Episode 3

Best Place to Sleep: Getting Your Environment Right

Do you dread wandering into your bedroom every night? What if I told you that no matter what kind of struggle you’ve had so far, that you can get the best place to sleep right in your own home?

Key elements to making your bedroom a haven for sleep:

Bedroom activity: Sleep and Intimacy

NOT bedroom activity: Everything else! Engaging in non-sleep-related activities in the bedroom weakens your brain's association of that room with sleeping, and strengthens the association of your bed with being awake, perpetuating insomnia!

Light: as little as possible! Light is physiologically alerting, and the more light you are exposed to the more wound up and activated your body and brain become. The absence of light allows for rest, relaxation, and sleep. Curtains and light-blocking shades reduce the impact from outside light. 

Absolutely no TV in the bedroom - it is asking for trouble

Gradually lower light exposure between sunset and intended sleep time.

Sound: the quieter the better. Again, that means no TV! Sounds, whether from white noise machine or television as quiet as 45dB have been shown to increase wakefulness across the night, increase the proportion of light (less restorative) sleep, decrease slow wave and rapid eye movement sleep (high quality sleep), and decrease total sleep time

Animals exposed to noise while pregnant suffer significant alteration to intrauterine growth. Humans are affected too! When pregnant moms are exposed to noise during sleep, their babies are more likely to end up obese or overweight by early childhood after accounting for other risk factors. 

Temperature: cold is better. Body temperature drops as you sleep, making you more sensitive to warmer temperatures. Cooler bedroom temperatures help you fall asleep faster, achieve more deep sleep, and experience higher quality rest. Optimal room temperature is between 65-68 degrees Farenheit.