Wednesday, March 31, 2010
New Hire - from Bellefonte High School
We like to hire employees that are local, dedicated to quality, and can represent our company. Our neighbor's son is our latest employee. He's still a sophomore in high school and not yet 16, but he was determined to find a job to pay his dad back for buying him a new (used) car. So when he mentioned that he was looking for a job, we offered him the position to help out a few days a week. He filled out all of the paperwork required by the school system and began working last week! He has packed 300 SleepPhones, large and small soap, and many other random tasks. Plus, he has a wide network of friends at school and church groups who have been curious about where he works. I just gave him some business cards as a sales associate. I think he has been a great hire!
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Headphones Splitter and Volume Control Extension Cord
We are now carrying a headphone splitter and an extension cord with volume control. Customers have been asking about such items, so we decided to start carrying them. We don't manufacture them at this point, so they are made by Belkin and Koss, both good big brands in the audio industry.
BlueSleep in Manhattan
I met Dr. Jordan Stern at the Sleep Health and Safety conference in DC on March 5th. He's an otolaryngologist (Ear, Nose, and Throat doctor) in Manhattan who has a special interest in sleep. He runs BlueSleep, a Sleep Apnea and Snoring Clinical Center in New York's Financial District. BlueSleep is now carrying SleepPhones! Feel free to visit the clinic to purchase a set of SleepPhones.
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Thursday, March 25, 2010
Lumie Elite 300 Sleep-Alarm Clock
BioBrite is a great company based in Maryland that designs high-quality full-featured light-box alarm clock. It's basically everything sleep experts recommend for you to have at the night stand, packed in one. We now carry their best model on our website. It's the Lumie Elite!
The company was nice enough to offer one to us for testing. The dome is made from heavy, high quality frosted glass that diffuses a soft warm light. The illuminated clock is is easy to program and can be dimmed or brightened as desired. There is a plug in the back for listening to music with SleepPhones. Alternatively, there are nice built-in speakers that play the sleep music. It comes pre-programmed with well-known Meditainment meditation tracks, but you can plug in your own SD card with your own music too. You can listen to the radio too. In the morning, you can set bird chirping and a brightening light as a gentle wake up. As a back up, you can also set a beeper alarm. This elegant little device is choke full of features designed for optimal sleep.
The company was nice enough to offer one to us for testing. The dome is made from heavy, high quality frosted glass that diffuses a soft warm light. The illuminated clock is is easy to program and can be dimmed or brightened as desired. There is a plug in the back for listening to music with SleepPhones. Alternatively, there are nice built-in speakers that play the sleep music. It comes pre-programmed with well-known Meditainment meditation tracks, but you can plug in your own SD card with your own music too. You can listen to the radio too. In the morning, you can set bird chirping and a brightening light as a gentle wake up. As a back up, you can also set a beeper alarm. This elegant little device is choke full of features designed for optimal sleep.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
New SleepPhones Pictures!
Last weekend, we went to Philadelphia to hang out with our photographer, Carina Romano. She took some new pictures for us! We're very excited because they turned out so well. Here are a few.
I've started to use some of these pictures on our website. There will be more to come!
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Shifted Circadian Rhythm and Treatment
Subjective:
M.M. is a graduate student, with a huge work load but no regular work hours required during the research months. So he ends up going to bed at 5 a.m. and waking up at 11 a.m. every day. He eats dinner at 7 p.m. and feels tired after dinner, but he stays up to get more work done. Then he tries to go to bed at midnight because his body feels tired at that time. He finds that his mind is still going though and so he stays up until 5 a.m. Finally by that time, he is exhausted and goes to bed. The next day at 11 a.m., he wakes up still feeling tired but has to get back to work.
He denies having anxiety when he's trying to sleep. He's not really worrying about things, but just stays up thinking about his research. He doesn't have any problems with sleep once he falls asleep. He doesn't wake up multiple times, have nightmares, or pain preventing him from sleeping.
He would like to live in the world of light rather than be a vampire. And he actually functions better in the mornings anyway. He's not as productive at night. He is just having trouble trying to get back to a normal schedule. He's tried taking melatonin at night to help him get to sleep, but he don't find it helpful. He's also tried going to sleep after dinner, but finds that he just wakes up at 2 a.m., which doesn't break the cycle.
Objective:
He appears healthy overall, in no immediate distress. In our dialogue, he does not appear to be sad or anxious, laughing appropriately, and responding to questions appropriately.
Assessment:
M.M.'s problem is that his circadian rhythm is off. He does not have anxiety, depression, or medical problems causing his insomnia. It is simply that his days and night controls within the brain are off. Those are normally set by the body's production of melatonin a few hours before sleep and the exposure to bright blue light upon waking. The current challenge is to make him sleepy so that he goes to bed at a decent hour and is able to get the 7-8 hours of sleep he needs.
Plan:
I recommended that he do the following.
For dinner, eat a light dinner that doesn't have much carbohydrates so he doesn't feel so tired after dinner.
At 8 p.m., take 6mg of Melatonin.
At 11 p.m., listen to a hypnosis CD, such as the one from Dr. Gurgevich.
He should be able to sleep well then.
At 7 a.m., wake up and go outside for a while to get the morning sun.
No naps during the day.
Repeat for 3 nights. That should help get him back on schedule.
After that, melatonin should not be necessary anymore.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
New Sheep Design?
Our graphic designer came up with a new design for our sheep. We really loved him the way he was, but perhaps the new design would depict our product better. But then again, no one would recognize the second sheep as wearing headphones, since our headphones are so non-traditional. Not quite sure about the pros and cons on this. Any thoughts? Thanks!
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
eBay Coupons
Well, that's new. Coupons are now being sold on eBay. A special customer gets a nice coupon, and they turn around and sell it on eBay. Interesting idea.
I suppose that's fine with us. It gets us more publicity! Here's an example of such a posting. It's the second time I've seen our coupons on eBay.
And here I am promoting a promotion of our promotion. It comes full-circle.
I suppose that's fine with us. It gets us more publicity! Here's an example of such a posting. It's the second time I've seen our coupons on eBay.
And here I am promoting a promotion of our promotion. It comes full-circle.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Medications That Can Cause Insomnia
If you have chronic insomnia, sometimes it's due to medications or drug-like substances that you take for other purposes. Here's a list of some of the most common medications that can contribute to insomnia.
- birth control pills
- thyroid medication
- beta blockers like Toprol or labetalol
- antibiotics like Cipro, Avelox, or Levaquin
- antidepressants
- Sudafed
- caffeine
- appetite suppressants
- steroids like prednisone or cortisone
- niacin (vitamin B3)
- ginsing
Thursday, March 11, 2010
High School Students Need 9 Hours of Sleep
High school students average 7 hours of sleep on school nights and 8.5 hours on weekends. That's not enough, according to Dr. Jodi Mindell, the Associate Director of the Sleep Disorders Center at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. They should be getting at least 9 hour of sleep every night.
Not getting enough sleep may be one reason why so many students are being diagnosed with attention deficit disorder (ADD). Poor sleeping habits may also contribute to the development of anxiety issues. Even though teenagers may try to act like adults, they still need more sleep than adults.
The National Sleep Foundation and many sleep experts agree that delaying the start time for high school students will help them to function better during class. Allowing teens to sleep in later is more in line with their circadian rhythm, which is that of a night owl. Rather than forcing the students to fight their nature, starting classes later will result in fewer sleepy students. Teachers will have less cranky teens that actually stay awake in class too. In places where a late school start time has been implemented, most students and teachers report a much better learning environment.
Sleep Tip: Teens need 9 hours of sleep a night. Plus, talk to the school board about a later start to the day for high school students.
Not getting enough sleep may be one reason why so many students are being diagnosed with attention deficit disorder (ADD). Poor sleeping habits may also contribute to the development of anxiety issues. Even though teenagers may try to act like adults, they still need more sleep than adults.
The National Sleep Foundation and many sleep experts agree that delaying the start time for high school students will help them to function better during class. Allowing teens to sleep in later is more in line with their circadian rhythm, which is that of a night owl. Rather than forcing the students to fight their nature, starting classes later will result in fewer sleepy students. Teachers will have less cranky teens that actually stay awake in class too. In places where a late school start time has been implemented, most students and teachers report a much better learning environment.
Sleep Tip: Teens need 9 hours of sleep a night. Plus, talk to the school board about a later start to the day for high school students.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Shift Work Increases Breast Cancer Risk
1 in 5 Americans work the night shift. Half of shift workers have a difficult time with sleep.
Working the night shift puts people at risk for many problems including the following.
No one knows for sure why this happens. The theory is that the accurate timing of melatonin released by the brain in response to light is protective against breast cancer. Therefore, having a regular schedule and regular exposure to appropriate light would help shift workers to train their brains.
Sleep Tip: Shift workers should avoid bright light in the morning by wearing sunglasses. They should try to wake up before the sun sets at night to get their "morning sun."
Working the night shift puts people at risk for many problems including the following.
- stomach and intestinal problems
- heart problems
- cancer
- diabetes
- depression
No one knows for sure why this happens. The theory is that the accurate timing of melatonin released by the brain in response to light is protective against breast cancer. Therefore, having a regular schedule and regular exposure to appropriate light would help shift workers to train their brains.
Sleep Tip: Shift workers should avoid bright light in the morning by wearing sunglasses. They should try to wake up before the sun sets at night to get their "morning sun."
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Poor Sleep Is Related to Increased Death
Adults who take longer than 30 minutes to fall asleep have more than twice the risk of death than adults who take less than 30 minutes to fall asleep.
It's okay. That doesn't mean that the next time you have insomnia, you will die sooner. It just means that they have seen a relationship between poor sleep and an increased risk of death. So perhaps people who have more medical problems can't sleep as well. Or perhaps people who don't sleep well develop more medical problems that increase their risk of death.
Adults who sleep less than 80% of the time they spend in bed have almost twice the risk of death than adults who sleep more than 80% of the time they spend in bed trying to sleep.
In other words, adults who sleep better the entire night in bed live longer than those who don't. That could be because poor health causes people to not sleep well. It could also mean that people who don't sleep well develop more health problems.
In any case, sleep is not to be discounted as wasted time. Sleep is a vital part of our health. Doctors are so busy taking care of diabetes and colds that they often forget to ask you about sleep. If you are tired during the day and take longer to fall asleep or sleep poorly through the night, you should see a doctor to find out why and how to correct it.
Sleep Tip: Insomnia is related to increased risk of death. You should see a doctor if you have insomnia.
It's okay. That doesn't mean that the next time you have insomnia, you will die sooner. It just means that they have seen a relationship between poor sleep and an increased risk of death. So perhaps people who have more medical problems can't sleep as well. Or perhaps people who don't sleep well develop more medical problems that increase their risk of death.
"Four in the morning and I've got that feeling
Clock's ticking but my heart's not beating
Eyes open and I'm staring at the ceiling"
- Ivy (Watch on YouTube)
Adults who sleep less than 80% of the time they spend in bed have almost twice the risk of death than adults who sleep more than 80% of the time they spend in bed trying to sleep.
In other words, adults who sleep better the entire night in bed live longer than those who don't. That could be because poor health causes people to not sleep well. It could also mean that people who don't sleep well develop more health problems.
In any case, sleep is not to be discounted as wasted time. Sleep is a vital part of our health. Doctors are so busy taking care of diabetes and colds that they often forget to ask you about sleep. If you are tired during the day and take longer to fall asleep or sleep poorly through the night, you should see a doctor to find out why and how to correct it.
Sleep Tip: Insomnia is related to increased risk of death. You should see a doctor if you have insomnia.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Night Owls Should Avoid Blue Light in Evenings; Larks Should Use Blue Light in Evenings
From March 7-13, we are celebrating National Sleep Awareness Week! There will be a new announcement every day, full of tips about sleep and fun SleepPhones Specials. Currently, we are offering free shipping!
Tip: In the Evening, Night Owls Should Avoid Blue Light Whereas Morning Larks Should Use Blue Light.
People who tend to stay up late and wake up late should try to avoid blue light in the evenings. The brain is very sensitive to blue light shining in through the eyes. It is one of the ways our bodies recognize whether it's daytime or not. Blue light is significant because it's the color of the sky. If the eyes are exposed to too much bright blue light in the evenings, then the brain thinks it's still day time. That makes it harder to fall asleep. This applies most to teenagers who tend to be night owls. They should avoid using computers as it gets later. Or perhaps turn the brightness of the computer screen down a bit.
<< Compact Fluorescent Bulbs
People who tend to get up too early and have trouble staying awake through the evening should use as many bright lights as possible in the evening. Those lights can be from energy-saving compact fluorescent bulbs, bright computer screens, or full-spectrum bulbs. The traditional incandescent light bulbs that get really hot don't have much blue light, so they won't work. The other important point is that the light needs to be close to the eyes. So having this type of light at the desk or near the couch for reading or knitting is good. The problem of waking up too early tends to occur in the elderly because their internal clocks are shorter. They also happen to be the ones living in older homes with older incandescent light bulbs. A great present for your older relative next time might be to change all of their lights over to compact fluorescent bulbs. It lowers their electricity bill, helps them from waking up too early, and doesn't create more clutter.
Tip: In the Evening, Night Owls Should Avoid Blue Light Whereas Morning Larks Should Use Blue Light.
People who tend to stay up late and wake up late should try to avoid blue light in the evenings. The brain is very sensitive to blue light shining in through the eyes. It is one of the ways our bodies recognize whether it's daytime or not. Blue light is significant because it's the color of the sky. If the eyes are exposed to too much bright blue light in the evenings, then the brain thinks it's still day time. That makes it harder to fall asleep. This applies most to teenagers who tend to be night owls. They should avoid using computers as it gets later. Or perhaps turn the brightness of the computer screen down a bit.
People who tend to get up too early and have trouble staying awake through the evening should use as many bright lights as possible in the evening. Those lights can be from energy-saving compact fluorescent bulbs, bright computer screens, or full-spectrum bulbs. The traditional incandescent light bulbs that get really hot don't have much blue light, so they won't work. The other important point is that the light needs to be close to the eyes. So having this type of light at the desk or near the couch for reading or knitting is good. The problem of waking up too early tends to occur in the elderly because their internal clocks are shorter. They also happen to be the ones living in older homes with older incandescent light bulbs. A great present for your older relative next time might be to change all of their lights over to compact fluorescent bulbs. It lowers their electricity bill, helps them from waking up too early, and doesn't create more clutter.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
National Sleep Awareness Week
Sleep Tip of the Day:
Bright sunlight early in the morning helps to set your chronically late-running internal clock so you feel less tired.
The average human body thinks that a day should be 24 hours and 12 minutes long. That means we feel like going to bed 8 minutes later every day and waking up 4 minutes later every day. Perhaps that's one of the reason many of us want to stay up a little bit later at night, and why we want to hit that snooze button just one more time. There are many variations between people, so not everyone feels that way. But apparently, more people have a tendency to be a night owl than a lark.
To help prevent us from going completely off track with a 24 hour day, bright sunlight first thing in the morning is very helpful for our bodies to set it's internal clock back by 12 minutes. If we don't get that sunlight, then we may continue to drag from one day to the next, feeling more and more sleep deprived.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Bugs with the Website Upgrade = Free Shipping!
Well, the first night, we had left 2 options for checkout accidentally, and a few people tried to check out using the wrong option. Then there were many minor bugs, like missing links and such. Those were quickly fixed. We had the downloads in as a product, but then quickly realized that was confusing people. So we changed that and all downloads are available on a single page again. We didn't have the left side menu up initially either, but the page looked so sparse and shipping was difficult to find. So we decided to put the menu on the left again.
The current bug still unfixed is the shipping. We're still trying to figure out how to charge the base shipping of $5 with this new system. So right now, everyone's getting free shipping!
The current bug still unfixed is the shipping. We're still trying to figure out how to charge the base shipping of $5 with this new system. So right now, everyone's getting free shipping!
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