What Happens In The Bedroom Stays On The Mattress

 Most people keep their mattresses for about 10 years. We spend a lot of time creating a cosy and welcoming sleep environment. However, when it comes to the mattress, we are at a loss. Most people don’t even know what type of mattress they need, let alone how to maintain it. The idea of the mattress is that it is a temporary investment, therefore something you can easily ignore. 


But in reality, the mattress plays a huge role in your sleep quality. When you don’t feel confident in your mattress, it can affect not only how long you’re going to sleep, but also how restful your sleep cycles are. As sleep deprivation is one of the leading causes of heart disease, weight gain, and depression, it’s time to learn how to care for the mattress. 


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The difficult question of which mattress is right for me

There are different types of mattress out there. Memory foams are massively popular, for instance, because they offer a huge amount of support. But they’re not best suited for every sleeper. Unfortunately, figuring out what mattress you need is tricky in the middle of a pandemic when you can’t go and test mattresses yourself. So where do you start your online search?


Ideally, the mattress firmness has to do with your weight. Bodyweights 16 stone or over will need firm support, while weights up to 8 stones need soft support. Take into account pain and muscle weaknesses to opt for the right material. 



Understand how to care for your mattress

A brand new mattress comes with a warranty. However, if you’ve tried to claim, you’ve probably noticed that warranties don’t cover maintenance issues. Take the time to read all care instructions when you buy a new mattress. These will clarify how often you need to turn your mattress – if you do – and how to turn it. Some mattresses have a summer and a winter side, for instance. Additionally, mattresses can still get dirty, even though you are never in contact with them. Sweat and other bodily substances can seep through the bed sheet and leave stains. They create a welcoming terrain for dust mites and bed bugs. So making sure you know how to clean your mattress will ensure a refreshing night’s sleep. 



Say no to allergies 

Cleaning your mattress can avoid many issues. But it doesn’t keep allergy risks at bay if you’ve got a vulnerable terrain. Allergies affect 21 million people in the UK, and almost 6 in 10 allergy sufferers experience worsened symptoms in the bedroom. Your mattress is the most likely source of your problems. A mattress can hold up to 10 million dust mites, so that’s where cleaning can make a huge difference. Additionally, give your mattress a good spring clean, a couple of times a year. Airing it will refresh the mattress. 



Urgh, it’s too hot

Lastly, you can also avoid aggravating issues with bedding that actively protects against mattress problems. Adding a cooling topper on the mattress will reduce sweat stains, making it easier to regulate your body temperature at night. 



Awkward sleeping positions, night sweats, and dead skin cells can affect your mattress, and ruin your sleep. Changing your mattress can improve your bedtime routine. But if you don’t know how to choose and maintain it, you may be wasting your money! 


Can You Personalise A Nursery In Your Own Style?

 Should a nursery be made in the image of the child or the parents? Many people believe that you should follow the former, and just give the child whatever he or she best responds to. But, for many parents, they believe that injecting their own style into a nursery is better for the children. For one thing, the baby will become part of the family because they will be involved in the family’s culture, beliefs and character. The other is, you don’t need to sacrifice one or the other when you can give your baby whatever other newborn is getting in the form of baby colours, materials, a crib and so on. Let's explore how you can personalise your baby’s room.


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Bubblegum colours


If you want to express your bouncy and friendly nature as a parent, relying on the bubblegum palette is a good idea. The colours in this range are bold yet light. They don’t strike out at the child, they encompass them with a nice healthy glow. Many people believe that bubblegum blue and pink make for a more creative child, that will be more artistic as they grow. This type of colour can also help your child’s eyes get used to the bright colours of the outdoors. It's great for their developing yet sensitive yes. So if you like to have girly colours or want something that will look playful and harmless, bubblegum blue, green, pink, etc, are all brilliant choices.



Writings on the wall


When you have a nursery you want your children to remember you in more than just facial recognition. That’s why having your name on the wall in the form of a JR Decal is a great idea. You can place all your family members' names on the wall and your baby will soon begin to see and respond to each one. The names can be in any kind of writing style you want. You can place them onto the wall yourself, as it is a sticky texture which you use to attach the name onto a wall. It can stick to any type of surface, whether painted or wallpaper. You can place little characters in the wiring, such as moons, suns, birds and whatever you desire really.


Photo galore


The best way to personalise your nursery is to place photos of your family all around the room. This can be done in many ways, such as large picture frames on the walls, or smaller photos on floating shelves. You can also place your family members' faces onto small frames onto the dangling night light so your baby can wake up and sleep, knowing who the friendly people in his or her life are.



Yes, of course, we can personalise our nurseries but we have to have a motive behind each move we make. Bright colours are a great way to get your baby used to the vibrancy of the world and help your own personality come through into theirs.


How to Lower Your Energy Bills While Working from Home

  


With many people working from home through winter due to the recent lockdown restrictions, it’s important to consider the added expenses this could cause. Although you might be saving money by not having to commute, spending more time at home can cause your energy costs to rise, especially during winter. To avoid seeing this utility bill spike, here are some energy-saving methods to follow. 

 

Wrap up warm 

 

Working from home negates the need for a strict dress code so use this to your advantage by wrapping up warm with layers. Instead of increasing the thermostat while wearing a t-shirt, put a jumper, bobble hat, and a pair of fluffy socks on. You could even place a thick blanket over your legs, but don’t forget to keep it out of view for any video calls. 

 

Central heating settings

 

Be realistic when setting your heating schedule. If you try working without central heating all day, you’ll likely succumb to turning it on randomly whenever you’re too cold. It’s difficult to keep track of how much energy you’re using without a precise schedule, and you could end up using more than intended.  

 

To gain more control over your heating settings install a smart thermostat, which makes it easier to monitor your usage and identifies where you can make savings. You can also heat individual rooms, such as your home office, and keep the rest of the property cool with smart zoning. This feature can reportedly deliver up to 40% savings on your central heating bill.  

 

Update your boiler

 

Inefficient boilers cause energy bills to soar. To ensure the appliance is functioning correctly, arrange a qualified engineer to conduct an annual service. When boilers near the end of the estimated lifespan of 15 years or continuously need repairing, it’s often more cost-effective to replace them.

 
All newly fitted boilers are condensing, which means they can achieve over 90% energy efficiency and lower your energy bills by £200 annually. 

 

Draught proof 

 

If you struggle to keep your home office warm due to unwanted air circulating the room, invest in draught excluders. First, determine where the draughts are occurring. Most draughts seep through windows and doors, which you can easily eliminate by placing draught-excluders across any gaps. Fitting thick curtains can also help retain heat but try to keep them from covering the radiators.  

 

Utilise natural light 

 

When working from home, you’re likely to use artificial lighting a lot more than normal, which will be another factor in your increasing energy bills. To limit this usage, open your curtains during the day to let the daylight stream in and naturally brighten and warm the room; a garden office pod will allow your office to be flooded with light, thus reducing energy bills automatically. 


 

However, if your workspace isn’t exposed to natural light, invest in LED light bulbs to lower your yearly energy bills by around £40. Also, remember to switch off the light when you leave the room to save another £15. 

 

Don’t overfill the kettle

 

If you’re prone to making hot cups of tea or coffee to get you through the working day, avoid filling the kettle to the top when you only need enough for one cup. Only boiling the amount of water you need can save you around £6.  

 

Winter is typically the most expensive time of year, with Christmas presents to buy and a greater demand for central heating. On top of this, unexpectedly working from home can increase utility bills but you can minimise this financial impact by using your household energy wisely.