How To Turn Your Bedroom Into A Sleep Haven

A growing body of research shows that adequate quality sleep is critical for a person’s overall health, well being, productivity, longevity and more.

Thanks to advocacy and increasing awareness on the importance of sleep, most Britons are beginning to prioritize sleep in their lives. A recent UK poll conducted by the Royal Society for Public Health showed that sleep is the second most important activity for optimizing health and second only to avoiding smoking.

A good starting point in prioritizing your sleep is to make a few changes to your sleeping environment.

An increasing number of sleep studies show that a restful sleep environment should be the leading element to consider in our pursuit for better sleep. It is the best long-term solution to getting quality more productive sleep.But how do you optimize your bedroom to get better sleep at night? Here are 4 proven ways to turn your bedroom into a sleep haven:

1.Get Blackout Blinds

Exposure to bright light dramatically decreases the quality of sleep you get. This happens in two ways; first, by making it harder for you to fall asleep and second by influencing the timing of your internal clock.

Human beings are diurnal, which means we evolved to be active during the day and sleep at night. We have a 24-hour internal clock that responds to light or darkness to dictate when our bodies feel sleepy or alert. Dark environments help your body’s natural clock to produce melatonin- the hormone that helps us feel sleepy.

Blackout blinds lightproof your bedroom by blocking our all light, signaling your body that it’s time to sleep. The blackout blinds eliminate any light bleeds from the outside at any time of the day. This creates the perfect dark conditions wherein sleep is conducive.

2.Get a Mattress Topper

An uncomfortable bed prevents you from getting the quality sleep you need. If you find yourself tossing and turning overnight, it is a clear sign that you have uncomfortable sleep. Choosing a mattress topper with the right thickness and firmness, greatly improves your comfort in bed. It relaxes your nerves and reduces stress accumulated in your body throughout the day.

Furthermore, mattress toppers are soft and supportive which supports your natural sleep position. Consider a mattress topper that is thick and firm enough to cradle your whole body and keep your spine straight.

A mattress topper, especially a memory foam one, can also help keep your mattress clean and sanitary since it is easy to remove and clean. It also protects you from allergens, microorganisms and dust mites that may be trapped in your mattress.

3.Get Rid of Electronics

Those who take their phones with them to bed, often do so at the expense of vital sleep. Research suggests that people who keep their electronics near are more likely to experience insomnia and other sleep deprivation disorders.

When you have your electronics within arm’s reach, you are likely to be tempted to check work email, social media, and news headlines instead of sleeping.

Electronics are designed to stimulate our brains rather than relax which makes it difficult for you to fall asleep. The light produced by electronics such as your phone and tablet inhibits the production of your body’s sleep hormone- which makes it

harder for you to fall and stay asleep. This affects people who use electronics up to 2 hours before bed. How about a book? A book won’t completely throw off your internal clock- and you might learn something from it.

4.Tidy Up

The average human being spends a third of their life in their bedrooms either sleeping or trying to fall asleep. It is therefore important to have a cleaner, healthier environment which helps you to breathe more easily.

In addition, space that is free of clutter also puts your mind at ease. Consider clearing any clothes off the floor and arrange your furniture. While you are at it, clean your bed sheets, pillows to minimize your itching, sleeping, and congestion while you sleep. Clean and disinfect your mattress topper during summer to get rid of any microorganisms.

Conclusion

Once we become sleep deprived, our brains shrink in size, and we are at a greater risk of diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, depression and more. Your bedroom could be the number one barrier to getting the sleep you need. Optimize your bedroom and transform it into a sleep sanctuary with the tips mentioned above.