When we were growing up, many of our parents told us to tidy our room and make the bed. I could never understand why it was so important to make the bed, especially as it was just going to be unmade again within half a day! I guess some of us still feel that way and do not believe it could in some way help sleeping.
It turns out that, as was often the case, Mum and Dad may have been right about this one but they may have seen it as a discipline only.
A recent study suggests that a clean and tidy room may help sleeping.
Your bedroom is more than just the room that happens to house your bed -- it is your personal area for sleeping and a proper sleep environment is essential for a good night's rest. Cleaning the room to keep allergies at bay is very helpful if you suffer from seasonal or dust-related allergies but we mean doing more than just this.
The research found that participants slept better when:
- they made their beds every day
- the bedding was clean and changed once a week
- the bedrooms were dark and cool
- they were using comfortable mattresses and pillows
Those taking part even reported that sheets with a fresh, clean scent helped them to sleep more easily.
A clean, cool, dark and comfortable atmosphere is needed to create an ideal sleeping environment. This is very important - particularly being comfortable!
The ideal sleep scenario calms all of your body's senses, inducing you to sleep. I think I've mentioned in a previous article, the positive significance that a cool bedroom temperature has on sleep. You must close your bedroom curtains or blinds and switch off all lights. A quiet room can be achieved by shutting off all electronics, including cell phones. If there are outside noises, try using a noise machine which many people find effective. (Available from Amazon - see My Favorites to the right on this page.)
Of course, if you cannot get comfortable, none of the above will make the slightest difference!
For some reason, the importance of comfort is often disregarded. Your mattress and pillow are fundamental to your sleep environment. Ensuring that they are suitable for you yet still providing support is the first and most crucial move towards a better sleep experience.
You need to check your pillow to make sure it's not “dead”. The following is the simplest way:
- First lay your pillow across your arm and look at how it folds.
- Does it have a slight fold, but still sticks out at the ends? If so, then the structure of your pillow is fine.
- Does your pillow fold or flop over your arm resembling an old saddle-bag? That's a “dead” pillow and you need a new one!
If you're still not sure, try this test:
- Lay your pillow on your bed and fold it in half.
- Now place a shoe on top and let go.
- If the shoe flicks off, then your pillow is fine. If it is stays put, you need a new one!
Assuming you've got the above basics in place, you now must get into the habit of making the bed every day and creating a clean, cool, dark and peaceful atmosphere and this extra effort will definitely provide you with help sleeping.
