Have you been waking up sluggish, feeling like you could just stay in bed? Sometimes, even when you get enough sleep, you may not feel refreshed when that alarm sounds. Many things can affect your quality of sleep, from physical activity to diet to various life stressors. While you can’t always change what’s going on in your life, you can definitely change your environment to help you relax. Sometimes it’s as simple as making a few basic improvements to your bedroom; here are some ideas to get you started.
Lighting to Lull You
The type of light you get in your bedroom can really set the mood. For instance, if you have harsh or overly bright lighting in your room, you might have trouble getting sleepy while you read that last chapter. Consider placing softly-lit lamps on your nightstand; this way, your pages will be illuminated without being too bright, and both you and your partner can read without disturbing one another. Installing a dimmer switch is a bit more labor-intensive, but it can really enact soothing change in your bedroom, especially if you can control it with a remote. If that full moon shining through your window is keeping you awake at night, try hanging blackout curtains. Not only will they banish the moonlight, but you’ll be safe from too-bright sunlight in the morning, as well.
A Breath of Fresh Air
According to Apnix, a clinic that does treatments for sleep apnea in Houston, one of the more annoying reasons you might toss and turn at night is the temperature. There’s nothing worse than feeling too hot and confined in your sheets. Installing a ceiling fan can both provide white noise and a gentle breeze that will cool your body as you sleep. If you’re an allergy sufferer, you should invest in an air purifier. Sniffling, sneezing, coughing, and wheezing will certainly disrupt your sleep and cause you to feel groggy upon awakening.
Color Yourself Happy
You may not realize it, but the colors in your room might be contributing to your insomnia. Yellow, red, orange, and other loud colors can seem cheerful in daylight, but around bedtime they can be disruptive and detrimental to your rest. Devote a weekend to repainting your bedroom in soothing, cool-colored tones such as light blues, seafoam greens, and lavenders. You’ll be surprised how much faster you drift off into dreamland when you leave the bell pepper-red hues in the kitchen.
Bright & Early
Sometimes, how you wake up can be the determining factor in how you feel for the rest of the day. If your alarm clock is a blaring, beeping mess of a wakeup call, you might be jarred awake at the wrong step in your sleep cycle. Alarms that begin softly and slowly crescendo are a gentler way to get you up for that morning meeting. Purchase an alarm clock that lets you program your own music, or download an app on your smartphone or tablet that tracks your sleep and awakens you once you leave the REM cycle.
Blissful Bedding
If there are metal springs poking and prodding you all night, it’s no wonder you’re having trouble sleeping. A new mattress might seem like a big purchase, but it can raise your quality of life significantly if you find yourself tired constantly. Always use high thread count sheets to ensure your bedding is soft and comfortable, and find the right firmness of pillow for your needs.
Customizing your bedroom for a good night’s sleep is one of the most important steps you can take to improve your mood and your health. Like most things in life, it’s the little things that count; start with a few small changes where you sleep, and soon you’ll be waking up ready and raring to go.
This article was contributed on behalf of Apnix Sleep Diagnostics, your number one choice when looking to sleep better. Check out their website at www.apnix.com for more information!
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