ANCSLEEP BLOG

When you share a bed with someone, you’re not just sharing physical space—you’re also sharing emotional and mental space. Throughout the night, people’s emotional and mental states can show up in their sleep, whether that looks like trouble falling asleep, oversleeping, very light sleeping, nightmares, and more. 

When you both come to bed, you’re also bringing the stress, worries, excitement, and other feelings from your day. This mix of emotions and high stress can create an unwelcoming sleep environment. In this article, we’ll talk about how you can connect with your partner before bed so you can both unwind together and set yourselves up for a great night of sleep.

Nothing feels better than waking up on a Saturday morning to no alarm, at your own leisure. It's nice to just be able to go with the flow instead of being obligated to get somewhere at a certain time. However, sleeping in on the weekends may actually be detrimental to your sleep health. Continue reading to learn why keeping a consistent sleep schedule is best for your overall health. 

Naps are not just for soothing cranky kids or giving parents a break. In fact, they may be most important for learning in infancy and early childhood. Recent studies suggest that napping offers major benefits for infants and young children. In this article, we’re going to look at how babies and kids use sleep to learn, and how that might shape your children’s schedules until they eventually grow out of napping.

The pandemic has come with its fair share of troubles, and sleep has been no exception. People all over the world have been struggling to get a good sleep pattern due to a variety of reasons. Schedules are simply not the same, and with the blending of home and work environments, it can be difficult to relax enough in your sleeping environment to get solid rest. This has led to a rise in the use of melatonin. However, melatonin is not the cure-all supplement for sleep that it seems. Here we will discuss the rise of melatonin and its potential complications. 

Melatonin is a natural hormone that is produced by the body at night. It is controlled by the amount of light that is allowed into the eye. It helps the body wind down and get ready for bed. Sometimes, when the body does not produce enough melatonin, there are exogenous options, or melatonin pills, that can help those who are having trouble falling asleep. However, those supplements come with some potential problems, of which you need to be aware. Continue reading to find out some things about melatonin that should give you pause before depending heavily on that supplement for good sleep. 

The midday slump is the antithesis of getting things done during the day. It can happen mid-morning to mid-afternoon as you're counting down the hours to be done with your day. Maybe you are a student and trying to stay awake in class. Or, perhaps you're in meetings all day and finding it hard to stay awake. Here are some tips to stay productive and alert when you start to get tired. 

Has your sleep been turned upside down? Or maybe you've never gotten good sleep. Either way, it's essential to get the recommended 7-9 hours of sleep. Without it, you put yourself at risk for sleep deprivation, which leads to excessive daytime sleepiness, mood dysregulation, trouble concentrating, and memory problems. Here are some ways to turn your sleep habits around, or maybe even develop them, so you can get optimal sleep. 

Falling asleep at work can be frustrating and create issues with productivity, especially if you work in a place that absolutely requires your devoted attention (e.g., schools, warehouses, etc.). Sometimes it feels like this enormous weight of sleep is upon you, and there is nothing you can do but succumb to it. If it happens every now and again, then it may be behavioral. But, if it's happening all the time, that can be cause for concern. Continue reading to find out why you may be falling asleep at work and how to prevent it. 

If you struggle with insomnia, then you may have issues staying asleep throughout the night. When you are sleep deprived, you can have issues with mood regulation, focus, attention, learning, and memory. Sleep quantity is important - the number of hours you are in bed. However, sleep quality is also important - the type of sleep you are getting. 

Many individuals wake up in the middle of the night. Up to 35.5% of individuals wake up in the middle of the night at least three times per week. Wake-ups normally happen in the earlier stages of sleep, or the light stages. Stress can cause these awakenings, fluctuations in blood sugar or hormones, as well as physical discomfort. Here are 10 things you can do to reduce these nighttime awakenings.  

The hardest part about having children of different ages is that they are able to do different things based on their age, maturity, school schedules, etc. This can be especially hard for younger children who take pride in feeling older. When it comes to getting adequate sleep, this can definitely be a challenge. Younger children with earlier bedtimes may want to stay up because their siblings can. However, you don't want to hold back the older children because they feel as if they have progressed from their "childhood bedtimes". It's a tough balance, but it's necessary to prioritize the sleep health of the children over their individual desires. Continue reading to find out some great tips for balancing the different sleep schedules.