Sleep is one of the most important elements of our lives. Just like air and water, we can’t live without it, but with busy lives, packed work schedules and always-on technology it can be hard to get enough quality zzz’s.
The team at Koala know how important sleep is, and are searching for someone to help them test out just how much difference a solid eight hours makes to your day. Their resident sleep expert Liz Marin (Sport and Nutrition Scientist to the Qantas Wallabies) shared her top tips on making sure you set yourself up for successful shut-eye.
Bedroom Tester Needed
The Koala research team is currently in need of an experienced and talented Horizontal Integration Specialist to assist us in testing, developing and assessing our current bedroom offerings over a one month period.
The successful applicant will be well-versed in the sleep sciences, including and not limited to: falling asleep easily in various locations with little effort, capable of sleeping through alarms, napping or dozing during work / study, and also possessing an extraordinary ability to stay in bed across weekends.
In return, Koala (previously Koala Mattress) will pay you your agreed upon dollar amount, plus send you our award-winning bed base, mattress and sheets in a sizing of your choice as well as pillows to keep after the study has completed.
The successful applicant must:
– Undertake a Nocturnal Resting Acceleration Session with our ambassador and fatigue science expert Liz Marin (Sports and Nutrition Scientist to the Qantas Wallabies)
– Wear a Sleep Tracking Bracelet (a method currently applied by the Wallabies) for the duration of the test to provide sleep and performance data for analysis
– Maintain an average sleep duration of 8 hours per night across the month-long study
– Record and share 2 x 15-30 second videos per week for the duration of the study for additional research purposes
– Consent to Koala sharing insights from the study with the rest of Australia, to improve sleep for all
Open to experienced HI Specialists across Australia.
Task can be completed from home.
Price: $1000
1. Go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day.
1. Go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day
Research has proven that if you go to bed at the same time every night and wake up at the same time every morning you will end up with better quality sleep.
“It can take adjustment at first, but the body will soon recognise the routine, improving your sleep quantity and quality over time.”
And sorry, but that doesn’t just apply on work days. Sleeping in way past your regular wake up time on weekends and days off can disrupt the hard work you put in to your routine. That doesn’t mean you can never have a lie-in (weddings, birthdays and footy finals obviously don’t count), but keep your alarm set in a similar timeframe to avoid throwing off your sleep pattern.
2. Develop a pre-sleep routine for the hour leading into bed time.
This is something elite athletes do to start winding down at exactly right time to optimise their sleep window, and the good news is you don’t have to be Olympic level to train for it!
“Adopting a “wind-down” regime in the hour prior to going to sleep will help the body to fall asleep faster. You can even set an alarm to remind yourself to start getting ready for bed.”
Liz suggests incorporating one of more of these into your pre-sleep wind-down routine:
• Turn off technology 1 hour before sleep
• Take a warm shower
• Dim the lights
• Do something to relax the mind and body, such as stretching, meditation, or simply read a book.
3. Optimise the environment for the perfect sleep
It’s not just about where your head’s at, your body needs to be comfy too. Setting up the ultimate sleep environment will improve your sleep in dramatic ways.
Consider these aspects:
LIGHT
• For a really deep sleep you want a really dark room. If you aren’t keen on heavy curtains consider installing shutters or layered roller blinds.
COMFORT
• Invest in a good mattress (Koala have nailed it with their not too soft, not too hard design).
• Choose pillows that provide support for your neck and head in your preferred sleeping positions. Consider layering up for versatility rather than one giant pillow.
ENVIRONMENT
• Goldilocks had the right idea – for the perfect sleep you want the temperature to be just right. An optimum room temperature for sleep is between 19-21 degrees celcius.
• Minimise noise as much as possible. Double glazing, fabric curtains and shrubbery can help dampen noise from outside – or get some earplugs if the noise is closer to home!
