We must all do what we can to create calm in our bedrooms. This is, after all, the one place where we need to truly relax – to decompress from the day and become reinvigorated for the day ahead. This quest is the main reason many spend so long choosing the perfect bed and soft furnishings.
It would be nice to think that installing tech into the bedroom would help us create the havens we need. That televisions in there could soothe us to sleep, that our mobile phones (sitting on bedside tables so they are right next to our heads) could calm us by connecting us with the outside world.
But, no matter how convenient it might be, we all know deep down that tech in the bedroom is not conducive to a peaceful sanctuary. In fact, scientific evidence points to the fact that tech keeps us awake rather than sending us to sleep. Whilst at the time it might feel that last scroll through your phone puts your mind at ease, the opposite is true because blue light in LED screens can impact melatonin production and keep you up into the early hours.
So, are you thinking about taking the plunge and making your bedroom a blue light free zone? Only, you’re not sure how you’ll get to sleep without those familiar habits? Fear not, because here are some ideas which could help:
Comforting sounds
In the modern world, a lot of us are used to falling asleep to sound. It might be that you usually play music on your phone, or even fall asleep to your television. Either way, suddenly switching to silence can be a little too much to bear – and, if you aren’t careful, that could do damage to your sleep pattern in itself. Instead, consider blue light-free alternatives. It seems pretty retro now but before phones and media libraries, people just used radios to listen to music. And, there’s no reason you can’t still make use of them (many have an alarm clock function too). The old fashioned Roberts radios are classic beauties or you might have one gathering dust in the loft – for fantastic reception, you could look into installation of dab fm aerials. With a radio, you can use sound to soothe you to sleep and wake you up but without any nasty side effects.
Something to look at
If you’re used to scrolling through your phone, you may find it tough not having anything to look at right before you go to sleep. Of course, one option is to read a real book. Instead of scrolling on tech until our eyes are half closed, it’s always going to be healthier to read on paper for the same effect. However, it might be even better to question whether you really need something to do right before sleep. We’re not used to simply laying in the dark these days and it can seem uncomfortable at first, especially if worrying kicks in. But just ‘watch’ your thoughts as if you are not participating in them and then actively let them go. Or do simple mental games to give your brain a break like counting as high as you can or even counting sheep.
Mood lighting
A flashing blue light from a charging phone, even if it’s in an otherwise pitch black room, can cause serious sleep disturbances. Studies have found that lights on the blue wavelength in particular increase the time it takes to fall asleep and wake up and reduce REM sleep. But what can you turn to if you don’t want complete darkness? Mood lighting can be a good alternative but use dim red lights for night lights because they are least disruptive to circadian rhythms. There are many gentle and funky mood lamps out there to serve this purpose. As well as making amazing features, these can soothe you into a natural sleep faster than you can say snore.
Hopefully you feel inspired to make a few tweaks to your bedroom and improve your sleep quality. In my mind, sleep can’t be underestimated – it has got to be one of the basic requirements to make you the best version of yourself.
Thanks so much for reading!
A Tidy Mind