Drink warm milk. Take a quick shower. Read a few pages of your book. Listen to soothing music. Rub lavender-scented balm on your temples and nape. These are just some of the well-meaning pieces of advice given to those who ask how to easily fall asleep. As is often the case, what works for one person might not necessarily work for another.
A cursory online search on how to achieve restful sleep reveals other suggestions. Climbing into a bed already made with fresh sheets is one, and choosing the right pillows is a second. It’s the reason why Gourdo’s held a weekend event at Podium Mall in Ortigas. Last Sept. 5, visitors tested a selection of pillows by lying on a bed that had been set up in the middle of the mall.
“The “Dream Oasis: Sleepcare x Healthguard” was designed as a sensory pop-up that included stations offering flavored teas and scented pillow sprays.
There was a mini competition on who could make up a bed — complete with fitted sheet, flat sheet, duvet and pillowcases — the fastest. As expected, a hotel housekeeping staff completed the task in under four minutes.
To emphasize their existing pillow range, the home store came up with four urban sleep profiles for their four pillow options.
The Sleepcare Memory Comfort Pillow is for professionals suffering from severe neck tension as it is built with high-density, open-cell memory foam and an ergonomic contoured design.
The Sleepcare Memory Gel Pillow is for sleepers who have night sweats as it features an integrated Cool Gel membrane layer and a breathable bamboo cover that draws body heat away from the head and neck.
Meanwhile, the Sleepcare Anti-Mite Anti-Bacterial Anti-Bed Bug Pillow is for exhausted commuters with lower back stiffness and allergen exposure. The full-length body pillow opens up hips to align the lumbar spine, and features an advanced biotech formula developed in Australia that inhibits dust mites, bacteria, and bed bugs.
The Hotel Atelier Premium Queen Pillow is marketed to late-night mobile phone users experiencing digital fatigue. Wrapped in 100% combed cotton with high-loft microfiber fill, it offers plush support that mimics five-star hotel bedding.
A new pillow or two might help in inducing sleep but as Susan San Miguel, Gourdo’s general manager pointed out, “What really matters is what your preference is [when it comes to your beddings], and whether or not it serves its purpose.”
Since customers cannot try out the pillows for themselves in-store, Gourdo’s has held and is planning to hold similar pop-ups in Cebu and Pampanga. “We want to bring our brand to locations where we do not have an existing store,” she said.