Sleep

...ba href=/sleep/a/b to carry out our daily activities more successfully.

However, few of us actually practice what we preach when it comes to this area.

We stay up late watching late night TV or reading; and while I’m a big advocate of reading, sometimes behaviors such as these are detrimental to your workouts and general health.

So, how much ba href=/sleep/a/b do you need?

Studies continuously tell us that the optimum amount of ba href=/sleep/a/b for most people is between 7-9 hours.

Yet, hardly any of us get this amount on a consistent basis.

Additionally, many of us put too much emphasis on the quantity of ba href=/sleep/a/b rather than the quality.

Analogous to a Carmichael training program, where mileage and intensity need to be properly balanced, you need both a high quality and proper quantity of the good ole’ shuteye!

The quantity of ba href=/sleep/a/b is easily identified, so I will start here.

Basically, it’s the time you ‘fall’ aba href=/sleep/a/b to the time you wake up.

Since it’s so easy to define, the quantity of ba href=/sleep/a/b can be simple to improve: you either go to bed earlier, or wake up later.

Both sides of this equation can be changed with one simple step- organization!

Think of how klutzy you can be in the morning.

You fumble around your house, stubbing your toes on the corners that have been there for years.

It takes a bit longer to perform even simple tasks like finding the right color socks.

Consider organizing the things you need to get out the door in the morning in the evening, when you are more awake and pro...

...ba href=/sleep/a/b on it: At some camps, a light blanket and sheets (make those the jersey, T-shirt-type material) will do.

But for many campers – especially those heading out into the wild for a night – a ba href=/sleep/a/bing bag is a must.

Discounters sell a variety of rectangular ba href=/sleep/a/bing bagsg.

— Towel off: With showers and daily dips in the lake, towels get a lot of use.

So load up campers with thick cotton terry-cloth towels.

But if you want a towel that packs small and dries fast, try a PackTowl (at www.rei.com).

This large towel has a softer, prewashed feel.

The attached loop at one end helps make hang-ups a cinch.

— See the light: For nighttime outings or bedtime comfort and reading, Coleman offers cool, multiuse lights from remote-control lanterns to the easy-to-hold Flashlight/Nightlight.

Whether your camper needs a flashlight, with an easy-hold strap for a late-night hike, or the comfort of a night light after an evening of spooky stories, this handy light fits the bill.

— Bag it: Sure, a big plastic bag or extra pillowcase can be a suitable laundry bag.

But a better choice may be a roomy mesh laundry bag.

A mesh bag, which allows clothes to air out a bit, is also required at some camps that provide laundry service to campers who stay more than a week.

— Cabin fever: To beat the heat, the must-have camp accessory is a small, battery-operated fan.

Also popular: hand-held, clip-on and sprinter fans.

— In the cards: For rainy days, quiet times and l...

...ba href=/sleep/a/b these days, as there are dozens of similar rubber iPod holders now in the marketplace.

Thankfully, a new iPod accessory maker called ifrogz - part of the larger company Reminderband - has taken a unique approach to silicone rubber case design, creating a three-piece system for nearly comprehensive, highly customizable iPod protection.

The cases, called wrapz, sell for $21 each, and are available in 20 different colors.

Each 5G case comes with a black plastic belt clip and two metal screw-style attachment nubs; the iPod nano version omits these items, and substitutes a lanyard necklace, which we didn’t receive for review.

You then add a rubberband like accent stripe called a band - bandz are sold in 21 colors - for $4 more, and a combination of clear iPod face protection and Click Wheel sticker called a screen for an extra $6.

There are at least 224 different screen decals, spanning pop, sports, colors, nature, girly, culture, and artistic categories.

A complete set with wrap, band, and screen items is sold for $31 - assembled via a Flash interface “how it looks” preview feature on the company’s web site - and at the time of writing is available for an introductory price of $24.

Given ifrogz’ decision to sell these cases in individual pieces or as a set, we’ve opted to rate them as a set at their standard price, on the presumption that most readers will want one complete set, with the ability to purchase additional items to mix and ma...