Sleep is an important part of our day-to-day lives and can have a major impact in our overall health and well-being. That said, sleep can be a finicky thing. You don’t have to have a diagnosed sleep disorder to struggle with getting to sleep some nights, especially if your sleep environment is not optimal.
If you find yourself constantly unable to sleep at night, there are a few changes that you can make to your bedtime routine and sleep space to help you achieve a more restful sleep. If these changes do not help you get more sleep at night, you should consider seeing a sleep medicine specialist as soon as possible. Undiagnosed and untreated sleep disorders can negatively impact nearly every aspect of your life and can even trigger other, more severe medical conditions. Many less severe cases of disorderly sleep habits, however, can be easily remedied with some simple lifestyle changes that can also help your body regulate systems like metabolic rate and insulin production and can lead to weight loss!
So before you panic about a potential sleep disorder, try these 7 Changes You Can Make To Create An Ideal Sleep Environment and see if they can help you find that restful, regenerative sleep that you have been searching for!
Remove Unnecessary Light
A consistent cycle of sunlight and darkness helps the human body produce melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep. Irregular light can have the opposite effect. If your bedroom is too bright, you might be experiencing insomnia episodes, in which you can have a hard time getting and staying asleep all night. Irregular light exposure can interfere with melatonin levels in the body, which will make getting a good night’s rest much more difficult.
To combat this problem, try using dimmer switches in the bedroom and turn the light levels lower at least two to three hours before bedtime. If you like to enjoy hobbies that require light just before bed, swap the bulbs in your table lamp from a bright to a low-wattage bulb. As the light in your bedroom dims, your body will naturally begin to shift to rest mode time to get ready for rest. If the light coming through your windows is keeping you awake, try using blackout curtains. These heavy curtains can keep the sunlight from filtering in, so your bedroom stays nice and dark until you’re ready to get up and start your day!
Put Away Electronic Devices
Phones are a part of most of our day-to-day life, and we often sleep with them charging well within our reach. Unfortunately, research shows that the blue light emitted by your cell phone negatively impacts the production of melatonin, the hormone that controls your sleep-wake cycle. This disruption may trigger insomniatic episodes or erratic sleep patterns. Blue light can cause eye strain that leads to headaches. Many patients who seek help for their sleep disorders report that pain such as migraines makes it difficult to fall asleep.
While there are a few different things that you can do to combat this issue, the most effective change you can make is keeping your phone face-down on a surface out of your immediate reach. Changing the tone and brightness of your phone screen or taking Melatonin supplements may help you recover from some of the more long-term damage done by habitual night time phone usage, but you will still be adding strain to your body if you choose to continue using your phone before bed.
Instead, try plugging your phone in just out of your reach. Not only will this help you quell the urge to check your phone as you are going to sleep, but it will also require that you physically get up to turn off any alarms set for the morning, giving you a better chance of fully waking in the morning instead of sleeping through your alarms.
Regulate Sound Levels
Loud noises can make getting and staying asleep seem impossible. While most of us would probably prefer to sleep in total silence, that is not always an option. Whether you are living in an area with loud, invasive noises throughout the night or or you are constantly bothered by the background humming and buzzing of normal household things like refrigerator and HVAC system, some noises are out of our control.
One way to take control of your sleep back is to drown out irritating noises with more relaxing sounds. Create a consistent, soothing backdrop for your bedroom by using a fan, a white noise machine, or an app that plays certain sounds to help you cut out distractions from outside noise.
Find Your Perfect Temperature
Like when you are awake, not everyone’s ideal sleeping temperature is the same. Many people prefer to sleep in cooler temperatures, but others cannot rest if they are too cold. Keeping your sleeping space at a comfortable temperature for you is crucial in your sleep goals.
If you live with other people, you might not be able change the thermostat to the ideal temperature for you to sleep at, because it might not be the temperature that everyone else is comfortable at, but things like fans, mini heaters, heavy or light blankets, and the clothing you wear to bed can help you get to a body temperature that will help your sleep, not harm it. It’s important that you’re able to achieve the right temps in your bedroom.
While you are setting up your space for this ideal sleep temperature, keep in mind that your body temperature typically drops when you are asleep. As you fall asleep, your body goes into rest mode, conserving energy. When you keep your room cool at temperatures between 60 and 67 degrees throughout the night, it helps keep your body cooled down to encourage deeper sleep.
Keep Comfort In Mind
One way to set yourself up for a good night’s rest is to create a soothing, relaxing sleeping environment. The wall color, bedding, and decor in your bedroom can have a much more significant impact on your ability to achieve a restful night of sleep than you might expect.
Bedding is arguably the most important part of your bedroom if you are having trouble sleeping at night. Too often we toss and turn without realizing that the mattress that we have does not suit our body or our sleeping style. Any time you go to replace your pillows or mattress, make sure to seek out items that support your personal sleep style so you’re not putting too much pressure on the back and neck. Side sleepers and back sleepers tend to do well with memory foam, while stomach sleepers should look for hybrid mattresses or those with an innerspring coil system.
As mentioned earlier, regulating your body temperature throughout the night is also an important part of correcting your sleep cycle. When you shop for bedding, you should typically choose lightweight cotton sheets that are soft but also not too heavy and blankets that allow easy movement. That being said, every person has a unique sleep profile that should be taken into account. If you are an extremely cold natured person and being cool at night keeps you awake, perhaps a heavier blanket would be better. Many people report that using weighted blankets helps them get and stay asleep more easily. If you have questions about how to set up your room to achieve your most restful sleep, consider consulting a sleep medicine specialist.
If your bedroom has a lot of bright, vibrant colors and you are having a hard time getting to sleep, consider changing your bedroom colors to soft pastels and neutral tones. Soft blue, gray, and tan can calm the mind and encourage your brain to slow down and rest. While fun, bright colors can be a welcome addition to living quarters throughout the day, they might not be the best choice for sleeping. Instead, try adding small pops of color in things like throw rugs and decorative pillows that will be removed before you go to sleep. This will help you achieve the vision you are going for without keeping you up all night.
It can also help your natural sleep cycle to add a few plants like Lavender or Golden Pothos to your bedroom. These kinds of plants can help promote better sleep. Houseplants are easy to care for and they clean the air and contribute to a soothing environment. If you are suffering from a poor night’s sleep and looking for solutions, it might be time to talk to a certified sleep medicine specialist. Schedule an appointment today by visiting our website or calling us at (704) 944-0562 for a sleep consultation with our sleep specialist, Dr. Jeanine Gingras in Concord and Charlotte, North Carolina.