How To Create The Perfect Sleeping Environment

After a hard day at work or a busy weekend, there are few things we enjoy more than sliding into bed and drifting off to sleep. And if you're really tired, it's not difficult to enter the land of nod.

But what about if you struggle to fall asleep? Spending the night tossing and turning is one of the most frustrating experiences, and can actually make the situation worse; the more you move, the less able to sleep you feel.

But there are some steps you can take to make your bedroom a more sleep-friendly place. So how can you create the perfect sleeping environment and practice healthy sleeping habits?

Just some of the things you might need to improve your sleeping environment: A good bed, an eye mask, ear plugs, and a ban on bedroom TV watching!

Comfortable Bed And Mattress

One of the best ways to help you sleep is to ensure that your bed and mattress are comfortable. There's nothing worse than trying to get to sleep when your bed creaks and wobbles or the springs of the mattress are poking through into your body.

When you think about it, you spend a lot of time in your bed, so it really should be a priority to have something comfortable that offers good support and allows you to sleep effectively. When was the last time you replaced your bed? Find out more about buying a bed here.

TV Ban

Watching television, using a computer or mobile phone directly before bed can lead to sleep problems. This is because these backlit electronic devices all emit blue light, which stops the sleep hormone melatonin from being produced. As a result, you might find it difficult to fall asleep.

Watching TV in the evening is a great way to unwind, but try to do it away from the bedroom. Some experts suggest that you shouldn't have a TV in the bedroom at all; instead you should watch the screen in another room before choosing an alternative form of relaxation before bed, such as reading or listening to calming music.

Cool And Comfortable

Another of the most effective ways to help you sleep is to ensure that your bedroom is at a comfortable temperature. If it's a cold night, it can be tempting to layer up and tuck yourself in with a huge duvet, but this may result in heightened temperature later in the night and cause sleep disruption.

Whilst the perfect sleep temperature varies between different people, it is generally agreed that the bedroom should be kept slightly cool to promote good sleep.

Keep It Tidy

If your bedroom is a messy or cluttered space, it might stop you sleeping effectively. Untidiness is thought to be closely related to stress, and spaces which are not kept organised can certainly contribute to this. Clutter and disorder in the bedroom can lead to unnecessary anxious thoughts about the mess, and this is not helpful when you need to sleep.

Sleep should be a relaxing process, so keep your bedroom in tidy and uncluttered condition to promote relaxation rather than causing stress and anxiety.

Noise Levels

It's almost impossible to get to sleep with loud noises in your environment. Whether it's traffic outside or a snoring partner, noise is one of the most common causes of sleeping problems. Try to reduce noise pollution where possible; you might even want to invest in some earplugs if they help.

Similarly, it can actually be detrimental to have too little noise as you sleep. Pure silence can be very unsettling, so some white noise such as a fan or air conditioning unit can help to provide some background sounds that won't be too distracting to disrupt your sleep.

Bedroom Darkness

Similarly to excessive noise levels, too much light can also be a bad thing. Your body is used to the fact that it sleeps at night (when it is dark) and is active during the day (when it is light). If your bedroom is too light at bedtime, your body may become confused and struggle to switch off, leading to frustrating sleep issues.

To overcome a light bedroom, particularly during the summer months when the evenings are lighter for longer, it may be worth investing in some blackout curtains. Alternatively, you could try an eye mask to create a sense of darkness as you sleep.

If you are unable to sleep properly, making some of these simple changes to your bedroom can help to improve your sleeping habits. We'd also love to hear your tips for improving your sleeping environment. What helps you sleep at night?