In our previous blog on better sleeping habits (see link below), we looked at the importance of getting up at the same time each day, including weekends, and the detrimental effects of electronic appliances such as televisions in the bedroom. Today we’ll look at more tips for getting the health and beauty sleep that you need.
3. Declutter your bedroom
Is your bed a rumpled mess with sheets half pulled off and blankets tossed onto the floor? Does the rest of your bedroom look like a hurricane’s been through it? Be honest, would you have trouble knowing whether a burglar has entered your bedroom or not?
If the answer to the above questions is “yes” and you have chronic sleeping problems than cleaning up the bedroom may well be one of the keys to better sleeping. A neat and tidy room, with minimal clutter, and clothes kept out of sight in the wardrobe or dirty linen hamper, sends messages of calm to your brain encouraging lower blood pressure and respiration rates. Having a calming bedroom leads naturally to better sleep. So if your sleeping quarters could do with a cleaning makeover, go for it. Fresh sheets and a pleasant appearance can make all the difference to your stress levels when you’re in the bedroom at night.
4. Kill the lights
When you are asleep, melatonin levels rise in the brain, but only if the environment is completely dark. We humans are naturally evolved to sleep out of doors where there are no artificial lights and our brains function better the closer we strive to replicate that natural environment. That means having no light in the bedroom.
This is another reason for removing electronic devices, which normally have small LCD lighting, from the bedroom environment. Blinds should be tightly closed to minimize street lighting. If you must get up during the night to use the bathroom or get a drink, try not to turn on the lights.
Exposing your eyes to light during the night disrupts melatonin levels and makes it harder to return back to sleep. Better to fumble around in the dark for a few minutes than to experience the full glare of the bathroom light. If you need a drink of milk from the fridge, close your eyes if possible on opening the door. The milk is usually in the same place, so you should have no trouble finding it. There is usually enough ambient light to make your way around the kitchen without resorting to having your eyes stimulated by the full force of the kitchen light.
Next blog, more sleeping tips.
Contact Beth McHugh for further assistance regarding this issue.
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