Category: Articles

By: R.C. (Bob) Dimas

How to Buy the Best Custom Mattress at a Great Price

You may have never experienced honest to goodness Real Comfort that is guaranteed to last unless you have ventured off the beaten path and bought a custom mattress that is made just for you. It is easier than you think.

What kinds of people come to see us? Usually, people that have had a bad mattress experience or the ones that are sick and tired of buying a 20-year mattress that only lasts 3 or 4 years.

Here are 12 Steps of How to Buy the Best Mattress [4u+1]

  1. If you are coming from out-of-town you should make an appointment to see us
  2. When you get here you can educate yourself (with our help) on all the different comfort materials that are used in mattress construction
  3. You can look at examples and cutaways of how other mattresses are made from the inside out
  4. As part of our Sleep Analysis we will ask you a number of questions about any sleep problems you may have
  5. Mattress ImagesWe will pay close attention to each person’s needs, wants and personal preference
  6. We will review the results of the Ergocheck pressure testing analysis
  7. Ergocheck Testing takes the guesswork out of what mattress firmness is right for you
  8. Lay on the different models in the showroom that have different Ergo Numbers
  9. The objective is to find the right firmness for your weight, back condition, and preference, don’t ignore the science – otherwise, it’s just a guess
  10. Go for a coffee, at the nearby Vaughan Mills Mall, while we make your mattress
  11. Your mattress will be folded and put it in your Van, SUV or car
  12. Take it and go experience a great night’s sleep on a mattress that was made just for you and your partner
  13. Bonus point – Drive home knowing that you got the best mattress at a great Factory Direct price!

This is not for Everybody. It is for those that prefer the very best.

It is that simple and we do it all the time for out-of-town visitors. If you are from the GTA, it takes a little longer due to the number of orders that we have in house. We also have company-owned trucks that can deliver the mattress to you. This may not be for everybody but it is for people that prefer the better things in life and want good value for their money.

On our specials rack you can find high-density foam mattresses with some natural content at half the price of what you would pay in a mattress store for a similar quality of foam. These mattresses can also be folded and taken away in your vehicle. Try doing that with a spring core mattress.

Sincerely,
FOAMITE INDUSTRIES INC.

R.C. (Bob) Dimas

Be the best that you can be by doing whatever is necessary to improve the quality of your sleep!

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Keywords: sleep better, sleep right, the best mattress, custom mattress, mattress sale toronto, memory foam mattress vaughan, natural latex mattress, sofa cushions, foam rubber, foam cut to size
By: R.C. (Bob) Dimas

6 Ways to Turn Your Bedroom Into a Sleep Cave

Changing a few things about your space could help guarantee a better sleep.

If you’re having a difficult time falling asleep, the design of your bedroom is important to consider. Here are just a few things your bedroom needs for a good night’s sleep:

1. Clock AwayDigitalClockIcon
Lights can prevent the secretion of melatonin, the hormone that is your body’s natural sleep drug. Even the smallest amount of light can interrupt our sleep. Consider turning your digital clocks away from you to help improve the quality of your sleep.

2. Add a Sleep Scent
Research shows that the scent of lavender eases anxiety and insomnia. In one study done at Britain’s University of Southampton, researchers tracked the sleep patterns of 10 adults. For a week, half of the participants slept in a room where lavender essential oil was diffused in the air throughout the night; the rest snoozed in a similar room where a placebo–sweet almond oil–was released. After a week, the groups switched rooms. At the end of the study, the volunteers ranked the quality of their sleep 20% better on average when in the lavender-scented room.

3. Turn on a Fan
Studies have proven that our sleep can improve by 24% when sleeping with a pink noise blended with a consistent frequency. You can create this sound at home with fans or an app on your phone. The goal is to look for a soft uninterrupted sound.

4. Make Your Bed
People who make their bed every morning are more likely to sleep 19% better according to a poll by the 2014 National Sleep Study.

sleeping_bear_in_snow5. Have Your Own Blanket
It is recommended to sleep with two separate sheets when sharing a bed with your partner. Using one blanket for 2 people can amplify movement and body heat.

6. Sleep Cool
The cold makes us drowsy, and a cooler body temperature helps us drift off faster. Sleep experts suggest setting the thermostat between 65 and 72 degrees… And yes even in the Winter.

You need the right environment to get a good night’s sleep and that means a bedroom that’s pleasant, inviting and relaxing is important.

Be the best that you can be by improving the quality of your sleep!

Sincerely,

R.C. (Bob) Dimas

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Keywords: causes of insomnia, comfort and sleep experts, Bedroom, design, better sleep time, better sleep tips, good night sleep, deep sleep, good sleep, foam grades, insomnia
By: R.C. (Bob) Dimas

Foam Cushions for the Best Seat in the House

I have searched around and found that there aren’t any companies that can do what we do and there is no one writing a blog like this. Therefore, I thought to myself, if it hasn’t been written then it must be up to me to write it. Am I wrong? Do people not care about comfort and good sleep?

By the end of this, you may learn something that your butt and back will thank me for…

What do you sit on to relax?

CHANTELLE-300x267

Do you give it much thought? Chantelle, shown in the picture talking to Nancy, came to us to buy new replacement sofa cushions for her family room couch, love seat and chair. The sofa cushions that came with the furniture had softened up, after just 2 years, and now they were sagging right down to the deck when they sit on them.

You should know what’s inside your sofa cushions or the best seat in your house. We carry 45 different grades of foam and they are not all the same. What you sit or sleep on is very important if you want to improve your physical and emotional comfort. Conventional polyurethane foam that is used in upholstered furniture, made by the majority of Canadian manufacturers.

Now in case you think that I am dumping on Canadian Furniture Manufacturers, please know that I am not and that they are some of our best customers. They are open to experimenting with different foams and constructions, a lot like the Europeans, and much more than the monotonous imported furniture that is coming out of China.

What’s inside matters and varies amongst manufacturers

Now listen. Don’t expect to get custom comfort that feels great, if you have bought a piece of imported furniture from a retail store at three times reduced sale price. It is easier than you think and can be done very quickly. As a matter of fact, we supply replacement foam to a number of large furniture chains and upholsters that use our foam to replace the cushions for customers who complain.

When you replace your sofa cushions with something better it will be like replacing your flip phone with a smartphone. It will pay off dividends. You will be more comfortable.

Rest Better to Live Better…

Sincerely,

R.C. (Bob) Dimas

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Keywords: 45 Grades of Foam, custom mattresses, hallelujah, best seat in the house, chair seats, foam replacement cushions, upholstered furniture manufacturers, sofa cushions, Koosh Natural, Smart iFoam
By: R.C. (Bob) Dimas

NeoGel - The Coolest Memory Foam Mattress Ever

For the past several years, memory foam has been the hottest material in premium bedding – in more ways than one. Here is what you need to know to sleep cool in the best memory foam mattresses.

Many mattress shoppers, who love sleeping with the windows open, in the winter, or as if they were on the beach, wonder whether sleeping on a memory foam mattress will satisfy their need for a cool comfortable sleep. They have doubts and questions; especially, after hearing all the stories about how hot it is to sleep on memory foam.

VG-BLOGYou can “sleep cool” on memory foam if you take the time to sweat the details. Do your homework to understand the design and construction of a mattress. It can be made with cooler foam and materials that allow for the best air circulation possible.

In order to get educated, you should talk to a foam and mattress manufacturer, like Foamite, before you tour the mattress stores or buy a mattress anywhere else. We have obsessively designed a memory foam mattress, with the best (coolest and most natural) ingredients from all over the world and offer it to you, with a custom construction, at a shockingly low factory direct price. Simply put, you can buy the mattress that retails for $4,000 from us for $1,800 or you can buy the $1,750 mattress for $850, factory direct.

Memory Foam Mattress Basics

In the defense of memory foam, staying cool during the night is an issue to some degree with owners of nearly every type of mattress. Overall approximately 6% of innerspring mattress owners and 14% of memory foam mattress owners report their mattresses sleep uncomfortably hot.

Memory foam mattresses, like Tempurpedic, are made with polyurethane foam and tend to rate well for comfort and pressure relief. However, what the memory foam is made of and supported by can vary. A memory foam mattress is not all made with memory foam. It is made with 3 or 4 inches of memory foam on top of 5 or 6 inches of another polyurethane or soy-based foam.

Traditional memory foam tends to have a tighter cell structure which can impede airflow, especially with closed-cell structures. The heat activated nature of a traditional memory foam mattress can also lead to trapped heat and a “stuck” sensation, especially with denser grades of memory foam.

Soy-based memory foam infused with swirls of gel (Koosh Viscogel) replace a portion of the petroleum with botanically-sourced oils and may have a reduced chemical profile compared to other petroleum-based polyurethanes. This type of foam is usually cooler and has proven more effective at dissipating heat than other memory foams.

Mattress Construction

How a memory foam mattress is put together can also influence whether or not it sleeps cool. At FOAMITE we have introduced natural memory foam that is infused with swirls of cool gel. We call it Koosh Viscogel. It is much cooler and more natural than traditional petroleum-based memory foam.

If you want something even cooler you can add a layer of our solid blue NeoGel on the top of your mattress. It is like the gel foot insoles for your whole body. I have it on one side of my mattress, that way I can flip it depending on the time of year to sleep cooler or not.

MESH-BORDERThe firm edges are made with air vents, that way when you sit or roll on your mattress the vents allow all the warm air to come out. By the way, most memory foam mattresses are not made with firm edges let alone have air vents in them too.

Our mattress covers are made with mesh borders and the same fabric technology that is used in dri-fit golf clothing. This will help to dissipate air and moisture for an even cooler and more comfortable sleep.

The NeoGel Mattress is custom made to suit your weight, preference and back condition. Your partner can get what they need or want on their side of the bed. It’s the coolest memory foam mattress ever by design.

Final Word

At Foamite (a foam and mattress manufacturer), we have obsessively designed a memory foam mattress, with the best (coolest and most natural) ingredients from all over the world and offer it to you, with a custom construction, at a shockingly low factory direct price.

Simply put, you can buy the mattress that retails for $4,000 from us for $1,800 or you can buy the $1,750 mattress for $850, factory direct.

Sleep cooler and better by knowing the options that are available to do so.

Sincerely,

R.C. (Bob) Dimas

Posted:
Keywords: mattress odour, eco-friendly mattress, soy-based foam, maximum air circulation, air vents, viscogel, natural memory foam, Koosh Natural, cool memory foam, best memory foam mattress, noegel, hot mattresses
By: R.C. (Bob) Dimas

University Students: Beware of Dorm Mattresses!

A father came into our showroom today looking to buy a dormitory mattress for his daughter who will be attending her first year of University this fall. His first mistake was coming in without her. Most parents buy mattresses or mattress toppers for their kids that are not at all what they would choose if they were here.

His second mistake was asking for something hard, “so that it would last longer”. Sorry Dad, but that is not how it works. Heavier (higher Density) foam lasts longer before it begins to sag or soften with use. Durability has nothing to do with the firmness of the foam. Our heavier Koosh Natural high resiliency foam does not soften with use like the conventional polyurethane grades that are used in all dormitory mattresses.

As students head off to campus this fall, many for the first time, they’ll be equipped with many of the tools they need. Laptop? Check. Sheets and blankets? Check. Fast-drying towels? Check. Dorm fridge? Check. Desk lamp? Check. Better Sleep? I don’t know? What they give us will be fine. What? Nooooo!

I LOVE SLEEPSleep Better – Bring a Foam Topper

I know that University students love to sleep – I have two of them myself. However, you should know that you are not helping them to Sleep Better just by dressing up their dorm bed with colourful comforters or lacey pillows. What’s inside the mattress cover matters!

We have been supplying dormitory mattresses to Universities for the past 28 years and we can honestly tell you, from first-hand experience, that 100% of first year university students should go to their new dorm rooms with a comfortable 2 or 3″ mattress topper under one arm.

Now in case you think that the University or College purchasing agents are going to take care of you or yours, think again. Their mandate is to buy as many mattresses for as little as possible. That is what you do when you have a budget.

A Firmer Mattress is Not Better

The foam specifications for dorm mattresses also call for a firmer mattress because they know that plastic-based polyurethane foam will soften up with use. One University RFQ (Request for Quote) asked that all 800 mattresses, be hard enough to support a 300 pound student. Really? How many 19 year-olds do you know that are 300 pounds? And how do the lighter students feel about this? Have you seen the movie – 300? They may be thinking, “Tonight We Sleep in Hell!”

Sleep for StudenstA firm bed resists rather than conforming to the natural curves of your body. Therefore, your body must constantly adjust in order to get comfortable – sometimes as much as 60 to 80 times a night. It sure is hard to get a good night’s sleep if you are flipping and flopping, like a fish out of water, all night long.

Mattress Buying Tips: Do not test a new mattress just by sitting or putting your knee in it. Lay on it for 15 minutes at a time. And buy from a factory, like Foamite, where you can take the mattress back and change the firmness as many times as you want within the 15 year warranty period.

DORM-BLOG

Foamite can take the edge off dorm life by providing the comfort students need in order to catch the necessary Zs that will prevent drama and hellp them get As. We sell dormitory mattresses and toppers in any size you need. The sizes vary amongst Universities and even amongst the various residences in each University. Common sizes are: 36″ x 74″, 36 ” x 78″, and 36″ x 80″. A standard single (or twin) mattress is 39″ x 75″.

Sleep Better to Learn Better…

Sincerely,

R.C. (Bob) Dimas

Be the best that you can be by doing whatever is necessary to improve the quality of your sleep!

Posted:
Keywords: dormitory mattresses, university beds, the right mattress fimness, dorm mattress toppers, high density foam, sleep better, sleep right, Koosh Natural
By: R.C. (Bob) Dimas

Sleep is the Most Important Thing for a Better Looking Body

Did you know that sleep is the last thing people think about when it comes to losing weight and looking good?

In fact most people focus on nutrition (lean protein and veggies) and exercise (weights and cardio) and good sleep is rarely given in thought.

What most do not realize is that if they do not put more emphasis on sleeping right (quality and quantity) that all their good intentions can become counterproductive without them even knowing it.

Sheila Looking1Sleep Controls Your Diet

I get it! People are busy and live hectic lives but by prioritizing sleep you can achieve so much more. It’s like giving energy to the other disciplines so they can work that much more efficiently. It should be a priority because it complements your diet and fitness efforts. According to the “Centers for Disease Control and Prevention”, more than 35 percent of people are sleep deprived. And when you consider that the statistic for obesity is nearly identical, it is easy to connect the dots and discover that the connection is not a coincidence.

Poor Sleep Changes Your Fat Cells

Think about the last time you had a bad night of sleep. How did you feel when you woke up? You may have felt exhausted, dazed, confused or at the least very grumpy. What you may not know is that it’s not just your brain and body that feel that way, but that your fat cells do too.

When your body is sleep deprived, it suffers from “Metabolic Grogginess.” This term was coined by University of Chicago researchers who analyzed what happened after just four days of poor sleep. This is very common and often happens during a busy week. One late night at work leads to two late nights at home and then before you realize it you are behind on your sleep (also known as ‘Sleep Debt’). This is bad because it throws off your body chemistry and how your organs operate.

When your insulin is functioning well, fat cells remove fatty acids and lipids from your bloodstream and prevent storage. When you become more insulin resistant, fats (lipids) circulate in your blood and pump out more insulin. Eventually, this excess insulin ends up storing fat in all the wrong places, such as in your liver. And this is exactly how you become fat and begin to suffer from diseases like diabetes.

Lack of Rest Makes You Crave Food

Many people believe that hunger is related to willpower and learning to control the call of your stomach, but that’s incorrect. Hunger is controlled by two hormones: leptin and ghrelin. Simply stated you need to control leptin and ghrelin to successfully lose weight. However, sleep deprivation makes that nearly impossible. Research published in the “Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism” found that sleeping less than six hours triggers the area of your brain that increases your need for food while also depressing leptin and stimulating ghrelin.

Sleep Sabotages Gym Time

Unfortunately, the impact of poor sleep also spreads beyond diet and into your workouts. No matter what your fitness goals are, having some muscle on your body is important. Muscle is the enemy of fat. It helps you burn fat and stay young. On the other hand, lack of sleep does not enhance good muscle growth. Scientists from Brazil found that ‘Sleep Debt’ decreases protein synthesis (your body’s ability to make muscle), causes muscle loss and can lead to a higher incidence of injuries.

Just as important, lack of sleep makes it harder for your body to recover from exercise by slowing down the production of growth hormones.

Good Health Equals Nutrition, Exercise and Good Sleep!

Exercise-food-sleep

While there’s no hard number that applies to all people, a good rule of thumb is to receive between seven and nine hours of sleep per night, and to make sure that one poor night of sleep isn’t followed up with a few more. It might not seem like much, but it could make all the difference and mean more than any other health decision you make.

Sleep Better to Look and Feel Better…

Sincerely,

R.C. (Bob) Dimas

Be the best that you can be by doing whatever is necessary to improve the quality of your sleep!

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Keywords: sleep debt, good sleep, look better, feel better, eat right, vigorous exercise, fat cells, food cravings, good health, nuitrition
By: R.C. (Bob) Dimas

Buying a Good Long Lasting Mattress - Fact vs. Fiction

I recently received an email from a frustrated mattress shopper. Here is an excerpt from his email:

“I’m looking for a company that has detailed foam information readily available and will share it willingly with its customers, showing transparency. I am not at all impressed by what I have been reading about the big names out there, using lower quality foams and selling these beds at inflated retail prices!”

BEST-MATTRESS-SQThe fact is, he had already fallen for the 20-year mattress that only lasted 4-years and he was sick and tired of paying good money for air (inside a spring mattress). They promised him the world.

Fact is, IT IS POSSIBLE for a mattress store to promise the world, offer a 90-day comfort guarantee, provide nothing but air … and still make lots of money. It’s perfectly legally, perfectly possible and it happens all the time, all over North America.

Consumers are suspicious of mattress salespeople and they should be. One of the biggest reasons to be suspicious is because of people’s experiences with mattress warranties. People think they are getting a 20-year guarantee when they buy the mattress. But when they call back, after 4-years, then they discover that the facts are different from the fiction that they were originally sold.

Fact is, if your mattress topper has sagged, you are told that this is normal wear and that the warranty does not cover the comfort zone of the mattress. Fiction, they will tell you that ALL foam does not hold up and ALL foam sags and softens with use. Not true, not all foam is created equal and there is a big difference between lighter-weight polyurethane grades and heavier high resiliency grades that are used in commercial applications.

Fact is, there are over 45 different grades of foam but the mattress industry mostly uses the lightest and cheapest grades of foam for comfort on top of spring cores that are filled with air. Why? Because it is more profitable for them.

FACTS-&-MYTHS

Fact is, even though there is comfort ingredients that will last you 20-years, the mattress industry would rather sell you four mattresses in 20 years.

Fact is, foam is the key comfort ingredient used in all mattresses. If you want to buy a good mattress get to know your foam first.

Final Note

What prevents people from buying a better mattress and getting a good night’s sleep? I think its advertising (fiction) and the traditional way that most people shop for a mattress (fact).

They go to a mattress store and look for a sale. The fact is, it is hard for some people to do the proper research and the work that is necessary to make sure that they are buying the right stuff. Some actually think that our mattresses can’t be as good because they are $1,000 to $1,500 less than what sells in a mattress store. True story – see point #4 in Mattress Problems.

Paul K., “the frustrated mattress shopper”, bought a mattress from us, after we exchanged a few emails and he came to our mattress showroom with his wife – 3 times.

We are so much more than a mattress store. We are comfort and sleep experts.

Sincerely,

R.C. (Bob) Dimas

Be the best that you can be by doing whatever is necessary to improve the quality of your sleep!

Posted:
Keywords: all foam is not equal, factory direct shopping, mattress manufacturer, mattress warranty, Koosh Natural, 45 Grades of Foam, sleep experts, high resiliency foam, mattress problems, key comfort ingredient, frustrated mattress shopper
By: R.C. (Bob) Dimas

Real Organic Mattress for Natural Quality Comfort

Over the past 10 years, many mattress companies have tried to capitalize on the use of the word “organic”. We have heard this word used frequently in our showroom by people who are into “organic food” and to describe some mattress companies who say they are “organic”. However, as a manufacturer who supplies them with products – we know things to be different.

Some people use the word “organic” when a product only contains a small portion (say 20%) of natural ingredients. “Vitamin C” is a substance called ascorbic acid, it is something you can make in the lab. Do you want pure organic vitamins? No problem, somebody can always sell you some that are made with 100% pure organic chemistry.

PLANT-SQHowever, everybody knows that you can’t live on laboratory vitamins. Plus we all know deep down that vitamins + junk food = self-deception. But… if you eat a spinach salad, you get something entirely different. Whether you know what’s in it or not, you know it’s good for you. Why? Because it’s real food. You don’t have to go to a health food store to get that; you don’t even need to know what vitamins are in spinach. All you have to do is eat real food.

How does this relate to the mattress business?

The mattress business version of this might be… Let’s say you’re thinking about buying a mattress from a company, which do you think would provide you with the best and most honest information when it comes to buying something natural or organic?

A) A mattress store that only has a couple of grades of foam and knows very little about foam or

B) A manufacturer who carries 45 different grades of foam and that knows everything you need to know about it, including who is using what and which grades are the most “natural or organic’.

If you pride yourself in being an educated consumer and getting the best value for your money then you would probably say that choice B is the way to go and you would be 100% right.

Why is the foam so important when it comes to mattress shopping?

  1. Foam is the key comfort ingredient used in all mattresses.
  2. It has been the fastest growing sleep surface in the last 10 years.
  3. Foam is the #1 mattress presently purchased in North America.
  4. Even the big spring mattress manufacturers have started offering full foam mattresses to compete with the #1 brand and to keep up to demand.

However, you should know that the #1 brand is anything but natural or organic. Instead in their advertising they show a mattress in the field and talk about how their design was “inspired by nature”.

Other mattress retailers imply that they are selling natural and organic mattresses, but the salespeople are not correcting customers when they say that they are all natural”. Instead, they just nod their heads in agreement. Oh really is that Real Comfort? I think not; instead, that is what we call “Fake Comfort”, just like those vitamins that are made in a lab.

REAL-FAKE

We sell foam to people that make furniture and mattresses. We started selling mattresses to the public, 25 years ago, when we discovered that other mattress manufacturers were not using the best grades of foam available. Similarly, retailers didn’t know what they were selling and most made up things that were not exactly true.

In our mattress business, we are all about ‘helping people to make the right decision for them’. The best way to accomplish this is by clearly and effectively communicating what is available and allowing them to make the decision of what products are best for them – whether it be regular polyurethane grades, somewhat natural, all natural or organic.

We also allow you to look inside the cover so that you can verify that you received what you asked for. And the zipper on the cover also makes it easy for us to make changes or adjustments to the mattress if you decide to go with something firmer or softer later on. Its that easy for you and us.

Once you know the difference, you will make a better decision and get the best value for your money. And once you see what we can do for you, you will be so happy that you will tell others. We know those because we constantly get referrals from previous customers. We truly are the best-kept secret for mattresses and Real Comfort in the GTA.

Final Note

Enjoy your next mattress shopping experience. We especially want to hear from people who have had a bad experience and who are now ready to take matters in their own hands. If you come in to see us, don’t buy what you see on the floor; instead, buy what we can make for you.

Let us make your bed!

Sincerely,

R.C. (Bob) Dimas

Be the best that you can be by doing whatever is necessary to improve the quality of your sleep!

Posted:
Keywords: natural foam, key comfort ingredient, bio-based foam, eco-friendly sleep products, natural comfort, real comfort, whats inside matters, organic mattresses
By: R.C. (Bob) Dimas

Cell Phones in the Bedroom are Blamed for Poor Sleep

Technology is all around us. You can’t live without it but you can manage it better so that it doesn’t affect your sleep and the quality of the day after. If you have become a slave to your technology, and to the people that think that it is okay to text late at night, then it really is time to re-think how you get ready for bed.

Now is a good time to take a pause and to think about how and when you should use your phone and when it should be turned off. Before your regular school or work routine starts try to develop some good pre-sleep habits that will not waste your time and lead to sleep deprivation.

friends textingIf you want to Sleep Better, all the Sleep Experts (including me), seem to think that it is better to turn off your electronics, in your bedroom, at least an hour before bedtime.

In actual fact cell phones, iPads, computers and other electronics should be left outside the bedroom all together. Experts warn that when you are preparing for bed taking your phone into the bedroom may be costing you a good night’s sleep. Watching television or getting wrapped up in other people’s drama is not at all relaxing.

If anything receiving new information, late at night, starts your mind thinking about things that it should not be thinking about as you are preparing for sleep. Think about it, no matter what happens there is nothing you can do about it at 10 o’clock at night; therefore, why waste all that precious relaxation time texting and thinking about it.

Late Night Texting leads to Sleep Deprivation

A study from Washington and Lee University in the United States showed that excessive texting was directly linked to sleep deprivation. The study, carried out by psychology professor Karla Murdock, examined the sleep and texting patterns of 183 first-year university students. It found a higher number of daily texts was directly associated with an increase in sleep problems.

Two behavioural habits were suggested as culprits for this: students often felt pressured to reply to texts immediately, regardless of the time of day or night and the tendency of many students to sleep with phones, by their bedside, and therefore be awaken by alerts from incoming texts.

Dr. Hlavac, a Neurosurgeon and Sleep Expert, said texting before bed was among a number of activities which could interfere with a person’s “sleep hygiene”.

Other things included: watching TV in bed, playing on a computer or tablet in bed, or having a cell phone near your bed so you can get the latest text message – no matter how late it is.

“They are all things which will tend to delay sleep onset and interfere with your ability of getting into a deep sleep early on in the night,” he said.

While he didn’t specifically quiz his patients about their texting habits, Dr. Hlavac said it was highly likely that avid daytime texters would carry their habit on at bedtime and throughout the night.

Success is Taking Action

What could people possibly be thinking when they are texting so late at night? In the olden days, before cell phones, you wouldn’t dare call someone’s house late at night in fear that they may be sleeping and you didn’t want to wake them.

If we did it without thinking, then our parents would quickly remind us to tell our friends not to call past a certain hour – for us it was 10 pm. Unfortunately in today’s world parents don’t often hear the phone ring and they don’t get the chance to constantly remind their kids of the right thing to do.

Still, as parents, it should be our responsibility to make sure that our kids are doing the right thing; especially, when it comes to getting a good night’s sleep.

Personally, my phone is programmed to go on at 8 am and turn off at 8 pm at night (unless we are out of the house). Family and friends know that if they need to get a hold of me, after 8 pm, they should call me at home. To be honest with you, I can’t remember the last time I got a call from someone after 8 pm. Sure that could mean that I am not so popular or it could mean that nothing that important happens from 8 pm until midnight that can’t wait until the next day.

Now you know what you should do but will you do it? You know what they say, you can talk about it all you want but success comes to those that “take action!” Turn it off. Keep it out of the bedroom. Relax when you are supposed to relax. Sleep when you should – with a clear mind. And the day after, wake up ready for living. After all, you know what they say – the world belongs to those that sleep well and wake up early!\

Sincerely,

R.C. (Bob) Dimas

Be the best that you can be, in the New Year, by maintaining a proper rest and sleep schedule!

Posted:
Keywords: late night texting, sleep hygiene, sleep routine, happy new year, sleep better, poor sleep, sleep deprivation
By: R.C. (Bob) Dimas

How to Sleep Cooler on a Memory Foam Mattress

VG-BLOGFor the past several years, memory foam has been the hottest material in premium bedding – in more ways than one. Here is what you need to know to sleep cool on the best memory foam mattress.

You can “sleep cool” on memory foam if you take the time to sweat the details. Do your homework to understand the design and construction of a mattress. It can be made with cooler foam and materials that allow for the best air circulation possible.

Within the memory foam industry, there are a variety of formulas and combinations that can affect coolness, comfort, support and durability. Reviews can help highlight differences between brands and models, but learning about composition and construction can help shoppers determine the best mattress for staying cool and how to get the best value for their money.

Retailers that we talk to think that, “consumers don’t really know what to look for in sleep products and they buy what they are sold.” Therefore, the onus of providing a better quality sleep lies with the sleep products manufacturers and designers, and their deeper understanding of true sleep attributes, and the ways to meet them.

In order to get educated you should talk to a foam and mattress manufacturer, like Foamite, before you tour the mattress stores or buy a mattress anywhere else. We have obsessively designed a memory foam mattress, with the best (coolest and most natural) ingredients from all over the world and offer it to you, with a custom construction, at a shockingly low factory direct price. Simply put, you can buy the mattress that retails for $4,000 from us for $1,800 or you can buy the $1,750 mattress for $850, factory direct.

Memory Foam Mattress Basics

In the defense of memory foam, staying cool during the night is an issue to some degree with owners of nearly every type of mattress. Overall approximately 6% of innerspring mattress owners and 14% of memory foam mattress owners report their mattresses sleep uncomfortably hot.

Traditional memory foam tends have tighter cell structure which can impede air flow, especially with closed-cell structures. The heat activated nature of a traditional memory foam mattress can also lead to trapped heat and a “stuck” sensation, especially with denser grades of memory foam.

Soy-based memory foam infused with swirls of gel (Koosh Viscogel) replace a portion of the petroleum with botanically-sourced oils and may have a reduced chemical profile compared to other petroleum based polyurethanes. This type of foam is usually cooler and has proven more effective at dissipating heat than other memory foams.

Odour and Eco-friendliness

There is a newness smell whenever you buy a new product. This is natural even for the most natural products. This odour will and should dissipate within a few weeks of using a new mattress. It will dissipate even faster if you roll, crush or air the mattress out.

However, what is not natural is when customer service tells you that the odour will go away (within a few weeks) and it is still there two years later. Apparantly these are actual complaints about a leading national brand memory foam mattress on chem-tox.com.

Odour and off-gassing is a concern for many educated shoppers that know the adverse affect that these petro-based chemicals can have on one’s health. In order to safeguard yourself and your family against this harmful off-gassing you should buy a mattress that is made with foam that is certified pure.

Neogel

Mattress Construction

If you want something even cooler you can add a layer of our solid blue NeoGel on the top of your mattress. It is like the gel foot insoles for your whole body. I have it on one side of my mattress, that way I can flip it depending on the time of year to sleep cooler or not.

MESH-BORDERThe firm edges are made with air vents, that way when you sit or roll on your mattress the vents allow all the warm air to come out. By the way, most memory foam mattresses are not made with firm edges let alone have air vents in them too.

Our mattress covers are made with mesh borders and the same fabric technology that is used in dri-fit golf clothing. This will help to dissipate air and moisture for an even cooler and more comfortable sleep.

The NeoGel Mattress is custom made to suit your weight, preference and back condition. Your partner can get what they need or want on their side of the bed. It’s the coolest memory foam mattress ever by design.

Sleep cooler and better by knowing the options that are available to do so./em>

Sincerely,

R.C. (Bob) Dimas

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Keywords: viscogel, neogel, natural memory foam, Koosh Natural, cool memory foam, best memory foam mattress, hot mattresses, mattress odour, eco-friendly mattress, soy-based foam, maximum air circulation, air vents
By: R.C. (Bob) Dimas

Some Serious Statistics About Your Sleep & Health

Evidence continues to mount that getting a good night’s sleep…
is essential to lifelong health.gillinov_heartdisease_risks

A study published recently in the Journal of Sleep shows that if young adults and teens get to bed too late at night, they are far more likely to become overweight as adults. In fact, the later they get to bed, the greater the chance they will be heavy as adults.

Actually, how late you go to sleep at night appears to be an even more significant factor than the number of hours of sleep for teens and young adults. Weight patterns established between the ages of 14-25 are likely to create a body mass index that will last a lifetime.

Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control has new statistics on teen sleep that are eye-opening: Fewer than a third of high school students get even 8 hours of sleep a night when they should be getting 8 to10 hours. Some may be modeling their parents. A third of adults in Canada now sleep less than six hours a night, when they should be getting at least 2 hours more. Reading your iPad in bed for 2 hours before sleep does not count and it actually hinders your ability to fall asleep (see blue blocking sunglasses).

Two other recent studies suggest that not getting enough sleep at night increases the risk of heart disease and makes the risk of catching a cold climb higher.

Meanwhile, a Columbia University study of teens and their sleep patterns indicates that the number of hours of sleep teenagers get each night has fallen steadily over the last 20 years. Inadequate sleep during high school years is now thought to also affect how well a student can concentrate. Lack of sleep also causes increase moodiness, poor immunity, and more pimples. Sleep deprivation among teens has also been linked to substance abuse. The study surveyed more than 270,000 adolescents.

It also found that female teens and children from lower socioeconomic levels get less sleep than males and students from families with more economic security.

Earlier this year, a study published in the journal BMJ Open indicated that students who have a difficult time falling asleep at night have spent more time on electronic devices like computers and cell phones. The researchers said that parents seem to have gotten the message that having a TV in a teen’s bedroom is a bad idea but have failed to deny access to smart phone screens and computers.

Better sleep habits will improve your health and wealth…

Sincerely,

R.C. (Bob) Dimas

Be the best that you can be by doing whatever is necessary to improve the quality of your sleep!

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By: R.C. (Bob) Dimas

Do You Sleep Much On Your Winter Vacation?

vacation-keep-calm

Taking vacations at least once a year is important. A few days of not thinking about work can go a long way to recharging your batteries.

If you are really serious about your rest, you should do your due diligence well before you book your next trip. What is crazy, for me, are people that spend thousands of dollars for rest and relaxation and do not investigate or ask any questions about the mattress they plan to rest and relax on. It is also crazy to think about the number of hotels that are charging very good money but are not caring enough to make their guests as comfortable as possible.

I avoid the hotels that have negative reviews about their mattresses. However, if I really like something else about a hotel with a not so comfortable mattress, I have brought my own vacuum-packed high resiliency foam topper to put on the not so comfortable mattress.

On our most recent Vacation

On our recent vacation, we called ahead and we were told that we would be sleeping on memory foam mattresses and that they were practically brand new. That’s not exactly what we got and they were not what we would call a properly constructed memory foam mattress. Read on and you’ll see what I mean.

When we were there we met a couple. Martyn and Debra started complaining about their mattress. They continued to tell me about the things they tried to do to fix their sleeping situation in an attempt to get a more restful night’s sleep.

Vacation-Blog

First, Martyn said that he unzipped the topper and took it off the bed. They thought since there was memory foam under the thick lumpy pillow-top that they could sleep on that and be more comfortable.

In this case, sleeping on the memory foam did not work because the mattress was not properly constructed to get the most benefit from the memory foam. A proper construction would be a layered foam mattress with a firmer high resiliency foam core and a medium transition layer between the memory foam and the firmer core. In this case, the 2″ memory foam layer was directly on the spring core. No matter how heavy you are, you will go right through the soft memory foam and feel the springs under it.

Martyn was complaining about a bad back after just 4 nights of sleeping on his mattress.

Final Word

Sleep affects our energy level, our mood and our behaviour even when we are on vacation. It allows our muscles to rest and regenerate after a long day of sightseeing or just frolicking around on the beach. Our personal army of antibodies fight off germs better when we get sufficient and quality sleep. You will rest better and feel more relaxed when you have something comfortable to sleep on – whether it’s in your room or for an afternoon nap beside the pool.

If the mattress is no good then look around for something better to sleep on. It could be the couch, the sofa bed mattress or even a comfortable pool lounger for some nice afternoon naps. One of the girls in the office complained to the front desk about their overly firm mattress that had no comfort zone of top. Within minutes housekeeping brought up a foam topper to put on top of their mattress. It was a big improvement and made their mattress bearable to sleep on.

Start every day with a good night’s sleep…

Sincerely,
FOAMITE INDUSTRIES INC.

R.C. (Bob) Dimas

Be the best that you can be by doing whatever is necessary to improve the quality of your comfort time!

POOL LOUNGER

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Keywords: rest & relaxation, foam, memory foam mattress, rest better, comfort time, sleep better, sleep right, vacation