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"We have recognised an opportunity to help those who have lost everything to the bushfires and leading up to Christmas, it's important we come together," says Belinda Sidhu (Managing Director). When news broke at the beginning of summer that rural areas of Queensland and New South Wales were on fire, we were caught off guard. We did not anticipate the level of destruction that would ensue so quickly after the winter months. Since November, the Rural Fire Service has reported that over 2.7 million hectares of land have been burnt and more than 724 homes have been lost by 'unprecedented' bushfire conditions. However, according to Greg Mullins (former Fire and Rescue NSW Commissioner) the worst is yet to come as the country faces hotter temperatures and drier conditions, with no significant rain forecasted. "[The fires] are going to get bigger and they are going to come into Sydney suburbs, the South Coast, the Central Coast," warns Greg Mullins. With this in mind, Superior Lifestyle called an executive meeting on Friday, 13 December to identify ways it could deliver on its corporate social responsibility. As a family-run business, Superior Lifestyle prides itself on being an advocate for community and believes it has a strong role to play in helping families get back on their feet. "In the spirit of Christmas, we want to give back and we have recognised two ways that we can contribute effectively during this national crisis," says Belinda Sidhu. 1. Raising funds We are pleased to announce that in February 2020, we will be donating a portion of our proceeds to the New South Wales Rural Fire Service. This organisation is crucial to social cohesion and has been selected as the recipient for donations due to their active role in managing the impact of the bushfires. We will announce the amount of funds raised at the end of February, so be sure to subscribe to our newsletter for updates. 2. Donating beds and mattresses We have also appointed a dedicated Community Enagegment Officer to source and identify families displaced by the bushfires and in need of beds and mattresses. Over the next three months, we will be gathering beds and mattresses suitable for donation from our customers, display shows and discontinued stock. These items will be dispatched to charities and individuals across the East Coast. If you want to get involved or contribute to this initiative, please give us a call on 1300 825 931. Alternatively, you can email us at info@superiorlifestyle.com.au. Together, we can make a difference.

But is it enough? Earlier this month, the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety revealed the shocking tale of neglect towards Australia's older, more vulnerable citizens. After ten months of investigation and public hearings across the nation, the Royal Commission reported on its findings to date, which was ridden with scandals and overwhelmingly distressing experiences. One of the key controversies to emerge surrounded the Oakden aged-care facility in Adelaide, which closed in September 2017 after reports that patients had been overdosed and inappropriately restrained. Following a string of similar disturbing cases, the Interim Report shed light on the systemic failures of residential aged-care facilities and foreshadowed the likelihood of a complete overhaul in coming months. You can read the findings of the report titled Nelgect by clicking here. How has the Coalition responded? So far, the Federal Government has responded to the findings of the report by pledging $537 million to the aged-care sector. Of that amount, $25 million will be spent on medication management programs to reduce the use of chemical restraints to subdue and control the behaviour of residents. The majority of the funding will be devoted to an extra 10,000 home care packages, which some have criticised as a "drop in the ocean" of what's required from the government. According to Ian Henschke, Chief Advocate for National Seniors, up to 16,000 people died last year waiting for a home care package and over 120,000 remain on the waiting list. On that basis, one might argue that the Coalition is ignoring the bigger picture and applying a band-aid solution to the problem. However, this strategy is grounded in policy and recognises the importance of individuals having the autonomy to make their own choices about their future. It also remains to be seen what changes will be made with respect to the predominantly migrant-based workforce that is under pressure, under-valued and under-skilled to accommodate those in need. As identified in the Interim Report, "the quality of care that people receive depends very much on the quality of the paid carers, their working conditions, leadership and engagement," which is why further investigation into workforce issues will be carried out over the next 12 months. The final report is due on 12 November 2020 and will hopefully prompt more transparent, regulation amongst residential aged-care facilities. Until then, organisations within the sector are being urged to be proactive and follow best practice. How can Superior Lifestyle help? The decision to settle a loved one into an aged-care facility is a very uncomfortable exercise for most families and one which we believe should only be made as a last resort. When it comes to protecting our vulnerable senior population, we believe the answer lies in empowering them to be mobile and independent in their own homes through innovative assistive technology. With access to adjustable beds, lift recliner chairs and cyclonic vibration therapy, we can effectively reduce the strain on carers and simultaneously minimise pain and discomfort for a deep, restorative sleep. We have already begun taking steps to communicate the benefits of this technology with NDIS participants and will be taking a similar approach to key players in the aged care industry. If you would like to stay abreast of our progress, like our Facebook page or subscribe to our mailing list below. Read more: A deep-rested sleep: The third pillar to healthy living Top 3 sleep myths debunked! How to avoid a sleep divorce

Quality sleep is often the missing component to a healthy lifestyle. Most doctors and sleep experts agree that 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night is necessary to function well during the day. Yet new research has shown that on average, Australians are getting only 6.5 hours of sleep a night. Up to 12% are clocking 5.5 hours or less. This is wholly deficient and has led to more than 7 million Australians suffering from a kind of permanent jet lag. As one can expect, poor sleep habits rob individuals of vital time for bodily repair and have a widespread impact: from loss of productivity to physical and mental health issues such as diabetes, heart disease, depression and much more. However, it is also impacting our community at large, with Deloitte Access Economics estimating a cost of $66 billion to the Australian economy. “Just like obesity, smoking, drinking too much and not exercising enough, sleep problems cause real harm in our community,” said Dr David Hillman (Director, Sleep Health Foundation) It comes as no surprise then that poor sleep is claiming the lives of 3000 Australians a year; a frightening but very real statistic from the Sleep Health Foundation. Source: (Asleep on the job: Costs of inadequate sleep in Australia, Sleep Health Foundation, 2017) What can I do? As we mature, getting a deep-rested sleep become less of a priority which often contributes to the common misconception that poor sleep is simply a fact of life in old age. This is simply not true, and we take pride in educating Australians on how they can achieve a better quality of life without over-the-counter prescriptions or surgery that might cost you an arm and a leg. The simple and less invasive solution is a Superior Lifestyle adjustable massage bed complete with a memory foam, pressure-relieving mattress. It’s also important to remember that just because we’re getting the right quantity of sleep, doesn’t always mean we’re getting the best quality of sleep. Finding the ideal bed and mattress for your needs – and those of your significant other – could significantly improve your quality of sleep and make your waking hours happier, healthier and even more productive. With over 1000 positions to explore, the Superior Lifestyle adjustable bed is the perfect solution to creating the optimal conditions and environment for effective sleep performance. To find out more information about our adjustable beds, mattresses and lift recliner chairs, call us to speak with one of our Sleep Specialists. Call 1300 825 931 today. Read more: A deep-rested sleep: The third pillar to healthy living Top 3 sleep myths debunked! How to avoid a sleep divorce

Have you ever wondered why as you get older, your snoring tends to get worse? And no, it’s not just your imagination! Although snoring can occur at any age, getting older often contributes to its intensity as the body matures and experiences weight gain, decreased muscle mass and other external influences (such as alcohol). While your own snoring is unlikely to bother you, sleeping next to someone who does can feel like the ground is shaking, costing you valuable sleeping time for recovery. In fact, according to Dr Steven Park: “It is estimated that by age 60, 60% of men and 40% of women snore. About 35% of habitual snorers are found to have obstructive sleep apnea. Therefore, a person who is over 60 and snores has a one in five chance that they may have obstructive sleep apnea.” If this is any indication, snoring is a widespread problem and poses a serious threat to the health and wellbeing of millions. The more serious cases of obstructive sleep apnea have been found to accelerate a loss in cognitive ability, particularly when left untreated. What can I do about it? If you are a habitual snorer, you will have discovered by now that over-the-counter medication is ineffective, and that surgery will cost you an arm and a leg. But there is a simple alternative and less invasive solution: a Superior Adjustable Bed. You see, sleeping flat on your back is a common factor in sleep disordered breathing as it encourages the muscles and other tissues in your diaphragm to relax and therefore impede a steady airflow. This is often overlooked, and yet our adjustable beds have proven for over 11 years to be a cost-effective option for minimising light to heavy snoring. With over 1000 positions to explore, our adjustable beds can help you find the perfect elevated position for inducing sleep and eliminating snoring. By raising the head above the lungs, there is a downward gravitational pull on your lower jaw, providing more open space for unobstructed airflow. Additionally, a Superior Adjustable Bed allows for even body weight distribution which is difficult to achieve on a flat bed without additional pillows or other temporary make-shift solutions. In effect, our adjustable beds can be used to create the optimal conditions for deep sleep, with full body support and relaxation to effectively minimise sleep-disordered breathing. Our adjustable beds is also available in a dual mattress and sleep system, allowing couples with different health conditions and needs to select their own individual preferences. How can we help? If you're concerned about your sleep performance, call us today and speak with one of our friendly Sleep Specialists. Our adjustable beds have helped thousands of Australians get the most rested night's sleep that they deserve and our dedicated customer care team are standing by to help you in any way that they can. Call 1300 825 931 today. Read more: A deep-rested sleep: The third pillar to healthy living Top 3 sleep myths debunked! How to avoid a sleep divorce

Healthy deep sleep isn't just essential for “beauty rest”, it also aids in revitalising the brain and major organs of the body so that they can function as intended. Sleep deprivation can affect your decision-making, memory, performance, safety and mood. So ask yourself, are you getting enough sleep? The truth is not many people are and in this article, we will debunk some of the most common sleep myths. 1. "I can just snooze more on the weekends to make up for inadequate sleep during the week" This approach can only help in relieving a fraction of a sleep deficit. It will never make up for a lack of hours during weeknights. In fact, it can negatively affect your sleep-wake cycle and you will certainly find it more difficult getting up early on Monday mornings. In other words, if your sleep performance is poor during the week, you will still wake up feeling tired and fatigued on weekends. 2. "Lacking one hour of sleep each night doesn't affect me during the day" Some people may believe that an hour's sleep less each night is insignificant. However, the medical research in this field begs to differ. You may not feel sleepy during the day, especially if you're drinking one or two coffees, but even the slightest cutback in your hours of sleep can impinge on your ability to think clearly and react quickly. In the long run, sleep deprivation of any proportion compromises your energy balance, cardiovascular health and immune system. You will notice a severe impact on your circadian rhythms (i.e. the physical, mental, and behavioral changes that follow a daily cycle) which can lead to serious mishaps like sending the wrong email to a client, being late to meetings or God forbid, a road accident. 3. "I can fall asleep anywhere. My body easily adjusts to changes in my sleep cycle" If you are somebody who can fall asleep almost anywhere, you might consider yourself lucky. However, that isn't necessarily a good thing. In most circumstances, you will only be in a light stage of sleep, which does not provide the sort of replenishment your body and brain requires. At the very least, you need the right conditions and environment for sustaining a deep level of sleep where your body can secrete the growth hormone, which is associated with cellular rebuilding and repair. How can we help? Adjustable massage beds (or electric beds) are a vital component in creating the perfect conditions for a blissful night's sleep. If you're concerned about your sleep performance, call 1200 825 931 to speak with one of our experienced Sleep Specialists. Our adjustable beds have helped thousands of Australians get the most rested night's sleep that they deserve and our dedicated customer care team are standing by to help you in any way that they can. Read more: A deep-rested sleep: The third pillar to healthy living Top 3 sleep myths debunked! How to avoid a sleep divorce #insomnia #sleep #fatigue #qualityofsleep #snooze #beautysleep #tiredness #circadianrhythm #restlesssleep #sleepperformance #sleepspecialists #adjustablebeds