Sleep doesn’t come easy to anyone nowadays. The rates of insomnia disrupted sleep, and restless sleep is rising more rapidly than ever before. These disturbances can be linked to the many major lifestyle changes that we have adopted due to various advancements in technology. Thankfully, we have the option to rebuild the innermost sanctuaries we have in our homes – our bedrooms!
With only a few simple changes, you can remake your bedroom into an oasis for sleep. Getting restful sleep is extremely important. Sleep plays a massive role in keeping us both mentally and physically fit. Without proper rest, we risk exposing ourselves to a host of illnesses like insomnia, depression, anxiety, heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure. Let’s take a look at how we can prevent these from happening.
Keep the Screen Out of Your Bedroom
One of the leading causes of fatigue and insomnia in today’s world is blue light. When we say blue light, we don’t mean merely blue-colored light. We are also referring to the spectrum of light that is emitted by screens. This spectrum is a part of sunlight, and it signals to our brains that it is daytime.
Your first step should be to purchase spectacles that have a blue-light filter. This way, you would be limiting the amount of blue light you receive throughout the day. Next, eliminate screens in your bedroom. You can’t afford to scroll through endlessly on your phone when you can’t sleep. This will only increase your inability to sleep.
Get a Weighted Blanket
There’s been a rise in anxiety across the world. Whether related to work, your personal life, or generalized anxiety, it can make getting to sleep challenging. Many people turn to guided meditation and music to calm their anxiety. There is one more underrated tool you can use – the weighted blanket!
When you’re looking for sleep aids, look for an anxiety blanket for uninterrupted sleep. A weighted blanket is a blanket where heavy plastic or glass beads are sewn in. These blankets use the principles of deep pressure therapy to alleviate your anxiety and ensure a restful night’s sleep.
Get Blackout Curtains
Urban development means having the security of well-lit streets. Unfortunately, this has led to a lot of diffused light pollution around settlements. This has changed the habits of the local wildlife, and it has affected people’s sleep patterns as well. Diffused light means we don’t experience pitch-black night, leading to disrupted sleep.
To combat this, get blackout curtains. Blackout curtains are designed for night-shift workers who need to sleep during the day-time. They block out every bit of sunlight possible as they form a seal around your windows. You can use these at night to block out the streetlights shining into your bedroom.
Clean Up
Research has shown that there is a link between a cluttered room and a cluttered mind. If your room is cluttered, you could channel your latent feelings of anxiety into feeling distracted or even like a failure. This prevents you from falling asleep or achieving restful sleep.
Instead of lying in bed tossing and turning, get up and start cleaning up. Even if you do a bit every day, you will eventually end up with a clean room. You will also break out of the habit of lying in your bed and worrying. It’s a win-win both ways!
Get a Separate Study or Work Area
Ever since the pandemic put the world into quarantine, our outside lives have shifted to the inside. Work, school, and college has issued stay at home orders and are conducting all business online. This means that a lot of us are working and studying in our bedrooms.
Instead, move your workspace off of your bed. You don’t want your brain associating your bed with working or being mentally active. Instead, keep it as a place to rest and sleep exclusively. This way, when you get to bed, it signals to your brain that now it’s time to sleep.
Choose Soothing Colours
Keep jarring or dark colors out of the bedroom. Colour theory has shown that peoples’ emotions are affected by color. For example, red, yellow, and blue are incredibly rememberable colors, and that is why so many companies use them in their logos.
These colors jolt your brain into feeling something. You don’t want that when you’re trying to sleep! Instead, choose soft, pastel colors that will soothe your senses. You can even choose a delicate white for your bedroom to ensure sleep comes to you quickly and easily.
