As we celebrate National Bed Month, Simon Williams from the National Bed Federation talks to us about the season of change…
Winter’s chill is starting to settle and as the clocks go forward and we welcome lighter days, now is the ideal time to check your bedroom environment so that you can continue to sleep well during the lighter mornings and nights.
Your bedroom environment is essential in helping you achieve quality and consistent sleep, so think about the following as we head into spring:
Light
Light and dark are strong cues in telling your body when it’s time to wake up or go to sleep. If you are finding yourself waking up earlier with the lighter mornings, block out the light with blackout curtains or an eye mask.
Make the bedroom a tv and gadget-free zone, particularly when it comes to bedtime. Light suppresses melatonin – the hormone that helps regulate the body’s circadian rhythm and helps you drift off. However, regular exposure to blue light from gadgets can disrupt these rhythms by keeping us alert and feeling less sleepy.
Temperature
With spring comes less need to crank up the central heating. The ideal bedroom temperature is around 16-18 degrees Celsius. It might sound cool, but our body temperature naturally drops to its lowest level about two hours after we fall asleep.
Beds and Pillows
If you find yourself waking up too warm in the night, it might be time to swap the thick winter bedding and pyjamas for thinner cotton fabrics. The comfort and support of your bed will also make a difference to how well you sleep.
A bed with the correct support, comfort and space will ensure you wake less, move about less, are less disturbed by your partner, and are less likely to wake up feeling tired or aching. We recommend spending as much as you can comfortably afford and going as big as you can in the space you have.
Check to see if your bed is up to scratch: are you waking up less refreshed and with aches and pains? Does your mattress look worn, sagging in the middle or feel lumpy? Have you slept better in another bed or are disturbed by your partner moving around in the night? Have you forgotten when you bought it? These are all signs that it might be time for a replacement.
Pay attention to your pillows too. Pillows affect your sleeping posture and if they are not supporting your head and neck and are over three years old, it’s probably time to invest in new ones to maintain a healthy sleep environment. Also, as your nose and mouth are near your pillow, after a few years’ use you should think about buying new ones purely from a hygiene and health perspective.