How to Set Up Your Sleep Space for a Better Night’s Rest

Medical professionals agree that the set-up of your sleep space can significantly impact how fast you fall asleep and how long you sleep through the night. From keeping your bed cozy and comfortable to arranging your furniture properly, these useful tips from PBteen will help you drift off to dreamland so that you sleep well and feel rested the next day.

Choose Soft, Ambient Lighting

Lighting is easily one of the biggest dilemmas in most bedrooms, especially when it comes to falling asleep quickly. Even if you find it easy to sleep with the lights on, it doesn’t mean you should; research shows that it can interfere with the quality of sleep you get each night.

Instead of using overhead lighting, consider setting your lighting up at various points around the room instead. Wall and mirror lights are an excellent choice and will provide muted, low-level illumination that’s ideal for the hour or two you spend winding down before bed. Keep at least one lamp close enough to your bed so that you can turn it on and off without getting up; a desk lamp on a nearby nightstand works well, as do taller task lamps.

Eliminate the Clutter

Keeping your bedroom neat and tidy can benefit sleep. Looking at a well-kept space while you drift off reduces anxiety, and increases relaxation.

Before you organize, think of the phrase, “a place for everything, and everything in its place.” Use bookcases and shelves to store books and electronic devices away neatly when not in use. Store them throughout the room in places that will provide you with easy access to your favorite items. Keep computers and study supplies tucked away in a spot either beside or across from your bed, if possible; looking at your desk may remind you of homework and other stressors as you fall asleep.

Use Traditional Alarm Clocks

While getting rid of your alarm clock altogether may seem tempting, you’ll sleep better if you get up each day at or around the same time. However, newer digital alarm clocks and those with light-up touch screens can interfere with your sleep in the same way as harsh lighting can. The lighting tricks your brain into thinking that it’s still daytime. Skip the digital clocks and use a traditional clock with a rounded face and metal hands instead. If you do choose a light-up clock, place it on your nightstand facing away from you, or cover the screen when you’re trying to fall asleep.

Add White Noise

If you’re the type of person who finds it difficult to fall asleep without music, the television or some sort of noise in the background, you may actually be doing more harm than good. These elements can all interfere with your sleep quality. Though you may find it easier to fall asleep, you are also more likely to wake up repeatedly and sleep more shallowly than you would without them.

White noise simply refers to any noise that is indistinct. For example, the sound of a fan, the wind or the sounds of nature, are all considered types of white noise. They keep your brain occupied without overloading it, so you can drift to sleep faster without feeling like you have to pay attention to what you’re hearing.

Try linking a Bluetooth speaker with your computer or Smartphone. Then, download and play a recording of the rain, the sound of a fan or even a crackling fireplace. If you can, use apps that slowly reduce the sound level as you fall asleep and that will eventually turn off on their own.