Choki Eishosai, Sunrise at New Year

It turns out that toddlers are not the only ones who do better after an afternoon nap.  New research has found that young adults who slept for 90 minutes after lunch raised their overall learning power, their memory apparently primed to absorb new facts.

Other studies have indicated that sleep helps consolidate memories after cramming, but the new study suggests that sleep can actually restore the ability to learn.

The findings, which have not yet been published, were presented Sunday at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in San Diego.

“You need to sleep before learning, to prepare your brain, like a dry sponge, to absorb new information,” said the lead investigator, Matthew P. Walker, an assistant professor of psychology and neuroscience at the University of California, Berkeley.

The study recruited 39 healthy young adults and divided them into two groups.  All 39 were asked to learn 100 names and faces at noon, and then to learn a different set of names and faces at 6 p.m.  But 20 of the volunteers who slept for 90 minutes between the two overall learning sessions improved their scores by 10 percent on average after sleeping; the scores of those who didn’t nap actually dropped by 10 percent.

Set your Zen Alarm Clock in your office and take a little snooze so that you can prime your brain for the best overall learning experience.

adapted from The New York Times, February 2010 by Roni Caryn Rabin

Zen Timepiece, an alarm clock to wake one from napping with Tibetan bowl/gong

Now & Zen

1638 Pearl Street

Boulder, CO  80302

Chime Alarms for a Peaceful Awakening

A truly energized, productive day is possible only after a relaxed, restorative night. “Your alertness during the day is dependent on the quality of your sleep and on getting undisturbed sleep,” says Thomas Roth, Ph.D., a psychologist and the director of the Sleep Disorder Center at Henry Ford Hospital, in Detroit. Research has shown that seven to eight hours really is the ideal. Start preparing yourself about an hour before bed, advises Michael Perlis, Ph.D., an associate professor of psychology and the director of the Behavioral Sleep Medicine Program at the University of Pennsylvania. “You need to allow yourself to decompress and unwind,” he says. Physically and psychologically, you’ll be better prepared for quality sleep. Remember to set your Chime Alarm that will gradually awaken you with a series of gentle chimes in the morning, so that you are not startled awake!

When the clock’s alarm is triggered, the acoustic chime bar is struck just once ... 3-1/2 minutes later it strikes again ... chime strikes become more frequent over 10 minutes ... eventually striking every 5 seconds until shut off.

Now & Zen’s Shop – The Zen Alarm Clock Store

1638 Pearl Street

Boulder, CO  80302

(800) 779-6383

set your alarm to signal your body it's time to sleep

Evening Ritual:

Use an evening alarm. “Set the Chime Alarm from Now & Zen, Inc.  to remind you when it’s time to get ready for bed,” says Rubin Naiman, Ph.D., an assistant professor of medicine at the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine, in Tucson, and the author of The Yoga of Sleep ($20, amazon.com). When the alarm sounds, start turning lights off around the house to let your body know it’s almost time to call it a night.

Soothing Chime Clock can be Used As a Evening Ritual

Now & Zen Headquarter Store

1638 Pearl Street

Boulder, CO  80302

(800) 779-6383

Time your exercise each day and sleep better

An early-evening workout may help you sleep. A study from Northwestern University, in Chicago, showed that insomniacs who did about 40 minutes of moderate cardio between 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. four times a week got an average of 75 more minutes of sleep a night.  Set your Digital Zen Clock/Timer for at least 20 minutes. Choose an easy routine and finish two hours before bed, says Kori Malyszek, a coordinator for the Equinox Fitness Training Institute, in Los Angeles.

adapted from RealSimple.com

Bamboo Digital Zen Timer and Alarm Clock

Now & Zen

1638 Pearl Street

Boulder, CO  80302

(800) 779-6383

Stretch and do Yoga with Your Chime Timer to Create a Wake Up routine in the Morning

These energy-boosting changes to your daily routine will leave you feeling recharged.

Time to Wake Up!

Even if you’re a morning person, you’re probably far from firing on all cylinders when you first open your eyes. “It can take up to two hours to get the brain fully alert,” says Matthew Edlund, M.D., the director of the Gulf Coast Sleep Institute, in Sarasota, Florida, and the author ofThe Power of Rest: Why Sleep Alone Is Not Enough ($26, amazon.com). One reason you’re lethargic is that your core body temperature has dipped during the night to keep you in deep, restorative slumber. Try these morning energy strategies to get going with a lot less grief.

Let in the sun and stretch. Exposure to light stimulates your brain to stop producing melatonin (the hormone that helps induce sleepiness), says Edlund. Light also gets your body out of sleep mode by resetting the brain’s suprachiasmatic nucleus (a big name for a region about the size of a grain of rice), which controls the body’s circadian rhythms (or 24-hour biological clock). Meanwhile, Edlund says, “the first physical activity of the day raises the body temperature and increases blood flow to your brain.” Open the blinds, then try some stretches in front of the window. (If neighbors live in close range, make sure your pj’s are presentable.) Use your Zen Timepiece by setting it to count down in 20 minutes while you gently stretch and do a few yoga poses.

Chime Timer by Now & Zen with Tibetan-Singing Bowl Gong

Get moving. A morning workout triggers feel-good endorphins and lowers elevated stress hormones. The effects can last six to eight hours, says Gregory Florez, a spokesperson for the American Council on Exercise, in Salt Lake City: “Morning exercisers tend not to have midmorning slumps and are sharper mentally than if they hadn’t exercised.” You’ll get the most bang for your energy buck, he says, with a workout that includes both cardio and strength training.

Look at something you love. Mornings are especially hard because we’re in survival mode, says Jim Loehr, Ed.D., a cofounder of the Human Performance Institute, in Orlando, Florida. We have to meet basic needs, like hunger and thirst, and to the body that feels as if we’re under threat, which saps our energy. Positive emotions, like hope and gratitude, fight that energy drain by counteracting the primal messages that we’re in some kind of danger. Loehr suggests kick-starting those positive emotions by looking at something meaningful: Next to your bed, place a treasured photo, flowers, or anything else you’re grateful to see.

Shake up your routine. The brain responds to novel experiences by releasing a rush of neurotransmitters, such as dopamine, which make you more alert. No need for a morning cliff dive—just take something ordinary and switch it up: If you’re right-handed, use your left hand to brush your teeth.

By Amy Paturel and Sara Reistad-Long from RealSimple.com

Chime Timers and Clocks for A Gradual Awakening

Now & Zen Headquarter Store

1638 Pearl Street

Boulder, CO  80302

(800) 779-6383

Chime Alarm Clocks Eliminate Shrill, Beeping Alarm Clock Sounds

Many people can’t get to sleep at night, because they fear waking up to the shrill sound of their alarm clock.

Do you fear your beeping alarm clock?

Americans recently voted alarm clocks one of their most hated inventions – and it’s not difficult to understand why. There is a natural, soothing alternative.  The Chime Zen Alarm Clock by Now & Zen, Inc. – Boulder, Colorado.

Our alarm clock has a long-resonating Tibetan bell-like chime makes waking up a beautiful experience – its progressive chimes begin your day with grace!  One is automatically awakened relaxed and calm in the morning.

When the clock’s alarm is triggered, the acoustic chime bar is struck just once … 3-1/2 minutes later it strikes again … chime strikes become more frequent over 10 minutes … eventually striking every 5 seconds until shut off. As they become more frequent, the gentle chimes will always wake you up – your body really doesn’t need to be awakened harshly, with a Zen Clock you’re awakened more gradually and thus more naturally.  Unlike artificial recorded sounds coming out of a tiny speaker in a plastic box, natural acoustic sounds transform your bedroom or office environment.

Soothing Alarm Clock Headquarter Store - Boulder, Colorado

Now & Zen’s Alarm Clock Store -Alternative Chime Alarm Clocks – No Beeping Alarm Clocks…

1638 Pearl Street

Boulder, CO  80302

(800) 779-6383

Chime Alarm Clocks Contribute to Longer, Deep Sleep

Our Zen Timepiece’s acoustic 6-inch brass bowl-gong alarm clock is the world’s ultimate alarm clock, practice timer, and “mindfulness bell.”  It fills your environment with beautifully complex tones whenever it strikes. In the morning, its exquisite sounds summon your consciousness into awakening with a series of subtle gongs that provide an elegant beginning to your day.

Once you experience the Zen Timepiece’s progressive awakening, you’ll never want to wake up any other way.

Zen Timepiece, Singing-Bowl Alarm Clock by Now & Zen Inc.

Now & Zen Headquarter Store

1638 Pearl Street

Boulder, CO  80302

(800) 779-6383

Choosing a Calming Alarm Clock

Americans recently voted alarm clocks one of their most hated inventions- and it’s not difficult to understand why.

But it seems there is more reason to fear your alarm clock than to loathe it.  For rather than just dragging you from slumber each morning, alarm clocks could actually be bad for your health, creating dark circles under your eyes and morning grogginess.

You don’t need to be a doctor to appreciate that the sudden shrill of an alarm clock could be bad for your heart.  But scientists have now proven that people who are suddenly forced awake by the sudden ringing of an alarm had higher blood pressure and heart rate than those who woke up peacefully.

Alarm Clocks  can also add to your overall stress levels. The sudden noise triggers the body’s protective ‘fight or flight’ response, pumping up your adrenaline levels.

How to choose a better alarm clock

While this might be useful to get you to work on time, it can also lead to chronic stress which in turn contributes to high blood pressure, sleep problems and depression.

Now & Zen ^® creates natural lifestyle Alarm Clocks that make a real difference in people’s lives. The growing preference for natural foods and natural fibers is carried forward by Now & Zen^® in the natural acoustic sounds and natural hardwood materials featured in every Now & Zen^® Zen Alarm Clock.  With a selection of different styles, these unique alarm clocks wake you gradually and naturally.  A series of acoustic bell-like chimes transforms your daily arrival into a tranquil beginning.  Each timepiece combines beauty and versatility.

These are high quality products that are not only modern and luxurious but are also peaceful and add to a stress-free day in an already stress filled world. Please visit their website to see these unique creations.  www.now-zen.com

Choose a Soothing Chime Alarm Clock for Better Health

Now & Zen Headquarter Store

1638 Pearl Street

Boulder, CO 80302

(800) 779-6383

Soothing Chime Alarm Clocks

Soothing Acoustic Chime Alarm Clock by Now & Zen, Inc. – Boulder, Colorado

“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.  This Soothing Alarm Clock is the Best Choice for Pregnant Women not wanting to disturb their little sleeping sweeties…

Soothing Chime Alarm Clock for New and Pregnant Mothers

Now & Zen’s Chime Alarm Clock  Store

1638 Pearl Street

Boulder, CO  80302

(800) 779-6383