We are continuing our discussion of how to get a good night’s sleep! Our next focus is on temperature, sound, and sleeping space use.

TEMPERATURE

Temperature plays a key role in your sleep. Typically, the body sleeps better in cooler temperatures. However, this is highly dependent on you, your preferences,and where you are in life (yikes – hormones!). I recommend experimenting a bit to see what temperature range works best for you.

SOUND

Regardless of where you live, sound will affect your sleep. Too much noise? Too little? Window shades, especially blackout ones, can help muffle sounds outside. A white noise machine can muffle outside noise OR add a bit of noise to help you sleep without disruption. Again, this is something you can experiment with to see what works best for you. Try a free or inexpensive app on your phone before investing in a noise machine.

SLEEPING SPACE USE

Keep your room for SLEEP ONLY. Not everyone has the space and luxury of their bedroom being only for sleeping, but trying to keep it that way can go a long way to helping you sleep better. Look around your room for possible sleep distractions–a desk or workspace, TV, piles that need attention. Take some time to simplify or deciliter the areas in your room that may be affecting your ability to ease your way into a good night’s sleep each night.