Springtime cleaning is an excellent practice to organize your home and improve your mood1. This year, why not take special care to optimize your bedroom for better sleep? Getting quality rest is essential for good health. It's especially important to have a comfortable sleep environment if you have sleep apnea and use a CPAP, as good sleep hygiene makes a CPAP use easier2. Together, these two tactics can greatly improve your sleep quality so you wake up feeling refreshed. Check out these tips for making your bedroom an oasis of comfort that supports your CPAP therapy needs.
Optimize the Lighting
Light in the bedroom3 is one of the most common reasons behind poor quality sleep. Fortunately, this one is easy to fix. First, use blackout curtains or shades to block external light coming in from the windows. Next, switch to low-wattage bulbs and warm-toned lighting for your bedside lamps. Blue light4 is one of the biggest nighttime culprits for throwing off the body's circadian rhythm. Avoid the negative effects of blue light by eliminating screen use at least one or two hours before your bedtime.
Control Noise Levels
Environmental noise5 that reaches your bedroom can leave you unable to fall asleep or cause you to wake up during the night. This interrupts your sleep cycle and leaves you feeling tired. Eliminating all noise is ideal, but you may not be able to achieve this option. Insulating your walls, windows, and doors can help minimize external noise. You can also use white noise machines, fans, or apps to mask disruptive sounds, including the sound of your CPAP machine.
Regulate Temperature
You may find it difficult to sleep if your bedroom isn't at the right temperature6. Try to keep the room cool and between the recommended temperatures of 60–67°F (15–19°C) to prevent waking up due to discomfort. If you are a hot sleeper, use breathable bedding materials like cotton or bamboo to help move heat away from your body and keep you cooler.
Declutter and Simplify
Keeping your bedroom clean, organized, and free of distractions will also improve your sleep. Clutter negatively impacts sleep7 in a big way. The mess can cause you to feel anxious and stressed over having unfinished tasks, which prevents you from resting easily.
Decluttering your bedroom is a simple enough job. Remove non-sleep-related items like work desks and exercise equipment, and keep your clothes and other personal things picked up and put away. If you use a CPAP, find a way to organize your sleep equipment so it's out of the way but still at hand for use. These CPAP nightstands are made specifically to accommodate CPAP equipment and keep it stored neatly out of sight.
Invest in Sleep Essentials
A good, supportive mattress can make a huge difference in how you sleep at night. Invest in a high-quality mattress8 that relieves pressure on your joints, keeps your spine in alignment, and keeps you cool.
Once you have the right mattress, make sure you choose comfortable bedding like soft, hypoallergenic sheets and blankets. Then, add some comfortable pillows suited to your sleep position. The Ultimate CPAP pillow is an excellent choice if you are a side or stomach sleeper and use a CPAP at night. The design helps keep you comfortable and prevents air leaks. With the right sleep essentials, you should soon notice a marked improvement in how you sleep.
References
- Cleveland Clinic – Spring Cleaning for Your Mental Health
- ResMed – Can't get to sleep with CPAP? 7 Tips for Sleep
- Michigan Medicine – How to Use Bedroom Lighting to Improve Sleep Quality
- Harvard Health Publishing – Blue light has a dark side
- Sleep Foundation – How Noise Can Affect Your Sleep Satisfaction
- Cleveland Clinic – What's the Best Temperature for Sleep?
- Sleep.com – How to Declutter and Organize Your Bedroom for Better Sleep
- Sleep Foundation – How Does Your Sleep Change With a New Mattress?
