Getting a great night’s rest is absolutely necessary for our health and everyday functionality. Sleep helps us replenish from the workday and makes us feel crummy when we don’t get enough of it.
However, for some, the idea of a solid eight hours of sleep is replaced with tossing and turning at night, then waking up exhausted day after day. If this sounds like you, then read on as we dive into five ways to (finally) get that great night of sleep.
Skip the Snooze
Sleeping in for just five or ten more minutes might seem harmless, but snoozing actually does harm your sleep cycle and can ruin the way you function throughout the day. Since the typical sleep cycle is around 90 minutes, snoozing for just five or ten minutes disrupts the cycle much too early. This leaves the body exhausted and groggy before you even get out of bed! So play it safe, skip the snooze, and get out of bed as soon as the alarm goes off in the morning.
Take Advantage of Color
We know that color affects our mood and plays a big part in interior design, but can it actually help you sleep better? The answer is: absolutely. It’s been shown that a bedroom painted in calm tones of blue, silver, neutrals, and even pastel yellow can help you fall asleep and stay asleep longer. This is because the signals these colors send to our retinas tell our brains to calm down, allowing us to fall into a restful state.
Make it Dark
The worst thing for our eyes to see when we need a good night’s sleep? Light. The hue from TV screens, the alarm clock’s glow, and especially sunlight confuses our internal clock. When the brain sees light, it tells the body that it’s time to be awake and get moving, which is the worst signal to send at bedtime.
Luckily, simply turning off screens or covering the annoying glowing clock can remedy this issue, in addition to hanging up blackout shades in the bedroom. Cellular blackout shades are perfect for ensuring sleep during the early morning hours, or for those who sleep during the day due to graveyard shifts.
Get Some Sun
We know that light is the biggest hindrance when getting to sleep, but light is also the best tool to regulate our sleep cycle and internal clock. (Good news for residents of Southwest Florida, land of perpetual sunshine!) When you wake up, it’s extremely beneficial to seek out light—natural light, if possible—to tell our brains that it’s time to wake up and face the day. Like with colors, this has to do with how our eyes relay information to our brains, and how light triggers certain chemicals in our system to get our body moving.
Nap Smarter
Our last tip for getting quality sleep may seem contradictory, but naps actually help us sleep better and regain our productivity during the day. A 90-minute nap gives us a full sleep cycle and refreshes the body and mind. These naps help ease the stress of not getting enough sleep and actually help us sleep better at night (as long as they aren’t taken too close to bedtime).
So know that you have these tips under your belt, are you ready to get that great night of sleep? Beach Bungalow Blinds will help you take the first step by designing and setting up blackout shades—keeping your bedroom dark, distraction free, and sleep-friendly. Contact us today!
