30-Day Rest + Refresh Reset: Days 8-10

The Room Where It Happens: Let’s Optimize Your Bedroom

Photo by Rhema Kallianpur

Even if all we do is sleep in our bedroom, we (fingers crossed) spend a third of our life there. So optimizing your bedroom can have a big impact on sleep quality. Here are a few things to look for and tuneups to consider. 

Make your room as dark as possible. Light can really disrupt your circadian rhythm and impact your levels of melatonin, the go-to-sleep hormone. One study found that even a single night of moderate light exposure during sleep (think a streetlight shining through your window) increased heart rate, decreased heart rate variability, and increased next-morning insulin resistance in otherwise-healthy adults. Other studies have found it impacts mood and mental health and increases risk for diabetes and hypertension.¹ To make it a dreamy den of darkness: 

• Hang blackout curtains or try a sleep mask. Often masks make me feel a bit claustrophobic so I love this one with concave eyeholes. 

• Inside, try warm, amber-hued light bulbs on a dimmer². Too-bright overhead or lamp light can also suppress melatonin and keep you in awake mode. Start to dim your lighting about an hour before bedtime.