Ahead of World Sleep Day, ATV Today Lifestyle takes a look at some reasons for insomnia…
Alastair Lockwood eye health specialist takes a look at some of the reasons for lack of sleep in the boudoir.
Are you suffering from insomnia? If so, did you know that your bedroom environment could be causing this? Alastair Lockwood eye health specialist and ophthalmologist at Feel Good Contacts put sleep problems to bed in seven steps.
Hide the clock
Do you have a big clock in the room or is it situated in a prominent position? If so, move it at bedtime. This is because checking the time regularly can heighten your anxiety about not being able to fall asleep. If you have a clock that you can see overnight, take the clock out of your room, or turn it around to face the wall.
Banish distractions
If your bedroom is full ofgadgets, exercise equipment, hobby related items etc then this could be distracting you and hampering your sleep. A calm and relaxing bedroom environment will help you to get to sleep more easily. So keep stressors out of the bedroom.
Keep your work/studies out of the bedroom
Some sleep problems are due to anxiety and stress, so calming the mind leads to better sleep. Avoid overstimulating your mind before you go to sleep like working/studying in the bedroom. Keep all work materials in another room. Also, if you have to work after hours then do your work earlier in the evening. Gently wind down with a period of relaxing activities. Why not try meditation, either on your own or by downloading an app for a guided experience?
Keep the noise down
Noise pollution can affect sleep. Be sure to tell your family or housemates to keep noise levels down.
Light pollution
Light pollution can hamper sleep. This could be caused by your room lighting, the bright street lights or the light spring and summer mornings. Use an eye mask to help block out the light. Light helps you to wake up, so if you’re eyes are exposed to light too early in the morning you’ll wake up before you’re ready, resulting in less time asleep. If eye masks aren’t your thing, you could also try blackout blinds.
Room temperature
Most people keep their bedrooms too warm at night and this affects our ability to get to sleep. Our bodies need to feel cool to aid sleep so if the room is feeling warm, open the window for a while or use a fan to help bring the temperature down.
Blue light blight
Keep screens out of your room at bedtime. You should limit the amount of blue light that you’re exposed to at least 2 hours before bedtime. The blue light from your screens can stop you from sleeping as it tricks your body into thinking it’s still daytime and you should be awake. Try listening to a podcast or reading a book in the evening, you could also use a lamp instead of the main light.
World Sleep Day takes place on the 18th March 2022.