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Many people experience difficulty sleeping. For some, their sleep issues are temporary and a result of a specific situation, such as stress at work or a personal problem that is worrying them. But, for other people, the struggle to get to sleep or to stay asleep once they finally nod off is a constant battle. Dealing with sleep issues almost every day can have a significant impact on your life. Getting out of bed feeling exhausted every morning and trying to make it through the day without falling asleep can be challenging. You may resort to caffeine and sugar to give you a boost throughout the day and provide you with the energy you need to keep functioning. But, by the time nighttime comes around once again, you may be back to feeling wide awake, and sleep continues to elude you. If this sounds like the situation you face every day, you may feel like you are the only one dealing with this issue. The nights can certainly feel very long and lonely when you cannot sleep. But, you can be assured that you are not alone, and many people are experiencing the same issue as you. Figures from The Sleep Charity show that 40 per cent of adults and children in the United Kingdom experience sleep issues.
Being unable to sleep can be frustrating, and if you are regularly getting less than the recommended amount of rest each day, your risk of developing certain diseases is elevated. There is no doubt that getting enough sleep is crucial to protect your health and keep some severe illnesses at bay, but overcoming sleep issues can feel impossible. If you are keen to finally get a whole night’s sleep and put your sleep issues behind you, there are a few different ways you can try to do this. Making changes to your sleep environment is one of the most effective ways to help ease sleep issues. With this in mind, here is how to create the perfect environment for sleep to help you enjoy more restful nights:
Tidy Up
When you are trying to create the perfect environment for sleep, you need to start by making your bedroom a tranquil space. This means that it is helpful to clear the bedroom of clutter and to ensure that any mess is tidied up. Trying to sleep in a room that is messy and filled with clutter can make it challenging for you to relax. Knowing that you have lots of stuff to sort through and tidy can add to your stress levels, making it harder to relax enough to fall asleep. So, taking your time and tidying up the room before bedtime is essential to help create a cosy environment which allows you to fall into a peaceful sleep.
Adjust the Temperature
Anyone who has struggled to get to sleep during a heatwave will confirm that trying to fall asleep when the temperature is too hot is almost impossible. The ideal temperature for sleeping is believed to be 18.3 degrees celsius. Any temperature that is much higher or lower than this can impact your ability to get to sleep or stay asleep. So, trying to control the temperature of your room to ensure that it hovers somewhere around this optimum temperature for sleeping is a good idea and should help to make it easier to get a great night’s sleep.
As well as adjusting the temperature of your room, it is also worth considering changing your bedding. The material that your bed sheets and duvet cover are made from can impact your comfort levels when trying to sleep. Fabric that feels thick and heavy can make you feel uncomfortably hot on a summer’s night and leave you more sweaty than sleepy. In the winter, bedding that is made from a thin material can prevent you from warming up and may not feel cosy enough to help you relax into a comfortable sleep. Choosing bamboo bedding is an excellent way to feel comfortable throughout the year and whatever the temperature, as it is soft to the touch, breathable, and helps to regulate your temperature while you sleep.
Check Your Bed
Changing your bedding to ensure that it keeps you comfortable while helping you to regulate your body temperature is an excellent way to help you improve your sleep. But, if your bed itself is uncomfortable, you will still struggle to get a good night’s rest. So, if you are having trouble sleeping, your bed could be the issue. Beds and mattresses are not designed to last forever, and over time they can begin to show signs of wear that impact the level of comfort they offer. There are some tell-tale signs that your mattress may need to be replaced. These signs include areas of the mattress that sag, you find that your back hurts when you wake each morning, or you struggle to find a comfortable sleeping position on the bed. Each of these signs indicates that it may be time to change your mattress. Don’t forget to do your research before you start shopping for your new mattress. A mattress is an investment, and picking the right one is essential, so finding out more about which one best suits your way of sleeping is a great idea.
Keep the Lights Out
While outside noise at bedtime is an obvious issue that will create trouble sleeping, the impact of too much light in the room is often overlooked. Maybe you are trying to sleep during the daytime after a night shift. Or, your bedroom is being illuminated by outside lights; too much light in your room can prevent you from getting any rest. Buying a blackout blind or blackout curtains is a first step towards keeping the light out, but these are not always able to fully keep the light from shining in. Popping on an eye mask should help to keep the light out while you finally catch up on some sleep.
