ANCSLEEP BLOG

At the end of another long day that came after another bad night of sleep, the last thing you may want to do is exercise. You may be trying to maintain your fitness goals and overall health. But at that point, nothing sounds better than going home to sit on the couch and get some much needed rest.

But what are the experts say? Is it safe for you to workout even thought you are tired and unfocused. Sleep deprivation makes it harder for you to make good decisions, pay attention, memorize things, and do much other than function at baseline. Working out involves coordination, awareness, focus and motivation - all of which go out the window when it comes to being so tired. 

Continue reading to learn what experts say about exercising when you're tired. 

Growling or twisting stomach right when you lie down for bed? Nothing is worse than a stomach going off like a marching band when you're trying to get a good night's rest. Even discomfort like heart burn tends to get started at night due to the force of gravity and your position in bed. These can all be uncomfortable situations that prevent you from getting a good night's rest. But, did you know that poor sleep can also affect digestion? Continue reading to learn more about this relationship, and determine if there are any changes you may need to make! 

You need two things to fall asleep: a relaxed mind and a relaxed body. Overstimulation disrupts your ability to have a relaxed mind. One source of this overstimulation could be your unmade bed. A clean room represents a clean mind, and a cluttered room could overwhelm the brain.

Even if you don't have time to clean your room everyday, starting with your mattress and bed may be key to helping your mind relaxed. A little less than half of people who make their bed and turn down their covers fall asleep within the typical time it takes to fall asleep - 20 minutes. Comparatively, only about a third of adults who don't make their bed fall asleep in this same time frame.

Making your bed every morning could give you a renewed sense of purpose. The average number of days that one makes their bed is 4.1 days per week. It's as if that one task builds momentum for another to be completed. Continue reading to see the impact that making your bed can have on you falling asleep faster. 

Improving sleep quality is the main goal of sleep interventions. However, this can be hard if you are unsure of what sleep quality entails. And if you are unsure, don't worry - you're not alone. Nonetheless, it's still very important to understand what sleep quality is so you can get a good night's rest. 

The best definition of sleep quality is that it is the ability to have refreshing and restorative sleep that can improve daytime function and overall health. You can be in bed for 7-9 hours, but if you're only getting quality sleep for 6 hours, then it doesn't matter. Restful sleep allows you to improve your immune function, exercise better, and repair your body from the day so you wake up feeling restored. Continue reading to get a better idea of what sleep quality really is so you can start making some better decisions to improve your sleep. 

Sleeping naked may be a point of contention for you. Like, what if there is a fire or a break-in and then your caught completely in the nude. However, there may be many benefits to cuddling in the sheets without clothes on that can put those fears to rest. Continue reading to learn why sleeping naked may be the best hack you've tried to date. 

We often emphasize the need for good sleep. But sometimes, it can be hard to know what defines "good sleep". You may ask yourself, how do you know if you're sleeping well, or if you need some improvement? 

That's why understanding how to measure sleep is useful, because you'll have a parameter against which to judge how good or bad your sleep is. Once you know how to measure your sleep, you can then determine if you are getting adequate sleep, or if you need to talk to a sleep specialist. Here are the best ways to measure sleep.  

If you have ever woken up in the middle of the night, you have experienced what is called wakefulness after sleep onset, or WASO. WASO is more than just a minor inconvenience throughout the night. It can severely impact sleep quality. Continue reading to find out more about WASO, how it's used, and what its implications are for your life. 

Melatonin is a naturally produced hormone, that helps your body go to sleep. It is released by the lack of light that hits your retina, signaling that it's probably time to go to bed. This release jumpstarts the process of shutting things down so your body can get some rest.

For one reason, or another, certain individuals cannot produce that much melatonin. Therefore, they may need exogenous, or outside sources. Melatonin tablets are a common exogenous source, but a new supplement form in a patch is becoming more available. Continue reading to find out what they are and if they work.  

Babies go through more growing and learning than any other age, and at a faster rate. Therefore, they need adequate amounts of sleep throughout this stage in order to ensure they are learning and growing as fast as they should. There are many milestones that babies should hit in their first year, and getting good sleep can help ensure they stay on track. 

it can take some time for both parents and kids to get into a good sleep routine and learn how to ensure that babies are getting the adequate amount of sleep they need. Continue reading to find out more about babies' sleep and how to improve your child's sleep. 

It's no secret that our entire world is becoming increasingly digital by the moment. Sleep apps are just the latest representation of this new way of life. But how exactly do sleep apps track sleep? 

Well, the sleeptech market is growing. Research and Markets estimates that the sleep-tech-device revenue will increase from $12.9 B - $49.9 B from 2020 to 2030. More and more people are paying attention to their health and turning to wearables, sleep tracker apps and other accessories that can be used to help everyone get a good night's sleep. 

Day sleepers, however, have a different set of needs and challenges. Nontraditional sleepers, like shift workers, create an additional challenge to the way companies collect data and offer sleep recommendations. Continue reading to see how some sleep apps are accounting for day sleeper's routines and what is to come.