​For all the times you pulled an all-nighter to make a deadline or send the 99th email for the sake of clarity, you deserve to spend Labor Day in bed. Bonus: Getting more rest could actually boost your work productivity (your boss would be thrilled). These nine facts reveal the impact of sleep on the job.
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1. Lack Of Sleep Could Be The Reason Your Manager Is So Moody
Studies show that sleep-deprived managers exhibit less emotional control and can act emotionally abusive toward employees. Next time your boss blows up on you for no reason, remind her (respectfully) of the stress-relieving benefits of sleep.

2. Sleep-Deprivation Can Hurt The Economy
Americans are working longer hours than ever before, but it’s not necessarily a good thing, research shows. On average, the U.S. loses 1.2 million days of work each year due to employees reporting insufficient sleep.

3. A Cat Nap At Work Can Make You More Productive
Post-lunch drowsiness isn’t a myth. Our inner body clock starts to wind down between 2pm and 3pm. Don’t fight it. Taking a 20-minute power nap can improve your job performance by up to 34 percent, experts say (hint, hint: Human Resources).

4. Corporate Nap Pods Are Here
Designed for sleeping at work, EnergyPods put you in a zero-gravity sleeping position and feature guided meditations that lull you to sleep. Subtle lights and vibrations gently wake you up, so you won’t snooze through your afternoon meeting. At $13,000 a piece, it’s probably the priciest chair nap you’ll ever take.

5. Shift Work Sleep Disorder (SWSD) Is Real
People who work nights, early mornings, or rotating shifts may experience SWSD symptoms, such as insomnia, excessive sleepiness, and even microsleeps, when you nod off for a few seconds without realizing it. One way to combat these symptoms: Setting up a strict napping schedule, experts say.

6. Insomnia Decreases Work Productivity
According to a recent study, participants who slept between five and six hours each night reported a 19 percent reduction in productivity at work, compared to people who slept between seven and eights hours regularly. Those who got less than five hours of sleep reported a work productivity loss of 29 percent.

7. Being Overworked Can Increase Health Risks
More than 85 percent of men and 66 percent of women in the United States work more than 40 hours a week, and the effects can be serious. According to reports, overworked employees are more likely to have high stress levels, make poor food choices, and be more sedentary, compared to those who work less.

8. A Japanese Company Is Incentivizing Employees To Sleep
Your job’s health benefits may include discounted gym memberships and other wellness incentives. But one Japanese employer has upped the ante. Employees at Crazy Inc. who sleep an average of six hours five nights a week are awarded points they can redeem for food in the company’s cafeteria. Where do we sign up?

9. Certain Cities Are Better For Sleep
Ready to relocate for work? When you consider light pollution, traffic noise, and an overall peaceful environment, San Antonio, San Francisco, Indianapolis, and Denver are the most restful cities. Our headquarters is in San Francisco, which clearly explains why we’re so well-rested (kidding). We’re still sleeping in on Labor Day.

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Maureen Cooley
Welcome to Bedtime Stories, a new series where we reveal the strange and enlightening nightly rituals of the people bringing you better sleep: Our staffers. Today, we’re talking to creative brand manager, Maureen Cooley.

NICKNAME AROUND THE OFFICE:
People call me Queen Maureen. But not as in queen size mattress—Queen as in royalty.

STRANGE NIGHTTIME HABIT:
I just love sleep. I turn my phone on silent every night because sleep > everything.

FAVE NIGHTTIME SHOW:
I’m a big “Big Little Lies” fan, and I recently binged season three of “Stranger Things.”

BEDROOM RITUAL I SWEAR BY:
Dior
Well, cuddling with Miss Dior my cat – she’s always around.

Nighttime face lotion: Lotus Youth Preserve Dream Night Cream

Overnight lip sleeping mask: LANEIGE Lip Sleeping Mask

Air conditioning—I need the cold every night.

FAVORITE SLEEP POSITION:
I’m a side/stomach sleeper who hugs a pillow. Pillows

HIBERNATING SPIRIT ANIMAL:
Polar bears don’t hibernate, but I’m definitely a polar bear.

THE THING I WISH I COULD DO BEFORE BED:
I try to read before bed, but usually fall asleep because I’m so tired. I’ll keep trying, though.

MIDNIGHT SNACK I CAN’T RESIST:
Ice cream or anything chocolate. Or ice cream and chocolate together, layered, like a sandwich.

WEIRDEST PLACE I’VE EVER SLEPT:
In Montana in a teepee—my friends made me do it on a road trip.

BUCKET LIST PLACE I’D LIKE TO SLEEP:
Buckingham palace for a night (I dream big).

WISE WORDS OF SLEEP ADVICE TO THE WORLD:
Sleep is the most important thing you’ll do in a day—yes, even more important than eating. If I had to choose between sleep and food, I’d choose sleep, until hunger wakes me up.

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Fewer things in life are more personal than your bed. After all, you spend a third of your life snoozing, so your bedding has your footprint all over it, literally. So it comes as no surprise that people have strong opinions about things like top sheets and duvets. And when you have two people with different opinions sleeping on the same bed, well, you might be in for a battle. Allow us to offer a totally objective perspective on bedding to help you settle your differences.


Q: My partner and I can’t stop arguing about using a top sheet. She thinks it’s necessary – I don’t. Is there a right or wrong way?​
A: There’s no right or wrong way to make the bed. Your Great Aunt Gertrude might be horrified to hear you don’t use a top sheet, but the reality is many people today go European style and slip between a fitted sheet and duvet every night. On the other hand, many of us just can’t get to sleep unless there’s a top sheet between our skin and the rest of the covers.

There are pros and cons to both styles. If you ditch the top sheet, making the bed in the morning is easier, because there’s no extra piece of bedding to fuss with. (It also doesn’t wind up bunched up around your feet in the middle of the night.)

However, a flat sheet is a handy thing to have on those nights when temperatures fluctuate. If you’re warm but still want a thin layer of insulation, the top sheet is your go-to covering.

Another purpose of the top sheet is to create a barrier between your body—with its oils, sweat, and secretions—and bedding you wash less often, like quilts, blankets, and comforters. If you forego a flat sheet, you might want to consider something else for that protective function, like a duvet with a washable cover (see below). So, instead of arguing about using a top sheet, change the conversation to who’s going to be responsible for washing the quilts, if you don’t use one. And let’s not forget: You could always sleep on top of the flat sheet and let her nestle beneath it.

Q: I want a duvet and my partner wants a comforter. How do we choose between the two?
A: First, make sure you’re talking about the same thing. The terms “duvet” and “comforter” are sometimes used interchangeably. A duvet is a puffy quilt, usually white or cream-colored, filled with feathers, down, or synthetic material. It slips into a duvet cover like a Boy Scout into a sleeping bag. The advantage? The duvet cover—because it’s meant to come off and can be washed frequently—functions like a top sheet, collecting body oils and surface dirt. Another perk: Duvet covers are relatively inexpensive, so you can change the cover with the season, or whenever you want a new look.

A comforter, on the other hand, is an all-in-one unit. It’s a bit thinner, but you never have to unbutton and remove anything to clean it, as you would with a duvet cover. Many comforters can be tossed in the wash at home. However, because you don’t wash it as often as a duvet cover, you should almost always use a top sheet with a comforter.

As with the first question, the easiest way to settle this debate is to ask how frequently you want to wash your bedding. Not using a top sheet? Choose a duvet with a washable cover. Using a top sheet? Opt for a comforter. Still can’t decide? Trade off from week to week. After all, compromise is the heart of any good relationship, even when it comes to bedding.

Ready to call a truce and get the best sheets ever? Check out these 100 percent organic cotton percale sheets from DreamCloud. After one night of amazing sleep, you’ll be way too happy to argue!

Welcome to our Dreamcast series, where we explore how the cosmos—with all of its infinite possibilities—can affect your bedtime vibes. You bring your curiosity. We’ll bring you the stars.

The month’s two most noticeable moon phases — New and Full — can each affect our sleep patterns in discernible ways. The New Moon brings us deeper, contemplative rest, while the Full Moon shines a light in the dark, making our dreams more vivid. Once you’ve learned about your moon sign, you can combine that information with the monthly transits of the moon for added insight into your sleep and dreams.

To recap last month’s Dreamcast, the astrological sign the moon was in at the time of your birth signifies how you are when you’re alone — your habits, routines, and emotional/inner life. When you’re thinking of new ways to take care of yourself, look no further than the moon and the phases it goes through, particularly the New Moon and Full Moon.

New Moon
What The New Moon Represents
Beginnings, planting seeds, setting intentions, making plans, new partnerships, deeper sleep with fewer dreams


What The Full Moon Represents
Completion, endings, harvesting, fruition, lighter sleep with vivid dreams

How Your Moon Sign Interacts With Moon Phases
While your moon sign may represent who you are at your core, we’re also influenced by whatever sign the moon might be in. Each month gives us a New Moon and Full Moon in different signs.

The New Moon is almost always in the same astrological sign as the sun, with the Full Moon typically in the opposite sign. In June, the New Moon is in Gemini, mirroring the sun sign for June. The Full Moon is in Sagittarius, the opposite sign of Gemini. Ideally, what you plant and conceive of during the New Moon should (with some work) come to fruition during the Full Moon in that same sign, six months later. For example, the Full Moon in June 2019 is in the sign of Sagittarius, which means it’s the culmination of the work we undertook in December 2018, when there was a New Moon in Sagittarius. That’s the long view.

The quickest way to work this moon magic is by paying attention to what signs the New Moon and Full Moon are in, and how your moon sign interacts. If you’ve ever looked up the astrological compatibility of you and a mate, you’re probably familiar with how certain sun signs get along. You can apply the same principle here to determine how your moon sign and the sign the moon is in will engage with each other.

For June 2019, the New Moon is in Gemini and the Full Moon is in Sagittarius.

June’s New Moon In Gemini And What It Means
Gemini, the sign of the twins, centers on duality, intellectual innovation, and communication, particularly in the form of self-expression. The New Moon is an ideal time to set an intention and work toward it. With a head full of ideas that have percolated all winter, now is your opportunity to decide on a goal — short-term or long-term — and dedicate yourself to it.

Gemini’s dual nature means June is a good time for creating extensive pro vs. con lists, so you may find yourself pondering the angles of various ideas as you go to bed. Pay attention to your dreams, too — they might give you insight into which goal best reflects the “real you.” Because the sky is dimmer with a New Moon, you may find it easier to sleep more deeply and longer than usual. And, with the big things you’re planning, you’ll need the extra rest.

June’s Full Moon In Sagittarius And What It Means
If I had to come up with a motto for a Sadge moon, it would be: “What if I took this crazy leap?” Then, without waiting for an answer, following it up with: “I’m doing it. Bye!” As the archer of the zodiac, Sagittarius is mercilessly direct, as well as adventurous, fiery, and optimistic. Of the three fire signs (Aries, Leo, and Sag), I think Sagittarius is the most likely to be up for anything. These traits — combined with the uptick in activity of all kinds that comes with the bright illumination of the Full Moon — lend themselves well to folks making bold moves — as in, getting stuff DONE and not looking back.

It’s an optimistic and energetic time; you may sleep a bit less with the brighter night sky and because you have so much to do. Your dream life might be particularly active during this Full Moon; keep an eye out for dreams that include adventure and travel, especially in the sense of striking out on your own.

Sleep On It
These two moons in June complement each other well: The intellectual New Moon in Gemini puts a spotlight on prospective routes you might take to get you where you want to go. And the forward-moving Full Moon in Sagittarius says to pick a road and — with a literal and proverbial spring in your step — blaze ahead without looking back. You’re likely in for an action-packed month, one where your dream life may be just as buzzy as your waking life. Tune in next month to learn how a Full Moon in Capricorn will throw shade on Cancer season.

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