Shhh…Creating Quiet Sleeping Environments
It’s hard to get a good night's sleep when you’re busy listening. Blaring TV sets, snoring partners, loud traffic, barking dogs, and other frustrating noises prevent you from relaxing and sinking into deep, restorative sleep. Generally speaking, noise falls into two categories: noise you can control, and noise you can’t control. Here’s how to deal with both problems in order to create a soothing, restful environment for better sleep.
It’s Up To You
Sometimes we unwittingly create our own problematic sleep environments. If you’ve created the habit of falling asleep in front of the TV, for example, this creates all sorts of issues related not only to sound, but to blue light emissions that can also be disruptive. Create a quiet sleeping environment by switching off your TV and sound system, for starters. Hearing your cell phone chirp and vibrate throughout the night is also distracting. Set your phone to silent or, better yet, leave it in another room so you won’t be tempted to check it throughout the night. If your children or pets sleep with you and are noisy during the night, set a goal to transition them into their bedrooms or other rooms so that you can achieve much-needed sleep.
Noise and the Outside World
In today’s society, many people live near busy streets. If garbage trucks, airport flight paths, ordinary traffic, or other noise disturbances are troubling your sleep, purchase noise-blocking curtains to create a muted effect. You could also move your bedroom to a quieter part of the house; perhaps on the second floor or nearer to the backyard instead of the street. For many people, purchasing comfortable foam earplugs can be a simple solution for blocking unwanted noises – including the sound of your snoring bed partner.
It’s Just Too Quiet…
Some people find absolute quiet to be just as frustrating as external noise. Fortunately, many options exist to address this sleep problem. An electric fan in the bedroom set on a medium setting can be very effective at masking sounds both within the bedroom and from outside. The fan doesn’t have to be pointing at you, but can be aimed at the corner of the room if you prefer. Various retailers offer specially-designed white noise machines for creating pleasant, relaxing ambient noise.
Before Bed: The Sound and The Fury
Sometimes what we hear before bedtime keeps us awake at night. Before bedtime, limit your exposure to potential stressors such as watching the evening news or an action flick. Even quiet talk with a partner can be stress-inducing if the topic is not relaxing. Try to arrange discussions about money, interpersonal problems, or work problems for different parts of the day. Relaxing music, audiobooks, quiet meditation, or pleasant conversation with loved ones are better options.
