Health experts have known that quality sleep is essential for a person’s health and well-being since ancient times. About 2000 years back, the first medical stalwart Hippocrates noted that a proper amount of sleep is necessary for health. Human physiology hasn’t changed since then, so hasn’t the importance of sleep in ensuring a person’s physical, mental, and emotional health. Getting adequate sleep brings several benefits from how energized you feel to your intelligence dexterity. We will get back to sleep benefits in a bit. Still, it is helpful to note that inadequate amounts of sleep can put you at risk for many health issues ranging from diabetes to depression.
Sadly, our realization of exactly how vital sleep has not contributed much to get enough of the same. On the contrary, experts find that sleep deprivation is on the rise alarmingly-especially in the developed world. There are millions of people who do not get adequate sleep. This deprives them of the daily rest they need to rejuvenate themselves.
The various environmental factors like noise, temperature, light, electronic devices, and comfortable bedding have a significant role in your sleep. They serve to ensure you stay well as far as your sleep and its benefits and lacking issues are concerned.
Environmental Factors Affecting Sleep
The impact of recreational media and technology on sleep is well known. Israeli researchers conducted a study on eighth and ninth-grade students regarding teenagers and electronic media. The study found that teens who used electronic media too much also experienced problems with their sleep during the day. Another finding was that teens who had TVs in their bedrooms went to bed later and slept less. The results make it evident that adolescents’ lifestyle needs to be regulated, which is hardly an easy thing to do.
Another environmental aspect that plays a crucial role in determining the sleep-wake patterns and the quality of sleep is environmental noise. Suppose you are exposed to high levels of sound during your sleep. In that case, it is far more likely to affect the intensity of the rest and, as a result, interrupt your sleep more. It also increases the production of stress hormones. It helps to have an inviting bed with organic, natural mattresses that ensure a highly comfortable sleep. Research by German Scientists finds that such low quality of sleep has far-reaching consequences. It does not merely make you feel tired and affects your cognitive abilities in the short term. Such effects detrimental to your health include cardiovascular problems and increased consumption of medication.
Noise is a common environmental factor that affects sleep. You should note that as far as noise during sleep is concerned, sudden, occasional sounds create more disturbances than a continuous sound. Accordingly, research suggests that young people living in urban areas are deprived of sleep, often chronically. That, in turn, usually affects a person’s mood.
Ways To Improve Environment For A Better Sleep
You can diminish the amount of noise creeping into your bedroom in various ways. The following tips will help you make your bedroom better suited for sound sleep, free from any disturbances that might interrupt it or hinder its quality. These tips are:
- Make your bed comfortable and even inviting. Make sure all the bedding items like sheets, pillows, covers, and comforters are comfortable.
- Another thing you need to do is to turn off the lights and to make your room dark while going to sleep. It sends the message that it’s rest time to your body. Do your best to ensure that there is little light by blocking light sources with curtains and shades.
- Make sure you switch off all electronic gadgets like TVs, PCs, and smartphones.
- Ensure that there is as little sound present in the room as possible. Accordingly, turn off electronic devices, close bedroom doors, and block out outside noise using heavy curtains.
- Set the thermostat temperature to something you find comfortable while sleeping
Benefits Of Adequate Quality Sleep
Lack of quality sleep or inadequacy of the same in terms of its duration may result from various disorders or other environmental reasons. Irrespective of the cause, lack of sleep affects a healthy body and mind, social and emotional health. In this regard, one should specially mention the role of sleep in preventing diabetes, which is a very, very common health issue among people these days. There is clinical research that associates lack of proper sleep with various inabilities to work and play properly.
Additionally, research also finds that proper sleep comes with the following benefits:
- Enhance your quality of life and improve overall well being
- Make your immunity stronger and fight infection
- Improve work or school performance
- It makes your memory stronger
- Helps in sugar metabolism, thereby keeping diabetes at bay
- Help prevent cardiovascular issues
- Ensures a longer life
There is a wide range of factors that can potentially affect your sleep. Among these factors, the ones related to your sleeping environment are critical. You need to identify and address the environment’s issues, which might harm your sleep. Hopefully, the information in this article will help you sleep better!
Become a Harlem Insider!
By submitting this form, you are consenting to receive marketing emails from: . You can revoke your consent to receive emails at any time by using the SafeUnsubscribe® link, found at the bottom of every email. Emails are serviced by Constant Contact
