Not too hot and not too cold

Is your bed too warm or too cold?

Although it seems nice to get into a hot bed your body temperature actually needs to drop as you get off to sleep so keeping it too warm confuses it.

Try to keep the bed just bearably warm and/or have a number of layers that you can throw off easily after you have settled into bed.

Silence is golden

Are there noises affecting your sleep? Sometimes even the smallest noise like a distant refrigerator can distract your brain from relaxing and settling. If the noise can’t be stopped try ear plugs –often the molded wax type of plug are most comfortable as they don’t jam against
your pillow. Remember to readjust your alarm volume too.

    Make your bedroom work for you.

Complete darkness is natural.

If you often have to sleep during the day (like me!) then this is super important.

Modern times have seen the advent of street lighting and our homes have all sorts of little lights that never go out. Unfortunately our bodies have not caught up with technology. If our body senses light it thinks it must be dawn and so starts to wake us up. We sometimes use this trick in Sleep Therapy but you don't want to be fooling your body when it needs to rest.

Make sure your drapes are fully drawn, turn off a hallway light if it is streaming in under your door, cover electrical appliance lights with black tape and turn your alarm clock brightness down to the minimum.

If you like to keep lights on so that you can safely get out of bed in the dark consider purchasing a movement sensing night light that just plugs into electrical outlets -you'll probably save on your energy bill too! I have one in my bedroom, another comes on in the hall and another in the bathroom. An extra benefit of these is that they are bright enough to see with but not blindingly bright.

If you can't find a way to light seal your bedroom consider a sleep mask. You can get them feather light and comfortable and some luxury ones even have calming scents in them.

Bed fellows can be a comfort and a curse.

What about your sleeping partner? Snoring or tossing and turning by them can be very disturbing to your sleep (this includes your pets!)

Snoring can also be a sign of sleep apnea and your partner should see a doctor soon to avoid possible brain damage or sudden death.

Some people prefer separate beds set together or if lack of sleep is affecting you badly then a caring partner should be happy to sleep in a separate rooms –at least until your sleep deficit is restored.

In these cases this is a team problem and the both of you talking to your family doctor together often helps greatly.

Hope this helps -Steph

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