To clean your pillow, take off the sham, pillowcase, or cover. These should be washed separately from the actual pillow following our tips in the “Cleaning Decorative Pillows” section above. Then, pre-treat any pillow stains at this time by applying a cleaning solution with a sponge. The best type of washing machine to use for pillow inserts is a front-loading one without an agitator. Use warm water on a delicate cycle, and select a mild detergent for optimal results. If you’re unable to wash your pillows in this manner, carefully place them on each side of the machine so the load is balanced. Utilize a very gentle cycle if using this method instead. Once the pillow inserts are washed, hang them to dry in a well-ventilated area until they are dry about 75 percent dry.
When the pillows are almost dry, put them in the drier in a fluff setting with no heat for best results. You can also add a couple of dryer balls to help reshape the pillows and make them like new again.
Fact
Regular physical exercise can help you sleep better.
The number of people suffering from a sleep disorder is growing.
Thankfully, as well as regular physical exercise, there are a number of other things proven to help, including yoga!
Myth
Teenagers are lazy and love lying in bed.
If you have a teenage child, there’s a good chance that you’ve experienced a certain unwillingness to leave the comfort of their cosy sleep haven.
A common assumption is that all teenagers are lazy, moody and unmotivated when it comes to getting out of bed in the morning. Well, research shows that there are real biological factors to explain these types of behaviour.
Starting around the time of adolescence, a change occurs in the body clock. During the years of puberty, a 2-3 hours delay occurs in the circadian rhythms and children of this age, particularly males, gradually become more ‘evening types’.
This phenomenon is known as delayed sleep phase disorder, and is characterized by a delayed sleep-wake timing. Studies have also shown that teenagers actually need around 9-10 hours of sleep as opposed to an average of 7-8 hours for most adults. However, there are many ways to help your sleepy teenager get through this biological change.