There are three major factors that are within our control that can help us to living a healthy and fulfilled life. Eating a healthy, balanced diet can help you reach and maintain a healthy weight. Maintaining a consistent exercise program is good for your muscles as well as your heart. Getting a good night’s sleep is the final, and maybe the most important, factor to living a healthy life. Eating healthy and getting the proper amount of exercise, require extra effort and sacrifice. Getting a good night’s sleep is enjoyable and easy to do if you have the proper tools to do so.

Every person is unique, but all of us need to create a comfortable and relaxing environment in order to help us get the most restful, restorative night’s sleep possible. There are many ways to turn your sleeping area into a sleep sanctuary. Whether you are traveling across the country in your RV or at home in your bedroom, here are a few tips:

• Try to retire within two hours and rise within one hour of the same time every day, even on weekends.
• Write down a “To Do” list of what you want to accomplish and do tomorrow.
• Bring the freshness of the outdoors into your sleep space. Use air dried sheets and pillow cases or try a linen spray scented with soothing lavender or rose.
• Keep your sleep space quiet, cool and dark.
• Be sure that your pillow adequately meets your sleeping needs based on how you sleep.

Better Sleep Equals Better Life

In the past few years, there have been numerous studies released on how the lack of sleep can greatly impact the quality of your life. Studies have shown that lack of sleep to be a major factor in performance at school as well as work. If you are not well rested, you tend to lose focus easier. This loss of focus can have a definite negative impact on your career and your quality of life. Getting a great night’s sleep allows you to be revived and refreshed and to accomplish more during your day because you are not tired.

In addition to having the right pillow, one of the best tools that you can have is a proper mattress. Standard RV mattresses will not help you in your quest to getting a restful and restorative night’s sleep.

The Avena™ Foam mattress available at Camping World is a mattress that can definitely improve the quality of sleep whether you are in your RV, or in your home. The 10” thick Avena™ Foam Mattress uses no metal springs to poke, break or squeak. Two layers of premium hypoallergenic foam add more comfort and deeper support for total body relaxation, soothing away aches and pains, and reducing tossing and turning. A 3” thick layer of Avena™ foam offers exceptional comfort and support, dispersing body weight evenly to reduce pressure. A 7” thick layer of antimicrobial foam foundation layer confirms to your body naturally while resisting body impressions and retaining its shape night after night.

The Avena™ Foam mattress absorbs motion so you won’t wake or disturb your partner, so that you both enjoy night after night of restful and restorative sleep. Active Air Technology™ in the foam dissipates heat to help you stay cool and sleep better. The knitted rayon cover is luxuriously soft and smooth, and will help to draw moisture away from your skin. Flame retardant and eco-friendly, the Avena™ Foam mattress is made in USA, in Russellville, Kentucky. A rigorous 100,000 cycle test ensures lasting comfort and durability. It also includes a 10 year limited warranty. For added convenience, it come packed in a handy wheeled box that makes it easy to transport to your home or to your RV.

More Ways to Sleep Better

Naps are Good!! One way to ensure that the amount of sleep you are getting is sufficient is to take regular naps. Even a five-minute nap can make a difference in circadian rhythms, and that can decrease the chance of sleep problems. These mini-naps can be a great way to make sure the sleep you are getting throughout the day is enough.

Back Pain? If you’re starting to wake up with regular back pain after sleeping, don’t wait too long before trying to solve the problem. A new ergonomic pillow can help with body alignment, as can new bed mattress pads and maybe even a new mattress. Find a way to alleviate or reduce your pain so you can get a good night’s sleep. Your pillow and mattress are the first places to check, because if they aren’t replaced or cleaned as often as they should be, this can cause big problems even if the mattress and pillows do not appear worn.

Less Stress means Better Sleep Sleep and stress have a love-hate relationship. If you are suffering from an imbalance of sleeping and stress, we have some sleep advice that might make your life more manageable. First, stress messes with your sleep patterns, affecting both falling asleep and staying asleep. Stress causes sleeping disorders, and there are studies on how sleep deprivation and stress are linked to long term health effects.

Create your Perfect Sleep Space Take back the bedroom! Remove anything from the area that doesn’t serve the purpose of inducing sleep. Keep the lighting soft, your pillows fresh and clean, and your mattress pad or mattress toppers in good condition. Keep the temperature of your bedroom a little cooler than the rest of the house, and stick with soft, neutral or warm colors to create a sense of balance and harmony.