The bedroom: Aw yeah, it’s where the magic happens. And by magic, we mean the supernatural forces that make your space too hot, too bright, too ugh. Since nearly 77 percent of your wake-ups are due to your surroundings, according to a survey by Women’s Health, the American Sleep Association, and Thrive Global, our tricks are here to make all that go poof!
WHEN YOUR ROOM IS TOO…
1 HOT
Forget Mr. Sandman; your bedroom needs a weatherwoman! Temperature is a key biological cue for sleep—between 60 and 67 degrees is ideal—because a cooled-down body triggers deep slumber (too-hot bedding or PJs can also cause nightmares). Stay comfy with these strategies.
PUT A FAN ON IT.
It cools and soothes (more on white noise later). Nothing fancy needed: A simple oscillating model on your dresser moves air evenly across the room.
CHOOSE A DOWN PILLOW.
Air circulates between the feathers to keep them from trapping heat. Proof: When WH senior fashion editor Gab Porcaro tried The Company Store Organic Medium Down Pillow ($119, thecompanystore.com), there were “no gross sweat stains on my pillows like usual.”
INVEST IN A MATTRESS FOR HOT BODS.
Classic foam types mold to your curves, but they can cause you to overheat. Newer options keep you comfortable with features like open-cell foam, which pulls in cool air, and gel beads that shift warmth away from the body. Experts reco Tanda Complete Cool ($950, tandasleep.com).
FREEZE YOUR PILLOWCASE.
In a plastic bag, until a half-hour before bed. The effect is like Disney on Ice. (Read: dreamy.)
WEAR A SILK EYE MASK.
If it’s made of poly fleece or cotton flannel, it can become too toasty. Try Slip Pure Silk Sleep Mask.
GET YOUR HAIR WET.
Research shows a cool scalp promotes sleep. You could wear a special sleep cap (yes, they make them; no, they’re not cute)—or just wash your hair at night, which dials down your skin temp while retaining your dignity. Fear morning Medusa-head? Towel-dry, part hair in the middle, apply lightweight styling cream from mid-shaft to ends, and twist hair in a low Cinnabon-esque bun, securing with a soft elastic. Tie on a silk scarf to nix frizz.
SHEET RIGHT.
Sorry, marketing hype, but high thread counts are less breathable and can be sweaty. Look for counts under 600.
2 WIRED
When a cell phone and a bed get together, a train wreck ensues. (A Harvard study found that viewing handheld tech in the hour before bed delayed production of sleep hormone melatonin by 90 minutes and cut levels in half, making it harder to fall and stay asleep.) But oh, how we can’t look away. (See the 90 percent of you who told us you snooze with your phone in your room.) At the very least, get your gadgets and your shut-eye goals to play nice. (Kick-start your new, healthy routine with Women’s Health’s 12-Week Total-Body Transformation!)
THROW A SLEEVE ON IT.
Texting and watching TV on your device in bed fire up the brain’s activity center when we should be priming it for slumber. Switch phones, tablets, and laptops into airplane mode so you won’t hear alerts, or slip them into a sleeve that blocks light and blunts buzzing. If you use your cell as an alarm, keep it away from your bedside, facedown.
TURN OFF THE (BLUE) LIGHT.
It’s emitted by your devices, and it throws off circadian rhythms and messes with melatonin production. If you must plug in while winding down, wear glasses that block blue light.
CHECK SMARTER.
Reaching for your phone when you can’t get back to sleep just makes the sitch worse. But seeing as how 61 percent of you do it, keep the damage to a minimum: Hold it 14 inches from your face, and use the “Night Shift” screen filter on iPhones and “Night Mode” on Androids to neutralize blue light.
3 BRIGHT
Light pollution: It’s a thing! The body is particularly attuned to light when it’s not expecting it (like, you know, at 2 a.m.). Studies show that even small amounts of nighttime brightness can cause wake-ups. Give a hoot? Don’t pollute.
PICK LEGIT BLACKOUT CURTAINS.
Some are more “grayout.” Search for truly opaque backings, and test ’em in-store by holding the curtain to your face and looking at an interior light; you should see only darkness.
MUTE THE HALLWAY NIGHT-LIGHT.
Draft-stoppers meant to keep air from creeping under doors can also shut out light. Make your own by filling one leg of an old pair of tights with rice and tying the end.
USE THE RIGHT BULB.
Blue light can appear white, so you may not even know if it’s spilling out of your bedside lamp. Which it very well might be, since today’s energy-saving CFLs and LEDs contain up to 35 percent blue light—as much as broad daylight! Swap in bulbs that skip the blue, so you’re not jarred wider awake if you do get up in the night.
