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Echoes of a Dream

Many of us have escapes that we use to get away from our day-to-day lives, and many of those escapes can be as simple as reading a book or watching a movie. Music, however, for the most part, seems to be universal in helping many people deal with their emotions. Music, and lyrics, and singing, and all kinds of different tunes can help a person either mentally prepare for a big event (like listening to your favorite jams before a big event) or to help you mellow out at the end of a long day. Music is great for break-ups as well as hook-ups. In fact, you could probably find a song to fit every occasion.

online-yoga

Studies have proven that when listening to music, the dopamine in peoples brains is activated, making us want to listen to more and more of it (unless, of coarse, the song is Friday.) However, no one has been able to figure out exactly why this is because while dopamine is activated during activities such as eating good food, or during exercise. If you are a gym rat, like myself, then you will understand how music can heighten one’s workout experience. As for myself, I will never understand those who are able to run on the treadmill or dead-lift without some awesome tunes ringing through their ear buds, but that might just be me.

So why is it that music gives us such a sensation that we feel the need to listen to it almost every day, at work, on the way to work on the way home from work, in the bath, in the bedroom, in the club. It’s almost like music was programmed into human DNA, and gives many of us a natural rhythm that can’t be defined by mere statistics of race or ethnicity (because some white boys can dance.) There are many different dynamics to music too, like sad, slow songs that you for some reason can’t get enough of and love to cry along to. There are fast tracks with pumping melodies and soaring chorus’ that make you feel like the universe is your oyster. Of course, there will always be that one boring song on an album that you skip every time that it comes on (OK, not always because sometimes an artist is that good.) I think it’s safe to say that for the most part, music gives us feelings.

These feelings can translate into our night lives too, because if you go to bed in a sour mood your probably not going to sleep very well, while going to bed in a neutral or happy state of mind can make for pleasant dreams. You might find that falling asleep to your favorite rock track can be a difficult feat, and that’s because its probably not designed to create delta waves in your brain which will help one fall into a deep slumber. White noise such as crashing waves and a ceiling fan can help to lull a person into the world of sleep, but classical music can also induce a person into this state. There are many things that you can find on the internet that will aid in helping a person sleep, and many musical compositions that can be found on YouTube and various other sites that can move this process along. Getting the proper support from your mattress and pillow and finding the necessary comfort are also factors that contribute to how fast one might fall asleep – besides the obvious how tired you are.

The Natural Transformation by Tomorrow's World

Some of these internet tracks are very interesting and might even carry over into dreamland. Listening to a song that remind you of the ocean could put you on a raft in the middle of the Pacific, while listening to some jungle oriented vibes could place you in a safari, among the beasties of the forest. Give it a try, listen to a soothing rhythm tonight that will help you drown out the world around you and escape into the realm of sleep.

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Swaddling Security

A baby Rhino was taken into custody at the Hoedspruit Endangered Species Center in South Africa, and now can not sleep without being attached to his female keeper at all times. The Rhino was found after poachers killed his mother. He was found lying down with his head crying on his mothers dead body, and now, can not escape the depression that swallows him. Why he needs someone there when he eats and sleeps and breathes, well maybe you would too if your mother was violently poached directly in front of your eyes for her horn.

rhino

Everyone takes comfort in knowing that somebody is there to protect them, or to watch over them. Think about it, it is in our nature, not just as humans but as animals, to need to feel protected or to protect, and when that feeling is threatened then we will obviously become restless. Have you ever tried to sleep at night without a blanket on top of you? Some of us do, and some of us sleep naked, but for the most part, even on hot nights, a blanket or a sheet will provide a person with a sense of security that will help to soothe them to sleep. In fact, depending on your self-esteem, this feeling might weigh you down throughout your day to day life.

I remember back to my middle school days when I would feel extremely uncomfortable or anxious if I was not wearing a jacket that zipped all the way up to my neck. Why? Because I was afraid of people seeing me, and hurting me because perhaps I wasn’t dressed right or what not. The fact of the matter is that in the end, humans are self-conscious beings who need to feel that they have some control over their lives at all times. This shines through in the animal kingdom, and in this case, the baby Rhinoceros who needs to feel protected at all times because his mama was butchered.

Why do babies especially feel this need to be protected? Because they are defenseless…

fitted sheet swaddle

For starters, babies do enjoy the feeling of being constricted, or hugged, or swaddled even. Many parents believe that swaddling is no good for their infants health, but in fact it promotes neuromuscular development, and reduces crying by 28%. Most of all, though, is that babies are found to sleep better when swaddled. This same theory applies to adults also, not that we need to be swaddled, but the feeling of security can be a welcome sensation in our lives, both day and night. Science says that cuddling provides us with the sense of security that we need in order to make us feel good and safe in our own bed, which will eventually translate into our real lives outside of the bedroom.

Now don’t get me wrong, cuddling does not always have to be done with a person. Sure, if you want that release of Oxytocin that the soft touch of another human can give to you, then yes, it should probably involve another, willing, person. However, snuggling up with one’s La’noodle pillow at night will not bring you any harm and can still help ease you into sleep with a better sense of security and comfort. Wrapping yourself up in a warm wool comforter on a comfy cozy bed can do wonders for you as you fall into a deep sleep.

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Oxymoron: Summer Cold

We have all suffered through it: The Common Cold, and yet, why is it that still there is no cure for the aching and stiffness of one’s body? The best that we can do is stay in bed all day and drink juice and sleep and watch our favorite T.V. shows or read our favorite books and magazines. However, that is not good enough for a lot of us, especially after the second day or so of lying in bed. Many of us have to get back to work, get back to school, return to our everyday duties so that we can resume our lives and hopefully retire on a beach some day – and from there we’ll figure out what to do with the rest of our lives once we get bored doing even that. So, what do we do? We resume our lives and our cold does not get any better. In the Winter, if treated the right way, a cold might be gone within a couple of days to a week, with lingering symptoms for the next month or so.

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A summer cold can be very different. Many of us will want to go outside in the nice summer heat, which is great, you know, soaking up that Vitamin D while sipping on a cup of orange juice and falling asleep in the sun perhaps; however, research shows that transitioning from indoors to outdoors might want to be kept to a minimum because the conversion from hot air to cold air can dry the protective mucus lining in the nose, so be careful about air conditioners. Also, as we all know, the key to fighting any cold is rest, just sitting back and letting your body work out the wonders. But, as we all know, Summer tends to be a very busy season. There are so many social things going on, so many beach days that you don’t want to miss, and of course staying in beach body condition is a full time job to begin with. So what are we supposed to do when we get sick> Miss out on all of the fun summer activities that we won’t see for a whole year after Summer has ended? Think of all the Barbeques that you will miss if you take a whole week off for your health!

Well, you can always hide your symptoms by chasing a musinex with cough syrup, but in the end we have to face the facts that the symptoms can not be buried for long and eventually we have to face the ugly truth that modern medicine can’t even defeat the common cold. Still, there is one thing that one can do, every night for a week. That’s right, you guessed it: assure that you are getting the proper rest. Rest is the key to recovery and although we can’t take a whole week off if we want to save up our vacation days, we also can make sure that so long as we are getting a full night’s sleep every night until we are better, then the rest of the Summer will be much, much more enjoyable, and memorable, when we aren’t pumped with Day-Quill.

CozyPure can assure your proper Summer rest with our variety of inviting Organic Latex Mattress‘ and pillows and blankets, etc.. Our products are naturally dust-mite resistant so that your not inhaling debris as you sleep so long as you know how to wash your sheets. Our organic cotton and wool products are not drizzled with petroleum and our sheets not doused in formaldehyde, so there are no unwanted, uninvited, uncalled for chemicals to interfere with your body chemistry.

Of course, you can sweat out a summer cold in the heat of the sun, in a sauna or a steam room. Light exercise is not prohibited for those trying to stay in shape for the Fourth of July; however, workouts that are too intense can deplete the body of energy needed to fight the disease. Remember, though, sleep – sleep – sleep! Get well and enjoy your Summer!

comforter

 

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The Benefits of the Outdoors

It has been said that when one is deprived of their natural habitat they will experience a slight physical and psychological breakdown. Studies show that students whose classroom environment is close to a park, or trees, will likely do better on their tests and such. Elders who live near parks will also be more likely to live longer. A 2001 study, conducted by Frances Kuo and William Sullivan found that those who live in houses that have no immediate access to nature will experience more chaotic – and aggressive – behavior.

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“In our studies, people with less access to nature show relatively poor attention or cognitive function, poor management of major life issues, poor impulse control,” says Kuo. In a Norwegian study, victims of severe depression who took part in a horticulture program noticed reduced symptoms within 3 months. The effects of nature reach far beyond simply looking beautiful, for it brings upon an almost calming, or serene, effect on those who enjoy it. The absorption of vitamin D in the sun does no one harm – until, of course you walk into the house with lobster claws and a blood red chest, so be sure to apply sunscreen generously. Apparently, just the sight of natural landscapes ignite the area of the brain that promotes balance. Studies have shown that when exposed to images of mountains, rivers, beaches, etc, people will most likely observe feelings of ease and well-being.

Not only does being exposed to the natural world help one feel better mentally, but physically it can ease stress, blood-pressure, and anger. It impacts our abilities to pay attention and stay alert, and studies directed toward exercise have proved that those who walk on an outdoor track, for the most part, will walk at a brisker pace than those walking on an indoor track, or treadmill. This is why it remain at the utmost importance that we continue to hold high the integrity of our ecosystem, because without it, physically and psychologically we would begin to ‘break down’ and while the human species lives to adapt, we might never be the same if we didn’t have the outdoors at our disposal. If we had no place to go in order to ‘calm’ ourselves, or to get some fresh air or catch some rays, we might just go insane.

Sitting around for too long is detrimental to our health, and so is sitting in front of the boob tube or computer screen. I don’t want to undermine the advantages that technology has granted us within the past century; however, I do feel the need to stress the importance of exercise and fresh air. Walking around for an hour a day, through your neighborhood, through the park, or strolling down the beach can all do not only your body, but also your mind a lot of justice. Doing this can cross off both one’s need to experience the effects of nature while also fitting exercise into their daily routine. Neither of these two things can be a bad thing unless abused – and by abused I mean working out until you puke and staring into the sun for far too long – which, hopefully, many will have the sense not to do.

IF

Once again, people can all do their own part in keeping the environment clean if only by throwing away their own garbage, and not making it somebody else’ job to do. Don’t forget to experience the natural effects of latex, wool, and other various organic materials in your own bedroom by checking out CozyPure and the Organic Comfort Zone.

 

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Well Under Way With 2014

Now that 2014 is well under way, it might be time to actually begin trying to workout your ‘new’ years resolution. I myself have kept up a decent gym schedule, with the exception of March in which I spent a chunk of time vegging on the couch due to injury. Now that June is on the way, and I’m back in the gym, and “things are looking up, oh finally,” I think that it might be time to begin working on some more pressing resolutions. For one, I’d like to get some of my other work published online, or featured in magazines and what not. I should probably stop snacking, but things take time, right?

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Many of you will be looking for ways to conserve the environment around you, and as I’ve posted before, there are literally hundreds of ways that you can help out without having to make any donations to BS organizations or even going more than within a blocks radius of your house. If you look around, and I mean really look around – and there are exceptions to this – but most neighborhoods will typically have a lot of trash lying around on the streets. We’ve become accustomed to this, especially in our own towns, and tend to not notice litter until its too late and there is a swarm of plastic bags angrily making their way across an empty parking lot, searching for its next host to latch onto a suffocate.

Now, granted, as I said before, there are exceptions, and for the most part there are a lot of neighborhoods that tend to remain pretty clean; however, there is always that trashy McDonald’s Styrofoam cup or that nasty, wet plastic bag, or the tragic array of broken beer bottles that one we will stumble across when trying to enjoy a stroll through the park. All I’m saying is that if you have a problem looking at these horrific sights then you should make it a resolution to pick it up, walk ten feet, twenty feet, half a mile, and throw it away. Perhaps you could go out with a trash bag and some gloves and pick up the trash in your neighborhood. If anything it will make you a Saint while everyone else draws their curtains and begins to resemble something more of a pig than human – at least in my eyes, that is what those who toss their trash to the wind on the freeway look like. And God forbid a condom washes up on the beach while your trying to catch some rays, at that point its time to pack up and leave. Leave for a better existence somewhere else.

recycle

When I’m out I do my best to pick up trash that is lying around so long as there is a trash can within eyesight. If not, no one is asking you to pick up someone else’ mess if you really don’t want to, and if there isn’t a dumpster in sight then who can blame you. In the end, what is really important is that you don’t actually contribute to the debris and filth that occupies our streets. This is our Earth, it’s the only one that we have. Screw YOLO, who cares if You Only Live Once if all you are doing is making the ecosystem fog up with smog and waste.

Other things that can be done include recycling your plastic and paper, and reusing various other household equipment. Perhaps using less hairspray or fa-breeze to lower the amount arousal cans being disposed will lighten Mother Nature’s load. Perhaps using less toxic chemicals to clean will alleviate the strain that is constantly taunting to rip apart our world. One of the best places to get in the mood for ‘saving the world and other extreme sports’ is in the bedroom, and now you can clean up your own bedroom with natural bedding from the Organic Comfort Zone, which features a wide array of cozy mattresses and pillows to blankets and pillow toppers. Don’t stop now, you’re on a roll with your new years resolutions, take it one step further and add CozyPure to your list of things to look into before the year is out.

 

 


eric-SAT-picEric is currently a student and part-time team member for Norfolk, VA based business Organic Comfort Zone, manufacturers of CozyPure organic bedding and mattress. For more information visit organiccomfortzone.com or cozypure.com or call 757.480.8500.

 

 

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Snooze to the Music

Seeing as there is an order of latex being delivered today and only have so much time to get a blog post out, I’ll make this one quick and fun. We all love music, and we allllllll love sleeping, so I’ve put together a small playlist of some of my favorite songs that are either about sleep, or that can put me to sleep, or both…

10. Stay the Night (Zedd ft. Hayley Williams)

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This song is good. It’s not my favorite work by Hayley Williams but it’s lyrical content just makes you want to find that certain somebody and cuddle up close with them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-gyZ35074k

9. Cold (Aqualung and Lucy Schwartz)

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This song is not so much about sleep as it is about putting one to sleep. When I’m lying in bed and I’ve had a rough day, I put this song on repeat and set a sleep timer to turn my Ipod off within the hour, and drift slowly into sleep.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJud9eM4q9k

8. Safe and Sound (Taylor Swift ft. The Civil Wars)

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I love this song so much because it was written for the the Hunger Games soundtrack, and while I’m not the biggest Taylor Swift fan by any means, I enjoy her feature on the soundtrack. Taylor’s voice plus the cooing done by the Civil Wars can knock me out in a heartbeat. Not to mention the calming claim that ‘come morning light I’ll be safe and sound.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzhAS_GnJIc

7. Asleep (The Smiths)

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This list would not be complete without this song – which plays on your ears like a quiet mouse in the night, so soft and gentle, and lyrically enigmatic.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vy0NySCmuFU

6. Bel Air (Lana Del Rey)

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It was a tough choice, deciding which Lana Del Rey song should be featured on this list. In the end I was torn between Bel Air and Born to Die. Seeing as Born to Die isn’t the happiest song, and that Bel Air is by far her sleepiest song, I chose to go with the latter. Hope you enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qXA1Y3KIwY

5. Only If For A Night ( Florence + The Machine)

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This woman is a God. I have no idea where she originated from, what planet or even solar system that she descended from, but Florence Welch is not of this Earth. That being said, enjoy her beautiful song in which she shout and cries about a ghost visiting her, begging them to stay with her, only if for a night.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKTfugNaQpk

4. I Go To Sleep (Sia)

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The song was originally penned by Ray Davies, and originally recorded by the Kinks. Since then it has been covered by various artists ranging from Cher to the Pretenders. I chose Sia’s version because she has such a beautifully calm voice and the way she sings the lyrics sound all too genuine.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtTHsBlhdxo

3. Dream On (Aerosmith)

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So it’s not exactly the best song to fall asleep to, what with all the slamming guitars and screeching vocals; however its message is clear – dream on, dream big, dream until your dreams come true. (Side fact, I always assume that the song is Don’t Speak when the first few bars are played over the radio.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHRNSeuvzlM

2. Wake Me Up (Avicii)

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This song is pretty popular, and it’s pretty jamming too. It’s great to set as your alarm clock, and while it’s not exactly about sleep, waking up is a part of every persons day, and it can be done right with a good song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcrbM1l_BoI

1. Sleep Forever (Portugal. The Man)

Portugal. The Man - In the Mountain in the Cloud (2011)

I’ve posted this song on an article a couple of days ago, but here it is, once again, Sleep Forever, by Portugal. The Man. This song has such a sleepy vibe, and some pretty good lyrics to fall asleep to. The band knows whats up, because in the end we are all going to sleep forever.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYs_mEiquy8

 

 


eric-SAT-picEric is currently a student and part-time team member for Norfolk, VA based business Organic Comfort Zone, manufacturers of CozyPure organic bedding and mattress. For more information visit organiccomfortzone.com or cozypure.com or call 757.480.8500.

 

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Buckwhat?

While buckwheat filling is somewhat hard and crunchy, that does not mean that it is uncomfortable. The thing about buckwheat is that it conforms to your head and neck while also being dust mite resistant. Because it conforms to all of your bodily contours (head, neck) it is highly recommended by some chiropractors and physicians to relieve neck and spinal pain. CozyPure’s Organic Buckwheat pillows are encased with 100% Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) certified Organic damask fabric casing. While it remain relatively hard to recommend a pillow, a buckwheat pillow will equip anyone with a good nights rest. Especially during the hot summer months these pillows tend to stay a little cooler than the standard synthetic pillows; they aren’t exactly a ‘chillow’ but they are great for chilling out. Buckwheat pillows are filled with buckwheat hulls, which is different from latex, cotton, wool, or Kapok, which all can retain heat to a certain degree (not that they get ‘hot’.)

 

 


eric-SAT-picEric is currently a student and part-time team member for Norfolk, VA based business Organic Comfort Zone, manufacturers of CozyPure organic bedding and mattress. For more information visit organiccomfortzone.com or cozypure.com or call 757.480.8500.

 

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Cuddle-Up Close

Sleeping alone can be liberating and all but sometimes its pretty nice to snuggle up with somebody. Most of us will have to use a pillow on most nights, wrapping their arms around the bag stuffed with latex or kapok or buckwheat, and that is fine. Perhaps two pillows might do even more justice in that you can stuff one between your bony knees to supply further comfort and warmth. Its easy to wrap your arms around a soft pillow, close your eyes, and drift out into space. Some of us just can’t fall asleep without imagining that someone else is there with them, like Ray Davies penned and Cher, The Pretenders, The Kinks, and Sia can all verify. You can also fall asleep with your pet, or at least attempt to. The thing about pets is that they’re unpredictable, making them viable to being easily distracted and perhaps running away from your outstretched arms at the first gust of wind or the sound of footsteps on the sidewalk outside, leaving you alone, once again.

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If you cuddle with your pillow, pet, or your partner, then spooning is universal. The thing about spooning is that you can do it with anything that you want. Granted that most times you will end up being the big spoon on most nights unless you really are cuddling with a person who won’t mind being the big spoon. However, all you have to do, when spooning someone – or something – is curl your body up against their own and wrap your arms around them and hold them. Talking is optional, and I would honestly rather talk to my pillow and keep my mouth shut when with a person to avoid screwing up the moment – but that’s just me. Spooning also promotes body heat and release endorphins.

Now here is one position that you can’t do with a pillow, you might do with a pet, and can definitely do with a person: face-to-face. This position is typically a romantic one, you know, the kind used for pillow talk and what not. All you have to do is lie down on your mattress and look straight into the eyes of the other person. Perhaps you can hold hands, perhaps your legs will be entwined, either way you’ll be sure to have an intimate time with your partner, whether its your pet or your lover. Remember to get comfortable, because if you aren’t comfortable, your partner won’t be either. The best way to get comfortable is to assure that you’re on the right bedding.

There is always the half-spoon, which can be executed by one person lying down face up with their arm stretch out beside them, with either their hand beneath their head or wrapped around the second person. Their partner proceeds to place their head on the others chest, most likely wrapping their own arm around the other person’s waist. Cuddling comes with its pitfalls – such as the occasional dead body part and face full of hair, but its benefits outweigh its cons in that it promotes good health, kills depression, and improves communication skills while also leaving one with a positive disposition.

 

 


eric-SAT-picEric is currently a student and part-time team member for Norfolk, VA based business Organic Comfort Zone, manufacturers of CozyPure organic bedding and mattress. For more information visit organiccomfortzone.com or cozypure.com or call 757.480.8500.

 

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Precognition

Last night I was dead asleep when all of a sudden I’m in the middle of school, just about to enter my math room, when my teacher pulls me aside and begins to scold me. “Why weren’t you here last class?” He reprimands and I reply to him, wide-eyed, “I was here last class…” There is a moment of intense silence that builds between the two of us for a brief moment before my teacher continues, “Really? What did we do?” I ponder this for a moment, trying hard to remember exactly what we did do the class previous. Did we take notes? No. Did we take a quiz? No, but you’re getting warmer. I remember, “We did the ‘thinking’ piece.” I finally respond with a smile on my face. Ha, I think as my teachers expression shifts from anger to remorse. “Of course,” He says and smiles at me as I walk past him into the math room. Just then my alarm clock wakes me up. I look at the time and see that I have been sleeping through my alarm for the past ten minutes and am probably going to be late for school. I quickly get out of bed and dress up in my normal ‘sweatpants Friday’ get-up, which consists primarily of, well, sweatpants and a hoodie. I barely bother putting a comb through my hair before inhaling a bowl of cereal and rushing out of the door, into the car, and driving down the street just in the nick-of-time.

This morning was also a rainy one. Sheets upon sheets of rain poured down onto my windshield as I drove down a thirty-five mile per hour street at a whopping twenty-seven miles per hour in order to avoid the hassle of getting myself stuck in a flooded street. This mess of a road trip continued until I was finally making my way onto the street behind the school, where I found myself blocked by a large flood in which a sad mini-van was hopelessly rendered useless in. I could have been a good-Samaritan and gotten out, trudged through the flood, and asked if there was anything that I could do for the mini-van; however, seeing as I was already about ten minutes late for school, and that it was there problem and not mine, I quickly turned around and found my way into the school parking lot through a series of back roads that weren’t as flooded.

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Upon arriving in the building, around twenty minutes late, I stumble into the front office, soaking wet, and receive a late pass along with a pitiful look from the woman who runs the front desk before heading to class. Life goes on, I sit in class soaking wet and bored to death as my teacher goes on about something or other, and I realize I could complain about how cold and wet I am except that no one is actually listening to me, nor the teacher for that matter – half the class is sleeping, the other half on their phones. The bell rings and I zip out of class as usual. As I arrived at my second block of the day, my math class, my teacher asks me – not at the door but as I’m sitting in my seat – “Eric, were you here last class?” I am taken aback, “Of course I was, we did the ‘thinking’ piece.” I reply with conviction and my teacher nods. “Right,” He says and then goes to mark something into his computer.

Why is this significant? Did I predict the future? Was this all deja-vu? Had I already lived through it? Were my dreams trying to tell me to make sure to get to class no matter the pouring rain and what not? Precognition is the ability to read the future in one’s dreams. Though it has never been either proven nor dis-proven it is nearly impossible to study. While I’m not claiming the be the next That’s So Raven, I do find it very interesting that dreams could possibly have a very real way of making predictions, whether they are exact or close enough to an actual event. In 1865, Abe Lincoln claimed to have had a dream in which he was attending a funeral and asked “who is in the casket?” and received the reply, “The President of the United States.” Two weeks later he gave his bodyguard the night off and was assassinated. Others have claimed to have foreseen the sinking of the Titanic and other historical disasters. I myself believe that dreams hold some kind of fragment, or glimpse, or detail that coordinates with one’s life. While I don’t believe everything that psychologists such as Sigmund Freud and various others might have noted (like the connotations behind seeing a skyscraper in our dream, or a cave…) I do understand that these very well might be hidden signs that can foretell what our lives might entail or can breathe new life into problems that we face daily, and in the end can either help us get through them or not. Dreams might have a way of healing the soul or destroying it. One of the greatest authors, Stephen King, is said to have been plagued by nightmares all his life. one day he was told to begin writing them down, and now he has an entire library of books under his belt. Perhaps his dreams were promoting him to fulfill his destiny, which was to become the King of Horror.

 

As for what my dream of math class means, I think that it was pretty self-explanatory in its message of getting me out of bed this morning; however, the fact that my teacher asked me the same question in real life as he had in my dream might mean that perhaps I am the next to be the next Nostradamus. Who knows, only time will tell. I can tell you one thing, though, and that is that whatever prophecy that comes to me in my sleeping hours will be made even more vivid by the deep sleep I’m in, promoted by the comfort of my natural CozyPure bedding, which is one thing that no prophet needs to tell you is worth investing in.

 

 


eric-SAT-picEric is currently a student and part-time team member for Norfolk, VA based business Organic Comfort Zone, manufacturers of CozyPure organic bedding and mattress. For more information visit organiccomfortzone.com or cozypure.com or call 757.480.8500.

 

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Sleep Your Way to the Top

Ever wonder why your teenager is always moping around the house, lazy as ever, and seemingly distant? Maybe its because they are staying up all night texting and talking and crying and writing bad poetry instead of getting the sleep that they need. Not to discourage the social order of children and teens in this day and age – because lets face it, there will always be the social hierarchy no matter where you go – and not to discourage the making of the next Sylvia Plath – because lets face it, Lorde can’t take her place forever – but teens do need the most sleep out of all ages. Teen-hood is when our bodies are struggling through puberty and our brains are trying their damnedest to push past the constant pain of wishy-washy hormones. The fact that school begins before the break of dawn in most places does not help out the cause of our reckless youth at all – in fact, it could be making them more anxious, more reckless, more defiant.

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Parents – except not just parents because as a teen you are old enough to call some shots yourself – should be assuring, or at least recommending that their child get the proper amount of rest each night in order to perform their best the next day. Teens should be getting at least 8 1/2 hours of sleep each night (although 9 is ideal) but many don’t go to bed until one and wake up by six in the morning. Sure, I’m not saying that school schedules should be adjusted for those who do go to bed at one because they’re up all night socializing, that’s their own choice; however, a little slack granted upon those who try their hardest to sleep at least 7 hours a night should be rewarded, perhaps school can be adjusted to start a half an hour later, that’s a whole extra half an hour of sleep.

Also, it’s a treacherous thing to set that alarm clock for the earliest possible time and then press the snooze button five times after it has gone off. I used to think that this was a good idea, I would set my alarm for six and then press snooze until it was six thirty, I thought it would be the perfect way to ease me into my waking state. I was wrong. Doing this screws with your sleep cycle in odd ways. It makes one more groggy because in those five to ten minutes before your alarm rings again you might tread the thin line between sleep and consciousness, which is hurtful to a persons sleep-wake cycle when they are so rudely awakened once more by that more-than-annoying alarm clock (because even the radio can be a nuisance in the AM.) I now set my alarm for six thirty and press snooze only once before I force myself out from underneath the impeccable, insatiable, immaculate comfort that lies in the arms of my  wool comforter. I’m melting just thinking about it, if there is one thing that the stiff morning hours bring is the grief of waking up only to be thrust into the wild hallways of my high school (#thankGodforGraduation), which in turn reminds me to be thankful for all the small luxuries in my life (i.e. my wool comforter!)

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What a refreshing experience that a good nights sleep actually is. When I wake up after getting at least seven hours of sleep (because yes, with our busy schedules in this day and age, even I can’t be expected to always get the recommended eight hours of sleep – unless its a weekend.) And why do you have to go and make things so complicated by running yourself insane with sleep deprivation? Just turn off the lights and shut your eyes! Sure, I know you want to get caught up on your favorite TV show, and you will, in time. But watching TV before bed can be just as damaging to our sleep as anything else. The light that radiates from the TV screen/computer screen/smartphone/tablet/PSP screen is detrimental to our bodies natural production of melatonin, which aids in the process of falling asleep when necessary. My best advice is – if you’re tired, and it’s past eight, then it’s time for bed. And who can honestly resist the warm comfort that an organic  mattress entails? Who can escape the sweet seduction of a cuddle-ready mattress and other various natural bedding? Who needs a cuddle buddy when you have your La’Noodle pillow (because they don’t steal your blankets from you, and they won’t kick you in their sleep.)

So once again, I stress the fact that one must attain the proper rest in order to perform at their peak and take the world by storm.

As Arianna Huffington quotes that she “slept her way to the top,” quite literally, and there may not be any other way to get there.

Studies show that sleeping helps our brain process information quicker so that we can spend more quality time doing the things that need to be done. Even taking a short nap mid-day can help one think clearer. Instead of giving up sleep how about we give up other vices, such as that midnight margarita. I’m not trying to preach about giving up your social life and locking your doors every night at eight-o-clock because its bedtime. If its a weekend and your friends want you to go out, carpe diem, but when its time to work the best thing that you can do to get the best results is to clock in some quality sleep.

 

I saw these guys in concert the other night and thought that I might post this video (yes, I took my own videos but I also took them on my phone and the video is actually pretty good for the whole one pixle in it) because this song is so beautiful. Turn out all the lights, close your eyes, and drift away. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYs_mEiquy8

 

And remember to get the best sleep that you can each night so that one day you might be as talented as these guys, or any one else that you might aspire to be like when you grow up – because your always going to be growing up, don’t ever let age stop you from following your dreams.

 

 


eric-SAT-picEric is currently a student and part-time team member for Norfolk, VA based business Organic Comfort Zone, manufacturers of CozyPure organic bedding and mattress. For more information visit organiccomfortzone.com or cozypure.com or call 757.480.8500.