Your Health

Not Getting Enough Sleep Can Lead To Weight Gain

Posted 4/29/2011

A cool, dark, quiet room can be your key to a solid night’s sleep.

(NAPSI) - An increasing number of Americans are waking up to the idea that good sleep is critical to fostering good health, preserving youthful good looks and staying safe on the road.

It can even help you maintain a healthy weight. Researchers at Columbia and the University of Chicago found that people who sleep five hours per night have a 50 percent higher chance of being obese, while those who sleep six hours have a 23 percent greater risk of obesity than their well-rested counterparts. Insufficient sleep triggers the release of the hormone cortisol, which stimulates hunger.

Nevertheless, 41 percent of respondents to The 2011 National Sleep Foundation Survey reported not getting adequate sleep on weekdays. (That’s a lot of drowsy people on the road, making decisions and conducting business.)

How To Sleep Better

One key to getting a good night’s sleep is the right environment. According to the survey:

• 79 percent said a cool room was important to getting a good night’s sleep.

• 72 percent responded that a quiet room was important.

• 73 percent responded that a dark room was important.

To help, you can get window coverings that create an environment that’s conducive to sleep. Such coverings may have any or all of the following three things: room-darkening features, noise dampening, a layer of insulation against the glass to manage in-room temperature.

Get Good Advice

You can find such blinds with the help of the experts at independently owned and operated Budget Blinds franchises. They can explain all the features of each window covering and make recommendations to you so that you can make an informed decision about your window coverings. The company has a wide array of window coverings, area rugs and bedding from dozens of different vendors.

What’s more, their new, proprietary Smart Choice technology can help you choose window treatments more intelligently than ever before. Using information about your home and window placement, a franchisee can make more accurate recommendations regarding the type of window treatment that will address your needs, such as cutting energy costs, blocking UV rays, dampening noise, protecting pets and children with cordless options, improving convenience with motorization and so on.

Further Information

You can learn more at www.budgetblinds.com and (800) 519-6298.