Turning Japanese?

Nakamichi or Maharishi?

Nakamichi is a Japanese high end audio company famous for its innovative and high quality cassette decks. In 1999 Nakamichi introduced home theater audio systems that could be hung on a wall. Nakamichi also sells high-quality mini systems, automotive stereo products and home video products.
Maharishi is a high end clothing company that focuses on denim and camouflage. Not to be confused with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the founder of Transcendental Meditation.

And this speaker is actually Maharishi.

Sleep-talkers, day 4

Day four at the sleep-talking lab... This time the guinea pigs are men in their thirties. By now, all I want to do is trade places with them. What's on their unconscious minds? Drop pajamas seat, pajamas sleeper and community pajamas type. B-o-r-i-n-g... Coping with their s-n-o-r-i-n-g... But the good news is that it's Friday and tomorrow I'm off the hook.

Sleep-talkers, day 3

Day three and yes, I am hanging in there... sort of... somehow. Anyway, today it's boy toddlers. Cute little footed pajamas and lots of drool. The sleep-talking topics in this room focused on games, songs, computers and the like... Once again, to be expected. What was curious is that a couple of boys seemed to be having a similar dream or a telepathic dialogue about game lyric pajamas and download pajamas sam. This was a confirmation that it's the absolute last time that I am getting conned into this. I was honored when I was first asked to participate, but having been here for 2-3 days now, I realize that it's a chore.

Sleep-talkers, day 2

On day two I was with rich housewives who were obsessed with horses and babies... hence the words that came out of their sleep talking mouths revolved around "sleazy sleepwear horse"or "baby clothes girl sleepwear"... Not exactly surprising or inspiring, to be frank. More like painfully tedious and uchallenging. My only challenge was trying to stay awake watching them sleep in cozy curled up positions. It's ok... two more days and I'm done.

Sleep-talkers, day 1

A few months ago the sleeper commission asked me to participate in a sleep-talking study as one of the judges. I was hoping for an interesting experience, since I've always been fascinated with the unconscious mind and dreaming. The patients were split up by different criteria and put into separate rooms. On the first day I was monitoring a room of teenage girls between 13-18. Their sleep talking wasn't too hard to decipher. It mainly revolved around fashion and shopping for sleepwear, proclaimed in lines such as "clothing fashion girl loungewear sleepwear" and "com secret sleepwear victoria". Although there's no cohesive sentence structure, it was easy to record and analyze. Interesting? not really.

Sleepwear shopping online

Shopping sleepwear online is not only a time-saver, but is also a money-saver. And since most stores won't let you try on intimates anyway, just use your best judgement and if you happen to be wrong, then you can always exchange. Be on the look-out for a sleepwear clearance after major holidays and at the end of summer.

Sleepwear Do's and Don'ts, part 2

DO this white satin night gown with lace detail by Valerie Stevens sleepwear.

DON'T get caught in these pajamas by Wicking J sleepwear unless you work in a hospital.

Sleepwear Do's and Don'ts

I love this cotton & cashmere layered nightie from Peter Alexander sleepwear. It's a definite DO. Erika Taylor sleepwear is clearly a DON'T to me. Too old-lady and tired. Time to move on to hip fresh new styles, even if it is for your private sleeping time.

Comfort rules

Carole Hochman sleepwear is inspired by her boyfriend's cotton t-shirt, which is always inviting to sleep in. May not be the most feminine or sexy wear, but definitely comfortable when you're tired of the tight fitting negligees. And she makes it her goal to have high quality cotton. But there's another side to Carole - she is also the creative force behind some private labels, and is the licensee for Oscar de la Renta's lingerie collection.

Sleep better in silk

Miss Elaine sleepwear is known for their long fluid silk gowns. The gown featured above is a Classic Miss Elaine Silk Essence, with long spaghetti straps, which comes in a set with a long wrap silk coat. I love the feminine lace accents on both pieces. Right now they are on special sleepwear sale at amazon.com.

Sleep like a king

Want to sleep like royalty without breaking your bank account? Overtock.com is here to help. If you know about luxury bedding then you know that egyptian cotton sheets are the finest. Here you can find the right thread count and the right color to match your duvet covers and pillows.

Sleepwear for the little princess

Kid pageants have always freaked me out. Kind of like the carousel tune in horror movies, I guess. Like it should be pleasant, but it's not... Anyway, there's just something unnatural about all those little girls all dolled up, acting as little women, body language, lipstick and all. This pink pageant sleepwear gown is yet another reminder of how tacky it really is. Even my grandma would never wear that. It reminds me of those ridiculous poodles or celebrity chihuahuas in their furry jackets and booties. Tinker? Tinker? Are you in there?

Sleepwear choices for women

When it comes to womens sleepwear, there are simply too many choices. To narrow it down, you need to know what you're looking for. For simplicity and comfort, I recommend DKNY sleepwear. For a more racy-lacy number, you can't go wrong with Oscar de la Renta sleepwear.

Bedding, Jr. has more fun

Juvenile bedding comes in all kinds of fun patterns, colors and your kids' favorite cartoon characters. What about the "big" babies? Why can't we fall asleep in Elmo's arms or trade places with Barbie?

Regional bedding

John Deere Bedding is to mid-west what Roxy Bedding is to California. Just look at the logos. Nuff said.

Sleeping in the rain

Sleeping in the rain is romantic when you’re inside, warm and cozy by a fireplace. But if you’re out and caught off guard, then it’s no picnic. Make sure that you go to the bathroom right before the competition, or else the sound of running of water will send you to the john and get you disqualified from the race. There have been cases of participants relieving themselves in bed, and they too were disqualified. If you don't trust your bladder, use a waterbed and make sure to have waterbed sheets.

Sleeping in the wind

Sleeping in the wind is no easy task. There is a lot of self-protection to account for. Depending on your location at the time of wind, you need to know whether your surroundings are hazardous in terms of debris. If you’re in the woods under windy conditions, beware of falling branches, rockslides, etc. Having a sturdy low tent is a plus and then it’s all about positioning. If you’re in a mountainous region or a rocky beach, try to be adjacent to a side that goes with the wind and not against it. Bedding wise, just use your common sense. Naturally satin bedding would not do well in windy conditions, neither would canopy bedding, for obvious reasons.

Sleeping in the snow

Sleeping in the snow can be fun if you plan ahead. You need to be prepared and efficient. You’ll need warm flannel sheets and down comforters - optimal bedding for below zero conditions. Down comforters are good insulators, but nothing’s better than a partner to cuddle up to. If they like it, you can enter the couples sleeper cross division. But if you do end up solo and have a generator, then you could also plug in a Sunbeam electric blanket for a constant heat source throughout the night.

Sleeping in the sun

Sleeping in the sun requires proper hydration beforehand and smart sleepwear and bedding. Calvin Klein sleepwear is made from light breathable cotton,hence a perfect option for high temperatures and sun exposure. Choose white or pastel colors for less heat absorption. You should cover yourself as much as possible to avoid dehydration. The less your body is covered, the faster you lose water through your exposed skin. So please beware. I strongly suggest bringing along a camel water pack, a mosquito net and a good sunscreen. Bedding is as equally important; for extremely hot conditions I recommend Egyptian cotton sheets and a visco pedic foam mattress, because it takes on the shape of your body, which prevents you from tossing and depleting your energy and water supply. Be careful and all the best.

Sleeping in the elements

There is a whole science to sleeping in the elements. Over the next few posts, I will feature my recommendations for sleeping in the wild. So keep your eyes open and good luck.

If you’re too domesticated and spoiled and have self-doubts about sleeping in the wild, you can try out a couple of training sessions that will help you gain knowledge and confidence for the outdoor survival.

There are training centers across the country, and even abroad now, that can help you gear up for sleeping in the great outdoors. If you need contact information for the center nearest you, please leave a comment underneath this post and I would gladly help you out.