Despite an ever increasing awareness on the importance of sleep, studies show that millions of people across the world still struggle to get the rest they need each night, with many clocking in under 7 hours of deep, restorative sleep.
When it comes to sleep, your environment is key.
From lighting to technology, noise pollution through to overall comfort, there are plenty of factors that go into creating the perfect set up for a wonderful rest.
Take a look below at what you can to ensure a brilliant doze, because a better sleep, means a better life.
Lighting
Lighting is incredibly important when it comes to prepping your body for sleep.
It’s super simple really.
When our bodies come into contact with light, they presume that it’s day time, and release the active hormones to facilitate this, meaning we tend to feel pretty awake if we opt for sleep right after watching a movie or sitting in a room with all the lights on.
Darkness allows our body to produce melatonin, the sleep boosting hormone, and a good amount of it before we sleep can be brilliant for a restorative doze.
If you really struggle to switch off, opt for a sleep mask, leave electronics in the other room and even install some black out blinds for the ultimate sleep.
Technology
Bedrooms are a place of sleep. Despite this, many assume bedrooms as another extension of the living space, bringing in gadgets, food and technology.
The key to the ideal sleep environment is to think of your bedroom as a place for sleep alone.
Remove all technology from the room before heading to bed, and try to avoid working from your bed in the day time, unless you’re feeling unwell.
This simple activity can trick our minds into associating the bedroom with rest, meaning we will fall asleep quicker than if we were sitting up in the bed with our phones.
Temperature
Temperature is key when it comes to an ideal sleep environment. Our bodies reach their coolest as we sleep, with a gradual reduction of the body facilitating a peaceful drop into rest.
The ideal temperature of the bedroom should be around 18 degrees C, with anything above 24 degrees C resulting in restlessness during the night.
Make sure the room isn’t too cold, anything below 12 degrees C can mean great difficulty in dropping off to sleep.
Relaxation and Meditation
The final factor of perfecting your room for sleep is to ensure that the atmosphere is both calm and relaxing, this can be achieved in a variety of ways.
You can opt for having a hot bubble bath before bed, or try out meditation apps such as calm or head space to allow you to drift off.
Other relaxation techniques come in the form of lighting, opt for dim lights to ensure that you’re body can work on creating the melatonin needed for rest.
Lavender oil can also be great for facilitating rest, opt for a few sprinkles on your pillow or even incorporate a lavender plant into your bedroom for non stop soothing smells.