Emma Sleep Expert Dr. Verena Senn educates us about the science of sleep and recommends <a href="https://www.emma-sleep.com.ph/">Emma's line of products to enhance your life</a> within and beyond shuteye.&nbsp;

Optimal sleep is crucial in regulating our mood throughout the day. However, it&rsquo;s often overlooked in favor of tasks that occupy our working hours. For the team of Emma, a brand known for its Original Mattress and all-around sleep expertise, real productivity starts when we mind our sleep and consider it a part of self-care.&nbsp;

That said, how big of a difference can a good mattress make? A good mattress can directly improve the quality of one&rsquo;s sleep by promoting comfort, proper spinal alignment, and minimizing interruptions. The best mattresses have just the right amount of firmness &mdash; they won&rsquo;t sag under your body weight, and won&rsquo;t let you wake up feeling sore.

In this interview, sleep expert Dr. Verena Senn offers her insights on how you can sleep better as she discusses the science that guides Emma&rsquo;s innovations.

Good day, Dr. Verena Senn. How would you define optimal sleep?&nbsp;
Optimal sleep is when you don&rsquo;t even think about it, because you go to bed, fall asleep within 15 minutes, sleep mostly through and wake up refreshed.
&nbsp;
What's more important in sleep &ndash; quality or duration? Tell us about your personal bedtime rituals over the years. What worked? What didn't work? How did you improvise along the way?
&nbsp;
Both are equally important. We need 4 &ndash; 5 full sleep cycles for a full recovery. In every sleep cycle light sleep, deep sleep, and dream sleep occur. If we cut sleep short, we miss on important sleep phases (particularly on dream sleep, which happens primarily in the second half of sleep), when our sleep quality is bad, we miss on the deeper stages of sleep at the end of each cycle, wake up often. As each sleep stage serves its purpose, we don&rsquo;t want to cut them, otherwise, we have difficulty concentrating and storing new memories; we get grumpy and fall sick easier.

I like reading a book before sleeping, prefer a warm shower prior to bed, and try to seek a lot of sunlight during the day.

Everybody has to define what works best. It is not difficult to look up sleep tips on the internet. But only you can prioritize sleep enough to try them, stick to them and sleep enough. I have tried a lot of things, while at Emma. I tend to sleep best when I do not overthink sleeping and get rid of anything technical from the bedside.

How did you become a sleep expert? As a Neurobiologist and Head of Sleep Research for Emma, what prompted you to pursue this path?
I love sleeping, and I really wanted to take on the challenge to improve the sleep of as many people as possible. As a scientist, I am fascinated by the huge impact sleep has on our lives and how often it is neglected, though. In my studies prior to Emma, I learned that only when we sleep, do we consolidate our memories and make them accessible for later in time. At Emma, I learned how much our daytime behavior and the prioritization of sleep matter.
&nbsp;
What's the company culture like in the Emma headquarters? Literally &ndash; how does your team balance work and sleep? Do you have special social activities that inform the process of creating your products?
&nbsp;
Emma is a company with little hierarchy &ndash; therefore we do not have headquarters, only different offices. The Emma DNA employs a lot of dedication to business and work. We want everybody from interns to the director to feel responsible for their projects, and want to create something great that impacts the company. Therefore, we love to create impact by increasing sleep knowledge, validating our claims and products, and identifying new innovations. However, we do care about our own sleep as well! As the SR-Team consists of neuroscientists, psychologists, and data scientists that know sleep well we only engage in the usual activities. We sleep anyway very well, as our work is so interesting and meaningful.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Choosing the right mattress is personal. How were you able to find a common ground among the preference of different sleepers when creating the Emma Original Mattress?
We have a whole team dedicated to this. They are primarily ergonomy and engineering experts. They develop the mattresses in a way it fits most people by designing cutouts and foams and test them with people and our cutting-edge machines. Everybody can try the <a href="https://www.emma-sleep.com.ph/products/emma-original-mattress">Emma Original Mattress</a> and any other mattress and send it back until up to 100 days if it does not fit.
&nbsp;

The Emma Original Mattress has many features including the 7-zone design, motion isolation technology, and breathable, eco-friendly foam. Are these qualities affected by the climate of a country? How do the Emma products translate in a tropical country?
We are testing our mattresses in a climate chamber, where we apply pressure at 37C and 80% humidity to make sure Emma mattresses can promise superior quality in tropical countries as well.
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
A lot has been said about obtaining the perfect mattress but not a lot is known about its proper maintenance. How can we best take care of the Emma Original Mattress? Any dos and don'ts?
&nbsp;
<ol>
 <li> Let it dry during the day.</li>
 <li> Wash the covers frequently and also the covering around the foams twice per year.</li>
 <li> Use a mattress protector.</li>
 <li> Wear pajamas that soak sweat during the night.</li>
 <li> Take the chance of turning your mattress carefully when you change your sheets. (Advisable around every four weeks)</li>
</ol>
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
How do the Emma foam pillow and flip topper enhance the overall experience of sleep when using the Emma Original Mattress?&nbsp;
&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.emma-sleep.com.ph/products/foam-pillow">The Emma Foam Pillow</a> comes with a great advantage: you can change the height according to your needs and comfort. This is important because depending on the mattress in combination with sleep position and body type, the pillow ensures ergonomic lying for better sleep. Furthermore, the Emma pillow is handy since it is easy to roll and therefore to bring on trips.
<a href="https://www.emma-sleep.com.ph/products/emma-topper">The Flip Topper</a> can enhance the overall sleeping experience. You can even take it with you traveling.

The thought &lsquo;Now I really need to sleep because of XYZ&hellip;&rsquo; is the natural enemy of sleep.

Can you expound on your eco-friendly foam? Is this a direct response to the threat of global warming? What's on your sustainability agenda?
Currently, we are investing in our sustainability strategy &ndash; on a product level, and on a company level. It is still a key challenge in our industry, but we have the ambition to be a forerunner in this field. To drive this ambition, we are currently building up a dedicated sustainability team. They are working on different projects like reducing our carbon footprint, refurbishing returned mattresses, and eco-friendly foam, and further assessing how we can produce our mattresses with the environment in mind.
&nbsp;
What's the most commonly cited sleep problem of your clients? What's your usual advice to those experiencing them?
&nbsp;
Waking up in the middle of the night and a racing mind that prevents them from going back to sleep. Unfortunately, there is not one single sleep tip that will eventually help everybody. However, there are a few things I tell them.
<ol>
 <li> It is normal to wake up in the early morning hours and there is no reason to worry. There is only one issue with it: in the early morning hours, some hormones in our body like melatonin are present in high concentrations. Melatonin is a mood-downer therefore we are always in a mini-depression at night and problems seem bigger than they are. Don&rsquo;t trust your night judgment! It is just hormonal.</li>
 <li> Breathing exercises, meditation, and distracting yourself from your thoughts with music or audiobooks are worth trying. Studies show their positive impact.</li>
 <li> Don&rsquo;t try to pressure yourself into sleep &ndash; it doesn&rsquo;t work. The thought &lsquo;Now I really need to sleep because of XYZ&hellip;&rsquo; is the natural enemy of sleep.</li>
 <li> If you really cannot go back to sleep &ndash; get up, do something else, and try again when you feel tired.</li>
 <li> Don&rsquo;t drink too much in the evening in order not to wake up for peeing.</li>
 <li> Don&rsquo;t drink alcohol. Avoid caffeine.&nbsp;</li>
</ol>

Lastly, why is it so important to have better sleep? Are you a staunch believer that it will make the world better? In what way?
&nbsp;
As sleep is so vital to decision-making (it makes us more rational, less impulsive, happier, and more balanced), I truly believe the world would be a better one when our leaders stop making decisions in the middle of the night, sleep-deprived and after discussing for long hours&hellip;

Melatonin is a mood-downer therefore we are always in a mini-depression at night and problems seem bigger than they are. Don&rsquo;t trust your night judgment! It is just hormonal.

How To Improve Your Bedtime Habits by Emma Sleep Expert Dr. Verena Senn

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