We lead such busy, hectic lives these days that you could certainly be forgiven for failing to get a good night’s sleep on a regular basis – but making sure that you do get as much sleep as you can and ensuring that it’s quality rest is vital for your overall health and wellbeing.
Sleeping well is just as important as the amount of sleep you’re getting – so if you’ve been feeling a little bit short-changed in the rest department of late, perhaps take a little look around your bedroom to see if there’s anything in there that could be having an effect.
Speaking to Ideal Home, sleeping expert at Sealy UK Natalie Armstrong explained that there are numerous ways in which your bedroom environment could be having an impact on your sleep.
Your lighting system, for example, could be triggering your internal clock incorrectly and thus keeping you awake. We all know that blue light emitted from the likes of smartphones and tablets can interfere in this way, but it’s important to remember that other lighting could have an impact as well.
Dimming the light in your bedroom is one way to tackle this, since bright lights can keep you awake even after they’ve been turned off. Consider your window treatments as well – if you need to invest in a blackout blind, it might be a good idea.
Apparently, clutter could also be getting in the way of your good night’s sleep. Ms Armstrong said: “This is because the clutter will naturally weigh on your mind, whether you’re conscious of it or not, and your brain will interpret the clutter as a task that needs to be completed. This anxiety naturally makes it harder to drop off and can make it harder for you to get up in the morning.”
Other ways to improve your sleep quality and duration include not eating or drinking too close to your bedtime, getting into a proper routine with it and having the same wake-up and bedtimes each day, as well as avoiding alcohol and nicotine.
You might also find it helpful to keep a sleep diary so you can record sleep habits and patterns, something you can then show to your doctor if you’re having serious trouble sleeping.
Or what about checking out your mattress? If it’s old, lumpy or not especially comfortable, it could be keeping you awake without you really knowing it. Ms Armstrong noted that mattress quality is in fact one of the biggest reasons why you might not be sleeping well… so think about how long you’ve had yours and if it’s still fit for purpose.
Looking for modern floor lights to help create ambience in your bedroom? See what Contemporary Heaven has in stock.