Transform Your Sleep, Transform Your Life

Have you ever awakened after a night of so-called “sleep” and felt groggier than the night before? Or, avoided speaking with your husband or daughter in the a.m. because they’ve somehow been transformed into a grumpy old bear overnight? 

We often forget the intrinsic value of sleeping well. 

And, many of us haven’t had a good night’s sleep in years.

Bear in mind

We all know that diet and exercise are vital to our health. But, we are now learning that how well a person sleeps is arguably an even more important and immediate factor in living a healthy life. When you can’t function well due to a poor night’s sleep, you’re not able to live the dream… as soon as the very next day!

Go figure. If you sleep the recommended daily average of eight hours, you basically sleep for a third of your life. That means that if you live to 75, you’ll have been asleep for 25 years! That’s 229,961 hours (9,125 days) in bed. Other common human activities, such as working (90,360 hours), driving (37,935 hours), eating (32,098 hours), and surfing the internet (28,300 hours), don’t even come close! 

Consciously choosing the right mattress can make all the difference in your world.

The four secret ingredients

Modern sleep scientists, like Dr. Michael Breus, “The Sleep Doctor,” have studied what disrupts sleep and conversely what kind of environment you need to rest well  (www.thesleepdoctor.com). Over the past five years, he’s worked with companies - like Luma Sleep, an up-and-coming luxury mattress company based in Florida - to design mattress systems that can truly transform the quality of a person’s sleep - and ultimately their life. 

Dr. Breus knows his stuff. He’s narrowed the science of sleep down, identifying the four key design elements of a mattress that mean the difference between sleeping and living well, versus acting like a sleepy, growly bear all the time:

⇙ Temperature control: By far, the biggest sleep complaint Dr. Breus hears from patients is that they feel too hot or too cold at night, or they keep switching between the two, sweating for hours and then feeling chilly. Many people don’t realize that a modern, superior mattress design can alleviate this common sleep issue. In many cases, it’s a matter of simply improving air flow so the mattress materials allow for your body to breathe.

↝ Limited motion: It’s hard to sleep well when every time you roll over, you sink way down into the mattress. And, it can be more than aggravating to wake up repeatedly when your bed fellow bounces their body into yet another position. Dr. Breus contends that the materials your mattress is made of directly affect motion transfer which impacts your sleep more than you realize.

↝ Balanced pressure: Does your body sometimes ache when you’re trying to sleep, or when you wake up in the morning? Dr. Breus hears this a lot. For many people, it’s their lower back that’s not being properly supported. For others, it’s their hips or shoulders. A well-designed mattress should fill in and support your lower back, while minimizing pressure on your hips and shoulders. When this occurs it allows for the improved blood circulation that experts cite as a key process in the restorative health that comes from a good night’s sleep. 

⇙ Spinal support: And lastly, if your bed prevents your spine from being aligned properly, your back muscles cannot relax. As a result, it’s impossible to experience deep, restorative sleep. According to Dr. Breus, if your spine isn’t supporting your nervous system while you sleep, the resulting back pain affects your energy level, your productivity, your mood, and your daily interactions with others.

So, the real question becomes: “What is my mattress costing me in terms of living my best life?”

This issue is making headlines now, thanks in great part to Arianna Huffington and her Thrive Global platform. In fact, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that one-third of U.S. adults don’t get enough sleep on a regular basis and a whopping 80 percent have trouble sleeping at least one night per week. Beyond the personal toll, there’s also a huge economic toll. Sleep deprivation is responsible for approximately $400 billion in lost revenue annually for U.S-based businesses (CDC).

A prescription for better sleep

This is why Luma Sleep decided to incorporate all four of Dr. Breus’ tenets into their luxury sleep systems. As one of the more sophisticated e-commerce based “bed in a box” companies to emerge in the past few years, the Luma Sleep System is different from what most consumers have likely seen or felt before. 

Steve Russo, co-founder and CEO of Luma Sleep, talks about his vision: “Luma truly wants to help you transform your life by helping you sleep better. We realize each person is unique, so our sleep solutions feature two layers of comfort and support, combined with sound mattress engineering that’s customizable to the individual. Taking Dr. Breus’ sleep science to heart, every Luma luxury mattress is a marriage of form and function -- modern, informal elegance at its best, carefully designed to help you live a healthier life.”

But, one has to ask… With bed-in-a-box mattresses becoming a popular alternative to shopping in a retail mattress store, what is the real advantage of companies like Luma?  In speaking with Russo, he explains that Luma’s two-layer mattress consists of a base support layer (mattress) and a separate 2 or 3-inch natural latex (or Talalay latex) pillow top layer. Each customer can choose their own personal level of comfort (plush, medium, or firm). 

In addition, Russo notes that two of the Luma mattresses come with a pair of classic Talalay latex pillows, an Aller-Free mattress protector, and free in-home delivery, making them a complete Slumber System from head to toe.  

Taking the risk out of buying online

Buying a mattress online has become commonplace for many Millennials and Baby Boomers who are used to making purchases, even larger ones, online. But, for others, they still wonder if they’ll be able to get a bed they adore without having “tested it” first in a store.

To help take the risk out of purchasing a mattress online and the hassle out of having to return it if it’s not quite right, Luma offers a 100-night free in-home trial, and provides a real game changer – a Free Pillow Top Comfort Layer Exchange. 

Read more about the Luma Sleep Comfort Layer Exchange Program.

If during the first year a customer’s Luma doesn’t help them sleep better, they can exchange the pillow top layer for a plusher or firmer version, shipped to their door for free. The genius is in making the mattress in two layers so that the top layer is exchangeable. As Russo notes: “This is an integral part of Luma Sleep’s goal to  customize and transform your mattress experience.”

It’s true. Owning a modern mattress - backed by the latest sleep science - helps each of us to create a sanctuary for rest, relaxation, and healing within our homes, and offers a little affordable luxury to look forward to at the end of the day. As the old Irish proverb goes: “A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor’s book.”