Zero Gravity Adjustable Bases
May 27, 2016
Sleep Outfitters asks, “Have you experienced zero gravity, and can it help you sleep better?” Chances are you have a big-screen, high-definition television in your house. But it wasn’t that many years ago that the huge sets were considered a novelty, something only so-called “early adopters” would have. But somewhere along the line, there came a turning point, and those movie screen-sized sets became more popular and affordable and began showing up in living rooms and dens all over America because they enrich the lives of hard-working people who want to enjoy their leisure hours.
That same technological turning point looms for the adjustable mattress foundation. Just as bigger and better TV sets contribute to better quality leisure hours, so are adjustable foundations (or bases) contributing to better quality sleeping hours.
Sleep Outfitters and just about any medical professional you consult believe sleep is as important as diet and exercise to leading a healthy, productive life (hence our slogan, “outfitting you for a healthy life”). Perhaps it’s obvious, but if we don’t sleep well, our waking hours suffer. We’re less mentally and physically sharp, more error-prone, and more subject to a litany of diseases and health conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and hypertension.
Essential to quality, restorative sleep is the sleep environment in your bedroom. It should be cool, dark, and quiet, with a comfortable mattress and pillows. Yet, even with these essentials, many people sleep in pain or discomfort, employing an army of pillows to support their necks, backs, and legs, and they still have problems sleeping.
This brings us to the rise in popularity of the adjustable foundation, or, as we also refer to them at Sleep Outfitters, “zero gravity bases.”
Adjustable foundations allow you to raise or lower the head and foot of the bed via remote control in order to find the sleeping position most comfortable for you. Zero gravity refers to that adjustment that puts the least load on your body’s pressure points, thereby affording you the sensation of being in a zero gravity state.
Adjusting your mattress also means adjusting your neck and spine for optimal sleeping comfort, but an adjustable foundation’s benefits go beyond that.
Snoring occurs, especially for people who sleep on their backs, because the tongue falls into the back of the throat and partially blocks the windpipe. In the worst cases, that blockage can cause sleep apnea, a condition where the sleeper stops breathing for 10 to 30 seconds and then resumes breathing with a gasp. Sleep apnea can occur several times a night.
Adjusting the head of the bed in order to open the windpipe can help reduce or alleviate snoring, as well as help alleviate the effects of some sleep apnea conditions.
For people suffering from back pain, the less stress on the back, the better. Adjustable foundations allow for better spinal alignment, which can help relieve stress on the sciatic nerve, which controls most of the brain’s communication with the limbs.
Elevating the foot of the bed can be particularly beneficial to people who work on their feet all day and, as a result, experience tired, sore, or swollen feet or legs at night.
In order to accommodate nearly every sleep need and budget, Sleep Outfitters has available seven types of adjustable foundations, all with remote control. One model adjusts the head only. Others adjust the head and foot of the bed, and some come with built-in massage features.
Regardless of whether an adjustable foundation can benefit you, what is most important is getting a good night’s sleep. The American Academy of Family Physicians offers these sleep tips, some of which we’ve referenced in previous articles.
- Develop a bedtime routine, such as taking a warm bath or reading for a few minutes. You’ll soon connect these activities with bedtime, and performing them will make you sleepy.
- Make sure your bedroom is dark and quiet, as mentioned earlier. If noise is an issue, consider using a fan for “white noise” to mask the problem.
- Trouble falling asleep or staying asleep? Try going to another room for 20 minutes to sit quietly or read, and then go back to bed. Do this until you can fall asleep.
- A light snack of warm milk or crackers and cheese before bedtime may be all you need to help you sleep, but don’t eat a large meal that will feel heavy on your stomach and keep you awake.
- Worrying can keep you awake. Write down your concerns before bedtime. It will give you a plan for resolving challenges and help you sleep.
- Avoid alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine in the evening.
- Daily exercise is good, but avoid it three hours before bedtime.
- Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends, in order to train your body and brain.
Finally, reserve your bedroom for sleep only. We began this article talking about TVs, and one of the advantages of adjustable foundations is they make the bed a more comfortable place for TV-watching or using laptops and other electronic devices. But the blue light emitted by these devices impedes sleep by tricking the brain into thinking it should remain awake. Turn them off and sleep better.
At Sleep Outfitters, your sleep health is our main concern. For chronic sleep problems, consult your physician. If you think your sleeping problem might be solved by sleeping on the proper mattress, please visit us. We all sleep. Why not sleep well?
