Preparing for a good night's rest is more than just getting in the bed. It's essential that your environment is conducive for rest. Below is a list of 7 bedroom dos and don'ts for perfect sleeping. 

Get Blackout Curtains

Your room should be dark. Really dark. Barely-able-to-see dark. If you live out in the country, away from city lights, this is much easier for you – you might not even need blackout curtains.

However, most people live in our near city lights. If that’s you, get blackout curtains. More importantly, living in Alaska we have a handful of months out of the year where it’s light year round. No outside lights should be visible from your room.

You can make blackout curtains yourself, or buy them online for relatively cheap (about $20). Some things to keep in mind with blackout curtains are:

• Make sure they hang down a couple of inches below and out from the edges of the windowpane
• Make sure they are thick enough to keep all light out
• Use them over blinds for increased effectiveness

In the same vein of thought, make sure no lights are on inside your house, such as night lights, flashing lights from electronics, etc. Remember, your room should be almost pitch black! Especially in our summers here in Alaska, this is a must.

DON’T Forget to Clean Your Room

Maintaining a clean and tidy room is essential for a good night's rest. A clutter-free environment not only smells better but also creates a sense of calm and relaxation. Imagine a sanctuary where you don't have to worry about searching for things or feeling frustrated. With just a little bit of time and effort, you can transform your room into a peaceful haven, rather than a chaotic storage container. Ensure there is no clutter on the ground, keep your nightstand organized, and decorate with pleasant and soothing elements. Let your room be a reflection of tranquility and serenity, where you can truly unwind and find solace.

DO Use White Noise or Earplugs

Most of us live in or around the city where there is noise. Noise is not good for sleep. It can keep you from sleeping. Sudden noises can wake you from deep sleep or, just as frustrating, pull you back from the brink of sleep.

Especially in our Alaskan summers with mostly daylight, the road noise and people noise can get obnoxious. Winter time, when it’s darker and the snow masks much of the rode noise, it’s easier to achieve quiet at night.

A great thing to do is get a fan, set it near your window (where the noise comes in), and set in on low at night. This white noise will help down out the noise and, for many people, is even helpful for sleep.

All that being said, a fan won’t drown out a snoring or noisy bed partner. In this case, ear plugs may be essential. They are not comfortable at first, but most people quickly adjust to using them with little trouble.

DON’T Use Electronics Before Bed

Blue light significantly interrupts melatonin production, and keeps you from getting to sleep and sleeping deeply. Melatonin is the hormone that helps you regulate sleep – it makes you tired and induces deep sleep. As its production wanes in the morning, we start to rouse.

While it’s certainly nice to watch a movie or show, check email, play games on your phone/tablet, or browse the web before bed, these electronics are all sources of blue light, and they will hamper your sleep quality.

In the hour before bed, you should avoid using blue-light emitting electronics. No computers. No phones. No television. Simply remove them from your room, as if they are in your room they tend to be too tempting.

In a related conversation, make sure there are no other sources of light in your room, such as lights on inside your house, night lights, flashing lights from electronics, etc.

DO Invest in a Nice Pillow

Do you wake up with neck pain? Does your neck get stiff at night and you have to rouse and move to get comfortable again? Do your arms/hands fall asleep at night?

All of these can be heavily mediated by your pillow. A nice pillow is not a luxury, it’s a necessity.

A nice pillow can change your sleeping-life in a good or bad way. The difference between an ergonomic, memory foam pillow and the cheapest pillow you can find is only about $20. This is the price of a few lattes. And considering how long our pillows last and how much difference they can make in your quality of sleep, that $20 a fantastic investment.

DON’T Skimp on Nice Sheets

Like your pillow, nice sheets shouldn’t just be a luxury. They can be instrumental in giving you that warm and fuzzy feeling that helps you get to sleep. Nice sheets not only feel more comfortable, but they usually breath better which is nice in hot summers.

Also like pillows, the difference between high quality and low quality sheets is not much money: perhaps $40 or $50. Considering that sheets tend to last a couple of years or more, depending on your use, they are an excellent investment.

Nice sheets include higher thread count (600+), with a range of different materials from cotton to bamboo. What matters is what materials feels best to you.

DON’T Invest in an Expensive Bed Unless You Can Afford It (DO Get a Topper)

Nice beds can be incredibly comfortable. They can also be incredibly expensive. Is a $4,000 well reviewed bed worth it? That all depends on your budget. Most of us don’t have that much money to spend on a mattress.

If you do have the money, then great. If you don’t have the money, that doesn’t mean you need to settle for an uncomfortable mattress. The rise of memory foam and similar materials means having an extraordinarily comfortable bed can be inexpensive.

If you don’t have the budget for an expensive mattress, for less than $150 dollars you can get top quality mattress toppers of different materials and harnesses to suite your specific preferences. Combine that with nice sheets and a nice pillow, for under $300 dollars you can sleep like a king/queen.

DO Get an Aromatherapy Diffuser

A nice smelling room is good for sleep. It’s relaxing. It’s also a wonderful way to condition yourself (like Pavlov’s dog) to prepare for sleep.

Aromatherapy diffusers are an excellent way to make your room smell good for not much money (around $30). To do it, simply:

• Get an aromatherapy diffuser – one with settings is preferable
• Choose a scent that you like and find relaxing (spas use eucalyptus)
• Use the same scent every night
• An hour before bed, turn the diffuser

DO Have a Pitch Black Room

Your room should be really dark. Pitch black, or at least almost pitch black. In our winters here in Alaska, this isn’t hard to accomplish – regular curtains or blinds might even work if you aren’t too close to city lights. But in summers, blackout curtains are essential. Nothing else will suffice.

A dark room is critical for sleep, as melatonin (the sleep hormone) is regulated by changes in light and dark. If your room is still bright when you are trying to go to sleep, it can heavily impede your sleep. Fortunately, blackout curtains are not expensive. For $20 you can get a nice set. Or for $5 you can make them yourself.

Here are some additional tips for blackout curtains:

• Make sure they are a few inches wider and longer than your window frame in order to block out all light
• Make sure they are thick enough to keep even daylight out
• Use blackout curtains in tandem with blinds for increased effectiveness

Remember, your room should be almost pitch black, even in summers.

If you live in Alaska and have created a dream room for sleeping but are still struggling with sleep problems, it’s definitely time to consult with your doctor or a sleep specialist. Take our free online sleep test to get started.