August 28, 2024
Create the best sleep environment for a good night’s sleep.
It’s easy to become frustrated when you can’t get to sleep, often not helped by a snoring partner. We can set up the bedroom to improve the chances of a good night’s sleep
Room Temperature
The ideal room temperature for sleep is cooler than you might think—around 18°C. Warmer temperatures can raise your heart rate as your body tries to stay cool, leading to restlessness. Fans or air conditioning can help during heatwaves, but they may dry out the air, causing sore throats and stuffy noses; a humidifier can counter this effect. Even without a fan, a humidifier alone can make the room feel cooler and more comfortable for sleep.
What to wear
“Linen and cotton are ideal fabrics for sleeping, as they’re woven from natural fibres that breathe well,” says Dr. Roshane Mohidin, NHS GP and head of health improvement at Vitality Insurance.
If you’re still feeling clammy, try adding socks. “Socks warm the feet and trigger vasodilation—where blood vessels widen, increasing blood flow to the skin’s surface,” explains Lisa Artis, deputy CEO of the Sleep Charity. “This releases excess body heat.” Just ensure the socks are made of natural fibres.
Regularly washing your sheets is essential, especially if you have allergies, advises Dr. Hana Patel, GP and sleep expert at Time4Sleep. “Sheets that gather dust and dead skin cells can irritate nasal pathways,” she notes. Hot sleepers should choose sheets with a lower thread count, ideally between 200 and 450. For duvets, a higher tog rating means more warmth—a 4.5 tog or less is best for summer. If you don’t tend to feel too hot or cold, a 10.5 tog, commonly used in luxury hotels, is a great year-round option.
Hello Darkness – my old friend.
Melatonin, the hormone that makes us drowsy, is produced in darkness by the pineal gland, while light exposure slows or stops its production, explains Dr. Hana Patel. Dimming lights in the evening helps prepare the body for sleep, and a sleep mask can block out light to prevent disruptions to your circadian rhythm. For those sensitive to light, blackout curtains are also effective.
During the darker days of autumn and winter, circadian rhythms can be disrupted. SAD lamps, designed to treat seasonal affective disorder, can help by mimicking sunset at night and gently waking you with sunrise-like light in the morning.
The sound of silence
According to the British Snoring & Sleep Apnea Association, nearly 42% of UK adults snore. Surprisingly, adding more noise might help if you’re kept awake by someone else’s snoring. “White noise, a static sound that balances out audible frequencies, helps both adults and infants fall asleep faster,” explains Dr. Hana Patel. The steady hum provides a focal point that aids relaxation.
Brown noise, with its lower, deeper frequency, can also be soothing, as it encompasses every frequency detectable by the ear. For those interested, sleep playlists featuring white and brown noise, as well as sounds like waves, are available on YouTube and Spotify.
Don’t give up on sharing
You and your partner might have different sleep environment preferences, but separate beds aren’t necessary. Instead, try using separate duvets. “Co-sleeping can lower cortisol, the stress hormone, and boost the immune system,” says Lisa Artis.
You need to sign up or be logged in to leave a comment.