If you spend more time rolling over trying to get comfortable than you do sleeping in your bed, then it’s time for a change. Actually, it’s quite urgent that you make changes now to avoid ill health. A lack of sleep can be quite dangerous. If you choose to drive your car tired, it can be dangerous for others too. So get up from under the covers, grab your dressing gown, and let’s get started with a bedroom makeover.
Temperature
What’s the temperature in your bedroom? One of the biggest causes of light sleeping or difficulty falling asleep is the wrong temperature. It should be quite cool in your room. Don’t turn up the AC so high you can see your breath, but do keep the temperature a couple of degrees cooler than other rooms in your house. Typically, this means a room temperature of about 18 to 19 degrees Celsius.
Keep the sun out of the room to keep it cool. Image source
Now consider your comforter, blanket or duvet. Will that make you too warm, or leave you feeling chilly? Pick the right weight of bedding to suit your choice of nightwear and the temperature in the room. You don’t want to get sweaty in the night, and you don’t want to end up shivering. And yes, it is perfectly acceptable to have your own blankets and your sleeping partner to have his.
Temperature
What’s the temperature in your bedroom? One of the biggest causes of light sleeping or difficulty falling asleep is the wrong temperature. It should be quite cool in your room. Don’t turn up the AC so high you can see your breath, but do keep the temperature a couple of degrees cooler than other rooms in your house. Typically, this means a room temperature of about 18 to 19 degrees Celsius.
Keep the sun out of the room to keep it cool. Image source
Now consider your comforter, blanket or duvet. Will that make you too warm, or leave you feeling chilly? Pick the right weight of bedding to suit your choice of nightwear and the temperature in the room. You don’t want to get sweaty in the night, and you don’t want to end up shivering. And yes, it is perfectly acceptable to have your own blankets and your sleeping partner to have his.
Light
No light should be in your bedroom when you’re ready to fall asleep. It shouldn’t be absolutely dark in there, but there should be no light sources. This includes light from the street. Passing car headlights can easily disturb your sleep. The best option here is a blackout blind or very heavy lined curtains.
You should also avoid using blue lights in your bedroom. These might come from decorations, or even from your TV or phone. Lights of this color tend to keep us awake. They can promote a release of hormones that the brain and body use to waken in the morning! Chances are these aren’t helpful for falling asleep.
Quiet
Shut your bedroom door, but only if you need to so you can block out intrusive noises. It’s nice to let the air flow freely when you’re asleep. A closed door can lead to stuffy or stale air. This does not promote restful or restorative sleep. If you’re a bit of an insomniac, you might actively be looking for distractions from falling asleep. Noises from music, cars, or TVs can make you tune your ear and attention in. This won’t help you fall asleep at all.
Sometimes it’s best to pick a different bedroom for some quiet. Image source
Keep your room as quiet as possible. When we’re asleep, we tend to notice noises less, but a sudden sound can wake us. This feels horrible so avoid it if possible. Add secondary glazing if you live near a road. Shut the internal doors if you have noisy housemates. Cover your ears with your blanket to cut out intrusive sounds.
Body Comfort
No light should be in your bedroom when you’re ready to fall asleep. It shouldn’t be absolutely dark in there, but there should be no light sources. This includes light from the street. Passing car headlights can easily disturb your sleep. The best option here is a blackout blind or very heavy lined curtains.
You should also avoid using blue lights in your bedroom. These might come from decorations, or even from your TV or phone. Lights of this color tend to keep us awake. They can promote a release of hormones that the brain and body use to waken in the morning! Chances are these aren’t helpful for falling asleep.
Quiet
Shut your bedroom door, but only if you need to so you can block out intrusive noises. It’s nice to let the air flow freely when you’re asleep. A closed door can lead to stuffy or stale air. This does not promote restful or restorative sleep. If you’re a bit of an insomniac, you might actively be looking for distractions from falling asleep. Noises from music, cars, or TVs can make you tune your ear and attention in. This won’t help you fall asleep at all.
Sometimes it’s best to pick a different bedroom for some quiet. Image source
Keep your room as quiet as possible. When we’re asleep, we tend to notice noises less, but a sudden sound can wake us. This feels horrible so avoid it if possible. Add secondary glazing if you live near a road. Shut the internal doors if you have noisy housemates. Cover your ears with your blanket to cut out intrusive sounds.
Body Comfort
There are many ways to prepare your body for sleep. All of them involve relaxing the muscles and giving the skeleton a chance to stretch out to release tension. Light stretching early in the day can be a great way to energise and refresh the body. The stretches help the muscles relax and tone. The breathing brings fresh oxygen into the body. All of this helps your body and mind to feel good for sleep at bedtime.
A warm bath also works very well to relax the body. Warming up in the water, then rapidly cooling when you come out helps to trigger the mind and body for sleep. Lay in bed in a comfortable position to read a few pages of a favorite book. This gives your spine a chance to elongate again and should help to reduce pain and discomfort in the muscles and joints.
It’s essential to stay comfortable all night. Image source
The mattress itself is a major part of sleep. There are several different types. Some are sprung with coils. This can offer a good bounce, but if your sleeping partner moves about a lot, it can disturb your sleep. Memory foam is designed to hold your body in a natural position. This can offer a great deal of comfort. There are more of these to choose from so you might find a detailed review of the Lull Bed here quite helpful. Others offer a mixture of types to offer the best of both worlds. Of course, they also share the disadvantages of each type.
Pain
If you suffer from pain that is worsened at night, then consider speaking to a medical professional. Most doctors are very concerned by anything that prevents you from getting a full night of quality sleep. Pain will stop you from getting comfortable. This, in turn, stops your body and mind from relaxing enough to fall asleep. Some pain is so severe it can wake you from your sleep too.
Lots of causes of pain can be identified by your doctor. In some cases, this gives you the opportunity to fix the problem. Others take more time. The more you sleep, the better your condition should get as sleep offers cell regeneration and healing. Some pain can be relieved by altering your sleeping position. This can be achieved by adding a bed bolster or using pillows to elevate parts of your body. They can be used to stop you rolling onto the affected area too.
Many pains in muscles and joints can be helped by gently moving and exercising every day. This can improve mobility and promote better circulation. This can help promote healing as well as a reduction in the discomfort. Choose a bed that is at an appropriate height to allow you to get in and out with ease. Keep a bedside cabinet close so you can easily reach a light or drink of water.
Finishing Touches
Choose decor that is soft in color to help promote relaxation. Lighting should be gentle and dim rather than bright and stark. Finally, add a comfortable chair so you can easily change for bed without aggravating the pain. All of these should help you feel comfortably relaxed all night long.
A warm bath also works very well to relax the body. Warming up in the water, then rapidly cooling when you come out helps to trigger the mind and body for sleep. Lay in bed in a comfortable position to read a few pages of a favorite book. This gives your spine a chance to elongate again and should help to reduce pain and discomfort in the muscles and joints.
It’s essential to stay comfortable all night. Image source
The mattress itself is a major part of sleep. There are several different types. Some are sprung with coils. This can offer a good bounce, but if your sleeping partner moves about a lot, it can disturb your sleep. Memory foam is designed to hold your body in a natural position. This can offer a great deal of comfort. There are more of these to choose from so you might find a detailed review of the Lull Bed here quite helpful. Others offer a mixture of types to offer the best of both worlds. Of course, they also share the disadvantages of each type.
Pain
If you suffer from pain that is worsened at night, then consider speaking to a medical professional. Most doctors are very concerned by anything that prevents you from getting a full night of quality sleep. Pain will stop you from getting comfortable. This, in turn, stops your body and mind from relaxing enough to fall asleep. Some pain is so severe it can wake you from your sleep too.
Lots of causes of pain can be identified by your doctor. In some cases, this gives you the opportunity to fix the problem. Others take more time. The more you sleep, the better your condition should get as sleep offers cell regeneration and healing. Some pain can be relieved by altering your sleeping position. This can be achieved by adding a bed bolster or using pillows to elevate parts of your body. They can be used to stop you rolling onto the affected area too.
Many pains in muscles and joints can be helped by gently moving and exercising every day. This can improve mobility and promote better circulation. This can help promote healing as well as a reduction in the discomfort. Choose a bed that is at an appropriate height to allow you to get in and out with ease. Keep a bedside cabinet close so you can easily reach a light or drink of water.
Finishing Touches
Choose decor that is soft in color to help promote relaxation. Lighting should be gentle and dim rather than bright and stark. Finally, add a comfortable chair so you can easily change for bed without aggravating the pain. All of these should help you feel comfortably relaxed all night long.
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