\nlong eight-hour nap to celebrate National Sleep Awareness Week<\/a> and prep for Daylight Saving Time starting on
\nSunday (don’t forget to spring forward!). While I go catch a few z’s, enjoy my
\ntroll through the archives to snag slumber-related suggestions. Got any tips
\nfor beating the spring-forward slump we’ll all be facing Monday? Hit me up in
\nthe comments below.<\/p>\n
Wood you rather?<\/strong> \nGo to the mattresses.<\/strong> \nHoney, I blew up the \nIn the heat of the \nGoodnight Mac.<\/strong> Melatoninly, Related Links:<\/strong><\/p>\n Ask Umbra on keyboard cleaners, automatic composters, and book club<\/a><\/p>\n Garden Girl TV: Raised beds in the city<\/a><\/p>\n
When scoping out a new frame to support your sleeping self, consider one made
\nfrom sustainably harvested wood. If there is an environmental home-supply store
\nnear you, or perhaps a lumber-salvage outfit, it may have regional resources
\nfor low-impact furniture. Or opt for a bed constructed with lumber certified by
\nthe Forest
\nStewardship Council<\/a>. And if you’re
\nfeeling particularly gung-ho, consider buying salvaged wood and hiring a carpenter
\nto fashion the sustainable bed of your dreams (you have those dreams too,
\nright?). Get the full Ask
\nUmbra answer<\/a>.<\/p>\n
The important thing to look for when mattress shopping is that it’s free of
\npolybromenated biphenyl ethers, or PBDEs. (Can we think of a rhyme for this
\none? Maybe, “PBDE-free is totes for me.”) These nasties have been linked to
\nbrain and thyroid problems in rodents and cats<\/a>, and are especially dangerous to children. If you
\nfind a mattress you particularly like, it may be worth calling the manufacturer
\nto find out if they do use PBDEs. Or maybe make your own mattress by buying
\nthree-inch-thick latex and thick wool mattress covers. Just pile up these cozy
\nitems until you reach the comfort you desire. Get the full Ask Umbra answer<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\nbed.<\/strong>
Skip the PVC air mattresses for overnight guests—not only are they terribly
\nuncomfortable, but they also negate my “no vinyl, that’s final”<\/a> mantra. Instead, think about a rubber or latex model, a PBDE-free foam mattress
\n(which can be rolled up for storage), or a thin, foldable, lightweight Japanese
\nfuton. Get the full Ask
\nUmbra answer<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\nnight.<\/strong>
Some people think it takes more energy to turn the thermostat up and down at
\nvarious times than to just leave it running at the same temp all the time, so let me be crystal clear here: Turn down the thermostat at
\nnight and before you leave the house. Our heaters are fighting an incessant
\nbattle on our behalf, warming all the new air. If we are not there to be
\nwarmed, or are sleeping under a cozy
\nduvet<\/a>, we can turn down the thermostat. Programmable thermostats<\/a> are very helpful and quite cheap. Get the full Ask Umbra answer<\/a>.<\/p>\n
You’re not the only one that could use some shuteye; your computer could too,
\nbut putting it into sleep mode isn’t the best way to give it a rest. Turning
\nyour machine off not only saves energy and money, but it also reduces heat and
\nmechanical stress and prolongs the life of your computer. It is true, however,
\nthat you can save energy by encouraging your computer to sleep as often as
\npossible. Change the settings so that it goes to sleep sooner, and use the
\nsleep mode instead of a screen saver. But at the end of the day, turn the damn
\nthing off. Get the full
\nAsk Umbra answer<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Umbra<\/p>\n