A Good Sleep Environment

Get cozy, it's for your health!

*Adapted from my upcoming ebook: How to Feel Good

These are the three words that best describe a good sleep environment: cool, quiet, and dark. Let’s talk about each.

Cool

You want to aim for a temperature of about 65-67 degrees Fahrenheit. There are a ton of ways to do this:

• If you have AC then turn your AC down at night. Put it on a schedule so it automatically happens. 

• Open windows at night and use fans.

• Block heat accumulation during the day by having curtains and blinds drawn.

• Turn off devices that create heat. Basically this just means electronics. Charge your laptop in another room even.

• Get a temperature controlled mattress or topper.

• Make a DIY AC if you have to. Put frozen jugs of water in front of a fan.

• Sleep lower to the ground.

• Use less covers or covers that breathe better, like linen.

• Stay hydrated as hydration is crucial for our body to regulate temperature.

• Take a hot shower or bath before going to bed. Un-intuitively this cools us down by forcing our internal temperature to drop because of the heat exposure.

There’s a lot of ways to stay cool at night, just pick the ones that are best and easiest for you.

Quiet

First, minimize external noise by insulating your sleep environment from sound. Close windows, use curtains, have rugs in your room, do everything to minimize your sleep partner’s snoring. All of these small sounds that we may not even notice wake us up and disrupt our sleep cycles.

Then, use noise to block noise. That’s right, you heard me. White noise from a fan, a white noise machine, or anything else is great. Noise is relative and if we have an even background noise running then the more sharp and staccato noise of traffic, dogs barking, or whatever else isn’t as prominent and gets drowned out. If you’re struggling to insulate your room from sound and the white noise isn’t good enough then consider using ear plugs. There’s ear plugs specifically made for sleeping that are much more comfortable. Putting them in can be a part of your sleep ritual!

Dark

I’m talking really, really dark. I don’t want you to be able to see your hand a couple feet from your face.

So here’s what you do. Turn out all of the lights in your room at night and do a light audit. Where is there light coming from? Maybe from the window, there’s a streetlight shining into your room. Maybe there’s a computer charger or another electronic device with an LED display or something that lights up. Maybe there’s light coming from under the door. 

Now, block all the sources of light you can. Put a towel or rug under your door. Get thicker curtains. Put tape on the LED lights.

Test it again. Turn the lights off at night. Is it dark enough? Can you see your hand in front of your face? If it’s still not dark enough then consider using a sleep mask. I use a sleep mask almost every night and it dramatically improves my sleep quality, both my own perception of sleep quality and my sleep tracker’s perception of my sleep quality. I use a cheap one that has elevated rims around the outside so it’s not pressing on my eyes all night. I really hate the feeling of having pressure on my eyes.

Get to Sleepin'

See what works for you and what doesn't. Start with reducing light, a white noise machine, and keeping your room cooler. I'm willing to bet it'll make all the difference in the world.