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Bedroom Therapy

If you’re having a hard time falling asleep at night, or staying asleep, there are a lot of possible causes. The most serious of these would be a sleep disorder such as sleep apnea or chronic insomnia, and if you have any of the risk factors for these then you should definitely go see your doctor. But there are many more benign reasons that you may be having a hard time getting your daily eight hours, and some of them may have to do with the tools that you’re working with.

When we talk about tools in the same sentence as sleep, we’re really talking about making sure that your sleeping environment is properly equipped to be conducive to snoozing. Having a bedroom that looks pretty isn’t enough – you need to have the right elements in place that will put you into a state of relaxation, block unwanted disruptions, and let you rest. Here are the top items that we think that every bedroom should have.

A good mattress

There is no doubt that this is the single most important thing that you need to have to secure a good night’s sleep. Your mattress needs to be both comfortable and supportive, or else you’re going to be tossing and turning all night, plus you’re likely to wake up feeling sore. If you’ve had the same mattress for more than ten years — and especially if it is a hand-me-down that you got from your parents when you moved from college — then it’s time to invest in a new one. Take the time to learn about what mattresses offer and buy one that fits your budget and your needs.

A comfy pillow

You may still be sleeping with your childhood pillow, which has travelled with you to camp, overnights, college and beyond, but if you are then you’re not doing your sleep any favors. There are real advantages to having a quality pillow that is suitable for the position that you choose to sleep in, and you’ll be amazed at what a difference it can make.

The right lighting

We all are familiar with the idea of mood lighting in a bedroom, but we’re talking about something different here. The truth is that when the lights in your bedroom are too bright, it tricks your brain into thinking that it’s light out. If your lights are strictly overhead, then think about replacing them with a table lamp that throws a softer, dimmer glow. The other lighting thing that you need to pay close attention to is a particular type of blue light that is thrown by electronic devices. Tablets, e-readers, laptops and smart phones all cast this light, which can suppress the body’s natural circadian rhythm and impact the production of melatonin. Turn off electronics for two hours before bed and you’re likely to see a marked improvement.

Curtains that block light

Understanding that exposure to too much light too close to bedtime has a profound impact on our ability to sleep means that you not only need to keep the light that you control soft, but have to take action to address the light that is outside of your bedroom. Whether that is sunlight or lamps that are installed on the streets outside of where you live, they can keep you awake at night or wake you up too early in the morning. Invest in a set of blackout curtains, which are special shades that have a thick, heavy lining that will keep out the light. The higher the quality of these shades, the more effective they will be – plus they have the added advantage of offering additional noise muffling, and insulating the room against the heat of the sun and winter’s cold winds.

A white noise machine

These convenient machines may seem silly at first, with their options for listening to rain drops, ocean waves or soft winds, but they can do wonders at blocking out unwanted noises ranging from the snoring of your sleep partner to the party that the next door neighbors are having. Not only can it provide a soothing way of masking out the sounds that are bothering you, a lot of people find that even without distracting or disrupting noise the calming, repetitive sounds that it makes help them fall asleep. And as an added bonus, if you sleep with your pet in the room and they have a tendency to bark at outside noises, the noise machine will also mask it for them, providing a significant reduction in the amount of mid-night barking that’s going on.

An air conditioner or a fan

Many of us sleep with the fan on, which can also act as a white noise machine Many of us sleep with the fan on, which can also act as a white noise machine

Having an air conditioner or a fan that you can switch on in your bedroom not only helps to cool the room, but can also double as a white noise machine if you need help with noise as well. Sleep experts say that keeping your room at a cool temperature helps to trigger the onset of drowsiness and helps you sleep longer and more deeply. This is particularly helpful for apartment dwellers, who aren’t necessarily able to control their thermostat.

A blanket that you love

People have different preferences on whether they prefer to sleep like the Europeans do — under a duvet rather than with a top sheet and blankets — but everybody seems to agree that sleeping under a heavy blanket actually helps make you fall asleep. There’s no scientific explanation for this, but some people hearken back to the days of being swaddled as babies, suggesting that there is comfort in the feeling that allows us to relax more deeply. Some go so far as to lower the temperature in their room just so that they can throw on another blanket!

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