The Tools…to Quality Sleep
Design a conducive environment for resting- quiet, comfortable and dark
What are the conditions to a conducive ‘sleeping’ environment? No bright lights, good ventilation, quiet background, comfortable and free of unnecessary interruptions.
If you value a good night’s rest, then take control of your bedroom! Consider using curtains, eye shades, ear plugs, humidifiers (great for those with sensitive noses), fans and other devices to reduce disruptions such as light and noises which are beyond your control. Remember to save energy though! (My own cooling method that’s energy saving: instead of switching on your air-con throughout the night and incurring high electricity bills, I normally switch it on for an hour or two and then it’s up to my standing fan to keep the room cool.)
And keep the room allergen-free especially for those with sensitive respiratory systems and skins!
Room temperature and ventilation
Go on, experiment with the room temperature that you will feel most comfortable sleeping with.
Keep the lights off
They are people who could not sleep without switching on their table lamps, or are afraid of total darkness. However, dark environments are best in sending signals to your body that it’s SLEEPING TIME! Even dim lights can confuse the body clock. (My room’s air-con has this green blinking light that really distracts me, preventing me from falling asleep. So I normally flipped to the other side, back-facing it) or you can try an eye mask to cover your eyes but be sure to wash them frequently. You wouldn’t want to hurt your delicate eye areas!
Block out the noise if possible.
The traffic outside, neighbour’s party noises and late night mahjong sessions can make it difficult for one to sleep well. If outside noise can’t be blocked, try masking it with a fan, or recordings of soothing sounds. Although earplugs may also help, those with Tinnitus should avoid using that as they will be your worst nightmares (trust me, I’ve had those buzzing sounds somewhere in my ears for years and nature sounds audios are angels to me during bedtime.)
Don’t scrimp and save on the wrong things- it’s time to invest a quality mattress and pillows
If you can spend tens of thousands buying a luxury car that you hardly have the chance to stay in it for a few hours, why not invest a small portion of it on a quality mattress? When’s the last time you changed a new one? The life expectancy for most good quality mattresses is 9 or 10 years so go and get a new, comfortable and supportive mattress; we spent 1/3 of our life on it anyway.
Also, have comfortable pillows. Purchase those which are neither too stiff nor high. Make it a comfortable support for your aching neck and back.
Beds are for sleeping. Boys & Gals, don’t abuse them!
The bed has traditionally been used for sleeping. Leave your work materials, laptops, iPhones and televisions out of your sleeping environment. Limit your activities on the bed, and train your body to associate your bed with sleeping and sex (yup, that’s right). A friend who couldn’t get to sleep thought he can have a game of Cluedo on his iPhone to idle time and tire himself out. But hey he’s only tired 2 hours later! Pick up a boring book; it’s more effective then counting the sheep.
If looking at the clock and counting the minutes is adding anxiety, then place it at another corner where you can hear the alarm ring and yet avoid being exposed to the clock’s face.
Design a conducive environment for resting- quiet, comfortable and dark
What are the conditions to a conducive ‘sleeping’ environment? No bright lights, good ventilation, quiet background, comfortable and free of unnecessary interruptions.
If you value a good night’s rest, then take control of your bedroom! Consider using curtains, eye shades, ear plugs, humidifiers (great for those with sensitive noses), fans and other devices to reduce disruptions such as light and noises which are beyond your control. Remember to save energy though! (My own cooling method that’s energy saving: instead of switching on your air-con throughout the night and incurring high electricity bills, I normally switch it on for an hour or two and then it’s up to my standing fan to keep the room cool.)
And keep the room allergen-free especially for those with sensitive respiratory systems and skins!
Room temperature and ventilation
Go on, experiment with the room temperature that you will feel most comfortable sleeping with.
Keep the lights off
They are people who could not sleep without switching on their table lamps, or are afraid of total darkness. However, dark environments are best in sending signals to your body that it’s SLEEPING TIME! Even dim lights can confuse the body clock. (My room’s air-con has this green blinking light that really distracts me, preventing me from falling asleep. So I normally flipped to the other side, back-facing it) or you can try an eye mask to cover your eyes but be sure to wash them frequently. You wouldn’t want to hurt your delicate eye areas!
Block out the noise if possible.
The traffic outside, neighbour’s party noises and late night mahjong sessions can make it difficult for one to sleep well. If outside noise can’t be blocked, try masking it with a fan, or recordings of soothing sounds. Although earplugs may also help, those with Tinnitus should avoid using that as they will be your worst nightmares (trust me, I’ve had those buzzing sounds somewhere in my ears for years and nature sounds audios are angels to me during bedtime.)
Don’t scrimp and save on the wrong things- it’s time to invest a quality mattress and pillows
If you can spend tens of thousands buying a luxury car that you hardly have the chance to stay in it for a few hours, why not invest a small portion of it on a quality mattress? When’s the last time you changed a new one? The life expectancy for most good quality mattresses is 9 or 10 years so go and get a new, comfortable and supportive mattress; we spent 1/3 of our life on it anyway.
Also, have comfortable pillows. Purchase those which are neither too stiff nor high. Make it a comfortable support for your aching neck and back.
Beds are for sleeping. Boys & Gals, don’t abuse them!
The bed has traditionally been used for sleeping. Leave your work materials, laptops, iPhones and televisions out of your sleeping environment. Limit your activities on the bed, and train your body to associate your bed with sleeping and sex (yup, that’s right). A friend who couldn’t get to sleep thought he can have a game of Cluedo on his iPhone to idle time and tire himself out. But hey he’s only tired 2 hours later! Pick up a boring book; it’s more effective then counting the sheep.
If looking at the clock and counting the minutes is adding anxiety, then place it at another corner where you can hear the alarm ring and yet avoid being exposed to the clock’s face.
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