7 Things in your bedroom that lead to sleepless night s
Your bedroom environment can be the reason of your sleepless night s. It plays a major role in your fight against the difficulty falling and/or staying asleep. From sound to the furniture, certain things that you consider as insignificant can be the very causes of the insomnia.
7 things in your bedroom that can lead to a sleepless night:
1. Lighting: the bible say Jesus is the light of this world, and Satan is the prince of darkness. But dark is better than light (at night) when it comes to your bedroom. Keep the room as dark as possible while you are in bed, unless you suffer from nyctophobia (a phobia characterized by a severe fear of the dark) which makes total darkness a source of anxiety for you. If you use a digital alarm clock, return it to prevent its light from projecting to your bed.
Although it is a healthy habit to let fresh air and sunlight penetrating the bedroom during the day, it can cause sleep problem when doing so at night. A man who enjoyed letting his windows and curtains open at night tells he wakes up in the middle of the night almost exact same time. He spent more than a year taking sleep pills each time that happens before he finally realized his problem was caused by the moonlight.
Other people have reported the same experience; it is harder to fall sleep and remain asleep when the moon is full, which they don’t experience on other days. In fact, scientific studies have confirmed it.
Decreased Melatonin during the Nights of Full Moon
In a study published in November (2014) in the journal Sleep Medicine, a group of scientists confirmed it takes longer to fall asleep and have a less restful night sleep when the moon is in its phase most illuminated by the sun. The research was conducted by an international team and led by Zita Csilla Turanyi, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary. During the research, the team analyzed the data collected in previous research conducted between January 2007 and November 2009 to reach the conclusion.
In recent years, other studies have been conducted during which scientists have scrutinized the effects of lunar influence on sleep; they have discovered strong explanations. For instance, a team from the Centre for Chronobiology at the University of Basel (Switzerland), spent years analyzing data related to the connection between the moon and sleep.At the end, July 2013, they boldly published and titled an article: “Evidence that the lunar cycle influences the human sleep.” During interview, they stated, “we have evidence that the distance to the nearest full-moon phase significantly influences human sleep and evening melatonin levels when measured under strictly controlled laboratory conditions…”
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In this retrospective study, making the correlation with the phases of the moon, the researchers noticed this effect that the subjective evaluation of 33 participants, aged 20 to 74, showed a considerable increase in sleepless night complaints during the full moon nights. During this lunar phase, the melatonin levels of the participants were decreasing. This had probably affected the lengthening of the average sleep times. Conversely, scientists found reduced sleep duration of at least 20 minutes and sleep was less deep.
2. Ventilation and Temperature: If your bedroom is too cool or too hot It can perturbate your sleep as well.
Probably, you don’t pay attention to the temperature in your bedroom at least it is too cold or too hot. As long as you feel comfortable in your bedroom you just go to bed. But many studies have found that there is a perfect temperature for optimal sleep: between 15.5 and 19.5 degrees Celsius. Some people do not have any problem to sleep, regardless the room is hot or cold. However, for an insomniac this is a challenge.
A temperature below 12 degrees or above 24 degrees will have negative effects on the quality of your sleep. Therefore, you need to ventilate your room and hold it at a comfortable temperature, neither too hot nor too cold, 18 ° C for example. You may be surprised how much improvement this simple step can bring in your fight against your sleepless night struggles.
It may be necessary that you ventilate the room before bedtime, as well as in the morning, to keep it fresh. For the ventilation, you can use fan or open the doors to let fresh air penetrate the house. This has many other health benefits in addition to prevent insomnia.
3. Comfortable Bed and Pillows: If you have sleep problem it is important you have soft sheets, comfortable pillow and mattress. The comfortability will contribute to a restful sleep. Change your mattress at least every five or seven years. And if you feel bumps in it, it is time to buy a new one, regardless of age. The person or thing you share your bed with should be taken into consideration as well.
Some people love sharing their bed with their pet; doing so is a great way to disrupt your sleep. Its every move will be a distraction to you, not to mention their allergens which can cause serious allergic reactions. In short, your pets do not belong in the bedroom if you have difficulty sleeping.
It is not just pets that can be harmful to your sleep: a human partner who moves a lot and/or snoring can be, obviously, a major cause of trouble when it comes time to sleep. Not long ago, a major BBC study found that couples who share their bed have 50% more likely risk to experience sleepless nights than singles.
4. The Bedroom Is Too Silent: this is the most surprising point for most people. You have been told you need your bedroom to be quiet to fall assleep, but complete silence can be problematic for some people, according to some studies. If your bedroom is too silent, the slightest sound variation in your environment will become even more disturbing, waking you up even you were deeply sleeping. To prevent this, you can have white noise generator unit in the room.
There are many white noise generators on the market; however, I will not mention or promote any product here. The key is to create an ideal environment according to your need.
5. Comfortable Clothing: In bed, ensure that you wear comfortable and appropriate clothing for the weather. In the cold season, keep an extra blanket to the bed, in case you feel cold at night. You may say my spouse or X wears any clothes and sleep easily. Yes, some people sleep like a newborn baby anywhere, wearing any clothes. But remember you are not them.
I remember I went to the beach with a group of friends. One of them slept on the noisy beach while we were joking and having fun. We woke him up; within a few minutes he started sleeping again. At that time, when I slept for six hours at night it was like a miracle. I have practiced the techniques in this book; amazingly, now I sleep like a baby in harsh environment. That is, you can become like him, but for now, you need to adapt to your circumstances until you completely overcome the insomnia.
If you are an elderly, or have a medical condition causing you to have cold feet, you do need to wear socks. This can be greatly helpful. A study published in 1999 showed that the temperature of hands and feet played an important role at the time of sleep. Do not hesitate to wear a pair of warm and clean socks in bed.
6. Get Rid of Bedbugs: It may sound weird to you, but in the past decade, bedbug infestations have been increasingly in developed countries, including the United States.
Recent studies have shown that these insects can aggravate or cause psychological problems. Bedbug victims are far more likely to suffer from anxiety, depression, and serious insomnia. In addition, recent research show they can cause major depressive disorder, acute stress disorder, adjustment disorders, and certain form of phobias. The depressive episodes are so serious in some of these people that they cannot work, become addicted to drug and, worst, even become suicidal.
It is reported that a woman, with previous physical and psychological deterioration as a result of a mental condition, jumped to her death following repeated bedbug infestations in her apartment. You may ask why would someone go so far to commit suicide. These insects can cause severe sleep deprivation, which is a known form of psychological torture. Therefore, if you have bedbugs in your bedroom the chance for you to have repeated sleepless night s is very high.
7. Place to Sleep Not for Electronics: Reserve your bed only for sleep if possible. New technologies are everywhere in our homes. But research indicates these electronics – PCs, smartphones, tablets, TVs, and others – can keep us awake at night. According to a recent study by the National Sleep Foundation having high-tech equipments just before going to bed may cause insomnia.
During the study, the scientist interviewed 1,508 individuals, aged 13 to 64. Up to 95% of people who suffer from sleep disorders responded that they use an electronic device in the hour before bedtime. Further investigation has demonstrated there is a strong correlation between the use of these electronics and sleep disorders in the participants.
It is shown that once they are connected to the electrical current these devices emit electromagnetic waves. These waves consist of electric fields when the devices are turned off and electric and magnetic fields when illuminated. Magnetic waves favor sleep disorders and can easily cause fatigue, insomnia, headaches, and others.