Getting enough sleep is a challenge for many people these days. If you have a bustling family, are advancing in age, or living with a disability, high-quality sleep is most likely a rarity in your life. However, you don’t have to trudge through life sleep-deprived and with low energy! Just a few simple tweaks to your bedroom design can help you get more restful shuteye and can, consequently, improve your energy during the day.
Use Blackout Curtains
If the morning sun constantly wakes you before your alarm goes off, blackout curtains might be your new best friend. The presence of light is one of the most prominent factors affecting your body’s natural sleep/wake cycle. When it’s dark out, your eyes send messages to your brain, triggering sleepiness. Without the presence of artificial light in your home, you would naturally fall asleep as the sunlight wanes. And just as your eyes recognize waning light, they also pick up on the presence of light. When your eyes sense light in the morning—even through your eyelids—they send signal to your brain that it’s time to wake up. Incorporating blackout curtains into your bedroom design effectively blocks the early morning sunlight that wakes you before you’re ready to get out of bed, according to Shop Decorator. Many people report drastically improved sleep when resting in complete darkness.
Have Space for Safety
Most people must get up to use the restroom at some point during their sleep cycles. If you’re one of those people, it’s important to design your room with safety in mind. Leave enough open space between your bed and other furniture so you can easily traverse the space without running into anything and hurting yourself. To ensure bedrooms are safe and accessible for people with disabilities and seniors, it is important to design the room within the universal design principles. This means modifying the bedroom to be accessible for anyone, according to Assisted Living Center.
Block Blue Light
Just as sunlight can interfere with your sleep, blue light from your electronic devices can have a similar effect. You know those tiny blue power lights on your cell phone, modem, router, television, or tablet? They might not readily wake you, but the light spectrum they emit can interfere with the quality and the depth of your sleep. According to The Better Sleep Council, blue light exposure inhibits your brain’s production of the critical sleep hormone melatonin. If you regularly toss and turn in bed and if you have electronics in your room that emit blue light, consider turning them off, covering them up, or stowing them in a drawer or closet for the night.
While getting quality sleep can be a challenge, these bedroom design tips can help you improve your chances of having a restful and rejuvenating night. When designing your bedroom for restful sleep, safety should be your number one priority. Once you’ve rearranged your furniture with safety in mind, take steps to mitigate any factors that affect uninterrupted, deep sleep.
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