If you have sleep apnea, you’ll know how debilitating the condition can be if left untreated. This is because sleep apnea can disturb a person’s sleep throughout the night and cause severe fatigue the following day. Even if you are on treatment for sleep apnea such as a CPAP machine, however, it is a good idea to actively focus on getting a good night’s rest every single day to help reinvigorate yourself and protect against future health issues. To do this, you will need to create a good sleep environment.
If you’re unsure where to start, we’ve put together some simple hints and tips:
1. De-clutter your room
A room full of clutter is a room full of distractions. If you’re constantly distracted whilst trying to sleep, you will start to feel stressed and may find it difficult to nod off. Combat this by making your bedroom as spacious, clutter-free and airy as possible.
2. Put electronics out of sight
Again, electronic devices represent sources of serious distraction so should be turned off and packed away at night. What’s more, devices such as tablets, laptops, mobile phones, and game consoles emit a type of light that can disrupt your sleep cycle so you should try to avoid screen time in the hour or so before bed.
Electronic alarm clocks can also disrupt sleep, particularly if you are prone to worrying about the time. If a lit-up time is constantly in view, you may start to feel very stressed and on edge whilst trying to get to sleep, particularly if you have a busy schedule the next day. Unfortunately, this kind of worrying will not help the situation!
3. Keep the room as dark as possible
Eliminating as much light from your room as possible will help you to sleep deeply and for longer periods of time. This means removing all stray sources of LED light from your room and potentially investing in a pair of heavy curtains or light-blocking blinds.
4. Keep the room as quiet as possible
Noise levels may be a bit harder to control, particularly if you live next to a busy road or have noisy neighbours. If you’re struggling to eliminate sounds, try using a sound machine that plays soothing tones or investing in some decent earplugs.