Good morning superpower seekers! Winter is nearly over and spring is looming. You know what that means?
It means Tyrano-Snore-Us Rex will be ramping up his attacks as allergy season sets in. Here in North Carolina, the pollen can paint your car green in a day. While the Irish might think that’s cute for St. Patrick’s day, I assure you it is not. So I am busier than ever preparing to hunt some Tyrano-Snore-Us Rex. A mighty foe for a mighty warrior!
I have a quick break between battles to talk about two quick things. First is my Matt-amatics Power Level! I started tracking my daily digits since January 1st 2023 and after the first month, I saw some trends. I tend to eat healthy, get exercise and sleep great on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. And then it’s downhill to fight my way back uphill. Friday through Monday my power level drops significantly. I tracked scores as low as 18 but then streaked 50 three days in a row(twice actually).
My local Kiwanis group vehemently debated whether my Matt-amatics was real or totally fabricated. I was a little surprised this was such a hot topic. And in the end, neither side of the debate won. Is the equation (Exercise + Diet) x Sleep = Power Level made up? No, it’s not. Pillars of health have been exercise, diet, and sleep for a while. But the part that is made up is how I score them. I gave each pillar a maximum score based on my personal game plan. If I eat really healthy, I get a higher score. If I exercise, I get a good score. And if I go to bed on time(among other things), I get a good score! I’ve made the rules a little harder than that but you get the idea.
What I love about the equation is it works for me. It helps me isolate things a bit better. Eating terribly one day can lead to sleeping terribly for three days. And no exercise for a few days can lead to a few more days of not sleeping that great. And not getting good sleep can directly affect how well I eat or whether I exercise or not. If I’m busted on time and I just can’t fit exercise into my schedule, I can watch the effect over time as long as I track my daily digits.
Now that I am aware my power level drops on the weekends, I’ll make sure to pick up some slack. Or compromise with my party animal self and play hard Friday and Saturday but reign it in on Sunday and Monday. I noticed I always do my weekly shopping on Sunday and by Friday or Saturday, I’ve run out of fresh fruit and some leafy greens in the fridge. So I’ll make sure I am stocked up on the weekends so I don’t needlessly lose power level points on diet. That’s what I call kicking butt!
The second thing that keeps coming up is people asking me “What do I sleep on?” Usually I am in the showroom at Sweet Dreams Mattress & Furniture at the Cornelius store, dressed in full uniform with the Mattsuit, cape, pink glasses, and a band around my wrist that reads D.R.E.A.M.S. when people ask me the question. But I’ve also been writing articles in the local paper and when people recognize the uniform, it’s inevitable. Funny thing is that the public doesn’t really value what I sleep on as the best means to get better sleep.
Thanks to research done by FAM.News, we know most people think that taking sleep aids like melatonin and other sleeping pills is a better solution to get better sleep. In the end, sleep aids do not help nearly as much as you think. If instead of spending $50 a month on sleep aids to sleep better and caffeine to keep yourself awake, you invested in a better sleep system, you may find that you save a lot of money over time.
So what do I sleep on, you ask? I sleep on the Game Plan for Better Sleep’s Best Sellers list. The no-brainer best sellers are our cool mattress protector and bamboo sheets. I know these are legit items because my wife cannot stand to listen to me talk about sleep products or work. However, if I put different linens than these on the mattress, I will know it after one night. The other no-brainer best seller is the Game Changer adjustable base! This is my number 1 way of fighting off the Tyrano-Snore-Us Rex in my own house. I have terrible allergies and when my sinuses get stopped up, we will sleep with the head elevated to relieve my SN-Roaarrrrring. I also use the Game Changer to help me recover faster after workouts, soreness, and with my sleep habits in general. We call it the Game Changer for a reason!
The last two tidbits of what I sleep on are a bit more subjective and personal. My wife and I prefer memory foam mattresses so we have one of medium firmness. I will leave the brand out but I will tell you the motion separation is freaking incredible. If we didn’t sleep on a queen size, we might not know we shared a bed! Memory foam isn’t for everybody. It can be hard to move around on a memory foam mattress if you have mobility issues. But thankfully, we do not.
And last but not least, the power of the pillow! I am actually between pillows right now. I test the products we sell for about 60 days and I am currently testing a firmer pillow, medium thickness. I didn’t expect to get good sleep on it but I am surprised. I think it works since it’s not too thick. Pillows are really important.
The moral of the story here is that sleep aids, sleeping pills, and caffeine spending in your budget is something you will do indefinitely while a sleep system is a purchase you can actually pay off. It isn’t easy weaning off hormones like melatonin if you have been taking it every night for a long time. There is going to be a tough stretch depending on how you do it. But there are ways to control what you can control. If you are interested in improving your sleep habits so you rely less on sleep aids, text me at 704-706-2436. Maybe I can help you figure out a place to start your journey to sleeping like a superhero!
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Good morning superpower seekers! My name is Mattman SirCapesAlot. I’m the comfortable caped crusader. I teach and preach the Game Plan for Better Sleep! I’m the resident Sleep Superhero on the Sweet Dreams Mattress & Furniture of Lake Norman Dream Team. I am also part of the FAM crew from FAM.news where you can find mattress and furniture industry info, intel, and good people! If you are interested in growing your local independent business, check it out! And be sure to tune into the audio version of this article for a deeper dive into the information and happenings in a day in the life of a Sleep Superhero.
And speaking of Superheroes, Dreams 4 All needs help to serve more people! If you would like to make a monetary donation to the Dreams 4 All Foundation that believes nobody deserves to sleep on the floor, please text us at 704-706-2436. You can text us if you would like to see about doing this in your local community as well! We are always looking for more superheroes to join the ranks!