This, of course, can play havoc with our sleeping patterns. Feeling stressed may affect our ability to get the recommended eight hours a night, by making it difficult for us to switch off enough to get off to sleep in the first place, or leaving us wide awake in the early hours of the morning as we start to worry about the day ahead.

What happens when stress causes us to lose sleep?

A few missed nights of sleep can be fine for most of us, simply meaning that we have a short period of excessive tiredness. However, if the stress continues indefinitely, the missed sleep can actually have serious side effects. Physical side effects of reduced sleep over a sustained period of time may include irritability, changes in appetite, (either through skipping meals or consuming more junk food to get an energy boost), and even long-term health conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and other more serious conditions.

If you're suffering from stress, the first and most important thing to do is to try and find a way of managing the trigger factors causing this difficult condition. This may be as simple as reducing your working hours, addressing problems such as difficult colleagues, financial strain or mounting pressures, and finding ways to eliminate the problem factors that are leading to your anxiety. If this isn't possible, however, there are some really positive ways to tackle the physical effects of stress to make sure you get the sleep you need.

How to get the sleep you need

One of the first things to try is relaxation exercises or alternative therapies. Hypnotherapy has been proven to be really effective as a way of encouraging your mind and body to relax, and good practitioners will also teach you self-hypnosis techniques to encourage you to learn to relax before you go to sleep each night. Other therapies such as acupuncture, reflexology, and massage are all designed to support you to relax properly, giving you a much-needed break from the tiredness and worry that has been preventing you from sleeping well.

Simple techniques such as avoiding caffeinated drinks and alcohol before bed, taking some regular exercise and having a long soak in the bath before you go to bed each night can all be really effective ways to encourage your mind and body to relax. If you find that none of these tricks work for you, it could be a good idea to visit your GP and see what other help is available, for example through talking therapies such as counselling, NLP (Neuro-Linguistic programming) or CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) to help you tackle the issues leading to the ongoing stress situation.

It's important that you don't let stress become a constant part of your everyday life. Take time to look after yourself and eliminate the triggers causing the problem, and you'll soon be back to enjoying a regular sleep pattern once again.

Did you know that one in three people across the UK at some point in their lives, will suffer from insomnia? Insomnia is a recurring inability to get enough sleep, leaving sufferers wide awake through the night, while it seems the rest of the world are snoozing like babies.As we get older, the possibility of having this condition actually increases, and Bupa estimate that around half of all people over the age of 65 will suffer at some point from an inability to get a sound night of sleep.How recurrent insomnia can startWhile the odd night without sleep can leave you feeling groggy and irritable, when these occasional nights start to add up, it can actually lead to health problems. Along with the general tiredness that will affect your everyday productivity and lead to increased anxiety, chronic insomnia can lead to more serious health problems including diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity.

Insomnia can be caused by a whole host of different factors. These may include having a new baby, as parents try to get back from a disturbed routine but find that their body clocks refuse to 'reset' back to their previous sleep cycle. Other factors include stress, where you can't switch off from issues causing concern in your life, such as work or family problems, or jet lag which triggers an ongoing response physically that disrupts your sleep cycle. Grief, bereavement and depression are also all thought to be strong factors in causing ongoing insomnia.

Insomnia: the self-perpetuating condition

Often, the most disruptive aspect of insomnia can be the worry it causes for people who lie awake unable to sleep. Anxiety about the tiredness which will be caused, and a concern as to why the insomnia may be happening, can actually compound the problem, leaving sufferers feeling more anxious, and therefore even more unlikely to get the sleep which they so desperately need.

Symptoms of insomnia include having difficulty getting off to sleep, even when you are tired, waking up early for no apparent reason, waking up periodically in the night and being unable to get off to sleep, and feeling tired and groggy when you get up. These symptoms can lead to more serious issues, affecting your concentration and leading to an increased risk of accidents such as road traffic collisions through impaired co-ordination and judgment.

Beating the no-sleep cycle

If you suffer with insomnia, the positive news is that there are lots of different remedies to try out before you reach for the sleeping pills. Hypnotherapy has very strong results in assisting you to relax and overcome your sleep problems, and there are herbal supplements available to promote relaxation and encourage your body and mind to get back in to a regular, healthy sleep pattern.

Exercise during the day, avoiding caffeinated drinks and large meals before bed, cutting down on liquid intake before you go to sleep and talking through any stresses or anxieties can all help to promote positive sleep, too. Don't suffer alone, however, as GPs see people with this condition on a daily basis, and will be able to give you the advice and support you need to get your sleep cycle back on track, and beat insomnia once and for all.

Congratulations to Lisa from Bristol, who gets to deck out her boudoir with some beautiful new linen!

We'll be posting more competitions up in future, so keep your eye on our page for future opportunities to grab some great goodies.

With best wishes, from the team at Cushy x

Hitting a whopping five star average for quality reviews on Amazon, Catherine Lansfield is known for creating classic designs for your bedroom that fit perfectly with your colour scheme and complement your decor for luxurious, soft quality bedding.

All you have to do to be in with a chance of winning this fabulous set is 'Like' our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/#!/CushyUK. The lucky winner will be announced on June 1st, 2013.

Good luck and happy snoozing!

Cushy

Can you imagine if you woke up every morning to discover that you'd been up during the night having a midnight feast, without even being aware of it? One of the oddest antics some sleepers get to is a phenomenon known as 'Sleep Eating', or 'Nocturnal Sleep Eating Disorder', or 'Nocturnal Compulsive Hyperphagia'  to give it its proper names. Thought to affect about a whopping one to three percent of the population, the syndrome is a combination of an eating disorder and sleepwalking.

The effects of Nocturnal Sleep Eating Disorder

People who get up and head to the kitchen to eat in their sleep can rack up as many as 2,500 extra calories through their binges, waking up in the morning to find their bedroom littered with wrappers from food items, or their kitchen ransacked. Still more people actually do this most nights without even realising, going to their GP to have all manner of tests to try and get to the bottom of why they are putting on so much weight when they are on a calorie-restricted diet during their waking hours.

While it may sound pretty funny, sleep eating can actually cause a great deal of concern for the sufferer. People with the syndrome try all sorts of methods for curbing the habit, from padlocking the refrigerator to asking their partners and family to make sure that everything edible is safely stored away out of sight.

When the disorder usually starts

Symptoms of the disorder typically emerge in the late twenties, and is much more likely to affect women than men. This is thought to be because people with an existing or latent eating disorder are much more likely to combine sleepwalking with eating, and more women than men are believed to have eating disorders.

While medics aren't entirely sure what causes the problem, certain factors such as the person dieting during the day (and so compensating for hunger at night), prescription drug abuse, narcolepsy or sleep apnea, nicotine withdrawal, stress or some medical conditions may all contribute to the disorder emerging.

How to treat sleep eating

The condition is usually treated with some success by prescription medication including benzodiazepines, which relax the sufferer and promote more deep and prolonged sleep phases. Working out what the underlying issue is can also be really helpful in getting to the bottom of why it's taking place, and going some way to resolving it.

If you suspect that your inability to lose weight despite dieting and exercising, or daytime sleepiness could be down to sleep eating, it's important to go and see your GP to get checked out. This will not only help you get the treatment you need, but it could also go a long way to reducing your grocery bills!

I bet you thought it would never happen, right? Finally, after what feels like years of waiting, the British weather looks set to have turned and we're headed for some real warmth and sunlight for the first time since 2012!Something magical seems to happen when the season shifts. Instead of being cooped up indoors hibernating against the wind, cold and rain, people start to emerge from their enforced hiding and smile at each other again. Obviously, at the first sign of sunshine, flip flops and shades come out, shorts are seen in the most unlikely of places, and the roads are crammed with excitable Brits trying to head out to the nearest piece of coastline for some weekend rest and relaxation.

Have you noticed how the nation actually seems to cheer up, too? Whereas in dark nights and dark mornings people seem to have been cloaked in grumpiness, now all of a sudden we've become more positive, approachable and friendly. Neighbours fling windows wide open and start to spring clean, chatting over fences and hedges to catch up with six months of gossip. People emerge in to their gardens with smiles on their faces, as they start the spring tidying ready for the warmer weather. Even the birds seem to be singing more strongly, belting out tunes from trees covered in fresh blossom.

Spring is a truly spectacular time, not only for the new growth it brings but also for the warmth and companionship people start to show to each other. Now, the only thing standing between you and perennial happiness is a great night of sleep.

One of the things well worth considering when spring arrives is how your winter duvet and bedding will suit you now the weather has shifted and we're enjoying warmer evenings, more light and later sunsets. If you've been like the majority of UK residents over the past few months, you've been sleeping under a mountain of blankets, thick high-tog duvets and fleece throws in an effort to conserve heat and make sure you don't wake up in the middle of the night because of cold in bed.

Now, though, it's time to shed those winter bed accessories and invest in a new lightweight range of bedding to make sure your body maintains the right level of heat for great sleep. Whereas in the colder weather, you will have depended upon staying warm and toasty to get a sound night's rest, now the weather has lifted and we're experiencing more clement temperatures, it's important to make sure that you maintain a consistent body heat and your bedding doesn't cause you to overheat, bringing sleeplessness and early awakenings as a result.

As a general rule, you body temperature should be maintained at approximately 65° F or 18° C. To achieve this when the weather is more clement, it's a good idea to switch to a Spring duvet to maintain consistent temperatures. We have a great range on sale at Cushy, catering for every preference including hypoallergenic for allergy sufferers, luxury feather and down versions, or lightweight hollowfibre duvets to make you feel warm and cosy but without the associated weight and pressure of heaver makes. Whatever your preferred style, we've got you covered so check out what's on offer and make sure your bedroom is the perfect place for fantastic sleep during the Spring months!

Using natural chemicals to get great sleep

Probably the most common time that we all tend to nap after a meal is over the Christmas period. People who celebrate Christmas by eating a large turkey dinner aren't just napping because they are full - turkey actually contains a large amount of a valuable amino acid called Tryptophan in it, which works with our bodies to make us feel relaxed and sleepy. Tryptophan is a natural sedative that we aren't capable of producing in our own bodies, so getting an injection of this sleep-making chemical means that most of us succumb to a nap pretty soon after eating!

Tryptophan is so sought after that over the 1980s, people started to take the amino acid as a supplement in concentrated form, before further research suggested that high volumes of the acid may cause health problems. These days, however, we know enough about sleep and the chemical breakdown of food to suggest that there is a strong link between the two, and we can use the power of sleep to gain that relaxed and snoozy feeling naturally.

How to get Tryptophan naturally

You can also find Tryptophan in other foodstuffs, including red meat, nuts, seeds, tuna, soybeans and chicken, so if you're not a big fan of turkey you could consider snacking on one of these other healthy proteins to get your body to calm down and encourage a great night of sleep.

Consuming a large amount of food during the daytime makes us feel sleepy because when we eat a high number of calories (particularly carbohydrates), our bodies have to work hard to digest all the extra food and so we tend to naturally want to rest while we give out digestive system the opportunity to get on with what it does best. This is why nutritionists will recommend having a light lunch with lots of protein if we're working hard during the day, as this provides us with the energy that we need without giving us so much to digest that our system slows down and our energy levels decrease.

The best way to use diet to promote good sleep hygiene

Even though eating a large dinner can make us feel sleepy, scientists suggest that it's not a great idea to eat a huge evening meal, as this can cause indigestion, reduce our ability to sleep soundly and overtax our bodies with needless calories that we won't burn up as we sleep. However, it is well worth having a meal with one of the ingredients that contain Tryptophan if you're suffering with insomnia or late-night difficulties in drifting off to sleep, as these foods in small portions will really support your body and help you sleep.

Sleep is a pretty personal thing, and many people have different habits and traits when they sleep that mean it can be challenging to share a bed with them. These can range from simple, common behaviours like snoring or restlessness, right through to bizarre disorders like sleep eating, sleep walking, night terrors or sleep apnoea.

How some strange sleep behaviours can signify a disorder

Most of us just take the way we sleep for granted, assuming we're the same as everyone else, and don't think about it too much. However, some strange habits in bed can signify more serious issues and underlying health problems so it can be worth thinking about the way you sleep, checking in with your partner to see how you behave when you're in the land of nod, and looking in to your sleep hygiene if you find yourself being more tired than usual during the day.

One of the most annoying habits a partner can have when you sleep together is jerking their arms or legs as you're drifting off! Some people can be so active in this way that they end up giving their spouse bruises, a black eye or even kicking them out of bed unintentionally! This type of behaviour can mean nothing more than a vivid dream, but it's also indicative of an interesting sleep disorder known as 'Periodic Limb Movement Syndrome', or PLMS.

How to spot the signs of Periodic Limb Movement Disorder

PLMS is characterised by repetitive movements (usually in the legs) that take place two or three times a minute. The movements can range from twitches, jerks, or an upward flexing of the feet. While the sufferer can be completely unaware of their movement, the partner can find themselves being kicked, scratched or even bounced out of bed by the disorder!

The movements can last from anywhere between a couple of minutes right through to the entire night, depending upon the severity of the problem. While no-one knows exactly what causes the disorder, scientists think that the movements are based on a harmless mis-firing within the nervous system that makes the sleeper flex their muscles unconsciously. PLMS is not a serious disorder in itself, but it can very occasionally be a sign that the sleeper has other underlying problems, including anaemia, diabetes or kidney disease.

In addition to periodic muscle contractions, flexing limbs or jerking  movements, people with PLMS may also have other symptoms, including restless legs syndrome, which is characterised by a feeling or irritation in the leg muscles either as they go to sleep, or when they wake up during the night.

Getting help for PLMS

If you're having problems with PLMS and it's getting in the way of sound sleep, there are a few things you can do. Try walking and stretching exercises to get your leg muscles relaxed before bed, or you could consider checking in with your GP to get medication designed to inhibit the reflex that causes the limb movements.

Overall, PLMS is probably going to be much more annoying for your bed partner than it is for you, and you may have some explaining to do if you repeatedly kick your spouse out of bed each night!

When you were a child, did your parents say the rhyme before you went to sleep, that went along the lines of; 'Good night, sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite'? It's a common rhyme, but it's actually pretty gruesome when you consider the implications!

What exactly are bedbugs?

Bedbugs are very common small brown-coloured insects with oval bodies, that feed off animals and humans, surviving by sucking blood for sustenance. Once they have taken a juicy bite of dinner, their bodies swell in size and change colour to a reddish shade. Full-sized bedbugs have flatter bodies, and grow to be the size of an apple pip. While these little critters can't fly, they can move pretty quickly over floors, ceilings and walls. The female of this species is a prolific reproducer, laying hundreds of eggs over the course of their lifespan. Eggs can be difficult to detect as they are as small as a speck of dust, so not easily visible to the naked eye.

Baby bedbugs are known as 'nymphs'. They need to feed at least five times before they grow to a fully mature size, and each time they eat they shed their skin and develop in stature before reaching adulthood. Young bedbugs can develop to full size in around four weeks, if their environment is providing them with a strong source of regular food.

While bedbugs are quite disgusting, they aren't dangerous as they don't transmit any infection or disease through their bites.

How bedbugs arrive in your sleeping area

Bedbugs can enter your bedroom in a number of ways. They can crawl unseen in to luggage items when you travel away, secrete themselves in to your clothing, or come in to your home on second-hand couches or mattresses. They live in groups, finding a preferred nesting place with ready access to a source of food (usually, you!)

The good news is, even if you do have these little guys sharing your bed with you, it doesn't mean that you aren't clean or that your bedroom hygiene is lacking. Because they survive solely on blood, bedbugs can enter even the most immaculate home and make their nest with you. Once they've become well installed, they can spread in to other rooms and like to hide out in mattresses, headboards, bed frames or box springs waiting for you to come to bed and give them their dinner.

How to know if you have bedbugs

You can spot the signs of bedbugs primarily through evidence of being bitten. A bedbug bite usually happens at night when we sleep, as this is their most active time. While you won't notice being bitten at the time it happens, you may spot a raised, itchy red welt on any area of your skin that is exposed while you sleep. It can be tough to distinguish between flea, mosquito or bedbug bites, so the time the bite occurs is probably your best way of determining if you have an infestation.

Other signs that you're not sleeping alone can include blood stains on bedding or pillowcases, small dark spots of excrement on your mattress or sheets, walls or bedding, shed skin and eggshells in favourite bedbug hiding places, and a musty scent which is secreted from the bugs' glands.

How to get rid of bedbugs effectively

If you suspect you may have been invaded by these little critters, the best way to get rid of them completely is to invest in a new mattress, or use rubbing alcohol and steam on your bed and headboard to eliminate them naturally. Call in an exterminator if you don't think that these measures have been successful, to rid yourself of the pests permanently. Washing bedding and sheets at 120 degrees is a sure-fire way of making sure they won't survive. Bedbugs also don't take kindly to silica gel, which clings to them and kills them, but this stuff can be toxic so needs to be used with caution.

Vacuum your house regularly, paying particular attention to your mattress and around your bed and headboard.

Bedbugs may be unpleasant, but they are harmless creatures and won't cause illness or disease. However, if you're of the opinion that beds should be shared only with people you love, it's a good idea to check for these little creatures and keep them at bay if you discover any!

Selecting the right size

All of our duvets are sized to fit standard single, double, queen or king-sized beds, so you can be confident that you'll have the ideal size to fit your existing mattress. Use the following table to check your preferred size to make sure you're picking the right duvet:

If you often find that you and your partner tend to fight over the duvet at night, it may be worth considering getting a size larger than your mattress, to give you more fullness and warmth!

Choosing the right warmth for your duvet

You can choose duvets with a range of different weights, fullness and warmth ratings, as well as picking between natural and synthetic materials. This lets you select the exact type of cover to meet both your personal preferences and price range.

As a basic rule of thumb, the higher a Tog rating is, the warmer the duvet will be. In addition, synthetic materials tend to be less warm than those filled with natural materials, as they have stronger thermal properties and retain heat more effectively. Choose a Tog rating based on your ideal temperature by adapting to the season:

All-season covers provide a more flexible option, as they are made up of a 4.5 Tog and 9 Tog duvet, which are popped together for colder months, and then used separately as the seasons change.

Understanding duvet fillings

Another consideration when choosing the right duvet for your needs is the filling inside. Any duvet which is made with feather or down has a quality called 'fill power' - which refers to the volume of filling. This varies from duvet to duvet, and it reflects the quality of the product, and also gives an indication of how warm it will be, how well it retains heat, and how quickly the filling recovers its natural shape. Use the following table to choose your ideal 'fill power' for your duvet:

Picking the ideal filling for your duvet

Our duvets come in two different styles of filling - either natural, or synthetic. There are great reasons for choosing either type, so it's worth considering the benefits of each against your personal preference by using our table below:

 If you choose a natural filling, you can select from duck feather and down, which are usually heavier, goose down, which is lighter but retains an equivalent level of warmth, or Russian, Siberian or Hungarian goose down, which provide the ultimate luxury, lightweight comfort and cosy warmth.

Our synthetic filling range includes Spiral Light, Microfibre Light and Polyester Hollowfibre. Each option provides a great level of warmth and the advantages listed above. The Microfibre Light most closely mirrors the feel and warmth of a natural-filled duvet.

Choosing the right duvet for your child's bed

Selecting the right cover for your child needs a different set of criteria than you might use for your own bedroom. As children are a smaller size, their duvet usually retains more air, leading to a higher temperature. This means that unless the bedroom is very cold, it's worth getting a duvet of a lower Tog rating than you would use. As a general rule, a 13.5 Tog cover will be a little too warm, so a 9 Tog for Winter months and 4 for warmer seasons is recommended. You can get duvets for children to fit a range of beds including cots, cot beds, bunk beds and singles.