Hit the reset button this Memorial Day
With the long Memorial Day weekend coming up, make a vow to relax with friends and family and get some shut-eye. Luckily, one of the best ways to recharge, reduce stress and get back into good sleeping habits is to take a planned break, whether it's just for a day or a week.

We've all seen the reports over the past few years about how important quality sleep is to health. Links to weight gain, high blood pressure and breakdowns in your immune system have all been attributed to chronic sleep loss. Researchers at The Harvard Women's Health Watch outline the following six reasons to get more sleep:

• Learning and memory: Sleep helps the brain commit new information to memory through a process called memory consolidation. In studies, people who'd slept after learning a task did better on tests later.
• Metabolism and weight: Chronic sleep deprivation may cause weight gain by affecting the way our bodies process and store carbohydrates, and by altering levels of hormones that affect our appetite.
• Safety: Sleep debt contributes to a greater tendency to fall asleep during the daytime. These lapses may cause falls and mistakes such as medical errors, air traffic mishaps, and road accidents.
• Mood: Sleep loss may result in irritability, impatience, inability to concentrate, and moodiness. Too little sleep can also leave you too tired to do the things you like to do.
• Cardiovascular health: Serious sleep disorders have been linked to hypertension, increased stress hormone levels, and irregular heartbeat.
• Disease: Sleep deprivation alters immune function, including the activity of the body's killer cells. Keeping up with sleep may also help fight cancer.

Common sense tips for better sleep
Vampires and zombies aside, most of us want to get a steady eight hours of quality sleep a night. Sometimes, though, wanting and actually doing can be at odds. Here are a few tips from Meir Kyger, MD, director of research and education at Gaylord Sleep Services, if you're having trouble sleeping:

• Use your bedroom only for sex and sleep.
• Keep a regular bedtime.
• Make sure your bedroom is dark, cool and quiet, and that you've got a comfortable sleep surface, pillow and bedding.
• Turn off the TV and put the laptop away.
• Exercise as much as you can, but make sure you stop at least three hours before bedtime.
• Avoid food and drinks high in caffeine for at least eight hours before bedtime; stay away from alcohol, which disturbs sleep.

And if you are traveling over the holiday...
Westin Hotels and Resorts feature the Heavenly Bed® mattress while The W Hotel offers The W Bed. Simmons created both mattresses with the original Pocketed Coil® spring system for exceptional motion separation and comfort. Not only will you enjoy a great night's sleep while you're away, but it's a smart way to "test sleep" a new mattress for your home. Click here for a list of the hotels featuring Simmons mattresses.

Sources:
Importance of Sleep: Six reasons not to scrimp on sleep
Leave Your Stress Behind
11 Simple Ways to Reduce Stress

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