If your bedroom feels wrong, your sleep will suffer. Before buying sleeping pills with side effects, start with the bedroom – it might be all you need to effect a natural insomnia cure.
Here’s what to look at:
Allergies: If you suspect you are sensitive to animals, obviously keep your bedroom door closed at all times. If you have breathing difficulties, or think you’re asthmatic, minimise house mites by getting rid of textiles as much as possible. And get a mite – proof mattress and bedding.
Temperature: High temperatures can make your sleep worse, whilst low temperatures do not seem to do so. It helps to keep your bedroom cool and reasonably well ventilated.
And don’t forget light: Darkness is important. Early light can wake you up before you have had a good nights sleep. If you have to get up at night to go the toilet, avoid turning on the bathroom light. Instead get a dim night light, or even a small torch. If your alarm clock is brightly lit turn it away from you, even get rid of it!
As for sounds: Keep your room quiet. Mechanical clocks should be taken out of the room, hissing or gurgling radiators turned off, traffic noise deadened by installing double glazing. If it is hard to make it quiet, consider buying an ioniser. It creates a gentle sound in the background, drowning out other sources like traffic noise, also it will humidify the air, brilliant for asthmatics. This in itself would qualify as an excellent natural insomnia cure!
The bed itself: A bad bed can cause back ache, a common cause of broken sleep. Get the best mattress you can find, fairly firm and well supported. Some people swear by an adjustable bed, but they do cost more.
Regarding pillows sleep experts say the lower the better, but on the other hand you should trust your common sense. If you sleep well with three pillows, you should trust your feelings.
Smells: The smell of food and the smell of smoke can make you sleep worse. Don’t leave any food in your bedroom if you eat there – a lingering aroma of pizza and French fries will not make you sleep better!
Smoking will make bedding smell stale, if you then add the fact that nicotine is a strong stimulant then you have another valid reason why you shouldn’t smoke.
A last tip: Try not to have a TV over your bed. The bedroom should be a place for relaxation, sex and sleep and nothing else. Any natural insomnia cure should start by making the bedroom a restful place, not a 24/7 office !
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