20 Sleep Facts you didn’t know! Some serious sleep stats from Millbrook Contract Beds
Millbrook Contract Beds spends a lot of its time on Twitter and Facebook sharing our love of sleep with our followers. We regularly tweet and update about sleep facts and sleep related stories. So we thought, why not take all we have learned and collected over the past year of Tweeting and compile it into a comprehensive fact list? Bear in mind these are just a handful of the facts we have researched (in total there is probably more like 300 odd facts we have learnt about sleep, beds, dreams and sleep disorders).
#1 – People can sleep with their eyes open and not even be aware that they are doing it.
#2 – The average adult needs to sleep a total of 7 to 9 hours per day.
#3 – 50% of people over the age of 60 suffer with some type of sleep disorder.
#4 – The world record for the longest period without sleep stands at 18 days, 21 hours and 40 minutes. Although it is not recommended that people try to break it because…
#5 – A person needs sleep to function. To go without sleep for an elongated period without close medical supervision can be fatal.
#6 – If it takes a person more than 5-15 minutes to fall asleep every night it could mean that they are sleep deprived.
#7 – REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep causes the sleeper a paralysis that they are unaware of.
#8 –REM sleep kicks in after 90 minutes after we fall asleep and lasts for approximately 2 hours.
#9 – If you ever dream that you yourself are taking a nap during your dream it could be a sign that you need to relax and take it easy more. Sleeping in your own dreams can also symbolise that you are at peace.
#10 – New born babies typically result in 400-750 hours of lost sleep for new parents in the first year.
#11 – REM dreams are often characterized by bizarre plots, but non-REM dreams are repetitive and thought-like, with little imagery.
#12 – It is theorised by some sleep scientists that we dream to fix our experiences in our long-term memory – we dream about things that are worth remembering.
#14 – A scientific mystery remains so as scientists have still not been able to explain how shining a bright light on the back of human knees resets the brains sleep-wake clock.
#15 – Exposure to noise during the night can suppress immune function even if the sleeper doesn’t wake. Unfamiliar noise, and noise during the first and last two hours of sleep, has the greatest disruptive effect on the sleep cycle.
# 16 – “Natural alarm clock” (allowing people to wake up more or less when they want to) is caused by a burst of stress hormones. This is caused due to an unconscious anticipation of waking up.
#17 – It is unknown if any other species dreams as we do…
#18 – This should come as no surprise to parents but teenagers tend to sleep on an average of 10 hours per night.
#19 – The position that you sleep in reflects your personality.
#20 – Brains are far more active while they are sleeping than they are watching TV.
And there’s your lot… for now!
For more on sleep facts please follow Millbrook Contract Beds on Twitter and Facebook.
Lucid Revolution – insights into lucid dreaming from Millbrook
Millbrook Contract Beds isn’t just about comfortable, quality beds. The Millbrook team is obsessed with dreaming and sleeping – never on the job! – and we love exploring the nature of those weird and wonderful things. They are so alluring, mysterious and surreal that they capture our imaginations. We dream every night and yet we barely understand the phenomenon of dreaming.
Dreams represent the ultimate mystery for many of us. They have the power to excite and terrify us and they subconsciously shape the way that we live our lives. Dreams are amazing things and one of the most amazing things about dreams has to be lucid dreaming. Whether you’re lucidly dreaming from a contract bed in a hotel or a cosy bed in your own home, the concept is extraordinary.
Lucid dreaming is the ability to consciously take control of your dream as it happens. Taking control of your dream like this allows you to sculpt the world of your dream and make it work for you. Imagine an Inception-style adventure where you’re growing a world around you, raising skyscrapers, giant canyons and mountains or even transforming purple skies. That’s not just an exciting concept for Millbrook Contract Beds, it’s irresistibly tempting for everyone who has ever woken up wanting more from their dreams.
In a lucid dream, you become completely and consciously aware that you are asleep and dreaming. This awareness leads your mind to realise that the dream is no longer an abstract collection of impulses and thought-processes. From that point of realisation, providing nothing wakes you up, you know that you are dreaming and you can turn the dream into a fantasy playground.
People use lucid dreams to achieve their deepest desires. A popular theme in lucid dreaming is the power of flight. As people realise that they are dreaming, they take to the skies like Superman and fly through vast cities. Flying is the ultimate freedom and being able to achieve it in your dreams is nothing short of miraculous. From the comfort of your Millbrook bed, you can fly across vast oceans, fly through canyons or soar up to the top of the tallest buildings. The exhilaration of flight is a popular and basic desire in millions of people all over the world, especially the comic book fan-boys and girls that idolise airborne superheroes.
Not everyone uses lucid dreaming to realise their childhood dreams. A far greater proportion of lucid dreamers use lucid dreams to indulge in the ultimate fantasy behaviour. Sexual lucid dreams are a place to innocently act out your ultimate fantasies without harming anyone. These types of dreams are more common in younger men and decrease with age; the opposite is true in women, where women experience more of these dreams as they get older. If you do start to indulge in these lucid dreams, don’t blame Millbrook Contract Beds when your partner finds out!
This is a very interesting article on how to start to practice lucid dreaming using mental exercises. Give them a go and you could be lucidly dreaming like the best of them. The Contract Beds team at Millbrook is already practicing…
Millbrook Beds Competition for Britain’s Worst Bed 2012 – Results!
As the competition for Britain’s Worst Bed 2012 comes to an end at Millbrook Beds, we take a look back over the entries and the very nature of what made so many of these beds bad!
It all started when we wondered just how bad people’s beds could get if gone un-flipped, unmaintained and unchanged for years and years. The shelf-life for any bed should be no longer than 7-10 years maximum. Almost a decade of comfort is a pretty impressive thing to get from any purchase. We’re particularly proud of our ranges too.
But we still wanted to know about how bad people have let their beds get! To encourage people to let us into their bedrooms and under their covers (so to speak) we thought of giving away an amazing prize for the person we found to have the very worst; a £2000 bed from one of our collections.
We asked the question last year: Are you the unlucky Brit who wakes up on the wrong side of the UK’s worst bed every single morning? All we required people to do was to share a picture of their nightmare beds on the Millbrook Facebook Page or email us a photo at: competitions@millbrookbeds.co.uk telling us why they deserved a new bed.
We wanted to see the worst of the worst – from broken bunks to mouldy mattresses. And we got ‘em!
Paula Evans won Britain’s Worst Bed 2011 with this entry:
So for the 2012 edition of Britain’s Worst Bed we thought; why not get our Twitter friends involved with this competition too?
And so it began; three long months of entries coming from all over the UK across Facebook and Twitter. Some of the entries were truly awful (in the best way) and reminded of us just how much this competition was needed!
These are some of the beds we were sent over the past few months that have caught our eye for all the right and wrong reasons:
This is a deflating sight – a blow-up bed as the main bed in the house! Poor Helen Jarvis:
Jo Marie’s bed entry proved to be a bit of an ugly sight for sore eyes:
Katy Benet gave us all angles on her bed that looks like it is falling apart from every corner:
Then again Sandy Shaheen Yousef could give many of the contenders a run for their money with this entry. How many times do we have to say “slat base beds are useless!”
There were of course many other entries submitted but we could only list a few of them here. The winner of Britain’s Worst Bed was indeed Carla Maloney, who we felt really deserved a new Millbrook Bed and we’re currently making it right now. Her entry was a bit of a shocker:
Read more from Millbrook Contract Beds on our blog or follow us on Twitter and Facebook for industry information and some thought provoking topics, designed to help you navigate your business through 2012.
The effects of sleep deprivation on our health part two – body troubles
The effects of sleep deprivation part two – what sleep deprivation does to our bodies
Sleepless nights are difficult for us. When we don’t get our seven plus hours of sleep, we find it hard to function in the day without caffeine boosts. As the period of sleeplessness continues, we find our moods plummeting. However, the stark reality of sleep deprivation is that our bodies suffer immensely the longer we go without a proper sleep cycle. Sleep is the period when our bodies and our minds can finally unburden themselves after long days. Continue reading »
The effect of sleep deprivation on our health – Millbrook Contract Beds
We keep stressing the importance of a good night’s sleep at Millbrook Contract Beds. Regular sleep and dreaming are fundamental needs of human beings and they help to maintain healthy minds. Sleep is the period when the body rests and recharges its batteries in preparation for another busy day in the rat race.
Continue reading »
When your good mood gets left behind in slumber
It might sound made-up, but there was a revelation recently that will blow your mind if you’re part of a couple. We’ve all had moments in relationships where we’ve warred and rowed; one of the most common causes of arguments in the bedroom is the question of who gets to sleep where in the bed. Choosing your side is the first big drama thrown up by a burgeoning relationship because each person has to feel comfortable in their new domestic situation. As if that wasn’t enough, it now turns out that sleeping on a certain side can heavily influence your state of mind in the day. Continue reading »
The ultimate sleep guide – advice from Millbrook Contract Beds part three – Insomnia
Most people know what the condition of insomnia is, but not very many actually know the kind of problems it can cause or lead on to. This is a sleep disorder often defined by a person’s difficulty getting to sleep. There are various stages that insomnia can take. Some people suffer from a mild case of the disorder called Transient Insomnia, which lasts for only a short period of time, while in more extreme cases Chronic Insomnia can lead to hallucinations and muscular and mental fatigue. These cases can last well beyond a month. Continue reading »
Millbrook Contract Beds presents The Children’s Guide to Sleep Part Three
We trust that everyone enjoyed their Christmas weekend? Was our prediction correct regarding the kids having an early night on Christmas Eve?
Millbrook Contract Beds enjoyed our time off with our families and friends but we did not forget about our promise to finish off the The Children‘s Guide to Sleep. As we established in the last two blogs (part one can be read here and part two can be read here) children need sleep in order to develop in terms of general health, physical well-being and mental functioning.
In this final part of our guide, which we hope has been of some use to people, we will give our last list of tips to help parents in their quest to get their kids to go to sleep!
So, how can you ensure that children get their required hours of sleep?
In the last blog we established the following data from actual research carried out over the years:
- Children aged between 4-6 sleep between 10½ to 11½ hours at night.
- Children aged 6-12 tend to sleep for almost 10 hours a night.
- Teenagers should get 8-9 hours of sleep a night.
Further to our earlier suggestions, beyond ensuring you have good quality contract beds and contract bedroom furniture, the environment a child or teenager sleeps in needs to be reconsidered and then redesigned for sleep.
What do we mean by this?
The multiplicity of distractions in the bedroom such as toys, computer consoles, games, internet access and/or television sets can turn the bedroom into a place for play rather than rest. Some children and teens have all of the above scattered about in there. Believe it or not but this is the most unhealthy thing to do for your children.
Circulating the air makes all the difference to a room filled with stale air. So make sure you air out the kids rooms well before the kids go to sleep as to make the room a cooler, fresher environment. This can be accomplished via simply opening the windows and door or installing basic air conditioning in the home so everyone can appreciate it.
Make sure their bedding is fresh and clean and that the sheets are washed regularly. This is an extension of another discipline – don’t allow your kids to eat in the bed! Many people do this and it is extremely unhygienic as the crumbs and food debris strewn on the sheets will cause sleep disruption, tossing & turning and will cause many children to stir awake during the night and irritate their skin.
Whatever the choice is for contract beds, just be sure to flip the mattresses regularly, once a week if possible and air out the sheets. One of the biggest no-nos is that you should never use hand-me-down mattresses for children. The second-hand mattress is the cause of the very issues that you are aiming to prevent.
So treat a child’s bed with care and pay their sleep routines due attention, as these early years are the most pivotal time for a child’s growth.
For more information from Millbrook Contract Beds regarding our contract bedroom furniture and commercial beds, please Contact Us.
The truth about contract beds – Budget cuts in the healthcare industry
The health of an individual is one of the most important things there is. There are many factors that dictate the overall health and well-being of a person, but one particular such factor that we specialise in, is comfort. We take the rest and recovery of patients very, very seriously.
In past blogs, Millbrook Contract Beds has engaged with the issues facing the healthcare industry in terms of looking after people who suffer from ailments or illness; from those in residential care to those in hospital. In recent news, it has been reported that planned cost-cutting measures will savage the healthcare industry quite badly in the coming months. The plan is to see more patients treated at home instead of hospital, and even cuts to jobs and beds in the hospitals themselves has not been ruled out either. Health trusts and government studies show that the quickest way to have an impact on reducing budgets is staff. The potential impact on patient care is substantial thanks to these budget cuts (necessary or not).
If more patients are due to get their treatment at home and not in a hospital or healthcare residence then it is highly likely that the demand for better equipped home care contract bedroom furniture will be required. So as budget cuts look set to scale back on the number of beds available to residents and patients, Millbrook would like to assure people that it is always here as an alternative support for healthcare contract bed solutions.
This is the truth about what we do…
We provide industries with ways of taking care of the people they put up for a night, a week, a month, or even indefinitely. Our contract beds are about enduring and providing uncompromising comfort for those that are guests, patients or residents.
Millbrook Contract Beds specialises in healthcare contract beds and has been supplying the healthcare industry and professions with our expertise and products for a good 60 years now. Our belief is that if patients need expert care then substandard surroundings just will not do, especially if they will be treated from home.
The two contract beds we offer for this industry are The Therapy and The Purity.
Without performing a live demonstration, we cannot fully express here just how advanced and superior these healthcare beds are for people for need to experience varying degrees of comfort, independence and assistance.
For instance, The Therapy is the finest adjustable contract bed available as far as we’re concerned! Its control function is a five way adjustable positioning system that can be operated via handset control giving complete autonomy to the user. With an added massage option it really is the cutting edge. It sums up the three ‘R’ words; recline, relaxation and recovery.
We’ll have to wait and see how these budget cuts affect the healthcare industry and what consequences they may have on quality of patient care but Millbrook Contract Beds will always be able to provide a safety net when it comes to home care alternatives with our contract bed options.
Contract beds for student housing
Academic contract beds
When it comes to decking out student housing with all the bells and whistles of comfortable living, it’s important to balance economy, feasibility and practicality. That’s even more important when kitting out student bedrooms with that crucial piece of furniture: the bed. Millbrook Contract Beds has a range of affordable contract beds that suit the needs of landlords looking to fill their houses with tenants.
The Academic Collection from Millbrook Contract Beds services every possible situation, location and need that comes with the hectic job of filling your property with furniture in preparation for the arrival of your tenants.
After Christmas is another busy time for landlords decorating student accommodation, as they find a spurt of students looking to switch accommodation after their first student digs didn’t work out.
Millbrook Contract Beds’ Academic Collection is excellent value for money because these beds can go the distance in terms of their lifespan. They are strong, durable and great for space-saving. The other advantage is the hygiene factor, as these beds come with wipe-clean mattress surfaces. All the bases are sturdy and there are multiple choices available for the bed frames and legs.
The Residence has a PVC mattress cover and is highly practical and durable in many types of locations. As far as beds go for student accommodation, The Residence Bed is a simple and functional bed that serves the basic purpose. It will last longer than most beds with a sturdy frame and headboard designed for serious punishment. The Residence may be basic, but it doesn’t compromise on comfort or hygiene. The mattress is woollen felt for softness and extra comfort and the surface is wipe-clean. This is the bed to choose if the tenants are messier than normal.
The Conference Bed has an open coil mattress on a metal skid leg base. It’s a very functional and basic bed, but it’s a good contract bed option for student housing. The mattress is completely breathable, which prevents odours and dissipate body heat for the person sleeping in it. The advantage of this one is that it comes with a wipe clean mattress. That’s a huge benefit in student housing, where parties can go awry or dinner can be spilt onto it. All the student needs to do in such circumstances is take off the sheet and wipe it clean.
A smart design featuring open coil springs, standard comfort level. The Campus Bed is the next step up in terms of aesthetic and comfort for student housing. Millbrook Contract Beds offers this one with a stitchbond cover to keep the mattress very clean; the coils are open coil springs for added comfort. There are no drawers, but the legs are removable if you want to adjust the height on the bed.
As a provider of contract beds, we think it’s important to offer ranges like these to suit the particular needs of student housing and bedroom furniture. To learn more about pricing or further details on the beds, please contact our team.