Sleep better: light, air and quiet

We spend about a third of our lives asleep, but we rarely think about the room we sleep in. Yet light, air and sound have a big effect on how well we rest. Here are a few simple changes you can make tonight.

Dark at night, light in the morning

Your body clock follows light. Darkness tells your body it is time to sleep; light tells it to wake up. Keep the bedroom as dark as possible at night. Cover small lights from chargers and devices.

In the morning, light helps you wake up. In winter, it is often still dark when the alarm goes. The Zonnewende wake-up light alarm clock slowly brightens over thirty minutes before your alarm, like a sunrise. Most people wake up more easily and in a better mood. In the evening, its sunset mode dims slowly to help you fall asleep.

Need light to get to the bathroom at night? A night light with motion sensor gives just enough light to see, without waking you up fully.

Cool, fresh air

Most people sleep best in a cool room, between 16 and 19 degrees. A room that is too warm makes you restless.

Humidity matters too. Below about 40 percent, the air feels dry, and your throat may feel scratchy in the morning. Above 60 percent, the room feels stuffy, and mold can grow. A digital indoor thermometer and hygrometer shows both numbers, with a small face that tells you if the air is right. Air the bedroom for ten minutes every morning.

Quiet

Small sounds can keep you awake. A ticking clock is one of the most common. The wall clock with silent movement has a second hand that glides instead of ticks, so you won’t hear it. If your partner reads in bed, a clip-on reading lamp lights only the page, not the whole room.

A bed that invites you in

Fresh bedding, a soft throw at the foot of the bed and a tidy room help your mind settle. Clear the bedside table of everything but a lamp, a book and a glass of water. Under-bed storage bags keep spare bedding and out-of-season clothes out of sight.

A routine

Go to bed and get up at about the same time every day, also at the weekend. Your body likes rhythm. Within a week or two, you may find that you wake up just before your alarm, rested and ready for the day.