Set up your Sleep Sanctuary
Are you using your bedroom as a multi-purpose space? Is there a pile of books gathering on your bedside table, an iphone plugged in, or a laptop open on the bed next to your pillow?
We all do these things, but most of us are unaware how damaging this can be to a good night’s sleep.
If you take the time to intentionally set up your bedroom as your personal (or shared) sleep sanctuary, you’ll be taking an important step in returning to restorative sleep. My advice goes beyond simple sleep hygiene, it’s grounded in evidence from sleep studies around the world, and it’s surprisingly simple to follow.
Sleep and Sex
Many of us use the bedroom for all manner of activities: watching television, surfing the web, social media scrolling, reading, eating, working. Everything other than what is should be used for; sleep and sex.
Every sleep expert will recommend you leave electronic devices out of your bedroom. But do you actually know why?
Blue light that emanates from your electronic device inhibits your body's ability to produce melatonin, an important hormone that brings on sleep.
Furthermore, when you engage in any activity repeatedly the neural pathways in your brain actually become smoother, meaning they require less intentional effort from you, and a habit is formed. Think of the first time you played a sport you love, or picked up a smartphone, and how much smoother that process is now.
This applies to engaging in most non-sleep activities in the bedroom. The first time we bring our laptop into our bedroom it might feel strange (and a bit naughty). But after repeating this activity, the bedroom becomes exactly the right place to prepare for that important presentation the next day. Quickly, the neural pathway is smoothed and the bed and bedroom becomes associated with arousal (and not of the sexy kind), not sleepiness. Think of an arousal response as someone shouting ‘get up, get up’, rather than a soothing voice that calms you down.
If we add the cortisol and dopamine hit (both activating hormones) that we get from triggers in social media and the internet to the arousal we experience when we do anything other than sleep in bed, it becomes clear why I recommend reducing or eliminating these activities from your bedroom.
Temperature
An essential ingredient in any sleep sanctuary is the temperature. You need to be at a certain core temperature to sleep and, as bedtime approaches, in response to your body releasing melatonin (a critical sleep hormone), your core temperature decreases to prepare you for sleep. Many of us have experienced difficulties sleeping in hot summer months, so trying to reduce your ambient temperature (about 18 degree Celsius/ 66 Fahrenheit) will help your body reach its optimal core temperature for restful sleep. Some useful ways to help reduce core temperature are:
Have a warm bath or shower, 60 minutes before bed.
Turn the heating off and the fan or aircon on.
Sleep in light cotton fabric.
Keep window blinds down during the day if the bedroom is bathed in sunlight.
Let the Darkness In
A lot can be said about the critical role of light in the biology of sleep/wake, but for the purposes of this blog, suffice to say that keeping your bedroom cave-dark will maximise your chances of a restful night's sleep. This is because light, particularly LED light let off by electronic devices and some alarm clocks, enters our eyes and triggers an arousal response in our body, and this inhibits the release of our primary sleep hormone, melatonin.
Some ways you can do this:
Invest in a blackout blind and cover every crack.
Remove LED lights from TV or alarm clocks. If you have an electronic alarm clock, ensure it has a dimmer switch (to off).
If you are committed to having your iphone or smartpad in your bedroom, ensure it is in flight mode and all notifications are turned off.
Try using a non-constrictive eye mask (although some people many find these claustrophobic).
Noise
Whilst we sleep our hearing is at its best, so noises are more likely to disturb us, especially in the lighter sleep phases. ( On average, we spend half of our time sleeping in this light sleep phase;more on sleep phases in another blog). To create the optimal sleep sanctuary, reduce as much outside noise as possible.
Some ways you can do this:
Double glaze the windows to block as much external noise as possible.
Use brown or white noise as a masker for persistent noise.
Try ear plugs, although some people may find these uncomfortable. I would recommend them only for occasional use.
Comfort
The average person will sleep for 229,961 hours in their lifetime or one third of their life. So I cannot stress enough the importance of investing in the right mattress and pillow. A bad mattress can contribute to joint and muscle pain as well as a poor night’s sleep. What’s right for you will depend on who you are - everyone is different. Mattresses degrade and lose their resiliency, so it’s worth checking how well yours is faring from time to time.
Some things to consider when buying a mattress:
Single or double occupation
Your body shape, weight and height
Injuries, chronic pain or sore joints
Your favourite sleeping position (s)
Mattress material
So now you have the knowledge. Next step is to try things out. Once you hit on your winning combination, your bedroom can become what it should always be: an inner sanctum from which you can set sail on a glorious night’s sleep.
