Chronic sleep deprivation can do more than make you grumpy. It may also increase your risk of diabetes, depression, heart disease, weight gain and – according to this HealthCentral.com interview – a fatal car accident. Leading alternative health expert Bryce Wylde and HealthCentral reporter and registered dietitian Lisa Nelson had lots of advice for optimal sleep hygiene, including using Mute if snoring is creating distracting noise.
Nelson observed that sleep deprivation is a common problem. “As a society, we generally stay up too late and get up too early,” Nelson wrote. “We have overexposure to artificial light, which impedes the hormones that regulate sleep. We interrupt our sleep with drugs and chemicals. We work too many hours sustained on too much caffeine.” She asked Wylde for tips on achieving optimal sleep hygiene.
In addition to avoiding naps and using an eye mask to cut down on light, Wylde had specific advice for reducing bedtime noise. “If you or your partner snores or has congestion, my favorite product on the market right now is appropriately and ingeniously called ‘Mute’ by Rhinomed,” he told Nelson.
Wylde, who snores due to a nasal septal defect, added that “both snorers and their partners report a better night’s sleep when Mute is used, waking more refreshed.” Mute is designed with the nose’s anatomy in mind. It sits comfortably inside the nose and alleviates nasal congestion and obstruction by dilating the airway. This enables easier breathing through the nose and cuts down on the need to breathe through the mouth, a common cause of snoring.
“The reason I love Mute so much,” Wylde continued, “is that it is individually adjustable on each nostril, so it fits all nose types. This enables the device to adjust comfortably to asymmetrical noses or noses with deviated septums. … When you first put in Mute, you get an instant rush of air. You can really feel the difference.”
Other tips Wylde suggested included refraining from pushing the snooze button in the morning, setting your alarm to go off twice a day (once to remind you to go to sleep), using comfortable bedding to help regulate a comfortable temperature and refraining from intense exercise right before bedtime.
Wylde noted that Mute can easily be found at Walgreens, Bartell Drug, CVS and Duane Reade. To find your nearest retail location, use Mute’s handy store locator page. Or order online Mute or on Amazon.
Nelson concluded, “You want to sleep like a log: quiet and waking up in nearly the same position you fell asleep in. Use Bryce Wylde’s tips … and you’ll get there!”
