If you spend your nights tossing and turning in bed instead of sleeping, the reason for your insomnia may be something in your bedroom. Or a lot of things in your bedroom.
Sleep experts agree that, when it comes to your bedroom, less is more. If you want to increase the amount and quality of your slumber, as well as your quality of life, remove these things from your sleep environment:
- Bright colors: Keep the colors muted to feel more calm and relaxed.
- Cellphone: The ringing, the buzzing, the light, and the RF frequency can all be sleep disruptors. If you use it to wake up, get a real alarm clock instead.
- Clutter: Psychology Today reports that a messy environment can have stressful effects on your mental and physical well-being.
- Desk: Unless your name is George Costanza, your desk is only for work. Having a reminder of work in your bedroom will not help you sleep.
- Extreme temperatures: This is sort of a Goldilocks and the Three Bears thing. Is your bedroom too hot, too cold, or just right? According to sleep.org, the ideal temperature is between 60 and 67 degrees.
- Food: The mice and cockroaches will keep you up all night. Gross.
- Old or low-quality mattress and pillows: This is a no-brainer. You need to be comfortable to get a good night’s sleep.
- Pets: Opinions on this are mixed. Some people find having their pets in bed with them to be comforting. I suppose it depends on the pet. A small, well-trained dog might be fine. A boa constrictor, not as much.
- TV: A distraction that could keep you up too late. Plus, just like cellphones, TVs emit blue light which can disrupt healthy sleep.
- Windows without shades: I sleep much better in a room that’s pitch dark. Of course, that can be an issue if I have to get up in the middle of night to use the bathroom.