How to Buy Your Best Pillow Yet

You sleep on it every night – so why not opt for a pillow that provides comfort and support in every way imaginable? Your pillow can alleviate pain, allow you to sleep better and longer, and leave you more rested in the process. Yet so many of us stick to their standard model that they've had for years. Or worse, when it is time to buy a new pillow, they go cheap or avoid research if at all possible.

Then, over time, we're left to deal with the consequences with allergies, sweating, or even recurring pains.

Yet with just a little information you can provide yourself with your most comfortable sleeping surface yet!

Pillow Buying Guide

First things first, determine what type of attributes you're after with your pillow. Do you have neck pain? Do you prefer sleeping on a plush-like piece of cloud? Or would you rather perch your head on a flatter, thinner surface? Will you use your new pillow for lounging? Or is it strictly for sleeping purposes? All of these questions and more can help you pick the perfect pillow yet.

Next, it's time to weigh your options. Take a look at the pillow selection available on ContourLiving.com. Read reviews, look at pros for each model. Determine what assets can best meet your support needs by looking at features and guides that aligns each pillow model with ailments or potential symptom relief.

If you have been to a doctor for alignment or pain related issues, it's also a good idea to ask what they recommend in a pillow.  

Next look at cost. Though it will certainly play a factor into how you shop, you should also weigh fees against potential for relief, frequency of use (likely every night), and the sheer satisfaction of being comfortable.

Now it's decision time! Take your comfort factors to heart and look at what you can gain from each available model, what you'll be using it for, and more.

Of course, the REAL test will be the first time you lay down to sleep. Even a test run once it arrives in the mail won't truly show what your new pillow can do. (Don't act like you won't do this immediately!) Try Contour's 45-day guarantee for peace of mind that you're getting a better night's rest. If not, there's no commitment! Zero risk, and everything to gain – what are you waiting for?!

Your Pillow for Life

Considering how much use you can get out of a single pillow, it's crazy to think we don't spend more time evaluating where we will lay our head every night. With a little research and a lot of testing, you can be sure you've found your best pillow match to meet comfort needs and eliminate certain aches and pains. Why suffer from daily grievances when you can rest in pain-free peace instead?

Check out our pillow buying guide to learn more, or head to our growing selection to find the perfect pillow today!

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Get 15% off your Mattress Genie Incline Sleep System today with coupon code COMFORT15!

It has happened to nearly all of us. You return home from a delicious meal out and are ready for a peaceful night of sleep. You drift off and before you know it, you wake up with a burning pain in your chest and throat that makes it impossible to fall back to sleep. This struggle is all too common for an estimated 70% of adults in the United States. Out of that 70%, for 1 in 3 Americans, the condition is chronic.

Imagine if you could reduce the discomfort associated with your Acid Reflux or GERD with a touch of a button. With the Mattress Genie Incline Sleep System, now you can!

The Painful Truth About Acid Reflux

GERD and acid reflux symptoms often occur more frequently at night when lying in bed because our bodies are in a horizontal position – our stomach and head are at approximately the same level. This position makes it easy for the highly acidic contents of the stomach to flow into the esophagus, causing the painful sensation of heartburn. More importantly, when the contents of the stomach do move into the esophagus, they tend to stay longer than they would during the day when gravity helps pull them back into the stomach. The longer they are in contact with the esophagus, the more time they have to damage the cellular lining. Symptoms of nighttime reflux can be quite sever and wake up even the soundest sleepers. Ultimately, reflux disease prevents many people from getting a full nights rest. With inadequate sleep, this may lead to other health related issues and reduce your quality of life if not treated.

The Best Known Secret for Living with Reflux

In addition to losing weight, avoiding trigger foods and limiting caffeine and alcohol intake helps alleviate your reflux pain. While doctors always push healthy life style changes, they also share the most effective solution to combating your reflux, which simply is elevate your body while sleeping. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Dr. Laura Gerson, “Head-of-bed elevation has been shown to be effective in terms of improving pH as well as GERD symptoms. Head-of-bed elevation is effective, particularly for subjects with nocturnal GERD, because of the fact that stomach contents containing acid will more likely reflux into the esophagus while patients are lying flat without the beneficial effect of gravity. Head-of-bed elevation has been associated with significantly fewer and shorter reflux episodes, faster acid clearing, and fewer reflux symptoms.”

Considering how effective elevated sleeping is for Acid Reflux and GERD, there are various solutions to help you reach the optimal incline if 6-8 inches to relieve your symptoms. Putting blocks under the head of bed is a simple and cheap way to raise your sleeping surface. However, this can be difficult to do if you are alone or elderly. The front legs of your bed also may not be strong enough to support the added pressure of the head of the bed being at an incline. Piling up pillows may seem like an easy fix, but this can actually be counterproductive as this position may cause your body to bend at the waist, adding to the upward pressure, or even worse, go flat. Pillows can also shift during the night and wedges can be unattractive and prohibitive to sleeping with a partner. Adjustable beds are an option but are often not in the budget. We think we’ve come up with the perfect solution.

Best Bed Wedge Solution for Back or Side Sleepers Struggling With Acid Reflux

Our new Mattress Genie Incline Sleep System is an inflatable bed wedge that is easy to install under any type of mattress and inflates easily by using the illuminated remote control. This inflatable wedge solution elevated your entire torso and hips up to 8 inches, which is the optimal include for treating heartburn and indigestion. With the full torso support, the Mattress Genie Incline Sleep System is the perfect solution for those who sleep on their back, side or multi-positions at night. When not in use, the Mattress Genie Incline Sleep System can be fully deflated, giving the appearance of any normal mattress. Standard  foam bed wedges are shorter in length than the ISS and which limits the sleeping surface, causing an unnatural bend at the hips which can increase pressure on the lower back and legs. The gentle slope provided by the Mattress Genie ISS virtually eliminates the possibility of slipping or sliding down which may occur when using a foam bed wedge or pillows.

There are many advantages to elevation therapy: it will reduce nighttime reflux episodes, promote faster acid clearing in the event of a reflux episode, and shorten the duration of stomach contents being in contact with the delicate lining of the esophagus, which will promote healing. Complications from nighttime reflux may be reduced resulting in improved quality of sleep which is so vital to our health and wellbeing. Visit https://www.contourliving.com/mattress-genie-incline-sleep-system-bed-wedge/ to learn more.  All of our Contour Branded products are covered under our 45 Day Comfort Guarantee and 1 Year Manufacturer’s Warranty. Start experiencing relief from the symptoms of acid reflux and GERD today with the Mattress Genie Incline Sleep System!

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School can take a toll on your body, and with a new semester quickly approaching, you need to be prepared. Most college kids don’t realize the big difference studying and sleeping in comfort can make. Often times, school mattresses and desk chairs are hard, uncomfortable, and painful to sleep or study in. This creates a recipe for poor attention spans. You can fight all of these problems though with a few simple comfort products.

The Contour Flip Pillow is an excellent pillow for your twin size bed. It sports a 10-in-1 design that allows you multiple uses all year long. It can be positioned upward for a back rest while you read text books late into the night or it can be flipped for an elevated sleeping wedge. The wedge-shaped design also allows for heart burn relief at night after eating greasy cafeteria food. If you have a futon in your dorm room this year, then use our Flip Pillow for support when lounging against the arm rest. It can also be used to elevate your legs so your feet can rest after a long day of trekking across campus. The Flip Pillow is great option no how you use it, including for back, stomach, and side sleeping.

If you are returning to campus, you will probably remember your old, thin, and unsupportive dorm mattress. There were probably plenty of mornings you debated skipping class due to exhaustion from a bad night’s sleep. This year, change your sleeping arrangements by adding a mattress topper. Mattress toppers are a great way to build support and comfort into your ordinary mattress. Our Contour Cloud Memory Foam Mattress Topper is specially designed with three layers of foam to give you better back support. The first layer is memory foam and feels like a cloud. The second layer gives you added lumbar support and keeps you from tossing and turning all night. The third layer provides a firm base so your mattress topper never bottoms out. It has an ergonomic and orthopedic design, meaning it was designed to improve your sleeping quality, so you can perform better daily and help support your natural spine alignment. The Contour Cloud Memory Foam Mattress Topper will help you sleep better, so you no longer have to fight waking up each morning.

As a student, you can easily spend all night studying in the library or at your desk. Most dorm rooms come with a desk and chair set for students, but often the seat is wood or plastic and definitely uncomfortable; and libraries can be no better. However, you do not have to sacrifice an achy back for better grades anymore. Try out a Freedom Back Support Cushion in your desk chair. It is a full length back support cushion with an ergonomic design to help you study better and longer. It has a unique curve to promote natural and correct spinal alignment. It will attach to any chair using attached Velcro straps and is lightweight so you can carry it to the library or lecture hall. This seat back cushion will change the way you study, so be sure to bring one along on move-in day.

School might be approaching but that doesn’t mean you have to worry about classes yet. However, you should start planning to buy back to school supplies. These three products will change your life and your academic performance. By adding one or all three to your schedule, you can capitalize on your sleep and your study time to be the best student you are able to be.

Give your favorite student a great start to the new year with one of our exclusive comfort bundles.

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Athletes need more sleep. Our comfort products can help.

Athletes are always on the go, on and off the field, and less sleep can mean more injuries. Players who got less than six hours of sleep per night had an increased rate of injury during games, according to a University of California study; making choosing comfort products conducive to sleep crucial. 

“When we design products, we keep athletes in mind,” said Contour Products President Scott Davis. “Our products aim to aid comfort by correctly aligning the body during sleep. This can not only prolong sleep, but help athletes recover when injuries do happen.”

Athletes often place sleep on the back burner. In highly trained team sport athletes, 50 percent of athletes were considered poor sleepers and 28 percent had daytime sleepiness in a recent study published in the European Journal of Sport Science. The study concluded that athletes needed to learn more about their sleep schedules, sleep longer, and have better quality sleep.

Injury is a common occurrence in sports. In collegiate football alone, 8 out of every 1000 players are injured, according to a National Collegiate Athletic Association report. The way players behave during recovery from these injuries is critical for their chances of playing again.

For longer sleep and shorter recovery time, players should consider how they sleep and type of injury. Comfort products are designed to target specific areas of the body: 

• Head, Neck, Shoulders, Upper Back: orthopedic pillow, cervical roll, bed wedge 

• Lower Back, Hips, Pelvis: lumbar cushion, leg support pillow, seat cushion 

• Legs, Knees, Ankles, Feet: leg wedge, knee elevation cushion 

“We want athletes to be as healthy and safe as possible, because both everyday exercise, and injury recovery time can have a huge impact on their success,” said Davis. “Our variety of comfort products can help.” 

The Contour Cool Leg Pillow was recently featured in 12 NFL players’ training camp bags. Check it out here.

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How to Prevent Picking Up Bed Bugs During Travel

Unfortunately, the United States has seen a huge influx of bed bugs in the past few years. Those who have been unlucky enough to experience them know just how itchy and invaded one can feel even after a single night of bites. And that's only the beginning of hardships that can come from brining home these unwanted house guests. Rather than having to get rid of bed bugs later on, however, it's best to avoid them in the first place.

When traveling, follow these easy tips to keep yourself and your belongings critter safe.

First, check the online registry. Head to BedBugRegistry.com for reports on hotels, apartment complexes, and more that have been hit with an infestation. Previous guests and tenants help report, so there's a good chance that if bed bugs have been present, it will be listed.

Next, know what to look for. When you first walk into a hotel room, take note of the smell. A musty scent is an indication of a large bed bug population. Then check the mattresses. Pull up sheets and look deep at mattress folds and into nooks and crannies. Keep an eye out for discoloration (yellow, brown, or red), as well as the bugs themselves, which will look similar to apple seeds in both size and color. 

Finally, keep your belongings in the car. You might love sleeping with a particular pillow or blanket, but the more items you take into a hotel room, the better chance you have at bringing bugs back home. Live without your favorite item for a single night, and you can be well on your way to keeping the bugs away, no matter where you prefer to travel. 

By following these steps combined, you can work to keep yourself and your home bite and bug free.

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How to Clean Your CPAP Mask – A Step-by-Step Guide

Last week we talked about the importance of keeping your CPAP mask clean, and how doing so can greatly help with your sleep apnea treatments. Today we discuss the best way to clean your mask. By following proper protocol, you can work toward a germ-free mask and effective treatments every time you head to bed.

Supplies

Before you get started, ensure you have everything on hand for a proper mask cleaning. You'll need either CPAP mask wipes, or quick access to a sink, gentle liquid soap, a clean dry towel, and a washcloth or soft-bristled brush (optional). 

Getting Started

Each morning after waking up, take your mask apart. This should only take a few seconds; you can find instructions on the user guide, if needed. This includes pulling apart tubes, headgear, extra pads, and soft sleeves. Wipe down each of these sections thoroughly with careful attention to remove facial oils, and any other grime that has built up. Though sections might not feel or look dirty after a single night's use, daily cleaning is the best way to ensure you're breathing clean air as you sleep. This routine will also prevent a thick germ build up from taking root.

If you're using soap and water, turn on warm water (not hot) and start wiping down each piece with a gentle soap. You can use a cloth or a soft brush to reach nooks and crannies. (If you are using wipes, once a week you should rinse tubes with soap and water to clean these hard-to-reach places.)

Then it's time to go back and check your work – look for remaining dirt or soap that wasn't thoroughly rinsed. Dry with a clean towel and let parts sit flat so they can dry. Keep out of direct sunlight, and remember it will take longer for the insides of tubes to fully air out.

Cleaning your CPAP mask is a simple process, and it's one that will allow you to get better use out of your nightly treatments. Start cleaning your mask for a better way to gain sleep apnea relief. 

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Why You Should Keep Your CPAP Equipment Clean

If you wear a CPAP mask for your sleep apnea, chances are you've noticed your mask getting dirty. Whether you've had it for years and follow cleaning practices, or have only had your device a short time, you know that the tubes, and the mask itself, can attract gunk. But with so much air moving through and regular contact with skin, it's only a matter of time before these devices get bogged down with dirt. However, that unwelcome addition can also affect just how well your mask will work.

Grime can keep the mask from sealing properly to your face, which means air that leaks. Leaking, in turn, can affect how well you breathe, and it can cause discomfort by pushing air onto your skin. Dirty CPAP masks can also irritate or cause break outs, and it can cause the mask itself to break down from foreign matter. Additionally, when tubes aren't clear, less air can flow through and into your lungs.

However, by regularly cleaning your mask and tubes, you can keep your CPAP device running properly and effectively.

Cleaning Your CPAP Mask is Easy

With the help of cleaning wipes, you can easily keep your mask clean. These wipes are designed to clear out gunk quickly, and to remove any excess build up. Keep them by your bed for a simple wipe down every time you use your mask. Frequent cleanings will keep your device working as it should, and it will prevent bigger clean ups from becoming necessary. 

It's recommended to clean off CPAP masks after every use. Without wipes, warm water and gentle soap can also be used to achieve the same cleaning effect. 

Get more use out of your sleeping mask with regular cleanings – stay tuned for a step-by-step tutorial on keeping your CPAP mask clean. And click here to check out more info on CPAP cleaning wipes. 

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The Contour Cloud Pillow: Now in Cool Cloud Edition

For years folks have been sleeping soundly with the Contour Pillow. With its ability to support and create spine and head comfort all night long – as though one was sleeping on a cloud – it's easy to see why this product has gained such clout. But now the pillow can be taken one step further; it offers cooling abilities. Hot sleepers can rest with ease without overheating through the night, while still resting on their favorite Contour Cloud surface. 

It's a pillow that combines some of our favorite things, while still creating plenty of padding along the way. And for anyone who gets a little too hot while they sleep, it can be the perfect bedding addition. Some folks choose to use the Cool Cloud pillow only during warmer months, while others sleep hot year round. 

How the Pillow Works

The Cloud Pillow consists of three layers that are specifically designed to hold their shape, and to keep the neck aligned whether you choose to sleep on your side, back, or stomach. All of which is consistent with the original Contour Cloud Pillow.

The Cool Cloud pillow also hosts a pointed ventilated system that breaths as you sleep. Each layer is made to pass air and reflect warmer temps so they aren't  absorbed into your sleeping surface. Additionally, the soft air mesh layer is composed of 99% air for maximum breathability. That smart science will help keep you cooled all night long. The pillow's memory foam core is also made of a ventilated material, preventing body heat from ever reaching the center of your pillow.

Learn more about the Contour Cool Cloud Pillow by heading to our product page. Order yours today for a proven way to remain cool, no matter how high summer temps might get. 

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Fitness Trackers for Sleeping

Earlier this week we talked about fitness trackers as a whole – how they can help keep you fit, and informed about your daily exercise habits. However, that's not all there is to these devices. They can also monitor your sleep. They'll keep track of just how much you're getting, how deep you're able to sleep, and how often you're moving or stirring at night. Just by wearing the device. Then each morning, leaving you with a comprehensive rest report.

For those who sleep without issue, this might seem unnecessary; you know how well you slept as soon as you woke up. But it's not that easy for everyone. Generally, those who have sleeping disorders don't even know that they have them. They might know they're tired or that they have a hard time staying rested, but they won't know specifics. 

Armed with such information, it can be much easier to diagnose a sleeping disorder, and to find out why you are unable to stay rested in the first place. Keep track of your sleeping patterns to create an extensive overview. You can also send this info to your doctor or sleep specialist to arm them enough data for an accurate diagnosis.  

Should You Track Your Sleep?

If you suffer from a sleeping condition, or are worried about the amount of rest you get at night, sleep tracking can be great place to start. It will help you determine your daily patterns and what might be wrong in the first place. 

They're also easy and affordable ways to add to your health, to check if your sleeping treatments are working, and to follow up when they aren't. For those worried about overall sleep patterns and schedules sleep tracking can be a great way to go. 

Talk to your healthcare professional or check back in for more information. 

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Should You Use a Fitness Tracker?

In the past few years alone, fitness trackers have essentially taken over the getting-in-shape population. From those looking to step up their exercising routine, to those who just want to keep track of how many steps they take in a day, wearing tech that counts for you has completely revolutionized the way we exercise. Following everything from movement, to sleeping patterns, these devices can help you upgrade your entire life toward a better bill of health.

What are Fitness Trackers?

You've likely seen them, even if you didn't know what it was at the time. They come in the form of bracelets and small clip-on devices that register body movement – generally steps, stairs, and other more strenuous forms of exercise. Most are rubber so as to be more compatible with movement, though many versions offer more stylish upgrades, such as leather or metal interchangeable bands. 

These trackers log your health goals, and remind you to move throughout the day if you've been sitting for too long. Or they let you know once you've reached a daily goal and update you of progress. 

What are the Perks?

With a fitness tracker, it can be much easier to stay on task. You have an automatic reminder letting you know how often you've been moving throughout the day (or if you've sat for too long). It also logs steps or exercise that takes place even when you didn't set out to burn calories, which can leave you with more progress at the end of the day. (Vs. just logging while at the gym.) Wearing this type of tech can also be a great stance in overall health, helping you to make movement a part of your daily routine. 

If you're considering getting a wearable piece to track your fitness progress, remember how many health perks they can provide and start researching your favorite model today.  

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