For many of us waking up when it’s light and going to bed when it is dark is a familiar sleeping pattern. Indeed, lots of us have invested in blackout blinds for this very reason to prevent light streaming into our bedrooms when the summer months come along.
But did you know that many other types of light could be robbing of us of our beauty sleep?
How Light Influences Sleep
Known to suppress melatonin, artificial light, in particular, is to blame for interfering with our natural circadian rhythms. It not only keeps us awake, but it can also make us feel less sleepy.
According to The Sleep Council,
Light is the most powerful cue for shifting the phase or resetting the time of the circadian clock. In an evening, the blue light that emits from devices (including TVs) suppresses the natural production of melatonin – the hormone you need to feel sleepy – and plays havoc with your body’s circadian rhythms making it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep.
BLUE LIGHT AND SLEEP, The Sleep Council
Our bedrooms should be kept dark at night. Believe it or not, even when we’re sleeping, light can be detected through our eyelids!
There are a number of things that we can to create a darker bedroom to help us sleep better.
Tips for A Better Night’s Sleep
- As we’ve already mentioned, blackout blinds are great for keeping external light from coming into the bedroom. Whether it’s sunrise or street lights, lined curtains or blinds will prevent light from seeping through.
- If you’re not able to invest in blinds a great and cheap alternative is a simple eye mask. There are some wonderful designs in the marketplace today, so you can even personalise your mask to your favorite animal, design or color scheme.
- A bedside light that’s designed for nighttime is also worth considering – particularly useful if you tend to get up during the night. Choose a red bulb rather than white as they don’t interrupt melatonin secretion.
- Many of us now have digital clocks and TVs in our rooms which emit blue light. Powering off the TV will not only stop the light interfering with your sleep but it could save you a pretty penny or two by knocking off standby. A clock can simply be turned to face a different direction.
- Closing doors at night also helps prevent light from coming in from a hall or landing, which invariably leak light into the room.
- Remember the golden hour rule! Computers, mobile phones and even the TV can all affect our sleep, so it’s best to turn them off at least an hour before bedtime. Even better, remove them from the room altogether!
- Of course, light isn’t all bad. In fact, it’s good for us to expose ourselves to it when we rise. Throw back the bedding and open the curtain or blinds for a natural burst of sunlight, even on a gray day you’ll get enough light to make you feel good.
Sleep Advice at Dazlell’s
At Dalzell’s our expert, sleep trained staff are on hand to advise on choosing the right bed and mattress to aid better sleep. We recommend you visit us in-store so you can chat with the team. Or if you’re short for time, why not give us a call T: 028 3755 1260 or email us where our staff will be only too happy to help.
Our retail store in Markethill is ideally located halfway between Armagh and Newry; 45 minutes from Belfast and an hour from Dublin, just off the A28. We’re but less than an hour to Drogheda and Dundalk and only a short drive to Banbridge, Portadown and Dungannon.