A healthy sleeping environment is vital to a healthy lifestyle. There are a host of problems that poor quality sleep can cause us in day to day life.
Luckily, there are a few simple steps you can take to aid restful sleep. Research suggests that by making small changes to your bedroom, you can make noticeable improvements to your general health.
Here are Female First’s top tips on creating a healthy environment for sleep.
Sleep Zone
By reserving your bedroom for sleeping, you create a clear separation between sleeping and waking and strengthen the association between bed and sleep in your mind. This means that, when you get into bed, your body will know that it’s time for sleep.
It follows that everything in your room should be present for one purpose only – to help you relax. Minimising clutter, removing excess furniture and investing in clever storage solutions can make a really big difference to the way you experience your room, and therefore the quality of sleep that you achieve.
Lights Out!
According to a recent scientific study, exposure to light while sleeping could bring on symptoms of depression. Evidence suggests that staying up late to watch TV or sleeping in a room with artificial light can cause changes to the brain, resulting in depressive symptoms.
The good news is that the effects can easily be reversed by making changes to your sleeping environment.
Many experts recommend removing electrical equipment from your bedroom. If this is a step too far for you, consider enforcing a ban on watching television and checking emails in the hour before you go to bed, and make sure that there are no electrical devices left on standby overnight.
Blocking light from coming through the window is also a must. Investing in a window dressing that serves this purpose can help you achieve a restful sleep, particularly if you have streetlamps outside or if you regularly need to sleep during daylight hours.
If black-out curtains aren’t your thing, it may be worth considering installing interior shutters. “Shutters allow far greater control of light levels in a bedroom,” says Sam Tamlyn, Head of Operations and leading online DIY shutter retailer the California Shutter Company, “and both plantation style and solid shutters have proven to be popular choices for bedrooms”.
“Plantation style shutters have slats (also known as louvers) that rotate open and closed – giving you ultimate control over light levels in the room. Solid shutters are designed to be folded back during the day and closed at night – allowing you to achieve absolute darkness when it’s time for sleep.”
A Supportive Bed and Mattress
To enjoy a truly restful night’s sleep, it’s essential to have a supportive and comfortable bed and mattress. A worn frame and mattress in need of replacing are often the cause of disturbed sleep.
The Sleep Council A to Z guide states that for optimum comfort and support, beds should be replaced every seven to ten years, but it’s worth keeping an eye out for signs of wear and tear after five. A frame that squeaks or rattles when you roll over in bed is a clear indication that your frame is poorly made or has weakened over time. Likewise, if your mattress creaks, shifts, dips or sags, it’s worn out and needs to be replaced.
A new bed is an important investment – it’s important not to fall into the trap of purchasing on impulse. Award winning bed maker, Warren Evans, has been handcrafting beds for 34 years and is a firm believer in try-before-you-buy. He says: “Your bed should be spacious enough for you to move around naturally without being disturbed and should be both comfortable and supportive. For this reason, I always recommend that people give beds a proper try before they even think about buying. If you are planning on sharing a bed, you both need to try it out to ensure it’s a good fit for both of you.”
It’s equally as important to remember that both the mattress and the bed frame impact the quality of your sleep. “A mattress and bed frame should work together to support you,” he continues, “opt for a slatted bed base – this allows optimum air flow to reach your mattress.”
Always ask questions about the material that your bed is made from, and how it is made. It’s far better to invest in a well-made bed that guarantees great sleep for a number of years. Warren advises customers to “always look for frames with traditional mortise and tenon joints – these offer more strength and durability, and so will support you better and last longer.”
Femalefirst Taryn Davies
Tagged in Health Lights Sleep Healthy Body Sleeping Tips