5 Simple Room Changes to Help You Sleep Better

A pile of clothes here, a suitcase there and the ironing board in the middle of the room: too often the bedroom gets used as a storage room. And who cares – you sleep with your eyes closed, right? 😉 But the fact is that your brain instantly registers your surroundings and saves the information about the things it sees. Clutter in the bedroom, therefore, leads to restless sleep. If you want to sleep better from now on, you might want to give these five bedroom makeover tips a try.

1. Ban the TV from your bedroom

Do you think watching TV helps you drift off to dreamland? Then think again. Studies have found that the blue light emitted from the TV set inhibits the production of the sleep hormone melatonin. This makes it harder for you to fall asleep. Plus, the flickering light of the screen stimulates the brain, which interferes with a peaceful night’s sleep.
Sleep experts, therefore, recommend banning the television from the bedroom, especially for people who have trouble falling or staying asleep. Cell phones and tablets should also be taboo.

2. Clean up under your bed

The chaos in your bedroom is getting on your nerves, so you tidy up quickly. Hmm, have you just crammed everything under the bed? 😉 Not such a great idea, because it blocks the air from circulating under your mattress. Did you know that the average person loses about 1.5 liters of sweat per night? Because your mattress absorbs this moisture, it is important to keep it well-ventilated. The best way to ensure this is by cleaning up under your bed. Also, it lets you get at all those dust bunnies, so this room change is a must for allergy sufferers.

3. Make space in front of your window

This brings us to the next point: clear the space in front of the window. This way you can open them wide in the morning. It’s important to air out your bedroom on a regular basis: this lets oxygen enter the room and humid air escape.
Experts recommend keeping the air humidity at 50%. And the right room temperature is also essential for quality sleep: ideally, it should be between 16°C (60°F) and 18°C (64°C).

4. Invest in dark curtains

Are you one of those lucky people with window shades? Then you can surely appreciate the complete darkness they provide. If window shades are not an option, you can invest in room-darkening curtains. The extra darkness promotes the secretion of melatonin, which helps you get a good night’s sleep.

5. Reposition your bed

If you wake up in the morning with a stiff neck, joint pain or a headache, hold off on the pain relievers for a while. Instead, take a look at where your bed is positioned in the room. According to sleep experts, the head of the bed should not be against an exterior wall. These are normally very cold (especially in winter). It is better for your health when your bed is positioned next to a warm interior wall.

What does your ideal bedroom look like for ensuring a night of restful slumber? Share your ideas with us in the comments below!

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