Tag: Kenko Power Sleep Mask

How Deep Sleep Awakens Your Best Self

Published on by Nikken

Did you know that your body goes through four stages of sleep? As you sleep, your body cycles through those four stages. Sleep cycles vary throughout the night, with the shortest at the beginning of the night, typically lasting between 70 to 100 minutes. Later on, sleep cycles can last between 90 to 120 minutes.

Each of the four stages of sleep serves a purpose. Stage 1 is the lightest stage and occurs when you first fall asleep. Stage 1 allows your body to slow down and begin the process of relaxation. It is easy to be awakened, and if so, you have to repeat stage 1 until you’re asleep. If you stay asleep, your body will move into Stage 2.

During Stage 2, your muscles relax, body temperature drops, your heart rate and breathing both slow down. Brain activity also slows down in stage 2. During the first sleep cycle, stage 2 might last 10-25 minutes and each stage 2 later on, may become longer. Sleep experts estimate that a person generally spends half of a night’s sleep in stage 2.1

Stage 3 is where you get the deepest sleep. This stage is especially important because during deep sleep, your body recovers and grows. In other words, stage 3 is when your body experiences restorative sleep and the immune system and other major bodily processes are strengthened.2 Stage 3 is also known as delta sleep or slow-wave sleep, due to the identifiable pattern of brain activity. Muscle tone, pulse and breathing rate all decrease, and although brain activity slows, there is evidence that deep sleep contributes to insightful thinking, creativity and memory.3

During the early sleep cycles, deep sleep typically lasts from 20-40 minutes. As you continue sleeping, stage 3 sleep actually shortens and more time is spent in stage 4, REM sleep. Because the eyes are moving rapidly even though they’re closed during stage 4, that’s why it’s called REM sleep.

Perhaps the most attention has been paid to stage 4 REM sleep, because it’s during this phase that brain activity increases, almost to the levels of wakefulness. In contrast to the active brain, the rest of the body experiences a temporary paralysis of the muscles (known as atonia), with the exception of the rapid eye movement and the muscles involved with the breathing process. Although you can dream throughout the night, it’s during REM stages that the most vivid ones occur, probably due to the increase in brain activity.

But why is stage 3 deep sleep considered the key to awakening your best self? Take a look at what happens during deep sleep.

•          Your body’s natural processes of repair take place and grows bone, muscle and tissue.

•          Hormonal shifts take place to support the immune system. In fact, growth hormone is released, which helps with cell regeneration.

•          The body’s energy molecule, known as ATP, is produced. This readies your body for awakening and facing the day.

•          Memory is enhanced during deep sleep. Studies have shown that people who get enough sleep perform better on tests or when undertaking a new task.3

•          Getting enough deep sleep is linked to better moods and decreasing the risk of depression.

•          There is evidence that enough deep sleep can help prevent mental fog and help retain information.4

To get enough deep sleep, make sure you create the best possible sleep environment for yourself. Nikken can help you with free ground shipping on select Kenko sleep products through October 31st this month. (Free ground shipping does not apply to the Kenko Power Sleep Mask.)

1, 2 https://www.sleepfoundation.org/stages-of-sleep

3 https://aasm.org/college-students-getting-enough-sleep-is-vital-to-academic-success/

4 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7983127/

You Can Create a Sleep Sanctuary

Published on by Nikken

Sleeping well is a challenge for many people. Often, it’s because keeping up with the demands of family, friends and work can cause a huge amount of stress. The result is that neither body nor mind can decompress enough to get a good night’s sleep.

Fortunately, there are actual steps you can take to create a “sleep sanctuary,” some place pleasant and cozy, relaxing and soothing:

1. Perhaps the most important item in a sleep sanctuary is the bed. Regardless of the type of frame you choose for your bed, the mattress is important and should suit your personal needs. Do you like firm, medium or soft? More importantly, what type of mattress suits your spine? For example, even if you prefer a soft, cushy mattress, if your spine is weak, you would probably be better off with a firm mattress, because it affords more support.

Solution: No matter what type of mattress you currently have, the Kenko Naturest® Fit is a topper that sits right under your fitted sheet, in twin, full, queen or king sizes. The Fit is made with sculptured rubberthane latex, which provides massaging effects while allowing for air circulation and ceramic reflective fibers that help regulate body temperatures. 800 gauss magnets create a magnetic field which cocoons the body for relaxation to help improve sleep. Tourmaline gives off electrons that help create calming effects when exposed to pressure, heat or motion, which is provided by your own body as it lays on top of the Fit.

2. Just as the Kenko Naturest® Fit supports your comfort, what your skin actually touches also can make a difference in how well you sleep. Choose linen that feels the most comfortable for you. Invest in natural fabrics, such as cotton, flannel, flax or even silk. Manmade fabrics do not allow air to circulate as freely and may even cause itchy or sweaty skin. Natural fabrics help regular temperatures—cools in hot months and warms in cold ones.

3. Do the breath test of your bedroom or wherever you want your sleep sanctuary to be. Inhale in and out slowly. What do you smell? Since you will be spending all night in the sleep sanctuary, you need to make sure the air is fresh. Stale or unpleasant odors are not conducive to restful sleep. If there is a window, make sure to keep it open at least for a few hours every day so the room has outside air flowing through. Indoor air often contains more contaminants than outdoor air! Dust, pet dander, pollen and odors are typically in household air. Mold, mildew and dust mites may be present. Even gases such as radon and carbon monoxide are found in measurable quantities in many homes.

Solution: Whether you have a window or not, the KenkoAir Purifier®provides multiple-stage HEPA filtration, is energy efficient and includes a deodorizing filter. It operates quietly, is ozone-free and has a negative-ion generator.

4. Many people enjoy the aroma of essential oils. Lavender and cedarwood are examples of essential oils that people choose to de-stress and relax for better sleep.

5. Is your sleep sanctuary dark? Sleep scientists agree that a cool, dark environment is ideal for sleep. You can use black out curtains or wear a sleep mask.

Solution: The Kenko Power Sleep Mask not only helps block out light like a typical eye mask. It also helps relax the entire eye area, using similar technologies to those found in the Kenko Naturest® Fit. The Power Sleep Mask is made with patented Dynaflux® magnetic technology, ceramic reflective fibers and tourmaline technology which helps produce a calming effect. When your eyes are relaxed, you have a much better chance at sleeping through the night.

6. A sleep sanctuary is for rest. Your best bet is to create an environment that is natural—you might want a few green plants, but try to limit the clutter. For example, you don’t need to keep piles of books or clothes in a sleep sanctuary. Instead, hang simple photos or art on the walls and limit the amount of unnecessary furniture or accessories. In other words, create a space that you look forward to retiring in every night!

From now through October 31st, take advantage of free ground shipping on any size Makura Sleep Pack and other select Kenko Sleep products!