How to Optimize Your Room For Sleep Hygiene

Sleep hygiene has become one of the most popular terms related to improving sleep quality. But what exactly is sleep hygiene – and how do you achieve it?

Sleep hygiene refers to two primary things: 

1. Your sleep routine - bedtime, sleep duration, and wake-up time.
2. The physical state of the bedroom or place where you sleep.

Research has identified that your bedroom should have five primary qualities for good sleep hygiene.

1. Comfortable
2. Dark
3. Quiet
4. Cool
5. Clean

See what you can do to improve your sleep hygiene below.

Having the right mattress, pillow, and sheets is a good place to start improving your room for sleep. 

• Pillow. The right pillow should support the curve of your neck spine, providing comfort and helping you breathe. There are specific pillow types, including standard (feather), memory foam, and orthopedic. Studies have shown these pillow types play a crucial role in the curve of your spine at night, and found that orthopedic pillows may be the best for improved sleep. 
• Bedding. Natural fabrics breathe better than polyester or synthetic ones. Use good sheets made of natural fabrics such as cotton, silk, or linen for ideal comfort. Some people find weighted blankets helpful to their sleep.
• Mattress. General guidelines are that you should replace a mattress once it’s seven years old. As for firmness, a medium-firm mattress is considered appropriate for most people. You may want a different firmness depending on how you sleep. Side sleepers might want a slightly softer mattress, while back or stomach sleepers might want one a bit firmer. 

The fact that your room should be dark at night might seem basic, but the importance of darkness (and potential disturbances to darkness)  may be more complicated than you expect. Your body requires darkness to produce melatonin,  the hormone that helps you relax and fall asleep. Here are key steps for creating a good, dark environment for sleeping.  

• Phones and devices. Do not have your phone or any devices in your room. They emit blue light, which may disrupt the production of melatonin. 
• Lighting. Avoid using bright lights in your room before bedtime. A bedside night with a dimmer or a warmer bulb is ideal. 
• Curtains. Light from outside your room – such as street lights or traffic – can be extremely disruptive to sleep. Be sure your curtains adequately block out light. If standard curtains don’t get the job done, consider black-out curtains, which prevent both artificial and natural light from entering. 
• Sleep Masks. Another option for creating darkness is a sleep mask, which you wear over your eyes to create steady darkness throughout the night. 
• Sunrise Alarm Clocks. While darkness is crucial for sleeping, natural light helps you wake up. In winter months, clouds might block out sunlight, or you may need to wake up before ample sunlight has appeared. Sunrise alarm clocks use artificial light to mimic the rising sun to help you awaken in a natural, healthy way.

A quiet environment is essential for quality sleep. But quiet doesn’t come easy. Traffic, neighbors, sirens, your children, animals – anything can cause disruptive sounds at night. Here are options for managing sound. 

• Ear Plugs. A simple option to create quiet is to use ear plugs. And they’ve come a long way from the squishy foam kind you might be thinking of. Ergonomic ear plugs conform comfortably to your ear while providing optimal sound blocking. 
• Rugs. A simple way to help make your room quiet is to lay rugs down. Rugs absorb sound and contribute to quiet. 
• Noise Machines. White noise is more than just the sound of water or air. It’s a collection of sounds at the same wavelength. Noise machines create this sound to block out noise and establish a steady level of quiet in your room bedroom.

A cool environment helps your body relax and rest. You can adjust your bedroom air temperature to your preferences. But if you’re finding you’re hot or sweating at night, keep your room on the cooler side or look into cooling mattress toppers.

Cleanliness is crucial to creating a good environment for sleeping. This can mean a lot of different things ranging from air you breathe to the clutter in your bedroom.

Making sure the air you breathe all night is optimal can be challenging.  Most people sleep for six to eight hours a night, and during that entire time, you’re breathing the same air in the same room. That air could be filled with dust, dander, debris, or other items that can disrupt your sleep, which can be particularly problematic if you have allergies or asthma.

• Some people choose to measure their air quality through an air quality meter.  These devices can detect temperature, humidity, pollutants and more today.
• Consider using an air purifier to help provide clean, odor-free air in your room throughout the duration of the night. This will help with your breathing and provide a steady source of clean air to help provide a calm, restful sleep. 
• Mattresses and pillows can also harbor allergens.  If you have significant allergies that disrupt your sleep a mattress or pillow protector may help improve the air quality you breathe
• Not directly related to cleanliness, the air humidity you breathe all night should be between 30-50% humidity.  You may find that you could benefit from a humidifier or dehumidifier to brind your room into the desired range.

De-Clutter

Devote your bedroom to sleep. Remove anything that causes stress: your phone, computer, work items, bills, or paperwork. Put away laundry baskets of clean (or dirty) clothes. Minimize items on your nightstand and dresser. Even remove things from under your bed. When you’re sleeping, just because something is out of sight doesn’t mean it’s out of mind.