Sleep Environment Fact Sheet
An important factor that we may overlook, when it comes to how well we are sleeping, is the bedroom. Is it inviting and sleep worthy? Does it help you fall asleep? Or does it help you stay awake? There are many factors that determine if you have a comfortable sleep environment. Your bedroom needs to appeal to the senses and relax them so you can sleep. The sight, sounds, touch, and smell of your bedroom are all instrumental in creating a comfortable sleeping environment.
Sight
Light is the most important factor when it comes to sleep. The amount of light let in tells our body when to be asleep and when to be awake. Light influences our circadian rhythms, which regulate our sleep-wake cycle. It really is as simple as light means daytime and dark means night time for our brain. When it gets dark our brain slows us down and releases melatonin, a sleep-inducing hormone. If you switch up the natural state of light and dark, it really can throw your brain for a loop and leave you restless, finding it very difficult to fall asleep.
Help yourself out! As nighttime approaches either start dimming the lights if you have this feature or start lessening the amount of light by turning off overhead lights and relying on lamps instead. Also, and a very big issue today, start turning off electronics and getting yourself away from their blue light emissions. Within the hour leading up to your bedtime. Start dimming the lights and turn off the TV, shut down your laptop or computer, and put away your cell phone for the night. You will thank yourself in the morning!
A simple trick to help lessen the wakeful effects of light in your bedroom is to paint your walls with simple tranquil colors. Avoid bright colors because they will just amplify the light that is in your room, reducing the release of melatonin in your brain and keeping you awake.
Sound
You may not notice sounds while you are sleeping until they wake you up, but your brain does continue to process them while you sleep. That’s why his snoring might wake you up and keep you up all night. However, just like some sounds disturb your sleep others can aid it. You do want a quiet bedroom to help you fall asleep, but sometimes silence makes every little sound much louder and disruptive than it should be, making it impossible for you to fall asleep.
If you need as much sound drowned out as possible we suggest you try out earplugs, but if the quiet can be too quiet for you then we recommend you try a sound machine or a fan. A fan both cools the room down and gives a constant soothing sound to aid your sleep. A more cost friendly option may be to find sleep-inducing sounds with an app on your cell phone. You can find white noise, fan noises, and much more sounds designed to produce sleep-friendly noises.
Touch
When we think about comfort, touch is the first sense that comes to mind. How does it feel? Is your mattress comfortable, or does it keep you awake and wake you in the night from discomfort? If your mattress is over seven years old you may want to consider getting a new one. It’s also important to make sure your pillow is still as comfortable as it once was; if it isn’t supportive anymore you can wake up with neck pain and headaches. Your bed’s comfortability doesn’t end at the mattress and pillow cases though, the feel of your bedding is just as important. Find sheets with a high thread count that feel cool and comfortable to the touch, the kind that you look forward to wrapping yourself in. Make sure your bedding is clean and breathable; washing the sheets is important, but don’t forget to keep your comforters and quilts clean too. With breathable, comfortable, and fitting bedding you’ll be itching to get to bed at night and drift off into a peaceful sleep.
When it comes to touch, your room temperature is extremely important. Our bodies naturally drop in temperature as they prepare to fall asleep. Help yourself out and maintain a cool bedroom, somewhere between 65-72 degrees is optimal.
Smell
Smell, one of your most sensitive and acute senses and also one of the more overlooked senses. You may not think smell has anything to do with sleep, but like most things, smell plays a major role. Smells can help you recall memories, tell you when you’re hungry, and also help you relax. If you are having difficulty winding down and falling asleep we recommend that you consider aromatherapy. Lavender and vanilla are the best scents to relax you and help you fall asleep faster and sleep better. These scents trigger your brain, much like the effect of light, and tell you it’s time to relax and wind down.
Your room’s air quality may also have a large impact on your sleep, let alone your health. Keeping your room free of allergens, clean, and regulating humidity can improve your sleep. You may want to consider an air filter so you are breathing in quality air all night and also improving your sleep quality. Opening the windows is another great way to freshen up a stuffy room. Bring fresh air into your bedroom, letting your sleeping troubles and all the stuffiness and allergens in your room blow away. If you live in a dry area and your room is far too dry a humidifier is a great idea and will also help you fall asleep. Keeping a room at the correct humidity, not too dry or too wet, plays a big role in comfortability, which in turn, either helps or disrupts your sleep.
Sleeping comfortably is much more than just how new your mattress is. We hope you found our insights helpful and start making the appropriate changes to your sleep environment today so you can get a wonderful sleep tonight.