How to Create the Optimal Sleep Environment
If you have ever had an uncomfortable night’s rest at a hotel, you probably know just how important it is to have an ideal sleep environment. However, if you struggle to get a rejuvenating night of rest at home, you probably do not have your own perfect sleep environment fine-tuned. Use these four simple tips to change the way you use your bedroom to create the best sleep environment possible.
Start with Your Thoughts
Start with how you think about your bedroom. If you see it as a multi-purpose room and currently use it as your home office or gym, you should move those items to another area of the house and keep the focus of your bedroom on getting restful sleep. By ensuring that your bedroom is only used for sleeping, you will make bedtime more peaceful.
Create a Soothing Atmosphere
Your surroundings can impact your ability to relax and rest. Choose soothing colors for your walls, rugs and decor that will get you in a peaceful mood. Get rid of clutter that pulls your mind towards other activities like work or social events. Because your bedroom is now only used for getting rest, you can easily eliminate your television. In addition, keep your electronics charging in an out-of-reach place so that you are not tempted to check emails or scroll when you are supposed to be sleeping.
Limit Light and Sounds
Sights and sounds are two of the biggest offenders when it comes to a poor night’s sleep. Bedrooms that are too bright and noisy make it difficult to sleep well and can create a restless night of anxiety. To make improvements to your bedroom, consider installing dim lights at your bedside to get your mind ready for sleep, hang blackout curtains to keep bright lights out of your room and purchase a white noise machine if you are dealing with unwanted background noises from neighbors. Be sure to have a nightlight in your bathroom so that you do not have to turn on overhead lights in the middle of the night if you need to get up.
Make It Comfortable
Finally, ensure that your bed is comfortable. The choice between a soft or firm mattress is not nearly as important as the choice of which one is most comfortable to you based on your sleeping position. You should choose a supportive pillow, soft sheets and a quilt or bedspread that keeps you warm enough when your bedroom is at the ideal sleeping temperatures (60-67 degrees).
Making these changes to your room can help create a peaceful sleep environment that allows you to drift off in 15 minutes or less. Pay attention to those little irritants that are robbing you of your nightly sleep so that you can eliminate them quickly.
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