Americans Get Physical After a Good Night in Bed

1 May 2008 10:30 Africa/Lagos


Americans Get Physical After a Good Night in Bed

New findings show better sleep linked to improved physical performance

ALEXANDRIA, Va., May 1 /PRNewswire/ --

While weary, overextended Americans are turning to "quick fixes" like caffeine and performance-enhancing supplements, which claim to improve everything from their daily workout to their sex lives, they are losing sight of what experts say is essential to improved performance: a good night's sleep.


According to the 2008 Better Sleep Month (BSM) national survey, sponsored by the Better Sleep Council (BSC), those respondents getting nine hours of sleep or more are more likely to engage in higher-intensity workouts, including biking, running and/or weight lifting. Yet an alarming seven in 10 (70 percent) report that they are not getting the recommended amount of sleep needed each night (7 1/2 hours or more) to perform at their best each day.


"Sleep deprivation impacts us physically, which can negatively affect our coordination, agility, mood and energy," says Dr. Bert Jacobson, professor and head of the School of Educational Studies at Oklahoma State University (OSU) and the lead author of the new study Grouped Comparisons of Sleep Quality for New and Personal Bedding Systems. "Research shows that sleeping better and longer leads to improvements in athletic performance, including faster sprint time, better endurance, lower heart rate, and even improved mood and higher levels of energy during a workout."


One out of three survey respondents agrees, stating that the best thing about getting a good night's sleep is improved physical performance. However, the BSC explains that better sleep and/or improved physical performance is not just a result of getting one extra hour of sleep a night. "Getting a better night's sleep is about making a larger investment in sleep overall, including taking a closer look at your sleep surface and surroundings. Improving sleep quality is just as important as quantity," adds Dr. Jacobson.


A New Mattress Does a Body Good


The survey also reveals that respondents who report getting seven to eight hours of sleep each night (7.5 hours is optimal) are more likely to be sleeping on a newer mattress (one to four years old). Additionally, findings reveal that those sleeping on a newer mattress are significantly more likely to engage in physical activities than those who sleep on older mattresses:


Type of Physical Newer Mattress Older Mattress
Activity (one - four years old) (eight -10 years old)
Running 59% 6%
Weights 54% 8%
Aerobics 57% 9%




The same survey found that 81 percent of Americans report waking up with back, neck or shoulder pain in the past year, with nearly half (46 percent) of respondents reporting that they frequently (at least a few times a month) wake up with these types of pain that limit their physical performance.


There's good news, however, for the majority of people suffering with limited mobility due to back and neck pain. According to Dr. Jacobson's study, published in the Journal of Applied Ergonomics, sleeping on a new mattress can significantly improve sleep quality during the night and reduce physical pain during the day. In fact, when sleeping on new bedding systems, study respondents on average reported significant improvements in:


* lower back pain (62.8 percent),
* shoulder pain (62.4 percent),
* back stiffness (58.4 percent),
* sleep quality (64.4 percent), and
* sleep comfort (69.6 percent).



"Like your favorite pair of athletic shoes, your mattress can still feel comfortable long after it has lost its ability to provide your body with the comfort and support it needs," said Karin Dillner, BSC spokesperson. "And just as we need the proper equipment to get the best workout, we also need the proper equipment to get the best night's sleep -- most importantly, a quality mattress."


The BSC recommends that consumers evaluate their current mattress by asking themselves four basic questions to determine if it's time for a mattress upgrade:


* Is your mattress five - seven years old or older?
* Do you wake up with stiffness, numbness, aches and pains?
* Do you get a better night's sleep somewhere other than your own bed
(such as a hotel)?
* Does your mattress show visible signs of overuse (sags, stains, etc.)?



The BSC's E.A.S.E. Method provides consumers with easy steps for finding and purchasing the mattress of their dreams. For more information, visit http://www.bettersleep.org/ease.


For more tips on how to Start Every Day with a Good Night's Sleep(TM) during Better Sleep Month, and to download the Better Sleep Guide brochure for simple solutions that can help improve the quality of your performance by improving the quality of your sleep, please visit http://www.bettersleep.org/.


Dr. Bert Jacobson, performance expert, researcher, professor and author of Grouped Comparisons of Sleep Quality for New and Personal Bedding Systems, is available for comment regarding this study and the important role a mattress plays in the quality of one's life. Please contact Kristen Ekey at 202-828-8855 or kristen.ekey@fleishman.com for more information.


About the Better Sleep Council: Established in 1979, the Better Sleep Council (BSC) is the consumer education division of the International Sleep Products Association (ISPA). The BSC is devoted to educating the public about the importance of sleep to good health and quality of life, and about the value of the sleep system and sleep environment in pursuit of a good night's sleep.


Survey findings are taken from a survey of 1,000 people, conducted by the polling company(TM), inc., from January 18-21, 2008. The margin of error is +/- 3.1 percentage points at the 95% confidence level.


Source: Better Sleep Council

CONTACT: Kristen Ekey, +1-202-828-8855, kristen.ekey@fleishman.com, for
Better Sleep Council


Web site: Better Sleep

Lindsay Lohan's Imitation of Marilyn Monroe

The same Bert Stern who photographed Marilyn Monroe at the Hotel Bel - Air in 1962 before she died has photographed pretty and sexy actress Lindsay Lohan posing like Marilyn Monroe for the New York Magazine.

FM&B and Kisses & Roses are showing these exclusive photographs for the first time by an African site.

View the complete SlideShow.

What Do You Wish for the Valentine?

Tomorrow, February 14, is St. Valentine's Day.

I have gone out since yesterday to distribute dozens of copies of my popular book of love, "The Language of True Love” on Bonny Island in the Niger Delta of Nigeria. I gave a copy to a tall and handsome Dutch who gave me a ride in his white jeep from the Nigerian LNG Estate to the Nigerian LNG Roundabout where I distributed more copies of the book to two Igbo vendors of VCDs to sell them. I had a brief discussion with the kind Dutch man before we parted. The Dutch man told me he has been working on Bonny Island since 2005 and happily secured with his wife and children. I told him that I am writer.
"You are a romance writer," he said as he looked at the title and romantic couple on the cover of "The Language of True Love".
"I write more on politics, poems and fiction," I said.
I told him that the peaceful environment of the Nigerian LNG Estate on Bonny Island is very conducive to the peace of mind a writer needs to write serious literature. I wanted to get away from the hustle and bustle of Lagos city or what Thomas Hardy called far from the madding crowd.
He nodded in agreement with me.
I told him that first Dutch man I met when I arrived Bonny Island was Mr. Wilmar Bliek and commended Mr. Bliek's good management of the Nigerian LNG Estate.

There is peace in the Nigerian LNG Estate, but there is violence in most of the host communities as unidentified and well-known militants have been on rampage and held hundreds of foreign oil workers and local oil workers hostage since 2003 with many casualties. Foreign oil workers dare not use the dangerous waterways, because hundreds of them have been kidnapped and later released in exchange for huge ransoms. Some have been killed and thousands have left the volatile Niger Delta for the safe parts of Nigeria. Unidentified gunmen shot and killed two male Naval officers last Monday, whilst they were escorting one of the Nigerian LNG ferries across the Bonny Channel. The management of the Nigerian LNG has suspended the official Ferry Service until further notice and a similar decision was taken last year when militant killed two police officers guarding the passengers and goods on a Nigerian LNG ferry. Dare devil gunmen and militants have forced the management of the Nigerian LNG to use helicopters to fly workers and others over the dangerous waterways to save lives, and use barges for the transportation of goods.
I did not want to discuss the Niger Delta crisis plaguing Nigeria, because I did not want to digress from the topic of our discussion or dampen his cheerful mood on the eve of St. Valentine's Day.
I thanked him as I alighted from the vehicle. I shut the door and he drove off in the direction of the Nigerian LNG Plant Complex in the Industrial Area.

Beware of online Valentine's greetings, because they may contain Internet worm and singles should beware of sex on Valentine's day, because of the rampant cases of STDs and HIV/AIDS.




What do you wish for the Valentine?

I would have loved to be with my one and only Val, Queen, who is far away in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). I have already bought a rose flower and other gifts meant for her as Christmas presents, but I have not been able to visit her. I have been delayed by unforeseen circumstances, because of the dangers of crossing the sea from Bonny Island to Port Harcourt before going on to Abuja by road or by air. I called her yesterday and told her to be rest assured of my love. I promised to come to Abuja later, she would be satisfied after my visit, and I have called her again today.

I have never loved anyone as I love Queen since I was born.
If I Could...

It started slowly.
Then it continued gradually and before I knew it, I have fallen in love with you.
Love comes either slowly or quickly.
But you will always know that you are simply in love.

5 Women She Hates

5 Women She Hates

Manage all the women in your life.

~ By the Editors of Men's Health

Jealousy on the part of your significant other can sabotage your best female friendships. Here's how to smooth over your relationship.

The Leggy Coworker

Why she's worried: Your sexy office gal pal has unfettered access to half of your weekday, and your girl fears this face time can spark a cubicle romance.

Ease her fears: Play show and tell. Give your girl a guided tour of the office, introduce her to your coworkers — including Legs — and end at your desk, where she'll find a prominently displayed picture of herself. It's a talisman that wards off flirty office workers, says Dorian Solot, author of I Love Female Orgasm. "It shows her she's on your mind while you're on the clock."

2. The College Cohort

Why she's worried: You spent 4 boozy, sexually charged years with this girl, who knows the secret handshake and dated half of your fraternity. What's more, unlike your girl, she has a standing invitation to game day and poker night.

Ease her fears: Paint the friend as a mascot, not a romantic interest, says Susan F. Benjamin, author of Perfect Phrases for Dealing with Difficult People. And invite your gal to a few college game parties, so she'll see that the cutie sits squarely in your "like-a-sister" category.

3. The Matriarch

Why she's worried: Your woman feels resentful about her own need to impress your mom.

Ease her fears: Ship your ladies off to a wine tasting together (find one in your city at localwineevents.com). Each wants to win the other's approval, which can lead to insecurities and false perceptions, says Gini Graham Scott, Ph.D., author of Disagreements, Disputes and All-out War. A retreat with some vino will melt away any hangups.

4. The Facebook Fox

Why she's worried: You've dutifully declared you're "in a relationship" on your MySpace or Facebook profile. But she worries it means nothing to the harem of cybervixens on your friends list.

Ease her fears: Let her plant a flag in your digital world. If they're not online, too, girlfriends and wives place these sites just a notch above porn. Help her create her own page and bump her up to the top of your friends list.

5. The Gym Goddess

Why she's worried: Your trainer is single and oozes sexuality from every pore. You may say her post-workout chats are harmless, but your girlfriend knows better (and so do you, playa).

Ease her fears: Play matchmaker and set her up with a friend, says Solot. Face it: You're taken, and she's a temptress. Best to try this under-utilized brushoff, which will allow you two to still chat at the gym. The move takes her off your gal's worry list.



John Russell reports

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