those alarm clocks next Sunday morning and allow our bodies to wake naturally. If you’re getting enough sleep, you should wake up naturally without an alarm. If you need an alarm clock to wake up on time, it may be that you need to go to bed earlier.
  • Turn off gadgets and phones so you have no background stimulation to interfere with your sleep. Many people also rely on the alarm clock on their mobiles to wake them up – make sure it’s turned off just in case!
  • If you have blackout blinds or curtains it’s best to have them closed tight and drawn to prevent daylight from seeping through. Even a little bit of morning light can wake the drowsiest of sleepers.
  • Is your bed preventing you from having a good night’s sleep? If your bed is too hard, or too soft, it might be stopping you from experiencing a deep slumber. Not sure if your bed is giving you the proper support? Take the Bed M.O.T. and find out.
  • With the colder nights coming back we’re tempted to turn up the thermostats to keep the chill out. Temperatures around 12-13°C (53-55°F) are usually too cool to be able to drop off. Conversely, anything over 24°C is more likely to cause restlessness. Bedroom temperatures should be between 16-18°C but if you you like your bed to be a bit warmer why not try an electric blanket to take the edge off – cheap to run too!
  • Of course you can always layer up your bed with duvets and pillows for extra snuggly comfort. Or dig out those bed socks and keep your feet from feeling the autumn chill!
  • Avoid alcohol the night before. Not only will it  interrupt your sleep later in the night but it will play havoc with sleep patterns.

 

What to do next

Dalzell’s is a Sleep Council accredited retailer so our staff are always on hand to offer advice for those who wish to buy a new bed or mattress. Situated in Markethill, we’re convenient to most major towns and cities across Northern Ireland. Positioned halfway between Armagh and Newry, we’re but a short drive from Dungannon and Portadown. Even if it’s not convenient to Visit us in-store, our online shop armaghbeds.com features many of our extensive range of beds and mattresses for you to shop from the comfort of your home. You can always telephone us 028 37 55 1260 or Email us if that’s how you prefer. With Free Delivery throughout Northern Ireland you can rest assure that you’ll get a great deal and excellent customer service from our family run business. What’s more, we also provide Free Collection & Recycling of your Old Bed when we deliver your new bed or mattress. This great Free Delivery and Free Recycling Service is extended further to our customers in Counties Louth, Dublin and Monaghan with very competitive rates throughout the rest of Ireland.

 

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Sleeptember Slumbers

As Sleeptember draws to a close we reflect on some of the key sleep facts The Sleep Council has shared with us during this month long campaign dedicated to helping people get a healthy night’s sleep.

Key Sleep Facts

  1. Sleep is essential for health and wellbeing. Without it we’re moody, irritable, prone to infections and we don’t look or feel good!
  2. For the average person who needs 8hrs sleep, losing even 1hr can lower IQ by 1 point the next day.
  3. Performance in sport or creativity can be improved by as much as 20% after a good night’s sleep.
  4. The average Briton goes to bed at 11.15pm & gets just 6 hours 35 minutes sleep per night.
  5. Lack of sleep can make you fat! It fuels junk food habit by changing our brain function to stop us making smart choices about food!

Is your bed fit to sleep on? 

We spend one third of our lives sleeping yet we don’t pay enough attention to what we do it on!  Many people don’t realise that it could be their bed that is preventing them from getting a good night’s sleep.

Changes in our lifestyle and the quality, care and amount of use our beds get impact on whether we need to think about buying a new bed.   Factors such as getting married, moving to a new home, losing or gaining weight and our age can affect the level of comfort and support our bed provides. How we use our beds and the length of time we spend in them e.g. reading, watching television or the occasional use of a spare bed can be the deciding factors in choosing a new bed.

Sleeping in a bed that no longer provides the proper support or comfort can affect the quality of our sleep. Four out of five adults (80%) will experience back pain at some stage in their life and a recent American study found that 63% of back sufferers felt an improvement after sleeping on a new bed.

A new bed is important for a good night’s sleep! With the Sleep Council recommending that we change our beds every seven years, it’s worth making time to take the Bed MOT (Mattress Obsolescence Test) to see if your bed fits the bill.

 

What to do next

With over 500 beds in stock including leading brands KaymedDorluxRespaMyersStaplesKing Koil and Slumber Night our staff are also on hand to provide expert advice on choosing a new bed. You can buy with complete confidence at Dalzell’s and what’s more, we provide a Free Delivery service and Free Collection and Recycling of Your Old Bed throughout Northern Ireland and Counties Louth, Monaghan and Dublin, with highly competitive rates across the rest of Ireland. Located in Markethill, just off the A28 between Armagh and Newry, we are just a short drive from Belfast and easily accessible to Dublin from the M1.  No time to visit, no problem! You can place your order and gain expert advice from our experienced team over the phone on 028 3755 1260 or even by Email.

 

What is Sleep Apnoea?

There has been much discussion in recent weeks about sleep apnoea since John Cleese tweeted a photograph to see if he suffered from the condition. The image showed Cleese covered in wires as part of an experiment to check whether he had the condition. So, what exactly is sleep apnoea?

The NHS describes the condition as one that ‘causes interrupted breathing during sleep‘, with two types of breathing interruption:

  1. apnoea – the muscles and soft tissues in the throat relax and collapse sufficiently to cause a total blockage of the airway; it is called an apnoea when the airflow is blocked for 10 seconds or more
  2. hypopnoea – a partial blockage of the airway that results in an airflow reduction of greater than 50% for 10 seconds or more

Diagnosing the condition

There are many different ways of assessing whether someone has sleep apnoea. People may complain of excessive daytime sleepiness, accompanied by irritability and restlessness. More often than not though, it is usually a partner or someone else who recognises the symptoms before the person does. The British Snoring & Sleep Apnoea Association has identified common symptoms, which include:

  1. Extremely loud heavy snoring, often interrupted by pauses and gasps
  2. Excessive daytime sleepiness, e.g., falling asleep at work, whilst driving, during conversation or when watching TV. (This should not be confused with excessive tiredness with which we all suffer from time to time)
  3. Irritability, short temper
  4. Morning headaches
  5. Forgetfulness
  6. Changes in mood or behaviour
  7. Anxiety or depression

A person with OSA will usually have no memory of breathlessness, so they are often unaware that they are not getting a proper night’s sleep. More often than not, it is a partner or someone else who recognises the symptoms before the person does.

Treating Sleep Apnoea

Fortunately Obstructive Sleep Apnoea  is treatable with a variety of treatment options available to help reduce the symptoms. Making changes to one’s lifestyle, such as losing weight, stopping smoking or cutting down on alcohol , can often help mild cases of sleep apnoea. Sleeping on your side, rather than on your back, may also help to relieve the symptoms of OSA. Other environmental changes  include reducing the amount of light and noise in your bedroom, avoid watching TV or using electronic devices in the bedroom,  and building in some time to relax before going to bed. Of course, it’s important that you are sleeping on the right bed and mattress are providing you with the right comfort and support levels. If you’re not sure if your bed comes up to scratch, take the Bed MOT to find out. For those that experience a more severe condition, breathing apparatus while sleeping may be used.

What to do next

At Dalzell’s of Markethill we want to make sure that you are getting a great night’s sleep. For us that starts with the right bed and mattress so that you get the the maximum benefit from your sleeping environment. Visit in-store today at Dalzells, your local Bedding Experts in N. Ireland. Located in Markethill, with plenty of free on-street parking and just off the A28 between Armagh and Newry, we’re a short 15 minute drive from Portadown, 20 minutes from Dungannon and Banbridge. You can of course always place your order and gain expert advice from our experienced team over the phone on 028 3755 1260 or even by Email.  Whatever way you shop with us you can be assured of A Great Deal and Expert AdviceWhat’s more we offer a Free Delivery and Free Collection and Recycling of Your Old Bed Service across Northern Ireland and Counties Louth, Monaghan and Dublin, with competitive rates across the rest of the UK and Ireland.