It’s been a long day and you’re ready to plop into bed. But the moment you’re all set and tucked in, sleep seems to suddenly elude you. And you find yourself tossing and turning for the next 30 minutes. What just happened? We share some tips on how to make your bedroom sleep-inducing and to help you get your Z’s.
Many factors can trigger sleep deprivation. It can be easily affected by taking caffeine late in the day, or as complicated as a chronic illness, or stressful circumstances that are out of our control. With that said, FYFG believes in the importance of sleep. For instance, Coach Bunny uses a Bedtime app on her smartphone to remind her of bedtime. Coach Mia takes along her baby pillow on her travels for better-sounding sleep. We all have our little ‘sleep’ triggers. But many times, the most common reason we can’t get to sleep is that our bedroom isn’t ready for sleep.
Set the Bedroom for Sleep
We know the bedroom can be a space for other things non-sleep-related. Take for example Coach Bunny. She uses her bedroom for privacy for her yoga stretches, especially when she’s got pets freely roaming the home and creep up on her. On the other hand, Coach Mia has a special nook in her bedroom as her My-Space for reflection and reading. However, when the night crawls in, your bedroom should be dedicated to just that–ready for sleep.
Maybe you’re one to have your TV in your bedroom to watch the nightly Netflix or news show within the comforts of your bed. Consider moving out the TV to the living room or family room. Keeping the bedroom a private space for you and your partner induces intimacy and open communication. Also, it’s going to be difficult to get yourself to sleep if you know you’re just a click away from the next episode of your favorite show. Plus, TV screen glare isn’t healthy for your eyes in a darkened bedroom, and likely disturbs the sleep of your partner, even if you’re on headphones.
Let’s consider how else we can make our bedroom sleep-inducing.
Tips to Make Your Bedroom Sleep-Inducing:
image by JP Valerie (unsplash.com)
These simple steps could help you get into a restful night.
Think: Chill Out
- Step 1: Keep it Dark. Heavy drapes/ curtains help keep outside noise and light from disturbing the calm of your bedroom. Draw the curtains closed to begin cooling the room. Also, using a night light that has a sensor will be helpful if you need to have a quick trip to the toilet during the night.
- Step 2: Keep it Cool. It is found that for adults, temperatures between 15-21 Degrees Celcius, although this will depend on your own comfort level. Therefore, sleeping in a cooler room can help you fall asleep faster, promotes the burning of excess fat, and helps regulate your hormones and metabolism. Furthermore, a cooler room also affects the quality of REM (rapid eye movement), the stage of sleep where dreams and brain detoxifying happens. It’s when your body restores itself.
Image by Sandra Rei (unsplash.com)
Think: Comfy Cozy
- Step 3: Clear and Prep out your bed space from the clutter of the day. Prep your bed as if it was a hotel room, serviced and ready for the evening. Really, who doesn’t appreciate a well-smoothened bed, serviced by the hotel’s housekeeping? A well-prepped bed just makes things look so inviting, don’t you agree?
- Step 4: The Right Light. Light plays an important role in our Melatonin production. Naturally, our melatonin hormone increases as dusk approaches. However, with modern technology, blue ultra-violet light has gotten its way into our late evenings with devices and hinders melatonin production. Keeping the right light (preferably warm, low wattage) in your bedroom at dusk helps with getting our brain to trigger sleep. We have an article about Melatonin here.
Image by Jopeel Quimpo (unsplash.com)
- Step 5: Set up Scents. Coach Mia and Coach Bunny use essential oil diffusers to help set the mood for sleep. Recommended are Lavender, Cedarwood, or even Eucalyptus. Essential oils have been proven to help calm our senses. Furthermore, using Lavender topically at the earlobes also has shown to be effective in inducing sleep.
For more reading on Sleep and Hormones, head to our article here.
Imagine If
Imagine if getting a good night’s sleep creates a better mood in you. Your mind and body get fully rested and energized for the next day. And it doesn’t necessarily need a sleeping pill too! Getting to the right bedroom sleep-inducing atmosphere can be fairly easy to do following the steps above. Sometimes, sleep deprivation isn’t all so complicated. It could be as simple as finding the right temperature for you and your partner or even changing the light bulbs in your bedroom.
Try these steps out and let us know how it goes for you. Share with us on our FB Page (link attached) on what Bedroom Sleep-Inducing Tips work for you.
(feature image by Annie Spratt unspash.com)