Lately, a multitude of articles discussing a recently coined ailment affectionately referred to as “text neck” have been occupying a lot of space in my Google alerts. “Text neck” refers to head, neck and shoulder pain resulting from excessive mobile device usage. Evidently, the unnatural, hunched over position most of us adopt while using technology is not at all healthy for our spine.

Some experts are estimating that tens of thousands of people in the U.S. alone are affected by some degree of text neck.

And, while it seems somewhat contradictory, one Florida chiropractor has even gone as far as to develop a mobile phone app that helps alert users of a posture problem while texting.  Using the angle your phone is being held at as an indicator, a green light in the corner of the screen means proper posture, while a red light means the opposite.

Of course all of this raises a big question: is our addiction to technology bad for our health?

I know I am extremely guilty of phone lust, though I prefer the less accusatory description of myself as “tech savvy.” Between texting, checking work emails, updating my Facebook status, becoming a super mayor on Foursquare and tweeting things I find hilarious, my phone feels like it is part of me.  I try to blame it on my career choice (Social Media Coordinator) but the truth is, I’m addicted – not to my phone (I hate every phone I try) but to the constant contact it gives me with my family, friends and outside universe.

But it makes sense that anything you spend a significant amount of time doing can be harmful if it puts your body in an unnatural position. Even something as seemingly harmless as sleeping, when improperly executed, can cause discomfort due to the fact that we spend so much of our lives doing it. If you sleep with an overly stuffed pillow, for example, you can force your spine out of alignment and put your neck in a position it’s not meant to be in. If done on a nightly basis, this will most likely lead to pain and even lasting injury.

The answer is not to give up on sleep or technology, but rather to be more aware that anything done repetitively has the potential to cause harm if we are not vigilant. I’m happy to report though, so far I’m “text-neck” injury free. But I do sleep on a Mediflow pillow (with my phone underneath it) every night, just in case.

Beyond the fact that Mediflow Waterbase pillows are clinically proven to improve your sleep quality and reduce neck pain AND that they are customizable to suit your personal pillow needs, there are five crucial reasons to include them in your retail game plan:

5) Buying a Mediflow pillow does not involve a 4 am wakeup call.
4) Buying a Mediflow pillow does not require you going out into the cold, or even getting out of bed if your laptop is close.
3) Buying a Mediflow pillow does not involve waiting in lines, or fighting angry consumer mobs.
2) Buying a Mediflow pillow as a gift pretty much makes you the coolest gift-giver ever.

And the number one reason why you should buy a Mediflow pillow on Black Friday:

1) You don’t have to put pants on to buy yourself a pillow!

So there you have it, no early wakeups, no going out in the cold, no lines, no fights, no disappointments and NO PANTS.

Disclaimer: If you already sleeping on a Mediflow pillow, you most likely will be sleeping so soundly and comfortably that your 4 am Black Friday alarm may be ignored. We apologize for any inconvenience, and any damaging effects this may have on the economy.

We’ve all heard people tell harrowing nighttime tales of alien abductions, visits from ghosts and even demonic possessions. Maybe you’ve even experienced an episode yourself. Well, good news – that most likely was NOT Lucifer at your bedside.

The scientific explanation is sleep paralysis – a short period of time during which voluntary muscle movement is inhibited, but ocular and respiratory movements remain intact. In other words, you can see your surroundings, and sometimes even feel or see a presence in the room with you (enter: aliens, devils, Elvis etc.) but you cannot move your body.  Essentially, your mind is awake, but your body and muscles are still in REM sleep.

A recent study published in Sleep Medicine Reviews  examined thirty-five different studies discussing lifetime incidents of sleep paralysis. The most interesting conclusion was that while the odds of sleep paralysis occurring in the general population are less than eight percent, the chances of incident are higher among both college students and psychiatric patients.

While I’m sure there is a joke to be made about the similarities between psych patients and college kids, the one thing they definitely have in common is a strong likelihood for disrupted sleep. Those with poor or irregular sleep patterns, including sleep disorder sufferers, are more likely to experience sleep paralysis.

So what can you do to protect yourself from nighttime demonic possessions? Do your best to avoid irregular sleep patterns and get as much QUALITY sleep as possible.  Mediflow waterbase pillows are clinically shown to improve sleep quality  – you will fall asleep faster and experience less tossing and turning. The less you disturb your REM sleep, the less vulnerable you become to sleep paralysis. Your body…and soul will thank you!