Create the ideal environment for sleep

But the reality is, our time is often spent lying awake trying to get to sleep. You may not even realise it, but some of the factors in your bedroom may be preventing you from getting deep, restful sleep. Our sleep environment (that is our bed, bedroom and everything in it) has a profound impact on the quality of our sleep. 

Here are some tips on how to turn your bedroom into the ultimate sleep sanctuary – so you can wind down and sleep well. 

The bedroom is where we recharge our bodies and minds, so we can wake up feeling rejuvenated and ready for the day ahead. It’s the one place where we can get the quality sleep we need to maintain our physical and mental health. Try to think of your bedroom as an escape from the outside world; it should be quiet, cool, and dark.

There are four main factors when it comes to creating the ideal sleep environment: temperature, noise reduction, comfort, and light. 

Temperature plays a huge part in our ability to sleep well. As humans, we’re designed to have a cooler body temperature during sleep  than we are through the daytime. 

The ideal sleeping temperature is between 18–22 degrees Celsius. Sleeping at a higher temperature than this can prevent you from experiencing sound sleep, as the body becomes forced to work harder and exert energy by sweating. This keeps the body too alert to be able to sleep deeply enough to enter REM sleep, the stage of the sleep cycle that is most restorative and allows the brain to repair. 

If you don’t have climate control in your bedroom, there are a few other ways to reach the perfect sleeping temperature:

• Choose the right bed linen. Cotton and linen are the best choices, as they’re naturally breathable fibres that help you remain at your ideal body temperature.
• Experiment with different sleepwear combinations: again, natural cotton or linen sleepwear is the most breathable. 
• Keep the air flowing: keep your bedroom window or door open through the night, and open other windows in the house to allow air to circulate freely to keep you cool. 
• Invest in a mattress that is breathable. Not all mattresses promote airflow, so it’s important to choose one that does – like the King Koil by A.H. Beard, which features AeroComfort technology that promotes healthy airflow through the mattress to keep you at the ideal sleeping temperature. 

Block out the noise 

Outside noise can be incredibly disruptive to sleep, so it’s important to keep your bedroom as quiet as possible. Shift workers, or those who need to sleep through the day, will especially understand the frustration of being woken up by outside noise. Noises from neighbours, traffic and animals are common sleep disruptors – however, even the ticking of a clock can be enough to disrupt sleep. Be mindful of what is making noise in or near your sleep environment. 

• Ask friends, family, housemates and neighbours to be mindful of your sleep, and let them know if you have different sleeping habits (for example, a shift work schedule). 
• Introducing white noise, relaxing sleep music or sleep sounds to block out external noise may be helpful. The A.H. Beard Nox Smart Sleep Light provides soothing sounds designed to help you sleep. 
• Earplugs to block out the noise can also be helpful. It’s all about finding what works for you, to find peace and quiet in your bedroom. 

Our bodies are designed to fall asleep and wake in accordance with the natural progression of light throughout the day. Daylight signals our body to wake, and darkness activates melatonin, the natural sleep hormone in our brain, to make us sleepy. 

The prevalence of technology in our lives can often disrupt this natural sleep and wake cycle. The blue light emitted by smartphones and tablets stimulates the brain, making it more difficult to fall asleep. It is therefore important to keep your bedroom free of smartphones, and limit your screen time in the evening. If you’re prone to endless scrolling on your smartphone before bedtime, consider reading a book instead. 

Similarly, if your bedroom is near bright lights outside, consider investing in some heavy blinds or block-out curtains, or an eye mask. 

This is perhaps the first thing that comes to our minds when we think about creating a sleep sanctuary: comfort. In order for your body and mind to truly relax, we need to make the bedroom a soft, comfortable place that we look forward to getting home to every evening.

It’s very important to have a mattress that supports your spine and provides head-to-toe comfort for a night of undisturbed sleep. No two people are the same, so having a mattress that adapts to your unique shape and size (as well as your partner’s) will help you sleep well. 

King Koil by A.H. Beard mattresses feature cutting-edge technology that provides unsurpassed support and minimise partner disturbance, making them a dreamy choice for both couples and singles. King Koil’s innovative Reflex support technology responds to your body’s unique size and shape to deliver personalised support. This ensures your whole body is supported, to help you sleep soundly through the night and wake up feeling rejuvenated. 

As well as a quality mattress, it’s important to have a supportive bed base. One option that’s fast-growing in popularity is adjustable beds, as they allow the user to customise their sleeping position for optimum support, comfort and pain relief. 

Finally, make sure you’re investing in a good quality pillow that provides optimum support for a great night’s sleep. 

Sleep is one of the best things you can do to function at your best mentally and physically and get the most out of each day. Why not make some changes to your bedroom now, to turn it into the sleep sanctuary of your dreams.