Do you leave your heating on at night?

IT’S GETTING STEAMY IN THE BEDROOM. LEAVING HEATING ON OVERNIGHT CAN LEAD TO SLEEP AND HEALTH PROBLEMS SAYS SLUMBERDOWN 

Research from the UK’s leading bedding specialist, Slumberdown, has unveiled that the majority of UK adults who have left their heating on overnight to stay warm in bed, are suffering with ill health as a result.

The survey* revealed that nearly half (46%) of people who sleep with the heating on overnight wake the following morning feeling ill with over a third (37%) suffering from a headache, dry mouth and dehydration (20%) or generally bunged-up (18%).

As many as 70% of those surveyed have left their boilers blazing overnight resulting in a fifth (20%) admitting waking from their slumber overheated and drenched in sweat.

Almost a third (29%) said they had left their heating on overnight despite energy bills being one of the most expensive household outgoings.

Around the British Isles, the temperature North of the Border could explain why Scots are the worst culprits for leaving the heating on overnight (82%) resulting in 37% who wake up feeling ill. Nearly three quarters (72%) of people in the south east admitted to feeling the bedtime chills and slept with heaters blazing compared with a slightly more resilient 63% of  northerners. Northern Ireland folk would appear to be the least hot headed with a cool 45% opting to leaving their heating on as they slumber but over two thirds (36%) of those that do this reported feeling unwell the following morning.

Over half of those surveyed (51%) confessed to not changing their duvet for a higher tog winter duvet.

However, seven out of ten Brits (70%) said they would rather change their bedding to a warmer winter duvet than leave the heating on with a further 76% aware that doing this helps them sleep more comfortably and feeling fresher in the morning.

Nearly two thirds (63%) sleep without any ventilation in the bedroom making for a stuffy, potentially uncomfortable sleeping environment. 28% find it more difficult to breathe in bed during winter and a third (32%) struggle to get the bedroom temperature right.

Slumberdown’s sleep expert Professor Jason Ellis explains: “Our bodies do a great deal of work for us during sleep. As part of that process, our body temperature changes over the course of the night and we tend to cool down towards bedtime and then naturally warm up towards the morning. As such, we may go to bed warm and cosy but as the research shows, wake up hot and bothered. The key is being comfortable when going to bed and staying comfortable throughout the night. The more comfortable you are the less likely you will wake during the night or too early in the morning.

“This is where duvets and hot water bottles have an advantage over leaving the central heating on - in addition to the cost. You don’t need to leave the comfort of your bed to regulate your temperature with a duvet. Sticking your feet out from under the duvet to cool down is easier than having to get out of bed to turn the heating off. Also, central heating can dehydrate, resulting in a dry mouth, headaches and feelings of being bunged up. Interestingly, whereas the majority of people in our survey can see the benefits of changing to warmer bedding in the winter, surprisingly few actually do it.”

The Slumberdown research also revealed:

·         The majority of Brits (23%) put their heating back on for winter in late October

·         37% make a change to their bedding/sleeping environment in November

·         A flash fifth (20%) leave their heating on overnight without losing sleep over the cost of their energy bills

·         Half (50%) said they always have cold feet in bed throughout winter

·         25% who make a change to their bedding do it so they don’t have to leave the heating on all night

·         More than a quarter find it harder to sleep in winter than any other time of year

·         24% dig out their trusty hot water bottles when the dark nights draw in

·         A third would rather snuggle up to their pet than their partner to keep warm

Slumberdown is a leading supplier of filled bedding products including duvets, pillows and mattress protectors. To get the bedroom ready for winter, Slumberdown offers the Winter Warm collection including 15 and 13.5 tog duvets, electric blanket and fleecy mattress protector. Selected products from the Winter Warm collection are available in Tesco, Argos, Asda & Sainsbury’s and Matalan.

 Notes to editors

*Slumberdown carried out the research in September 2014 with a national sample polling over 1,000 men and women across the country and results were broken down by age, gender and location.

 Leading bedding specialist Slumberdown provides a wide range of quality pillows, duvets and mattress protectors. The Slumberdown range has been designed to suit a variety of sleep needs and deliver maximum comfort to ensure everyone starts the day feeling their best.

Established since 1970, Slumberdown is at the forefront of bedding innovation and is committed to developing new and improved products to continually deliver the best night’s sleep for its customers and their families.

slumberdown.co.uk

If you have Twitter, why not follow @SlumberdownUK and get your questions in early for sleep expert Professor Jason Ellis to answer on Monday 27th October 8-9pm. 

Madara Ultra Purifying Mud mask

I received Madara Detox Ultra Purifying Mud Mask 60ml from My Pure, in return for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The low-down as quoted from My Pure:

"This deep-purifying detox mask with Nordic forest lake mud cleans, tightens pores and conditions, leaving skin fresh, matt and revitalised.

Effects:

1. Clarify: Absorbs excess oils, cleans, refines pores, reduces outbreaks

2. Detoxify: Power of mud binds toxins and heavy metals and helps to eliminate them

3. Rejuvenate: Eliminates traces of acne and minor inflammation.

4. Recharge: Recharges with trace elements and vitamins for a revitalised and glowing complexion

5. Hydrate: The colloid structure of mud helps to retain skin’s hydration.

Recommended twice a week as clarifying treatment for oily, combination skin, skin with enlarged pores, blemishes, acne. Recommended once a week to combat skin dullness, tiredness and occasional inflammation."

I really love face masks and scrubs as they help remove impurities from my skin and generally leave it feeling refreshed and renewed. I like products which are easy to use and offer real benefits which is why I decided to try the  Ultra Purifying Mud Mask by Madara as I've tried their products before and have been really impressed. 

Inside the box ....

Sectioned with instructions (I had removed tube of mud mask)

Mud mask

This product has, in my opinion, really attractive packaging as it's simple yet elegant and oozes quality. The design of the tub means that it's really easy to squeeze and dispense the mud mask to get just the right amount ...

Directions for use are to simply 

"Apply mask onto face and neck then rinse with water after 5-10 mins. NOTE: This is a highly effective product that may cause temporary tingling or redness. Read the enclosed instructions before use."

I waited till I could have a relaxing bath and took my small alarm clock in with me ...just to make sure I didn't exceed the 10 minute window. After washing, I squeezed a small amount of the mask onto my palm and used my fingers to evenly spread it over my face and neck. This has a really pleasant smell and felt quite relaxing upon application. I personally didn't notice and tingling or unpleasantness which was unusual as my skin can often be sensitive. BE WARNED: You have to be pretty quick at applying this, no dilly dallying as it dries really quickly! Once applied, I lay back and chilled. Although I could feel it drying on my face, it wasn't uncomfortable or restricting in any way ...I still managed to smile without cracking the mask! It only takes a light covering to get great results and as you only use it once or twice a week, it's sure to last a while too.

I often find that mud masks can be quite difficult to rinse off, however I had no such problems with this. I simply wet my hands and splashed my face a few times, gave a gentle rub and hey presto, it was gone. My skin felt fantastic. No tightness or dry patches just clean, moisturised skin which had a renewed glow. 

I would seriously recommend this if you have problem skin as the ingredients work in harmony with your skin to reduce redness and blemishes. 

Madara Ultra Purifying Mud Mask is available to buy from My Pure at a cost of £20.00 for a 60ml tube.

BLUEBERRIES DRY SKIN ULTRA HYDRATING BODY WASH from MY PURE

I received some Yes to Blueberries Dry Skin Ultra Hydrating Body Wash free of charge from My Pure, in return for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

As I'm nearing my forties, I try to find products which are more suitable to my maturing skin and offer real benefits. The 'Yes to Blueberries is Yes To's speciality range for age-damaged or mature skin. It improves firmness and diminishes the appearance of fine lines with blueberries, cotton thistle and paracress flower'.

 I really love the size of this bottle as it's nice and chunky which means you can get a good grip of it even when you're hands are wet. There is a small opening in the lid which is where the body wash is dispensed from. Simply press one side down, and the other side pops open ....

I'm not quite sure how well you can see the hole in my pics, but it is incredibly difficult to dispense the body wash through it. I had to hold my scrunchie between my knees and use both hands to squeeze the bottle and even then, only a small amount dribbled out of the end. I found it far easier to remove the lid altogether and pour directly from the top of the bottle.

So, unless you have muscles like Arnie, I suggest this to be the best way to use the body wash.

I could smell this immediately after removing the lid and I really liked it. It has a pretty strong smell, but also a clean, fresh one and the blueberries really come through. I poured about a 50p piece size onto my scrunchie and found that this was more than enough to get a good, thorough wash. The body wash lathered up well and had a nice creamy feel on my skin which when rinsed, left it feeling nourished and moisturised. The lather was easily rinsed off and didn't leave any kind of residue. This product is also great to use as a bubble bath and creates a nice relaxing aroma whilst being kind to skin. The blueberries are a natural source of anti-oxident while the Shea Butter provides good moisturisation. After drying, I noticed that my skin didn't feel as tight as usual and had a nice glow to it. I didn't apply moisturiser as it didn't seem necessary ....which doesn't happen often!

Overall, I really liked this product although do feel that the bottle opening needs a little attention. As with all My Pure products, you're guaranteed that this is derived from natural ingredients and won't be harmful to your skin.

Yes to Blueberries Dry Skin Ultra Hydrating Body Wash is available to buy from My Pure at a cost of £7.99 for 500ml.

AERO 360° PURE from Unibond

As part of The Insiders, I received this product free of charge in return for my honest opinion. All opinions are my own.

For many years we have suffered severe damp problems in our home which has resulted in fortunes being spent on decoration etc. I have hunted high and low for a product which is inexpensive and not harmful to use without success, so I jumped at the chance of trialling the AERO 360° PURE.

The key signs to having too much moisture are:
- Dust mites
- General allergies and joint problems
- The feeling of being cold or having a cold on a regular basis
- Damp in your home
- Condensation and lingering bad smells around the house
- Wallpaper peeling off, blistering paint, mould and mildew patches etc

I pretty much ticked all of these boxes so couldn't wait to see if this product would actually make a difference!

Contents

Once removed from the box, the AERO 360° PURE is really easy to set up and use immediately...

Simply pop open clips on the side to separate

Press 'Open' on the lid to install the ultra-absorbent refill tab

The tab is to sit on the axle with the blue side facing downwards

Key features of the AERO 360° PURE are:
- ULTRA-ABSORBENT REFILL TAB a new wave shaped design with a hollowed centre. 2 in 1 technology: anti-moisture and anti-odour. The tab lasts for approximately 3 months. Once it is fully dissolved, replace the tab with a new one.
- AERODYNAMIC DEVICE air circulates around and through the suspended tab, based on 360° air circulation for increased efficiency.
- EASY HANDLING with a one touch loading tray.
- DRAINING SPOUT to easily empty the salty solution from inside the tank.
- LEVEL WINDOW to visibly monitor the amount of fluid in the tank
- ANTI-SPILL PROTECTION MECHANISM for maximum safety.

As all of the rooms in my home suffer from dampness, I decided to place it in my kids' bedroom as this is probably one of the worst affected and you can actually feel the dampness in the air. I didn't want to stand it on the windowsill so I placed it on the top of a wardrobe around 10cm (the recommended distance) away from the wall and waited.

I checked the bottom and after only 2 days, this is what was collected ....

Not a huge amount I know, but I was still impressed that there was anything at all! At least I knew some moisture was definitely being drawn from the air.
The AERO 360° PURE has now been stood in my kids' room for 11 days and when I checked this morning, this is what I found ....

As you can see, there's quite a bit there! Apart from what is visible in the bottom, there has also been a noticeable difference in the feel of their room. The cold air doesn't smack you in the face as soon as you enter, the smell has almost disappeared altogether and the blackness in my walls seems to be fading too. Both my kids are a lot less snuffly and the room is a more comfortable place to be. I really am amazed that such a small, relatively cheap device, can make such a huge difference!

If you're interested in purchasing one of these little room savers for your home, they're available to buy from:

Amazon.co.uk for £6.70
Homebase.co.uk for £19.99
Tesco Direct for £20.00 (and earn 20 clubcard points)
All prices correct at time of post
They can also be found in Asda, Sainsbury's, Morrisons, B&Q, Robert Days, Wilkinson and B&M although prices may vary.