Having trouble sleeping?

Things to change when having trouble sleeping

Reasons the Bedroom Might Keep Someone from Sleeping Properly

Proper and adequate sleep is essential to health and well being. Being chronically under-rested makes everything harder, from work and driving to leisure and intimacy with a partner. Sleep is when the human body repairs cellular damage done to it throughout the day by food, by mental and physical stressors, and by caffeine, smoking, and alcohol.

Taking a closer look at one’s bedroom might reveal some smaller modifications you can make to encourage a most restful night’s sleep.

Potential Allergens

A stuffy nose will definitely keep someone awake at night, especially when lying down. Discharge from the sinus cavities tends to pool when one sleeps in a horizontal position. Seasonal allergies can be one issue, but dust mites are constant all year long. A person’s bed is a lovely home for those little creatures, who thrive on all the dead skin cells produced by the body.

Vacuum the bedroom with a HEPA filter and launder bedding as often as possible — including the pillows themselves, not just the pillow cases. Put pillows in the dryer for 15 minutes to kill off any existing dust mites. Use a few drops of eucalyptus oil instead of artificially scented detergent for laundry. Use hypoallergenic protective covers for the mattress and pillows. Also, consider stripping the mattress when leaving town, which gives it a chance to air out.

Excess Noise

There is often background noise that’s unavoidable, like the sounds made by garbage trucks. When it’s too quiet, the slightest noise can also be disruptive — such as the dripping of a leaky faucet. If it’s too loud, try wearing earplugs. Alternatively, try a white noise machine or application on a smartphone. Even a fan can drown out noises that interrupt REM cycles.

If it’s a noise one can move away from, try moving the bed to another wall. If it’s an option, consider switching bedrooms to find a quieter space.

Mattress Selection

Having a comfortable, supportive mattress is crucial for a good night of restful sleep.

Try flipping the mattress every season, alternating the rotation from top to bottom and side by side, to distribute weight more evenly. If it’s time for a new one, do some research to find out which might be the best type of mattress for your habits and lifestyle.

Too Much Light

The bedroom could be too bright at night. Whether this light is coming from a window, a nightlight, a television or computer screen, or even a blinking alarm clock, light tricks the body into thinking it’s not quite bedtime yet.

Use dark curtains or add curtain lining to block out street lamps. Turn off electronic devices and remove anything else that emits light. If one needs an alarm to get up on time, cover the alarm clock with a dark cloth. Trying switching out brighter light bulbs from bedside lamps for dimmer ones; these will aid the transition to sleep mode.

Temperature Adjustments

Sometimes trying to sleep in the summer heat just isn’t doable. Sleep is induced when the body is at rest and the core body temperature lowers. If the surrounding temperature is too high, or too cold, the body’s internal thermostat fluctuates, which often leads to fitful sleep.

Everyone is comfortable at different temperatures, so experiment to find the right one for optimal rest. There’s no correct answer but cooler is generally better. Try starting at 65 degrees. One can always supplement with fans or blankets, if needed. The type of bedding can make a difference as well. Memory foam pillows and mattresses are hotter than traditional ones.

Sleep is not to be dismissed as an important part of human life. A third of human existence is spent sleeping. It’s an activity that should be valued with the proper tools to facilitate the best night’s sleep possible.