Sweet dreams are made of this
Who am I to disagree?
I travel the world and the seven seas
Everybody’s looking for something
Some of them want to use you
Some of them want to get used by you
Some of them want to abuse you
Some of them want to be abused
Sweet dreams are made of this
Who am I to disagree?
I travel the world and the seven seas
Everybody’s looking for something
Hold your head up, keep your head up, movin’ on
Hold your head up, movin’ on, keep your head up, movin’ on
Hold your head up, movin’ on, keep your head up, movin’ on
Hold your head up, movin’ on, keep your head up
Some of them want to use you
Some of them want to get used by you
Some of them want to abuse you
Some of them want to be abused
Songwriters Annie Lennox and David Allan Stewart
Everyone dreams, although you might not remember your dreams, or all of them. But can scented laundry detergent items help you sleep better?
Recently I received a bunch of information from Procter & Gamble about their new fabric care regimen, the Sweet Dreams Collection. Apparently, at least according to P&G (and some experts), your sweet dreams and a great nights’ sleep really can start in your laundry room.
This new line of products has ingredients to clean, soften and freshen fabrics, of course, but specifically bedtime fabrics, from your linens to your lingerie, helping to create an ideal sleep environment (in other words, the fragrance helps you relax more so you fall asleep). The regimen, all of which are official products of the National Sleep Foundation, includes: Tide® plus A touch of Downy™ Sweet Dreams™, Downy ® UNSTOPABLES® Dreams™, Downy Infusions ® Sweet Dreams™ and Bounce® Sweet Dreams™.
Laugh all you want, but lack of sleep causes all sorts of health problems including low libido. Lack of sleep can make you so tense you are irritable and less likely to have that loving feeling, too. That “too tired for sex” feeling is real. And, according to the National Sleep Foundation (NSF), 41 percent of Americans report having problems with tossing and turning at least a few nights a week.
It does make sense that scent (aromatherapy) could help relax you and help soothe an over-active mind. Aromatherapy goes back thousands of years. it works by stimulating smell receptors in the nose, which then send messages through the nervous system to the limbic system — the part of the brain that controls emotion. But the new P&G Sweet Dreams Collection surprised me. I thought it would be herbal, but is actually, clean smelling with a lot of fruit and sweetness, not the kind of herbal lavender you might be used to. The notes on what’s in the various products are a bit vague. The new Tide with a touch of Downy detergent has lavender overtones with gourmand vanilla undertones to create a calming scent to help soothe you to sleep. Downy ® UNSTOPABLES® Dreams™ is an in-wash scent booster the actually looks like tiny lavender beads and smells almost like a candy with lavender in it. You decide how much of this fruited-lavender scent you want to add to each laundry load. FYI: the scent will last for a dozen weeks in storage, so even if you don’t use the same sheets and blankets right away, the scent will stick around and be there when you’re ready. Downy Infusions® Sweet Dreams™ is a liquid fabric softener with SilkTouch™ This one contains perfume system with Renewing Scent Pearl Technology that offers bed-time fabrics a multi-layered lavender scent experience that supposedly lasts long after your fabrics have been washed (I didn’t try this one so I can’t say for sure that is so, but I’m willing to bet that it is). Bounce ® Sweet Dreams™: Small but mighty is my favorite product. It’s clean and easy to use. Just toss one dryer sheet in the dryer to soften, freshen, control static, and help repel lint and hair on bedtime fabrics. Tip: You can also add one of these sheets to your suitcase, to make everything smell nice when you unpack on the other side.
Whether or not you find a scent pleasing, is highly subjective. If you like the smell of these products, I can see how they would really help you relax. However (and I’m being honest here), my personal preference is for a more herbal lavender scent, and this was a bit on the sweet and fruity side. I enjoyed it, and I thought it made my bed linens smell nice, but it wouldn’t be my top choice as a fragrance to sniff before bed-time if I was given a range of lavender scent to select. I would say that if you’re a single guy and you don’t wash your sheets all that often, or if your home doesn’t really smell all that fabulous (shame! shame!) using these detergents could entice a reluctant partner to perhaps, sleep over. Your nose and your scent preferences, will vary. I really do like the idea though!
AND: If you’re going to try these new “sleep scents,” why not also do the “Tuck In. Turn Off.” Pledge With Daylight Saving Time just beginning and an extra hour of sunlight ahead? It’s great to have more daylight, but it can throw off your own personal sleep cycle, so this is an ideal time to make some changes. The “Tuck In. Turn Off.” Pledge aims to combat this by encouraging people to turn off their technology at least 30 minutes before bedtime and tuck in to clean fabrics infused with the soothing scent and softness of the Sweet Dreams Collection. The pledge can be taken online by visiting www.TuckInTurnOff.com. You can find the Tide, Bounce and Downy products in your favorite mass market retailers and online.
review submitted by alison blackman aka'”Lace”
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