We’re well into the new year but you’re still feeling a little second-hand.

Sounds familiar, right?

The over-indulgence in seasonal egg nog, despite it being a few weeks ago, means you are still feeling seriously under par. Your body takes longer to recover from the excesses of the party season than you realized, doesn’t it?

So you go to bed realising your offer to do regular weekend family breakfasts for Aunt Meg and the extended family for the foreseeable future was, in hindsight, not the best of ideas.

Fortunately, you’ve also just taken possession of a new sympathetically-coloured super-comfy Rest Assured Pocket 2000 bed.

There’s nothing like collapsing into the welcoming the lap of luxury after a night on the tiles is there?

Even better still is that now the haze of the annual celebrations has passed you can lay your head down snugly in the knowledge that when you wake it’ll be on the other end of an unrivalled night’s sleep for at least the next decade and beyond.

New Year, new you.

It starts here, right now. And the Pocket 2000 from Rest Assured is your guarantee that you’ll kick start 2012 by getting out of bed on the right side. Every time.

Why?

Because of the extraordinary 2000 spring count which offers outstanding comfort and support and is combined with soft quilted luxury fabrics and deep layers of fillings for the ultimate in luxurious comfort.

Deep sumptuous Classic fillings, the extra back support of the Ortho, Memory foam for body-moulding comfort or Innergetic® latex for the ultimate in luxurious comfort.

All Pocket 2000 mattresses are easy to care for and are enriched with soothing aloe vera.

If that doesn’t make you want to jump into bed you need to take a ong hard look at yourself and step away from the bottle of egg nog.

CHANCES are that you’ll have one or two house guests this Yuletide.

And they’ll be in need of a warm, welcoming place to lay their head at the end of the night-time festive celebrations – possibly a bit earlier for grandad and grandma.

It doesn’t take much to spruce up that guest room and provide ultimate comfort in a home away from home for those close family and friends who may want to partake in a little of your seasonal goodwill this Christmas.

A winter warmer needn’t cost the earth.

It’s all very well having a nice room for them to stay in but if the bed isn’t up to the job their welcome may feel short-lived.

So why not have a look at the Pocket 1000 Classic & Ortho from Rest Assured?

It’s a traditional bed, at its very best with 1,000 individual pocket springs providing outstanding comfort and support. Its deep sumptuous fillings in the Classic or with firmer but equally sumptuous orthopaedic fillings for extra back support in the Ortho will suit everyone from the exhaustive pre-teen nephew through to the family’s more sedate senior citizens.  Each mattress is beautifully hand tufted and side stitched for a traditional look and supportive mattress edge.

Just one word to the wise – they are such good beds, your family may not want to leave.

DESPITE reports to the contrary, Santa Claus is not a fan of Sleigh-beds, we are reliably informed.

The Elves pulling the strings at his North-Pole HQ are, quite frankly, a little bit tired of Santa’s old bed and have contacted Rest Assured in a bid to add a bit of comfort and warmth to the cold environs of his secret Christmas bolt-hole.

Even his trusty reindeer have decided enough is enough and have put out the word that Santa is in dire need of a new mattress if he is to be saved from slumping into a seasonal funk this year.

How could we refuse?

We’ve given all those good folks up at the North Pole some advice on the best choice for the big fella in a bid to save Christmas from Grumpy Grotto Syndrome.

No pressure then?

OK. So Santa’s a big bloke, and he needs support when his Christmas Eve delivery schedules are finally complete. Those chimney dives really take it out of him you know.

It’s a no-brainer as far as we are concerned. The perfect Santa-bed is our Sanctuary 2400 Latex or ‘Santa-uary’ 2400 Latex, as we now call it.

A truly luxurious combination of traditional pocket springs, mini springs and sumptuous Innergetic® latex all work in harmony to give Santa the ultimate indulgent, comfortable and refreshing nights sleep.

The luxury pillow top layer is not only enriched with aloe vera but benefits from concealed tufts (Santa loves his concealed tufts, apparently), an innovative alternative to traditional tufting for a smooth sleeping surface. Two rows of hand side stitching offer a supportive and comfortable mattress edge for a truly blissful sleep.

Mrs Claus will be delighted.

HERE’S hoping that William and Kate make the right choice of bed when they start decorating their new home at Kensington Palace Gardens.

According to reports the new Princely pad, the former home of the Queen’s sister, is still decorated in the uniquely rosy colour of pink favoured by the late Princess Margaret.

We’re guessing Wills and Kate will want to stamp their own identity on the place, particularly the bedroom. Other than Mills & Boon aficionados, does anyone still sleep in deep pink rooms in 2011? Probably not. We’re a bit more subtle, some might say ‘sophisticated’, in the 21st Century aren’t we?

We imagine Kate would rather sleep on a pea than go full-on pink. The 1980s was 30 years ago for a reason.

So what should a young princess do when she’s looking for a new bed, other than avoiding peas and harsh pinks?

Well, she’s a Thoroughly Modern Millie so, while steering clear of pink, Kate should definitely look towards colour co-ordination in the bedroom.

Rest Assured have four stylish colour schemes to perfectly compliment William and Kate’s own much-envied style.

Divan bases and headboards are available in a warm neutral Stone, Blush with a subtle hint of warm pink (Princess Margaret would approve), a light, airy, sophisticated Sky Blue – just in case Kate is preparing for the pitter patter of a baby boy’s feet – or a luxurious, stylish silver-grey Dove – fit for a future King and Queen, perhaps.

Whichever she goes for, there’s enough style to compliment a millionaire’s mansion at Kensington Palace Gardens in all the colour choices.

Even the subtle pink has a regal blush to it.

What’s the betting their marital bed will also be King-size?

Are you a lefty or a righty?

Whichever side of the bed you sleep on gives us an invaluable insight into your personality, according to a new report from Rest Assured.

The chances are, if you’re a man, you sleep on the side of the bed which isn’t the preference of your wife or girlfriend.

That’s certainly one of the most eye-opening of the insights from the national study of sleep behaviour carried out by the luxury bed experts.

It seems that, in the bedroom, men do very much as they’re told.

Women are far more likely to demand that they sleep on a certain side of the bed – usually the one furthest away from the door, according to the report – and men, well, they tend to sleep on the other side.

Why?

Well, men are gentlemen aren’t they? They allow their wives and girlfriends the choice when it comes to bed-side preference. Don’t they?

Not always, it seems. They are likely to allow their partners their preferred side to avoid a row or in many cases sleep closer to the door so that their manly frame is between their partner and any potential intruder who comes in through the bedroom door.

Women are likely to sleep facing out of the bed too. Because men generally have bad breath and women don’t like them breathing on their face, it seems.

Bed politics can be cruelly honest can’t they?

One thing the report has illustrated is that, while men may be the physically more powerful sex, women truly hold the power. And, as any man who is in a relationship will tell you, never come between a lady and her sleep if you want to keep your kneecaps.

SIX out of every 10 Brits now sleeps totally naked, new research has proven.

In fact, if we wear pyjamas to bed, we’re very much in the minority and likely to be the wrong side of 50, the national study shows.

Why the sudden sea-change? In a single generation we’ve turned from a nation of pyjama-wearing comfort-addicts into a nation of happy naked sleepers.

Most of our parents, according to the new report, wouldn’t have been seen dead in bed without suitable nightclothes.

It seems we like to feel liberated, close to our partner and cool in bed these days.

Wearing pyjamas makes us feel restricted, over-warm and stuffy between the sheets.

Could it be that the innovations in beds and the bedding are the root cause, keep more heat in while we sleep?

They’re certainly more luxurious, as any Rest Assured aficionado will atest.

Duvets are lighter than ever but more insulating – improvements in filling technology have made that possible.

Modern mattresses are designed to support our sleeping bodies and keep us warmer than ever too. Then there are the huge improvements in domestic central heating systems over the last 25 years to consider. Homes and bedrooms are much warmer than they ever  used to be.

We simply don’t need to be dressed for bed anymore.

And aren’t we all the better for it? No-one really rates winceyette anymore anyway, do they?

So, it seems it is in fact a woman’s world. New research has claimed women now live longer than men as they have a better night’s sleep.

These findings may help to explain why women tend to out live men. Whilst women enjoy a peaceful slumber, men experience a serious lack of much needed shuteye.

I can hear numerous women everywhere questioning this research with scenes of interrupted nights and broken sleep flashing through their heads. I concur.

Firstly, the echoes of a partner’s snoring are far from the recipe to a heavenly night’s sleep. A noise, which can only be compared to that of a wild bear hunting for food.

Then, there is the obligatory duvet battle. For whatever reason, men feel they have sole ownership. And so, cue the constant scuffle for even just a portion of the cover.

Finally, another frequent event for many is the random outbursts from a leg, foot or even arm. Now, I’m not sure if they are trying to relive their long lost sporting career, showing their favourite football team ‘how it’s done’, or simply letting us know, in case we have forgotten, they are most definitely still there.

With the above in mind, many women will doubt these recent results by Harvard researchers, however, who are we to argue with science?

So, for those looking for a way out, and who wish to join in on SOME peace and quiet throughout the night, Rest Assured can hopefully offer a solution.

They have been making beds since 1898 so have a few insights into a good night’s sleep.

The Pocket Collection offers the utmost in support with traditional pocket springs, deep layers of fillings and luxurious fabrics. For the ultimate indulgent and refreshing night’s sleep, the Sanctuary Collection has a lavish combination of sumptuous fillings with pocket and mini springs.

Now, whilst Rest Assured can’t give an answer on how to stop a snorer with one of their beds, you will certainly be well on your way to a dreamy night’s sleep.

DESPITE having art teacher parents and being schooled in complimentary colours since I was old enough to play with a rattle, I’m an expert at picking out home furnishings that clash so badly that they make you feel dizzy.

Although I tend to get away with it in my reception rooms, the one place where you really need to be on your game as far as colour is concerned, is the bedroom.

You need a retreat. A place of calm in the home. Somewhere you can go and just turn off and instantly relax, away from the large pink-spotted wallpaper of the lounge, for example.

The bedroom is that place of tranquility. Or it should be. Mess the colour scheme up and you’re likely to have nowhere to run to.

That’s why Rest Assured, and their new collection of colour-schemed beds, are my new best friend.

Think about it. The bed is often the biggest and most dominant feature of your bedroom. You may have chosen calming, inspirational wall-coverings to foster easy relaxation but if your bed looks like an over-sized ageing tangerine in the middle of the room, then you’re not going to enjoy spending time in there are you?

Rest Assured’s stylish new colour scheme bed range compliment any interior design look, however.

Each beautifully crafted bed in the range can now be completely personalised as they offer the option to mix and match.  And they’ve been designed so colour-blind fools like me find it almost impossible to mess up.

They’ve created four stylish colour schemes to perfectly compliment your own individual style.  Divan bases and headboards are available in: a warm neutral Stone, Blush with a subtle hint of warm pink, a light, airy, sophisticated Sky Blue or a luxurious, stylish silver-grey Dove. Each of the colour schemes, luxurious mattresses fillings and bed designs can be chosen individually and take on any combination, to offer complete versatility in design and offer the ultimate in elegance and tailor made luxury.

See – not a tangerine or pink spot in sight.

Bliss.

We very much hope you enjoy our new blog.  Our expert blogger is all fired up to bring you all the latest news from the world of beds and mattresses, plus some great colour and style ideas for your bedroom.

From time to time, we’ll be inviting guest bloggers from related industries to share their thoughts and experiences.

Please do get involved by adding comments to articles or sharing your own personal experiences with us all.  Likewise you can share posts with friends on Twitter, Facebook and Google.

Well, according to the latest research, bed is the one place we can pretty much guarantee some ‘me’ time, away from the stresses of the work place, domestic chores and the intricate rituals of our often busy daily lives.

In short, it is an escape. A luxurious one, of course, where we can get away from the rat-race for a few hours and truly unwind.

Bed gives us a place to think, cocooned in an extra-thick and sumptuous duvet, surrounded by comfort and cool cotton.

An old friend once said to me: “You can only truly think, digest the day’s events and choose the next road you take when you can hear the rhythm of your own heart.”

He was right.

And bed offers us this opportunity like nowhere else.

Some of my most important life decisions have been made while horizontal, head supported by a thick duck down pillow.

According to the latest research we think about bed up to 10 times every day, and usually within a few minutes of getting up in the morning. Some people even spend their day planning their pre-bedtime routine down to the finest detail.

I’m not surprised to be honest.

I’ve often caught myself staring into the middle distance, in the middle of the day, dreaming of sipping that late night mug of Horlicks before climbing into the middle of my Egyptian cotton sheets.

Life is so fast in 2011 that slowly savouring your own personal relaxation time is one of the true simple pleasures of the day.

Bed – modern life’s way of making us take time to take stock.

Oh, and it’s not bad for sleeping in either is it?