You might not realize this, but your sleep environment can have a profound effect on the quality of your sleep. Here are some tips to help create the ideal sleep environment.
Room temperature The temperature in your bedroom should not be too warm or too humid as this can make it more difficult to fall asleep. The bedroom should temperature should feel slightly cool to enable a comfortable nights sleep.
Finding the right room temperature isn’t difficult when you’re the only one in the room. But when the room is shared, what’s cool enough or warm enough becomes a matter of opinion. That’s when it’s time to compromise. Adjusting the thermostat, using blankets, wearing warmer night clothes (and socks if necessary) and using a fan and/or humidifier are some ways that room temperature can be adjusted to accommodate everyone’s needs.
Noise Control Quiet surroundings are more conducive to sleep than trying to sleep in a noisy environment. It is important to control noise that might interrupt your sleep. Try to sleep in a room that is as far away from outside traffic noise. Having a television turned on in your bedroom does not create a good sleep environment. Make sure pets do not have access to your bedroom as they can disrupt your sleep. If you have a partner who snores, you might suggest they get help to control the snoring, because snoring can disrupt both of your sleep patterns.
There are some steps you can take to lower the noise levels in your bedroom. If you have bare wood floors, adding an area rug will help stifle noise. Choose window coverings that are heavier weight. If your windows are older single pane glass, you may consider replacing these with double or triple pane glass. For some people playing relaxing and soothing music helps drown out offensive noise. There are also background noise generators that replicate sounds of waterfalls, rain, ocean surf, or white noise. Ear plugs should also be considered.
Clocks If you have an illuminated bedroom clock, you might want to consider changing clocks. Don’t worry about what time it is, when you should be sleeping. Watching the clock tends to increase sleeping difficulties.
Sleep in an appropriate bed. The size of your bed and the type of mattress on which you sleep can both impact the quality of your sleep. If your bed is too small and you feel cramped, you may not sleep as well as you could if you had room to stretch out. Likewise with the mattress. If it feels too hard or too soft or too lumpy, you’ll have trouble getting comfortable which can delay sleep or cause you to awaken frequently during the night.
Sleep in bed Doing other tasks in your bed confuses your body. It learns to equate the bed with performing tasks that require alertness rather than rest. Find some other place to watch television or pay your bills and use your bed for its intended purpose!
Keep your bedroom as dark as possible, this can be accomplished by covering your windows with dark drapes, or even special window coverings designed to block light. Pay attention to what actions or things are interrupting your sleep, often small changes can mean the difference between having a restful night of sleep or tossing and turning all night