At Just A Sec, we believe in making weeknight bedtimes as cozy and welcoming as possible.
Drifting off into a heavenly, quality sleep goes a long way towards having a happier workday the next day. When you sleep well, you feel better. Tasks seem closer to effortless. You're nicer to people, so they act nicer to you.
So why aren't you looking forward to your bedtime?
Angeline is a secretary in midtown who, for months, wasn't getting enough sleep, and the quality of sleep she was getting was poor. She volunteered to test our drug-free, three-step formula for giving the end of the day a well-deserved upgrade. Here's her feedback:
Step One: The Happy Company Sleep Mask
First, we advised Angeline to sink into her own private world with The Happy Company's Sleep Mask. Not only would it block out any annoying light from streetlights, a too-full moon, etc., but the soothing lavendar tucked inside the lining would calm her senses, aromatherapy-style.
"I've never worn a sleep mask in my life," said Angeline. "It's not something I ever thought I needed. I always imagined they'd be kind of uncomfortable, anyway. Like why would you want to sleep in one of those?" But Angeline's experience with The Happy Company's sleep mask changed her mind. "This is really nice. I'm hooked now," she admitted. "It's really soft, it smells wonderful, and it wasn't tight like I imagined a sleep mask would be. It fit really comfortably, and the sensation of having the mask on my face turned out to be really comforting. It was very light and soft. It was like someone gently encouraging my eyes to rest."
The Happy Company's sleep mask is made of 100% cotton flannel. features a "lights out" lining, and fluffy-as-a-cloud filling with lots of lavender. It has fouble elastic straps and comes in two color choices: lavendar or cream. Cost: $8.95. Find out how to get yours at www.thehappycompany.com.
Step Two: The Happy Company Body Wrap
Next, we prescribed the sleep mask's perfect companion: The Happy Company's soft flannel Body Wrap. It features a grain-filled insert which can be heated in the microwave for steady, long-lasting heat comfort. And like the sleep mask, it too contains lavendar for sweet, soothing aromatherapy.
When we asked Angeline about her experience with the Body Wrap, she rolled her eyes and sighed. "If I'd known about one of the these, I would've used one a long time ago."
"It seems like in the old days, people went to bed with hot water bottles a lot. But that never struck me as especially soothing," Angeline told us. "(The Happy Company Body Wrap) is another story. It really melted away my tension. I felt like a happy little infant drifting off in her crib! Most of the time I fall asleep with it flat under my shoulder blades, while I'm laying on my back. But occasionally I'll curl up on my side and just hug it to me." "Oh, and it's really nice when you have menstrual cramps," she added. "Is that TMI?"
The Happy Company Body Wrap has a machine washable cover, which comes in your color choice of lavender or cream. Cost: $16.53. Find out how to get yours at www.thehappycompany.com.
Step Three: Sound Oasis Sleep Therapy Pillow with Sound Therapy System
"This was the magic ingredient," Angeline said of the Sound Oasis Sleep Therapy Pillow and Sound Therapy System. "This changed my world."
"I used to stay up late every night watching TV shows I really didn't care that much about. And here's the stupid reason: I felt like by going to bed, I might be missing something. Not on TV, I mean just in general. Like life was passing me by if I went to sleep. Meanwhile, I'd be getting so freakin' tired. I told you, it was stupid. It was completely psychological and made no sense. Total anxiety."
Sound Oasis made its first difference for Angeline by making her look forward to going to bed. "Oh. Oh, you don't know. I value that time so much now. It's my time. Better than a trip to a spa, I'm not kidding."
The Sound Oasis Sleep Therapy Pillow is a standard-size pillow with two slender speakers buried inside. A plug extending from the side of the pillow attaches to the Sound Oasis Sound Therapy System, a small, sleek machine that produces sounds scientifically designed by doctors to relax and/or induce sleep.
When laying one's head on the Sleep Therapy Pillow, the sounds from the Sound Therapy System gently surround you in ambient music or sound effects. There's also a button to optionally launch Sound Oasis's patented Sleep Enhancement technology, which alters your chosen sound to specifically lull you into sleep, rather than just relaxing you.
Angeline reported that since using the Sound Oasis Sleep Therapy Pillow and Sound Therapy System, she's been getting more sleep, and sleeping much better through the night. She's "less grumpy in the morning" and more attentive during the day. She also told us her frequent headaches have disappeared.
The Sound Therapy System uses tiny sound cards, each loaded with 12 amazingly soothing sounds. The system comes with the "Sleep/Relaxation/Wellness" sound card. Others are available, including "Ear Therapy" and "Spa Retreat".
"I'm not sure I can pick a favorite (sound)," said Angeline. "There are a few I use all the time. I like the ocean, thunderstorm, and some of the musical ones."
Angeline described her experience with the product. "This is the most relaxing thing in the world. Every night I lay my head on that fabulous pillow, and I get completely lost in the sound. The speakers are positioned just right, so you really feel surrounded. I find it works best when I lay on my back. You get real stereo that way. But it's still great when I sleep on my side."
"I never feel the speakers," she added. "It's not uncomfortable at all. You would think you'd feel these hard speakers in there, but you don't."
"I find that the SE button really works to put me to sleep." (She means the "Sleep Enhancement" feature.) "On the weekend sometimes I just lay down for a while and chill out, but I don't press the SE button, and I find I'm able to relax, but not drop off into a nap when I don't really want one."
Angeline uses her Sound Therapy System with its timer feature. You can program the machine to play the sound of your choice for 30, 60, or 90 minutes before gently fading away to silence. This way, it doesn't run all night while you sleep.
The Sound Therapy System also works like an alarm clock, allowing you to wake to a buzzer or your favorite sound.
"It's not for couples," Angeline cautioned. "If you're sleeping next to someone, they can hear the sounds too. The speakers don't work like private earphones. So it's best if you sleep alone, or if your partner doesn't mind the sound therapy. Actually, they'd probably enjoy it."
Here are a few other things you should know:
-- Pillow speakers are removeable, and the pillow is washable.
-- Pillow speakers don't just work with the Sound Therapy System -- you can plug them into your MP3 player, CD player, or TV!
-- You can buy the pillow and Sound Therapy System separately
-- The Sound Therapy System comes with an AC adapter for plugging into the wall, but it will also run on batteries for portability
-- Pillow has hypoallergenic polyester fiberfill
The Sleep Therapy Pillow costs $49.99. The Sound Therapy System retails for $99.99. Buy directly from Sound Oasis at www.sound-oasis.com.
