3 ways to prep your room for sleep

Your bedroom environment can affect both your sleep quantity and quality. Around one-third of your life is spent sleeping, so taking the time to set up and maintain a positive sleeping environment is important to help support your overall health and wellbeing.

Here are three simple things you can do to improve your sleeping environment.

Clear the clutter

Yes, a tidy room can help promote a better night's rest. Remove potential distractions from your bedroom, including work, so that you don't associate your sleep-space with other activities. Getting rid of the clutter from your room also creates a calmer environment, making it easier to relax. Less clutter can also make your bedroom easier to clean to help reduce dust mites if you are allergic to them.

Put the electronics away

Your electronic devices emit blue light, which can disrupt your body’s natural production of melatonin, a hormone that helps you fall asleep at night. Artificial light from your TV, laptop or mobile phone screens mimics the natural light waves of the sun, tricking your body into thinking it’s still daytime. This makes it harder for you to get to sleep quickly and easily. Turning all of your electric devices off at least two hours before you go to bed can be helpful. If isn't realistic for you, either change the light settings on your device or invest in a pair of blue light blocking glasses to filter out this particular wavelength of light.

Cool down your room

Believe it or not, the temperature of your room can make a difference to the quality of your sleep. As you drift off to sleep, your body temperature naturally drops to prepare itself for resting and recovering during the night. Ensuring your room stays at a cool temperature can aid this process. You can do this by opening the window a few hours before your bedtime, purchasing a fan, or switching the air conditioning to a lower temperature.