Getting Scientific - 6 Tips For Creating the Ultimate Sleep Sanctuary
Sleep is more important than most people think. And there is a big difference between a good sound sleep, and lying in until midday. There have been a number of studies over the past few years about the importance of creating a sleep sanctuary in your bedroom, with an emphasis on excluding phones, screen, televisions from your sanctuary. The blue light from electronic devices disrupts sleep, as well as this, watching a show or video content activates your brain.
Depending on the dramatic quality of the show it may even put your brain on high alert (try sleeping right after a Game of Thrones episode). There are some simple ways in which you can give your bedroom a greater sense of comfort and tranquility, to ensure you get the deep, sound sleep that you need and deserve.
Make Your Bedroom a Place For Sleeping
Despite the number of celebrities claiming that they don’t sleep and that you can’t be successful unless you wake up at 3am, making rest a priority is the first step to a good, deep sleep. The hours you get before midnight are going to be more beneficial that those after midnight. So, try shifting your routine to wake up with the sun rise and go to bed a few hours before 12am.
Make your bedroom the a place where you go to sleep and that’s about it. Don’t sit up in bed working on your laptop, eating, or whatever else. Design your room with a through line for a harmonious finish, so that when you walk into your room you immediately feel a sense of calm and your body knows it’s time to sleep.
Power Down
As well as not taking screens into your bedroom, try to avoid using your devices an hour or more before bedtime. Our brains associate bright lights with being awake and alert. So, try to replicate a sundown at your house an hour or so before you’re ready to go to bed. Then wake up with the sunrise. Adjusting your body clock to replicate nature’s cycles will do you a world of good.
Soft Lighting
On the subject of lighting, bright lights are the last thing you want in your place of comfort and sleep. Put a few shaded lamps on either side of the bed or around the room, rather than having a bright overhead light to create softer lighting. If you really want an overhead light, make it dimmable to help induce a sound sleeping environment.
Get a Mattress That Fits
An uncomfortable mattress might be the source of your sleeping troubles. You can change your habits and the decor in your room, but if you have an uncomfortable mattress you are going to be tossing and turning all night. Find a Memory Foam Mattress that will fit your body right and give you the comfort and support for a good night’s rest.
Throw a Blanket On
Having warm extremities will help you sleep. Find the right temperature for your room can be tricky, especially in the summer months. Additionally, sleeping with air-conditioning is not recommended as it dries out your skin and dehydrates you. So, try wearing socks to bed or get some nice blankets or throws you put at the base of your bed and ensure that your feet are warm. Blankets also add a cozy texture and a nice finish to your bedspread.
Books and Reading Nooks
The presence of books offers a certain level of comfort. Each read book holds a world of people and places that often become dear to you. So, having a small built in or stand alone bookshelf in your bedroom can be a nice addition to its personality.
A lot of people sit up in bed reading before going to sleep, but it might improve your quality of sleep to create a little book nook in your room with a comfortable chair to read in, before then getting into bed to sleep. We are creatures of habit and the more you train your body to think that the bed is just for sleeping (and sex) then the better your night’s rest will be.
Rearrangements in your schedule and sleeping space might be all that is needed for a good night’s rest. Trial these tips and find what works for you, and what makes you feel the most comfortable, safe and relaxed. Look to nature and its cycles and try to replicate them with your own sleeping patterns as much as possible.