If there are streetlights or other sources of artificial light in your neighborhood, consider investing in a set of blackout shades. Also, if there’s a TV in the bedroom, exile it to the family room or some other far corner of the house. Same goes for iPads, laptops, computers, mobile phones, and screens of any kind. They are all sources of insomnia-provoking blue light. (To learn more, see the section below, Kill Your Television) Just remember, when it comes to sleep, darkness is your friend.
Embrace the silence
Even when you’re asleep, sounds are tunneling through your ears and clattering your brain. Although you might not be consciously aware of noise, it can wreak havoc with your sleep cycle. When morning rolls around, you might wonder why you feel exhausted after a “full night’s sleep.” There are small yet effective measures you can take to dampen creaks, squeaks, and the din of voices and activities in other rooms.
- Lay rugs over bare floors
- Install an upholstered headboard
- Hang artwork made from sound-absorbing acoustical panels
If you live in an area plagued by rumbling freight trains, sirens, and other outside disturbances, consider investing in sound-reducing windows or insulation for walls and floors.
Keep it cool and cozy
Cranking the heat before climbing into bed might sound like a great way to sleep warm and toasty, but it actually sets the stage for a sweaty, uncomfortable night. Think Stanley Kowalski raging for Stella on the hot, humid streets of New Orleans. Our bodies sleep much better at cooler temperatures—but not too cool. 65° F with fresh, circulating air is ideal for bringing down your core body temperature just enough to get into the sleep zone.
Breathe clean air
Your bedroom might be neat, tidy, and comfy, but the air could be stifling your sleep. In the winter when windows are closed, circulation in many homes is inadequate. Carbon dioxide builds up and stales the air. Worse, allergens from dust mites and other sources can proliferate, leading to runny noses, sneezing, and other respiratory ills that make it difficult to sleep. Opening bedroom doors and running fans can get the air moving again. And allergens can be addressed by frequent vacuuming and laundering sheets. Also, be sure that you regularly replace the air filters in your home’s HVAC system. Introducing plants into the bedroom can also improve air quality. To learn more about keeping indoor air clean, read Minnesota Realtors® blog: Clearing the Air at Home.
Paint with calming colors
Color impacts your mood, attitude, and ability to sleep. For example, it’s hard to relax in a bedroom painted a vibrant shade of red, a color that stimulates excitement, energy, desire, and action. Although it might sound a little woo-woo, the psychology of color is serious business. In fact, a study of color schemes used in Travelodge hotels revealed the best ones for promoting restful sleep. Blue topped the list, especially when the shade is soft, subtle, and flat. Known to evoke serenity and calm, blue is the color of sleep (although blue light has the exact opposite effect—check out Kill Your Television below). Travelodge discovered that their guests in blue rooms averaged almost 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep, and awoke feeling happy and content.
Cultivate five restful habits
Eat breakfast
Don’t skip that omelet, oatmeal, or cereal! Breakfast sets your body’s biological clock by helping to regulate blood sugar levels. This gives you energy for the day that is augmented by lunch, snacks and dinner. By the time the sun sets, you’ll be easing down the offramp toward a better night’s sleep. Missing breakfast, on the other hand, unbalances your blood sugar, makes you groggy, and increases sleep-disrupting stress.
Go for a workout
Vigorous exercise in the morning, afternoon, or early evening blows out stress by flooding your brain with endorphins, your body’s feel-good chemicals. It also raises your core body temperature and increases alertness. How does that help sleep? As your body cools, your brain starts releasing melatonin, a hormone that makes you feel sleepy. A study from Johns Hopkins Medicine shows that 30 minutes of moderate exercise significantly improves the depth and quality of sleep. However, avoid working out too close to bedtime because exercise’s stimulating effects can keep you awake. Need to wring the tension from your body late at night? Try these relaxing yoga poses.
Cut back on alcohol
Alcohol relaxes you and helps you feel sleepy. What’s not to love? Plenty, when it comes to sleep disruption. While it’s true that a glass of cabernet can smooth the rough edges from a tough day, it will bust your sleep cycle if you drink within an hour or two of bedtime. So, the nightcap that numbs you into a deep sleep for a while, comes back to haunt you when the alcohol is metabolized and broken down. Suddenly, you’re wide awake in a state of consciousness that sleep experts call “rebound arousal.” And even if you do nod off again, you’ll sleep fitfully, be plagued by stressful dreams until you’re greeted by a very weary tequila sunrise. As a rule, avoid drinking alcohol after dinner, and reach for a relaxing cup of chamomile tea instead.
Kill your television (and all your other screens)
Legend has it that Elvis Presley shot his television with a Colt 45 because he didn’t like the way singer Robert Goulet was crooning. And while reaching for the remote might have been a more cost-effective solution, Elvis may have stumbled on to something healthy when he terminated that TV.
Whether you’re watching a 75-inch behemoth in your living room or Netflixin’ in bed with your tiny smartphone, you’re bathing your eyes in brain-stimulating blue light. According to researchers at Harvard University, blue light derails circadian rhythms by suppressing the production of sleep hormones. Over time, this increases the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and depression. You can avoid these ill effects by simply turning off all screens at least two hours before bed. No bullets required.
Get mindful and meditate
Brains are great, aren’t they? They dream up rocket ships, air fryers, symphonies, dad jokes, novels, complex real estate deals, and literally everything we can imagine. There’s a downside to brains, too. They’re full of chatter, and a lot of it is negative. When it’s running wild, all that head noise flips on your body’s stress response and keeps you tossing and turning until dawn. The good thing is that the very organ responsible for all this distress, holds the solution to relieving it through meditation. Numerous studies have shown that the simple act of sitting quietly and focusing your mind on your breath and body can profoundly calm the central nervous system. As little as 10 to 20 minutes of meditation a day can help relieve anxiety, depression, and insomnia.