Want to Sleep Better – Coop & Baloo

Oct 21, 2024 by Susan Rosenbluth

By S. Levin

A good night’s sleep contributes to your overall health. It is not as simple as getting the required number of hours. Sleep quality is just as important as the number of hours. Four factors define sleep quality. The first factor, sleep latency looks at how long it takes to fall asleep after getting into bed. Next, awakenings – the number of times you wake up during the night. Third, Wake After Sleep Onset – the amount of time you are awake after falling asleep, and finally, sleep efficiency which is the ratio of the time you spend asleep to time spent laying in bed. It is recommended that sleep efficiency be 85%, which means less awake time at night.

While it is interesting to be able to measure how well you sleep, the real challenge is finding ways to improve sleep quality so you can wake up well-rested.

The Right Pillow for Side Sleepers

Our June 2023 article, Sleep On It! looks at pillows and how to select a pillow for your sleeping style, choosing pillow height and plushness to accommodate any sleep style. There are three basic sleep positions: back, side, and stomach. Your pillow should align your spine and back while you sleep. Back and stomach sleepers can lie flat on the bed, but side sleepers are often challenged to find a pillow that supports their head and shoulders.

We recently tested Coop Eden Cool a crescent pillow specifically designed for side sleepers. It is shaped like a U with a center cut-out which reduces the gap between the neck and pillow by providing a space for your shoulder. In addition, this shape increases airflow by 50%, which helps the pillow maintain its cool.

Cool Factor

Coop Eden Cool is filled with a gel-infused Oomph memory foam and microfiber blend with three cooling components designed to remain cool while you sleep. The cover uses a cool-touch fabric, over the heat-wicking inner liner, and the gel memory foam center.

Our testers were satisfied with the “cool factor.” The crescent shape is designed for side sleepers and people who change positions frequently at night. Coop pillows let you adjust their firmness by adding or removing foam to achieve your desired firmness and height.

However, maximizing your sleep comfort also involves selecting the correct mattress.

Finding The Right Mattress

Like pillows, mattresses are designed for sleep styles. A firmer mattress provides a flat, even surface and spinal support. Its firmness has been known to reduce pressure on the circulatory system, making it a good choice for people who sleep on their stomachs or backs and for heavier people.

Softer mattresses tend to be warmer and are preferred by side sleepers, people under 130 pounds, and sleepers with difficulty finding the right position. These softer mattresses let you sink into the extra cushioning and eliminate uncomfortable pressure points created by firm mattresses.

A mattress’ softness comes from the amount of foam or padding matting on the upper layers. The rest of the mattress provides height and support. Adding a mattress topper can provide a softer sleeping surface without the need to replace your mattress.

Just like ‘Goldilocks and The Three Bears’ finding the right bed requires experimentation.

Try A Mattress Topper

Mattress toppers let you experiment with different mattress softnesses. They are a more affordable solution for adjusting mattress comfort. Toppers can accommodate sleepers with different sleep preferences by putting the topper over only a portion of the mattress. Since they are portable, toppers can be used on different mattresses.

A mattress topper fits over your mattress, with an elastic band holding it in place at the corners. The topper can add firmness, cushioning, or plushness. They come in a wide range of thicknesses from 1 – 5 inches and are made of a variety of materials including memory foam or latex. Memory foam tends to be soft, contouring to body shape and size, while latex is slightly firmer and preferred for people who like to sleep hot.

A mattress topper cannot restore an old mattress but it can compensate for slight sagging, provide additional support, and change the feel of the mattress. Toppers are not intended to protect your mattress from spills and stains, but they can extend your mattress’s life.

Coop Sleep Mattress Topper

We tested the Coop Sleep Goods Retreat 5-inch Mattress Topper. This topper is filled with Oomph memory foam for a soft supportive feel.  Their ‘Baffle Box’ construction creates separate pockets for the foam and prevents clumping.  This design promotes airflow keeping the sleeper cool throughout the night.  The outer cover is made of soft brushed microfiber which gives the topper an elegant feel. We suggest avoiding stains and eating in bed since the Retreat mattress topper is spot-clean only.

Our testers felt the mattress topper created a positive change in the quality of their sleep. While it was difficult to tell if the topper made sleeping cooler, it provided a comfortable sleeping surface.  The supportive pillow-top layer adds soft cushioning without sinking. This topper works for all sleeping styles and mattress firmness.

Overall 

Coop Oomph memory foam products can help you get a better night’s sleep.  While no single brand works for everyone, Coop offers products designed for different sleep preferences. Coop Sleep Goods provides a 100-day risk-free sleep trial and a warranty.

Coop Sleep Goods can be purchased online.

Remove Stress While You Sleep

Even if you have a structured pre-bed routine, and the correct mattress and pillow, you may still find yourself tossing and turning. This can be the effect of stress from the day. At night your mind may still be busy working through issues which can prevent you from falling asleep.

Weighted blankets can help you relax. They act like a hug, applying gentle pressure using a technique called deep pressure stimulation. Studies found that using a weighted blanket increases “feel good” chemicals like dopamine and serotonin, creating a sense of calm, happiness, and well-being. They provide a sense of security, relaxing the nervous system, and lowering anxiety for a more peaceful and sound sleep.

While the weighted blanket can’t solve the issues disrupting your sleep, the swaddling can help you settle and improve your rest. Experts suggest that adults choose a weighted blanket that is 10 percent of their body weight, we recommend erring on the side of less weight. Weighted blankets can be heavy and bulky, making them difficult to travel with.

Weighted blankets take some getting used to, and may not be right for everyone.

Weighted Comforter from Baloo

We tested Baloo’s weighted comforter which is lighter than their weighted blankets. We selected Baloo because their comforters and blankets are 100% chemical-free cotton throughout and are weighted with lead-free glass beads. The Baloo comforter is quilted, which keeps the weighting material securely in place.

Baloo’s design eliminates the common issues associated with weighted blankets. Placing the weights in the center of the blanket, not at the edge eliminates bunching when the weights shift inside the blanket  It also prevents the comforter from sliding off the bed. Centering the weight simplifies midnight position adjustments, leaving the sleeper cocooned beneath the weighted portion of the comforter.

Baloo’s smart design includes two small white tabs to indicate the top of the comforter. This helps you put the comforter in place correctly, eliminating guesswork and aligning the comforter with the edge.

Baloo sells quilted comforters in two sizes. Queen (15- and 20-pound weights) and King size (at 25 pounds). They can be cleaned at home, using cold water on a gentle cycle then dried on low or no heat.

Baloo products are available online and protected by a Lifetime Quality guarantee.

Our Experience

We tested the 15-pound comforter. We were initially skeptical about the calming effect of a weighted blanket but found that the pressure was nice. We found the comforter to be hot, and not optimal for use during the heat wave (without strong air conditioning).

While we did not immediately fall into a deep uninterrupted sleep, the combination of the mattress topper, pillow, and weighted comforter created a customized welcoming sleep space that conforms to the needs of each of our testers.  Getting the right sleep space makes it easier to relax and get a restful night’s sleep.

We also tried the Baloo Weighted Sleep Stone Mask, made of 100% mulberry silk, designed to be light-blocking and sound-muffling. It comes with a wrap-around soft velcro closure to avoid slipping or sliding off while you sleep, it has a hidden crystal sewn in and comes in Rose Quartz, for the cultivation of love & harmony, or gray containing amethyst, which helps to clear the mind, encouraging sleep and rest.

While the stone mask was light-blocking and made of smooth silk, our testers were mixed on the added weight. Baloo also has a non-weighted version.

Sleep Soundly

Finding the ideal sleep conditions is deeply personal. Quality sleep is important to your well-being and should be a priority. Yet it is often overlooked because we assume any bed will do.  Our testers learned that designing the correct sleep condition improved their sleep quality. Who doesn’t want to wake up refreshed?

Find the sleep configuration that works for you, in this case, it’s perfect to ‘sleep on it’.

Sweet dreams.