Posted on 08/17/2014 10:56:00 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Introducing a slightly odd but potentially very useful sleep hack: Keep one foot, or both feet, outside of your blanket. It could help you both sleep better and fall asleep faster, a sleep researcher explained to Science of Us.
I started thinking about this recently when I was idly chatting with a buddy about how (relatively) nice and cool it had been recently in New York, and how much nicer it is to sleep when it’s cooler outside. He replied with what is apparently his formula for a perfect night’s sleep: “One foot out from under the blanket and a nice breeze coming from the window.”
I do the same thing, I realized — keep my foot outside the covers — but I’ve never known why. A slow news day in August seemed as good as a time as any to find out, so I spoke with Natalie Dautovitch, a spokesperson for the National Sleep Foundation and a psychology professor at the University of Alabama. Dautovitch’s research focuses on chronopsychology — that is, how our routines and biological rhythms fluctuate throughout the day and night, and how that affects our health and well-being. And while she said there’s never been any research specifically looking into my question, she was game to offer up a few theories based on her research.
What it comes down to, she thinks, is the connection between sleep and temperature. Sleep researchers know that right before you fall asleep, your body temperature starts to drop; in the deepest stages of sleep, your body is at its coolest, about one or two degrees below normal. Some scientists believe cooler temperatures cause sleepiness, and although the pre-slumber cooling process happens naturally, there are a few things you can do to help it along, like taking a warm bath right before bed, for example. When you leave the tub, your body temperature rapidly cools, triggering that sleepy feeling. A warm beverage works the same way.
Which brings us back to the foot thing. “I think it’s likely in service of trying to cool our bodies down because we’ve gotten too warm to sleep,” Dautovitch said.
But why the foot, specifically? The skin surfaces of both our hands and feet are unique, Dautovitch explained, both in that they’re hairless and because they contain specialized vascular structures that help with heat loss. Specifically, the hands and feet contain blood vessels called the arteriovenous anastomoses, which — coupled with the lack of hair on the bottoms of your feet — are perfectly designed to help dissipate body heat. So combine that with what scientists know about the decrease in body temperature during sleep, and it’s possible that “sticking your toe out or your foot out could bring you to a more restorative sleep,” Dautovitch said.
In general, people tend to sleep best in colder rooms, between 60 and 67 degrees, she said. So if you’re looking for a more conventional sleepy-time tip, maybe just get an extra fan.
My feet also get cold if not covered. Sometimes, if I am having difficulty falling asleep, I put on socks. Sometime in the night, I take them off, but I usually have no memory of removing them.
A comforter is a type of bedding — a soft flat bag used on a bed as a type of bed cover. It is filled with either an artificial material (such as polyester batting) or a natural material. A comforter usually doesn't cover the pillows or box spring of the bed. It is basically a luxurious thick, fluffy blanket that people put on their bed to achieve a much higher level of comfort and warmth. A similar type covering made from feathers (often including down) is generally referred to as a duvet.
A quilt is a type of bedding— a bed covering composed of a quilt top, a layer of batting, and a layer of fabric for backing, generally combined using the technique of quilting. Another technique for securing the quilt layers is tying. Tying refers to the technique of using thread, yarn or ribbon to pass through all three layers of the quilt at reqular intervals. These "ties" hold the layers together during use and especially when the quilt is washed. This method is easier and more forgiving if the quilt is made by hand. Tied quilts are called, depending on the regional area, "hap", "comfort" or "comforter", among other names. Many quilts are made with decorative designs; indeed, some quilts are not used as bed covering at all, but are rather made to be hung on a wall or otherwise displayed.
A blanket is a type of bedding, generally a large, rectangular piece of cloth, intended to keep the user warm, especially while they sleep. Blankets are distinguished from sheets by their thickness and purpose; the thickest sheet is still thinner than the lightest blanket, because blankets are for warmth, while sheets are for hygiene, comfort and aesthetics. Blankets are subdivided into many types, including quilts, duvets, and comforters, depending on their thickness, construction and/or fill material. Electric blankets are heated by electricity. Blankets were traditionally made of wool, while sheets were made of cotton which is less irritating to the skin. These days, artificial fibers are frequently used for both.
Same here. We have to clear out to allow the Lysol fumes to dissipate. :)
I prefer quilts. They’re washable.
The real reason to keep your feet covered, courtesy of The Three Stooges (start at 4:40).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IK8aAyzRsw8
60-67 deg???? Holy cow, do you know how hard it is to cool our house down to that temp during the OK summers? I would lose my honorary Al Gore Earth Keeper certificate, if I tried to keep the house that cold. Plus, I would have to plant at least 20 more trees in the backyard to offset the damage I was doing the environment.
Not worth it. I guess I will continue to sleep poorly. It’s for the children.
I discovered that like my ADD son I also need a ton of covers to sleep well.
Theory: Less “ADD” in past because people were pressed every night in heavy woolen bedding. And quilts with cotton batting.
Which is mimicked now in special ed classes and by occupational therapists with weighted blankets and vests.
Keep them on your nightstand next to your wife’s false teeth.
lol
I can’t sleep if there’s a tiny sliver of light: from the A/C, PC, moonsliver, anything. But I can’t use those night eye shades because of my very long hair, no anchor.
In TX, as soon as night temps drop to 60 or below (September), everybody celebrates the ‘sleeping weather’... which means, A/C off and naturally cool weather coming in the window. A full-length body pillow is also imperative to keep bones from knocking into each other.
Just read this article about controlling your sleep: http://sleepstudytips.com/control-your-sleep-apnea-with-these-tips
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.