Sleep is necessary for a person’s overall well-being. However, when did you last have a complete eight hours of uninterrupted sleep? Sleep deprivation is a common problem in developed nations where people are often inundated with stress, traffic noises outdoors, blue light from electronic devices, light, and other problems that can prevent people from getting enough shut-eye every night.
Fortunately, there are some things you can do to finally have a restful sleep. Your bedroom environment can play a big role in how well you sleep.
Here are five tips for creating an ideal sleeping area:
Reduce bright light sources
Turn off or cover any LED lights. Keep your computer screen dim. Your body relies on the presence or absence of light to determine if it’s time to wake up or time to sleep. So, if you’re exposed to bright lights even at night, your body wouldn’t have a way to know that it needs to relax and prepare for rest.
It would also help to use blackout curtains, even at night, if your bedroom window is facing the street. The light coming from passing cars and street lights can still prevent you from drifting off to sleep. People who have to work at night and sleep in the day use these curtains to make their rooms completely dark — enough for them to get some sleep.
A blackout curtain can completely block any light from coming into your room.
Keep disruptions and noise to a minimum
Try using a fan or white noise app to drown out any unwanted sounds. If things get too loud, consider using earplugs. These are temporary solutions, and they aren’t perfect. However, for those who are really sleep-deprived and need one night of peace to get some sleep, they’re good enough.
A more permanent solution would be installing windows that can block out the noise coming from the street. You can ask your window installers for advise but, usually, double-pane windows will minimize sound from passing through.
Handle temperature issues
Ensure your bedroom has the right temperature. A proper sleeping environment consists of a room that’s dark, quiet and cool. Having the right temperature makes a lot of difference in the quality of your sleep. If your room is too warm it would be difficult for you to fall asleep because your body would be working to cool itself down. On the other hand, if it’s too cold, you’d still be uncomfortable. You would wake up often and have trouble getting back to sleep.
Wear lighter sleepwear to bed if you really need to keep your room cooler. You can also try to use linens that absorb heat well so you’ll feel cooler when you’re sleeping. Meanwhile, it if’s too cold, wear thicker clothes and wrap yourself in a blanket.
Turn Your Room into a Place for Relaxation
What are the things that relaxes you? Do you like to read to wind down at the end of a stressful day? Does the smell of lavender put your mind at ease?
You need to relax to go to sleep, so it would be a good idea to bring in some things that you love and help you unwind. This could include anything from lavender spray to your favorite pillow or lighting a lavender-scented candle. You can also dedicate an hour before you sleep to reading a relaxing book or writing into your journal.
It’s also important that, during the day, you do more stimulating activities somewhere else in the house. Whether you’re watching a horror movie or doing remote work, anything that doesn’t involve sleep should be out of the bedroom. This way, your mind associates the bedroom for relaxation and sleep. Every time you enter your bedroom, your mind will signal the rest of the body that it’s time to rest.
Sleep, of course, wouldn’t come easily if you’re the type to work, party and play all night long. Aside from making these changes in your room, you also have to train your body and your mind that the night is for sleeping. This means you have to be in bed by 10 p.m. and wake up at 8 a.m.
When you put your mind to it, you’ll find out that it’s actually not that hard to sleep well. It may take some time, but in the end, your body and mind will thank you for getting enough rest every day. And when your body is rested, there are countless benefits like having more energy all throughout the day and being in better health.
