It’s not news that sleep is important. Studies have shown that people who get between 6-8 hours of sleep are healthier and more productive than those who get less than 6. A healthy sleeping environment is essential to get the most benefit of a good night’s sleep. I’ve compiled a list of simple things you can do in your own bedroom, broken down by sense (minus taste).
Sight
Make your bedroom as dark as possible. Most of us live in a city or suburb and no matter what, light creeps into our bedroom and can disturb us. Black out shades are your best bet, but you can also get lined curtains or shades to block out as much of that light pollution as you can. In my apartment I’ve combined the crappy standard apartment shades with beautiful dark brown silk curtains from West Elm.
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| Our bedroom curtains |
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| Our curtains shut. Had to use the flash otherwise you couldn't see them! (It's THAT dark!) |
Another option is sleeping with a sleep mask. I've recently started doing this and if you can get past the feeling of sleeping with something on your face, I highly recommend it. And besides, this is how cute you'll look:
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| The amazing Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's (and cat) |
Keep clutter out of your bedroom. Clutter = stress and stress is the one thing you want out of the bedroom! So find another place to keep unfinished projects, paperwork, and any other unnecessary items. Definitely NO WORK should be brought into the bedroom. No laptops, paperwork, and even no smart phones! (I know that’ll be hard for some of you!) Working is the opposite of resting and ne’er the twain shall meet!
Keep reading material to a minimum, a few books on the bed table are OK, but I think a bookshelf full of books is much too much. The idea is to keep mental stimulation at bay so you can turn your focus to relaxation.
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| Photo from iheartprettylittlethings.wordpress.com |
This might be an unpopular idea, but I think a TV in the bedroom is a BIG no-no. Watching television right before bed effects the quality of your sleep. And even though I love him, watching John Stewart doesn't exactly get me in a sleepy (or sexy) kind of mood.
I'm a firm believer that your bedroom activity should be limited to a few things: sleeping, sex, and getting dressed. Anything more and you could be bringing in unnecessary energy.
Sound
Unless you’re lucky to live in the quiet countryside, chances are you have some nighttime noise to contend with occasionally. How many have had their sleep interrupted by a barking dog or car alarm? Not only is this annoying, but it can have a big effect on your sleeping habits (especially if that darn dog barks night after night!) A white noise machine can help block out some of those disturbances. My husband and I bought one long ago when we lived in San Francisco and I swear by them. White noise machines make a “whooshing” sound, kind of like sleeping with a fan but without the breeze. They don’t take a lot of energy to run and some of them have adjustments to how loud or soft you want them to sound. The one we have is called “Sleepmate”by Marpac and we bought it for about $50 on Amazon. I have never regretted buying our noise machine, in fact we’ve even taken it on vacation with us!
Smell
Everyone knows that lavender essential oil is used for relaxation in aromatherapy. But there are other essential oils out there that induce relaxation. (From aromanaturals.net)
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| Jasmine |
Jasmine: Possesses a rich, deep scent that is sensual and relaxing. It is also used to prevent mental blockage, nervousness and sadness. It functions quite well as an antidepressant.
Chamomile: As most know, in the form of a tea chamomile is praised as a marvelous relaxing drink. In aromatherapy, its properties are not much different. Not only does it calm, but also it reduces pain and stress.
Bergamot: This Italian oil is helpful for relieving stress and ‘loosening up’ one’s tensed state.
Rose: Has been used for such things as hysteria, grief and depression. It is calming and supportive, even being thought to balance out female
hormonal cycles.
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| Bergamot |
Clary Sage: Has a herbaceous, light, fruity aroma that is irresistible. With its sweet, floral fragrance, it often gives one a euphoric sense after exposure to it. In fact, clary sage is believed to help stimulate the body’s natural production of endorphins that ease fatigue and chronic pain.
Neroli: The oil is extracted from the bitter orange and it is one of the best aromatic anti-depressants. It is good for stress, anxiety, shock, fear and lack of confidence.
Sandalwood: Is a wonderful way to calm one’s nerves. Although these essential oils are very hard to harvest and hard to find, they relax and soothe irritation as well as help lift bouts of depression.
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| Ylang Ylang |
Ylang Ylang: Has been used as an anti-depressant and is a most exquisite way of calming one body and soul. It has been known to also fight acne, lower blood pressure, ease muscle spasms, relieve the symptoms of PMS, and fight bacteria.
Vanilla: Not only is it one of the most pleasant fragrances of the oils, but also it helps promote a calm and relieves stress in its users. Also it is thought to be an aphrodisiac.
So how does one use essential oils when trying to relax? Candles infused with essential oil is one way. Light the candle then go about getting ready for bed. By the time you’ve brushed your teeth and washed your face, the scent will be in the air. Just be sure not to fall asleep with the candle lit!
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| Vanilla |
You may also make your own linen spray. Combine a few drops of essential oil with some distilled water in a spray bottle and mist your pillowcases before bed. You can even combine different scents you like for a more personal result. Much better for you (and your wallet) than using Febreeze!
A note about essential oils: please invest in the real stuff, not just the fragrance. Fragrance is often artificial whereas essential oils are derived directly from the plant and therefore better for you. Whole Foods has a great selection of essential oils and testers so you can sniff before you buy.
IAQ (indoor air quality)
If there is any room in your home where air quality is of the utmost importance, it’s the bedroom. We spend 1/3 of our lives sleeping so make sure the air you breathe is as clean as possible! Here are a few ways to do so:
Grow a plant. Plants take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen as well as regulate humidity. No brainer that a plan can help with IAQ. Here are the top 10 houseplants for cleaner air. Courtesy of a NASA and Associated Landscape Contractors of America (ALCA) study.
- Bamboo Palm
- Chinese Evergreen
- English Ivy
- Gerbera Daisy Gerbera Jamesonii
- Janet Craig Dracaena
- Marginata
- Mass cane/Corn Plant
- Mother-in-Law’s Tongue (also known as Snake Plant)
- Pot Mum
- Peace Lily
- Warneckii
Bedding. Dust mites, mold, pollen and pet dander can contribute to allergy suffering and IAQ. To prevent these pollutants from affecting your sleeping quarters, I strongly suggest using pillow covers, mattress covers, and duvet covers. A pillow cover is different from a pillowcase because it’s zippered. For all these items, look for a high quality, high tread count cotton. Mattress covers also come with moisture protection, which can be great for protecting your bed from sweat.
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| Who wants to sleep with this guy? Not me! |
Wash your bedding often. I wash my bed sheets weekly, but the first laundry day of the month, I strip the whole bed down (pillow covers, mattress covers, and duvet covers) and wash them in hot water. Thus killing any critters that might be lurking in there.
Keep a bedroom window open at night. Even in the dead of winter if you crack your window just a bit, the fresh air is good for you while you sleep. Personally, I can’t sleep in a stuffy room anyway! In the summer should you choose to sleep with the windows open and a fan on, be sure you clean your fan regularly. Here’s a great how-to for cleaning an oscillating fan: http://www.wikihow.com/Clean-An-Oscillating-Round-Fan If you’re lucky enough to have air conditioning in your bedroom, make sure you change out the filter every year to keep the air circulating as clean as possible.
Organic mattresses. You would be astounded at the amount of chemicals in a standard mattress (and don't even get me started on memory foam!). Here is a link explaining what is in a standard mattress and how it can affect our bodies: It’s so much information, it’s easier for me to link you rather than attempt to sum it up. http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_16880.cfm
If you can’t afford an organic mattress (they can be quite expensive) at the very least you can get a mattress cover to help protect your body from the harmful chemicals of a traditional mattress.
Touch
A wise designer once said to invest money in your sheets and save money on your curtains. Bed sheets, unlike curtains, are the one thing in your life that touches you from head to toe. Why not make them as luxurious as possible? You don’t have to spend a fortune, but you are worth having sheets that feel good.
So what’s the deal with thread count? Thread count can be misleading. The term is a measurement of the amount of threads per square inch, but more important than thread count is the fabric itself. Cotton is made up of staples, or fibers, and high quality cotton (like Egyptian) has very long staples that are very thin so when woven together, the weave is tight resulting in a smooth hand (the way fabric feels). High-end designers like Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren use high-quality cotton like Egyptian, Pima, Combed, and Supima. So while the thread count may seem low when you look at designer sheets, the quality is high because the fiber themselves are high quality. Keep this in mind next time your shopping for sheets! (Smart Linen Closet Blog & E-how.com)
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| Cotton 100x magnified |
An alternative to cotton is bamboo sheets. Bamboo is a great material because it’s naturally anti-bacterial, moisture wicking, and pests hate it (the plant itself doesn’t even need pesticides!) If you’ve never felt bamboo sheets, they feel like silk!
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| Bamboo sheets. Yes, please! |
Stay away from polyester sheets. In fact, stay away from polyester altogether. Seriously.
I know this is a lot of information and I hope you find it helpful. I follow most of the tips I've listed here. Do I still have the occasional bout of insomnia? Of course. But I'm also a small business owner so I blame that. For the most part though, I love to sleep in my bedroom and usually don't have any trouble getting my recommended 8 hours.
If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to post below. Happy zzzzz's!
