satisfy your spirit by creating a sleep oasis

Create your sleep oasis with a mind/spirit component to satisfy your spirit. Discourage thoughts from continuing to churn at night by eliminating any sources of distraction, keeping work and stimulating entertainment (like TV and laptops) out of the bedroom. Rather than a thriller novel, grace the bedside with divinity: A small statue of the Buddha, Ganesha, Jesus, a revered saint, or other sacred figure can serve as a grounding, comforting presence, especially when paired with a natural element — a smooth stone, an acorn, a bowl of white sand. Alternatively, consider creating a bedside altar that honors the people you love, complete with small framed photographs and personal artifacts that reflect their spirit. With body, mind, and spirit thus cradled and protected, you can enter into sleep peaceful and complete.

Falling asleep is a natural progression into your body’s unconscious state. Using a Now & Zen alarm clock will progressively wake you up, mimicking your body’s natural waking process. Now & Zen alarm clocks come in a variety of styles to best compliment your sleep oasis.

Now & Zen Alarm Clocks adapted from Body + Soul Magazine, February 2006

Alarm Clocks to Create a Sleep Oasis in Your Bedroom

Now & Zen’s Clock Store

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Boulder, CO  80302

(800) 779-6383

peaceful alarm clock with chime

Zen Alarm Clock Review

Zen Alarm Clock Review

The perfect alarm clock I have ever owned or operated. This particular alarm clock looks like any others available on the market, But, you will dsicover the big difference once you have it. There’s a lot to like relating to this alarm for the cost. Basically, it is what it claims to be, Alarm Clock, I would recommend it simply because a lot of its functions can be modified to meet your requirements or choices. If you’re sick and tired of setting your clocks over and over… try this one. You will not be disappointed. You’ll have a much better start to your day, as well as create more peace and pleasure around you!

The dimension is excellent; not too large, not too small. Numbers are great and large, and never noticeable when trying to sleep through the night. Additionally The Numbers is just right, enough to read out the screen for those who, like me, wakes up during the night time and want to quickly check on the time. The design and style are elegant, I really like the slight angle when it’s sitting flat. And also the case is an added bonus wonderfully created and will protect it perfectly during travel.

Sound quality is great not audiophile, however this is just an alarm clock. I do not expect to have much from a small little clock. It is a lot more than good for alarm purposes, yet. The alarm starts slow and then increases. This is not the loudest alarm that I have heard, and so if you are the type that needs some extra volume to wake up it isn’t really the one for you.

When you click the snooze switch it’ll snooze for 10 min’s. An additional feature I have grown to adore is when you immediately hit the snooze once again it’ll include another 10 min’s for each time you hit it. The display will reveal your total snooze time. This will come in handy if you had excellent inspiration at night to say get up early and go workout, but when morning comes you decide you’d rather get to sleep.

As well the battery is a good feature for keeping your time even if you have a electrical power outage. I prefer that the alarm clock comes with an indicator light for when the battery runs low. It’ll never stop functioning without having warning me having first.

I would recommend this particular alarm clock to those people who are searching for a good, simple alarm clock. You’ll have a better start to your worktime!

Sleep your way to a better health with The Zen Alarm Clock

A good night’s rest can help you lose weight, beat depression, and ward off heart disease.

People think sleep is a waste of time,” says James P. Krainson, M.D., director of the South Florida Sleep Diagnostic Center in Miami. “But they don’t realize that sleep will make them more productive.” It will also help you improve your memory, shed postpregnancy pounds, and stave off obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. Dozens of studies support the notion that sleep is just as important for maintaining good health as diet and exercise. For example, a study published in the journal Sleep found a relationship between short sleep and increased diabetes risk. Other studies found a lack of sleep can exacerbate pain, cause mood disturbances, and even increase the risk of gum disease.

Your wake-up call. If results from a 2007 Sleep in America poll are anything to go by, too many women are risking their health from lack of sleep. Conducted by the National Sleep Foundation (NFS), last year’s poll revealed that 60 percent of American women get a good night’s sleep only a few nights per week or less. Apparently, when women are pressed for time—which, let’s face it, is every day—sleep is usually the first thing to go.

Take back the night. With health benefits that important, you can’t ignore those eight hours of shuteye any longer. To help you get back in bed and waking up well rested, we looked at four sleep ailments—and discovered some surprisingly effortless solutions.

THE PROBLEM: No time
Recent research at the University of Pennsylvania, published in 2007 in Sleep, says our work-driven culture keeps us from getting the rest we need. Among the findings: The more time we spend working and com- muting, the less time we spend in bed. Even when we know that get- ting more sleep will make us feel better, it usually isn’t enough to keep us from burning the candle at both ends, says Michael Breus, Ph.D., sleep expert and author of Beauty Sleep: Look Younger, Lose Weight, and Feel Great Through Better Sleep (Plume, 2007). What’s required, Breus says, is a plan for making sleep a priority:

Set your ZenAlarm Clock for sleep. Set your alarm to go off an hour before you want to go to sleep. The alarm is your cue to start getting ready for bed.

Wind down for an hour. Take 20 minutes to shut down the house for the night and prepare for the next morning. Spend the next 20 minutes doing your usual evening ablutions like washing your face, brushing your teeth, and changing into your pj’s. For the final 20 minutes, relax and meditate in bed. That’s it. No work, reading, e-mails, phone calls, paying bills, or getting into a discussion with your partner about your health, finances, or relationship during your power-down hour, says Breus. “Avoid any activity that gets your mind revved up before you go to bed,” he advises.

Create a sleep sanctuary. “I’ve gone into bedrooms of people who say they can’t sleep, and they’ve got a computer in there, a TV, a huge pile of laundry on the floor,” says Breus. The question then becomes, according to Breus, not “Why can’t I sleep?” but “How could I sleep under these circumstances?” To transform your bedroom, Breus recommends moving the computer and the TV out of the room and clearing out the clutter. “You want to create an area that’s flowing and positive,” he writes in his book Beauty Sleep.

Adapted from Natural Health Magazine, July 2010 by Susan Hayes

Sleep your way to better health and wake up gently with a Zen Clock

Utamaro Portrait of the Courtesan Shirotama of the Tamaya 1790

Now & Zen has created a unique wellness gifts that will delight that someone special.  The Zen Alarm Clock® and The Digital Zen Alarm Clock® are lifestyle timepieces that really impact people’s lives — they provide a gentle and gradual awakening with Tibetan bell-like acoustic chimes.  But more than alarm clocks, these products also serve as aesthetically beautiful timers for practices such as yoga, bodywork, and meditation.

Zen Alarm Clocks are an aesthetic accouterment to almost any wellness practice.   We have been featured in many mainstream media outlets including Good Morning America, GQ Magazine, The New York Times, American Spa, and The L.A. Times.  These beautiful personal timers are a perfect wellness gift.

We have sold over 100,000 of our original triangular-shaped Zen Clocks (and sales continue to grow every year largely through word-of-mouth), and our Digital Zen Alarm Clocks (winner of the Denver Business Journal’s Most Innovative New Consumer Product Award) are continuing to be the favorite in independent retail channels nationwide.

Japanese Leaves Zen Alarm Clock by Now & Zen, Inc.

Now & Zen’s Wellness Alarm Clocks and Timers Store

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What is keeping you awake? Eliminate clutter...Eisui

If you are having trouble sleeping, your bedroom could be to blame.

Too many people clutter their sleep environment with reminders of daytime responsibilities: a desk piled with bills, a computer with e-mail, a fax machine, a telephone . . .

Combine that with an increase in street noise and outside light filtering in from streetlights and outdoor security systems. It’s no wonder insomnia caused by environmental factors is on the rise.

The good news is the sleep environment is controllable and, with some attention to details, you can design a good night’s sleep.

As many as 43 percent of American adults suffer from insomnia, according to this year’s National Sleep Foundation Gallup poll. If you cannot identify a cause for your sleeplessness, specialists advise taking inventory of your sleep environment. Identify what may be sabotaging your sleep in the bedroom and redesign that space.

SLEEP, NOT WORK

In today’s houses where space is at a premium, many rooms must do double duty. Often, the bedroom also functions as a home office or a private area for parents with a TV set. All this equipment, experts say, is not conducive to sleep.

“People are clueless when it comes to designing their bedrooms for their fundamental purposes — sleep and sex — yet wonder why they have insomnia when their rooms are filled with so many distractions,” explains Al Reichert, technical supervisor of the Sequoia Sleep Disorders Center in Redwood City.

“Some people have virtual offices in their bedrooms — computers, e- mail, faxes, telephone — and then can’t figure out why they can’t sleep,” remarks Reichert.

Choose a peaceful wake up - The Z E N Alarm Clock - the only clock with natural sounds

The body actually has a physiological response to its environment, experts say. But since people aren’t usually aware of this response, linking work space in the bedroom with sleeping problems may be difficult.

“Any activity that is associated with being awake in the bedroom, like work, can be a problem,” explains Dr. Jerrold Kram of the California Center for Sleep Disorders in Oakland.

“It is an even more extreme problem for people who work in bed — answering the phone, reading important papers, studying and taking notes,” says Kram. “Their body becomes ingrained with being awake in bed, and any awake activity — defined as an activity that requires alertness — is not what you want to perpetuate in an environment intended for sleep.”

If space constraints preclude emptying the bedroom of work-related paraphernalia, consider separating work and sleep spaces in the room. A freestanding partition or decorative screen can enclose the bed for a cozy sleep environment. Adding a sleeping loft above the work space for the bed can also distinguish working and sleeping spaces.

QUIET, PLEASE

Environmental noise is a huge issue, especially for people who must sleep during the day because of work schedules. But noise can even affect the quality of sleep for those who sleep at night — especially if they live on a busy street, near an airport or train station, or with a snoring bedmate.

“When I started in this business of sleep disorders, it didn’t dawn on me that people can get accustomed to noise, and not recognize that it can still be disruptive or problematic,” says Kram. “Someone will come in and say, ‘I sleep badly; I wake up a lot,’ but have no idea what woke them.”

Kram relates studies in which a bell was rung every two or three minutes near sleeping patients.

“When the patient was asked in the morning if they remembered the bell ringing, they responded, `What? Are you out of your mind? There was no bell!’

“But when we examined their brain waves, they had had an awakening or arousal for a few seconds every three minutes. These arousals cause fragmented sleep and result in sleep deprivation.”

Fragmented sleep can result in an achy feeling, lack of concentration and mental fatigue the next day.

White noise neutralizes jarring, intermittent sounds. Installing a fan or air conditioner in the room not only provides white noise but also controls the temperature for comfortable sleep.

Another option is to purchase a white noise generator that emits a broad spectrum of sound at a constant volume. Some generators replicate the pleasing sounds of an ocean or steady rain and mask unwanted noise.

“Eventually, you will habituate to this white noise, and disruptive environmental noise will become less of a factor,” Reichert explains.

Sleep specialists also recommend aids such as “industrial strength” earplugs fitted by a doctor, or earphones attached to white noise generators, especially if a snoring bedmate is causing the noise pollution.

To clients who are remodeling their bedrooms, Kram often recommends adding extra insulation to rooms and changing to soundproof windows. And it may be necessary to cover hardwood floors and replace light and airy window shades with heavy, noise-absorbing draperies.

LIGHTS OUT

Light filtering through window shades may provide a warm glow to a room, but artificial or natural light exposure may also rob people of sleep. Blackout shades are a must for those who sleep during the day. But those bothered by errant light at night also should consider them.

“Light is a powerful cue that resets the body’s circadian rhythm and tells it to wake up,” explains Audrey Chang of the Better Sleep Council of Washington, D.C. The council reports findings from a recent study that show exposure to even moderate levels of light at night — such as artificial light — can throw off the body’s internal clock and cause a state similar to jet lag.

“For many people, you can’t even have a streetlight down your block filtering in,” says Darlene Sanders, former designer of sleep labs and now a representative for Roc-lon TLC, a manufacturer of blackout draperies based in Baltimore, Md.

Blackout draperies have come a long way from the vinyl-coated drapery liners of years past. All-in- one fabrics produced with a heat transfer process on polyester-and- cotton-base cloth feature patterns resembling fabrics from silk moire to denim. Hidden magnetic closures in the seams provide total light control.

COLOR CONSCIOUS

Bright reds, hot oranges and intense yellows are probably not the best colors for a sleep environment, says interior designer Paula McChesney of San Mateo. But the conventional bedroom colors of muted blues and soft greens will not work for everyone, either.

“There is a distinct part of our brain that relates to color memory, much like certain smells help us recall something from the past,” explains McChesney. The designer, who has had careers in both health care and interior design, has focused much of her work on exploring how color affects people.

“If Grandma’s home was in shades of blue and you were unhappy there, chances are blues won’t relax you now,” she says.

Hue and intensity are also important.

“Some people would find a midnight blue cozy and good to sleep in, but for me it would be claustrophobic. I would like a turquoise blue that reminds me of the Caribbean,” McChesney says.

For a relaxing environment, she says, avoid high contrast, such black and white, and patterns such as bold stripes or diagonals that excite the eye.

The best bedroom design for sleep ultimately comes down to what the National Sleep Foundation calls the three basics: cool, dark and quiet.

One of the ultimate Zen like experiences is waking-up from a great slumber refreshed and energized. Your mind and body are harmoniously one, both alert and focused. Having a refreshed mind and body are two keys to a natural and Zen lifestyle. Waking up in the morning should not be a loud and abrupt awakening, but rather it should be a peaceful positive experience.  The right natural alarm clock can transition your deep and tranquil sleep into a serene start to consciousness. Imagine a long-resonating Tibetan bell-like chime waking you up to a beautiful morning experience.

The right alarm clock can be the most beneficial investment for you. With our Now & Zen natural alarm clock you are awakened more gradually and thus more naturally. Now & Zen is focused on creating a naturalistic lifestyle, and our clocks are an example of our philosophy.

adapted from sfgate.com by Gail Benchener

Natural Sounding Alarm Clocks -- Vibrating Chime Bar Wakes You Gently

Now & Zen – The Most Natural Awakening – Slow & Gentle

The Z E N Alarm Clock Store

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How to choose a great alarm clock with natural sounds - Visit Now & Zen, Inc. - Boulder, CO

The next time you think about studying all night with your face in a book, think about this: Your brain will work better if you sleep on that book instead.

Shut-eye may be a good performance-boosting strategy, according to a new study presented at the Society for Neuroscience Conference in Atlanta.

Scientists from Harvard University studied nearly 100 college students to find out whether sleep can improve memory.

They divided the students into two groups and told each student to memorize several lists of related words — such as bed, sheet, and pillow or sill, glass, and pane — as they were read aloud.

The first group tried to memorize the lists at 9 a.m. while the second group tried to memorize the lists at 9 p.m.

The memory test came 12 hours after the students had first heard the words.

So, daytime learners were tested at 9 p.m. while night learners were tested at 9 a.m.

But the students who first learned the words during the evening got a good night’s rest before facing their memory test the next morning.

Each group was asked to write down all the words that they could remember. Researchers found that the students who studied the lists at 9 p.m. and got some sleep remembered more words than the students who were tested after staying awake throughout the day.

The Phenomenon of Remembering Incorrectly

However, the students who got some sleep also recalled some words that were not on the lists.

From a list of words including bed, sheet and pillow, a student may incorrectly remember the word “sleep” or form a false memory for the word “window” in a list including sill, glass and pane.

The students were remembering words that were associated with the ones that they had actually heard.

Scientists call this phenomenon of incorrectly remembering something that didn’t happen a “false memory.”

False memories are not all that unusual. It’s similar to a feeling you have when you think you’re sure that something happened — until someone proves you wrong.

Then you realize that your false memory was just an idea very closely related to something that happened in reality.

Sleep Plays a Role in False Memories

The students who snoozed before testing had more of these false memories than their friends who did not sleep.

This is the first time scientists have seen that sleep plays a role in false memories — and researchers are excited about the discovery.

The finding suggests that the brain is hardly asleep when the rest of the body is.

“Sleep is not a passive state where we lay around and lose productivity, but an active process during which the brain is integrating information,” said Dr. Christoph Nissen, sleep researcher and postdoctoral fellow at the Western Psychiatric Institute in Pittsburgh.

According to this study, the brain is engaged in a sort of wordplay while the body is asleep.

sleep improve ones memory

This finding suggests that a learning process occurs during sleep that has a lot to do with language and what words mean, says Dr. Lawrence Epstein, past president of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, and medical director of Sleep Health Centers in Boston.

Our brain forms links between our memories for these words to help us store information in a way that is meaningful to us.

During sleep, “our brain is writing a summary,” said Dr. Robert Stickgold, study author and associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

When the brain awakes, it may recall words from this summary even though those words weren’t part of the original exercise.

Forget the All-Nighters

Sleep may do interesting things to our memories, but not sleeping can wreak havoc on the brain and on the body.

Experts say that getting enough sleep is vital to our overall health.

It plays a role in immune function, emotional regulation, and other processes like the ability to concentrate.

There’s no substitute for serious studying, but a good night’s sleep may prove to be more helpful than scientists previously thought.

“People who study and then sleep recall things better than people who stay up all night studying,” Epstein said.

Boulder, Colorado—an innovative company has taken one of life’s most unpleasant experiences (being startled awake by your alarm clock early Monday morning), and transformed it into something to actually look forward to. “The Zen Alarm Clock,” uses soothing acoustic chimes that awaken users gently and gradually, making waking up a real pleasure.

Get help choosing a different alarm clock -- Visit our store - Now & Zen, Inc. - Boulder, CO

Rather than an artificial recorded sound played through a speaker, the Zen Clock features an alloy chime bar similar to a wind chime.  When the clock’s alarm is triggered, its chime produces a long-resonating, beautiful acoustic tone reminiscent of a temple gong.  Then, as the ring tone gradually fades away, the clock remains silent until it automatically strikes again three minutes later.  The frequency of the chime strikes gradually increase over ten-minutes, eventually striking every five seconds, so they are guaranteed to wake up even the heaviest sleeper.  This gentle, ten-minute “progressive awakening” leaves users feeling less groggy, and even helps with dream recall.

adapted from abcnews.go.com by LISA PHILIPOSE

Choose the right alarm clocks for a refreshed mood in the morning - Visit Now & Zen, Inc - Boulder, CO

Now & Zen – The Alternative Alarm Clock Shop

1638 Pearl Street

Boulder, CO  80302

(800) 779-6383

Unusual Gentle Clock Shop - Now & Zen, Inc. - Boulder, CO

Just Say No to a Snooze Button

Sleep Sounder - Choose the Most Unusual Clock with Acoustic Chimes

Gentle Clocks and Timers - Boulder, CO

Now & Zen – The Home of the Most Unusual Gentle Clock

The Zen Alarm Clock Headquarter Store

1638 Pearl Street

Boulder, CO  80302

(800) 779-6383

orders@now-zen.com

Choose a Gentle Wake Up in the Morning -- The Z E N Alarm Clock

A Sleep in America Poll released by the National Sleep Foundation in 2008 reported that 65 percent of Americans have trouble falling asleep, wake during the night or wake feeling unrefreshed at least a few times each week. (On average, individuals need at least eight hours of sleep, but a recent finding that genetic makeup may play a role in how much sleep each person needs was published by UCSF researchers last week.)

Boulder, Colorado—an innovative company has taken one of life’s most unpleasant experiences (being startled awake by your alarm clock early Monday morning), and transformed it into something to actually look forward to. “The Zen Alarm Clock,” uses soothing acoustic chimes that awaken users gently and gradually, making waking up a real pleasure.

Rather than an artificial recorded sound played through a speaker, the Zen Clock features an alloy chime bar similar to a wind chime.  When the clock’s alarm is triggered, its chime produces a long-resonating, beautiful acoustic tone reminiscent of a temple gong.  Then, as the ring tone gradually fades away, the clock remains silent until it automatically strikes again three minutes later.  The frequency of the chime strikes gradually increase over ten-minutes, eventually striking every five seconds, so they are guaranteed to wake up even the heaviest sleeper.  This gentle, ten-minute “progressive awakening” leaves users feeling less groggy, and even helps with dream recall.

adapted from SFgate.com by Carolyne Zinko

Gentle, Soothing, and Elegant Sounding Alarm Clocks -- No Beeping Electronics

Now & Zen – The Zen Alarm Clock Shop

1638 Pearl Street

Boulder, CO  80302

(800) 779-6383

orders@now-zen.com

sleep better naturally

Making a few changes in your sleep regimen may ease your insomnia more effectively than popping a pill, according to a recent study from the Journal of the American Medical Association. Of the study’s 46 insomniac participants, those who learned new sleep-inducing strategies (relaxation exercises; creating a more sleep-friendly bedroom) spent 52 percent less time tossing and turning after six weeks. Those who took the sleeping pill Imovane cut back on their wake time by only 4 percent. To shake off chronic insomnia, author Borge Sivertsen, Psy.D., suggests following a two-week sleep restriction plan: Wake up around 6 a.m. every day, avoid daytime naps, and wait as long as you can before hitting the sack each night.

Body+Soul, November/December 2006

sleep better naturally, wake up with a calming zen alarm clock

Now & Zen

1638 Pearl St.

Boulder, CO  80302

(800) 779-6383