SHOULD YOUR BEDROOM BE DARK WHEN YOU SLEEP? ADVICE AND TIPS FOR A RESTFUL NIGHT

It’s no secret that natural sunlight regulates your body clock. It provides our brains with the signals it needs to know when it’s time to sleep and when it is time to wake.

With this in mind, the perfect environment to fall asleep in is an extremely dark room with without any disturbance from artificial lights.

However, in today’s technologically charged world, you would be hard pressed to find a room without some kind of ambient lighting infiltrating it.

TEMPUR has come up with these top tips for you to achieve a serenely dark room so you can have the best sleep possible:

Get unnecessary devices out of your bedroom

Most of us will confess to having a TV in our bedroom which we watch before we go to sleep. It may feel as if you are becoming sleepy while watching however, the blue light emitted can delay melatonin release (which is needed to ‘relax’ the brain), preventing you from sleeping properly.

Many devices which are commonly used in the bedroom also emit similar light, for example:

• E-readers
• Laptops
• Smart phone
• Energy saving bulbs

It’s highly advised to avoid using any kind of light emitting devices up to two hours before you plan on sleeping to give your brain time to unwind and prepare for a good night’s kip.

Traditional methods are still going strong in the sleep department with reading a book remaining one of the most effective ways to help you fall sleep.

Keep the door closed

This couldn’t be easier. To shut out the unwanted light coming in from other rooms, keep the door to your bedroom shut. This will keep your bedroom as dark as possible providing the best environment to for your body to wind down for sleep.

Also, where possible, turn as many lights off around the house as you can before going to bed to keep the house as dark as it can be.

Dress your windows 

Choose carefully when selecting curtains or blinds for your bedroom windows. If you have a lot of outside light which can filter in through curtains, then blinds may be a better option.

Blackout blinds are perfect if you really struggle with light keeping you awake or if you need to rest during the day. However, bear in mind the benefits of waking up to natural light before rushing in and choosing these – a little light as you’re starting to wake is a good thing.

The TEMPUR sleep mask is ideal if you want to get the best of both worlds. You can block out any disruptive light while you sleep but you can still benefit from the natural light coming through in the morning.

Ideally you will find a way to cocoon yourself away under the cover of darkness while you sleep, but allow the natural light to flow into your room at dawn to keep your body clock ticking away happily.

It’s important to remember that what works for one person may not work for another. Experiment with different ways of keeping your room dark and different ways of getting up in the morning until you find the right combination for you.