8 Ways to Make Your Bedroom More Conducive to Sleep

Below is a guest post from Cheryl Conklin of Wellness Central.

Important studies have shown that getting enough sleep can improve mood and positively influence mental health. What’s more, sleep deprivation can actually exacerbate mental health struggles. That said, getting enough quality sleep can be difficult. Here are a few ways you can make your bedroom a more conducive space for sleep.

 If you’re having difficulty sleeping, The Zinnia Practice offers therapy for high achieving women with anxiety and insomnia. Book a free 15-minute consultation today. 

Woman sleeping. Photo via pexels

1. Get some blackout curtains

Data from the Institute for Cancer Research shows that having too much light in your room is associated with a number of negative health effects, including weight problems and problems with regulating your body’s internal clock. Sleeping in a dark room will help your body identify when it’s time to rest. You can find blackout curtains online or at your local furniture stores. They’re relatively easy to install and can help you stay asleep.

2. Reduce external noise

If you can’t control all of the external noises or sounds in the area that you’re sleeping, consider using a white noise machine. A white noise machine basically sends out a constant stream of low volume noise that can mask other distracting sounds in the background. You can also reduce noise by using ear plugs, although earplugs can cause buildup. Fans are also an effective way of adding white noise.

3. Modify the temperature

Your body temperature naturally drops when you sleep. Some scientists think that this small drop in temperature is the way that your body syncs up its circadian rhythms and helps you get quality rest. Modifying your bedroom temperature can help with this as well. Try making your room slightly colder. Don’t make it too cold that you can’t fall asleep, but make it cool enough that you’ll be able to fall asleep comfortably.

4. Check your mattress

If your mattress is more than 10 years old, it’s likely to be pretty well worn and, unfortunately, a worn-out mattress may not provide your body the support it needs. If you aren’t getting good enough support while you sleep, the sleep you are getting won’t be of high quality. If you need to upgrade your mattress, the options can feel overwhelming. Narrow down your choices by focusing on your sleeping position and body type (two important considerations when choosing the best mattress), and then pair that with honest online reviews of popular brands. 

5. Only use bedroom for sleep

If you use your bedroom for a lot of tasks, it can be a lot harder to easily fall asleep. Try not to use your bed for working on your computer. The same goes for looking at your cell phone, reading and other mind-stimulating activities. If you only sleep in your bed, your body will more readily associate sleep with the bed and start getting drowsier. The results may not be immediate, but they will come and make it easier for you to get more sleep.

6. Plan relaxing nighttime activities

Sleep problems or disorders are often associated with stress and anxiety, which is exactly why finding relaxing ways to unwind is so important for your sleep health. Try doing a relaxing sleep routine at least an hour before bed. This can involve brushing your teeth, washing your face, and engaging in relaxing media that will help you fall asleep. Other relaxing activities include reading a slightly boring book, meditating and listening to relaxing music.

7. Get a weighted blanket

Using a weighted blanket has been shown to help some people with mood disorders or chronic sleep problems to relax and finally get the restorative kind of rest they want. Weighted blankets aren’t necessarily as hot as other heavy blankets, which can help you at any time of the year. They’re especially useful in combination with lowering your bedroom temperature. While they may be a little pricier upfront, they are well worth the investment.

8. Keep your bedroom organized

Believe it or not, clutter and disorganization can cause you to experience an increase in stress and anxiety, which, in turn, can lead to frustration and anger. So, do your best to keep your bedroom as clutter- and chaos-free as possible. Not only can a tidy house reduce those feelings of stress and anxiety, but it can help eliminate any “negative energy” all that clutter may have trapped in the process.

A report on sleep from Harvard Medical School says that 50-80 percent of people who have psychiatric conditions also struggle from a chronic sleep disorder. Finding good ways to deal with sleep problems can increase your cognition, help deal with mental health problems, and improve overall well-being. Make it a priority to make sleep come more easily. This will improve your sleep quality, as well as your mental health. Good sleep is just as important as eating healthy and exercise.

Home remedies for insomnia: Create a sleep supporting bedroom

If you struggle with insomnia, chances are that falling asleep is an entire nightmare for you. So here is how you can prepare your bedroom so that you can actually sleep. 

When you begin this process, think about the spa. Spas are designed to feel relaxing and comforting. While your bedroom doesn’t necessarily have to be a spa, it’s important to incorporate some of the qualities of a spa- for a relaxing vibe. It is possible to get great sleep even if you have struggled with insomnia for years.

Think about your five senses.

When you set up your bedroom, it doesn’t have to cost a lot of money, and it doesn’t have to take a whole lot of your time. It just has to engage your 5 senses.

Let’s start with your sense of sight.

Have you ever been to a cluttered spa ? Of course not. Simply walk into your bedroom and look around. Just kind of look around and tidy up a little bit because when there’s stuff everywhere it is going to affect your ability to sleep. This is especially true for those people whose thoughts are constantly racing.

Are the colors on your wall inviting? Or does it just kind of feel blah? Think of soothing neutral colors- or if you’re someone who likes a little pop of color on your walls (as long as that won’t affect your sleep)-that’s fine too. You won’t cure insomnia Ian one day, but it is possible to beat insomnia and the anxiety that comes with it.

Invest In Some Blackout Curtains

Black out curtains at night are also important to keep light out. You want things to be calm, so invest in some blackout curtains or close your blinds in the evening, so that your room doesn’t have a lot of light flowing in. Light is important because your body is naturally designed to wake up and get ready for the day when it sees sunlight. This could help you get rid of insomnia quickly.

Sense of Smell

What does your bedroom smell like? Is it inviting? Is it relaxing? Is it soothing? Or is it just kind of blah and funky? I am a big fan of diffusers and candles. I like to keep things pretty natural so I’m not a big fan of sprays- but just do whatever works best for you.

Use relaxing scents

Some scents that help to induce sleep are lavender, cedarwood, ylang ylang, chamomile and clary sage. Invest in some candles or some essential oils.

Air out your bedroom for better sleep

If you’re sensitive to smells, just make sure you air out your bedroom during the day so that your bedroom doesn’t have that bodily, funky smell at night. All of these little pieces together really can help to enhance your sleep.

Sense of Touch

Think about what it is that you wear to sleep. Is it soft? Does it make you hot and sweaty? Are you cold? Make sure your sleep environment is cool. Some people like to leave windows open.

Some people like to turn on a fan or turn on the air, or even both. If you are hot or sweaty at night it’s going to be more difficult to sleep.

Invest in some comfy pajamas. I’m a big fan of cotton because it’s breathable. Your sleepwear doesn’t have to be expensive or fancy- just comfortable and breathable. 

Also think about your bedsheets. How often do you change your sheets? All of these things are very important for getting your body to be able to relax. You don’t have to get the most expensive sheets, but get some sheets that feel soft on your body. People who are sensitive to touch will have bad quality sleep if they’re on uncomfortable sheets. You don’t even have to get a whole bunch of sheets. You can get one or two and just wash them very often.

Sense of Taste

Some people like to drink things like chamomile tea about an hour or two before bed to kind of get the body to feel more relaxed.

A quick word about bedtimes.

It’s very important to remember that about an hour before your bedtime, (If you follow me on social media, you know that I’m always saying everybody needs a bedtime- even adults. You need a regular bedtime so that your body knows when you’re supposed to be falling asleep.

(Back to your sense of taste)

And this has to do with your body’s production of melatonin. An hour before your bedtime, cut off all eating because you don’t want your digestive system going a mile a minute when you’re trying to sleep. 

Avoid spicy foods and foods that increase in gas, so that your body is settled at night. Now these rules do not apply to every person. But try different things and see what works for you.

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Sense of Hearing

And then lastly we have sound. What does your bedroom sound like? If you live in the city and it’s super loud, you might want to drown out some of that noise. You can use a sound machine to play white noise or sounds of nature (you can find it on Amazon or Walmart). They are not super expensive.

You can also play white noise on your phone. You can listen to a sleep story (It’s basically just like a lullaby. Somebody just calmly reads a story to you and it quiets your thoughts and lulls your body to sleep).

As a busy adult, it is difficult to transition from busy day to brain shutting down and sleeping. That’s why I say spend an hour getting ready for bed- that includes turning off the news or anything that is triggering. (But that’s going to be another blog post).

Another thing that you can do is listen to a sleep meditation and do activities like deep breathing or a body scan that helps you relax your body from head to toe. I am also a fan of bio lateral music- check it out on YouTube.

So there you have it.

Those are things that you can do to create a good sleep environment. You don’t have to do all of those things in one day. Just do one thing a week, and before you know it your bedroom will be a great spa-like sleep environment. 

If you have any questions, please leave me a comment. You can also follow me on Instagram for more sleep tips.

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About the Author

My name is Ibinye Osibodu-Onyali. I’m a licensed marriage and family therapist in California. I help women who are struggling with anxiety and insomnia.

I also help couples learn how to speak each other’s language, date each other again and manage conflict in a non-painful way.

Many of my clients are:

Highly sensitive people

High achieving women

People with insomnia

Couples who want to regain their friendship and trust

If you’re ready to take the next steps, click here.