5 Senses for Sleep
Getting a great night’s sleep can be hard work. So much so, that many people overthink the process, and miss the mark by a mile when making changes to help them achieve the great night’s sleep they require. One effective strategy for maximizing your sleep and transforming your bedroom into an ideal sleep oasis is to incorporate all five senses into the bedroom to promote a better night’s sleep night after night.
- Sight - Create Visual Appeal That Soothes Rather Than Stimulates
Far too many bedrooms are feasts of light, color, and visual noise. Some even have more than a fair amount of clutter to contend with. Some bedrooms are even filled with clutter that cause stress, and keep the mind awake at night instead of providing the soothing, spa-like oasis your bedroom needs to be. To use the sense of sight in creating a sleep oasis, choose soothing colors, clean horizontal spaces, and minimal décor and furnishing.
The other thing you can do in your bedroom is to install room darkening curtains, blinds, or shades. While it’s amazing to have natural light filtering into the master bedroom during the daytime, these windows expose exterior sunlight, traffic lights, moonlight, and more when you’re trying to block out the light so you can sleep. Draw the blinds at night with light darkening window coverings to keep the light out, and allow you to get the full measure of sleep you require, regardless of when the sun sets or rises.
- Sound – Eliminate Unnecessary Sound Pollution from Your Sleep Space
From televisions and radios to mobile phones and computers, electronics in the bedroom create noise pollution on an unprecedented scale. Removing these things from your bedroom altogether can help you get the sleep you need undisturbed by strange noises that distract your mind from rest.
If your bedroom is in a location where noises from outside your home disturb your sleep, consider using a white noise machine to create a more soothing atmosphere undisturbed by these other noises. Noises that disrupt sleep can be anything, including:
- Traffic
- Trains
- People
- Animals
- Businesses
Once you eliminate these noises, and replace them with more soothing sounds, sleep should not be nearly as elusive.
- Scent – Fill Your Room with Pleasant Natural Aromas
There are two simple ways you can do this with amazing, sleep-inducing effects. One is essential oil diffusers. These diffusers release essential oils into the air, so you can create a soothing aroma in your bedroom that promotes relaxation and sleep. Great fragrances to consider include:
- Geranium
- Bergamot
- Chamomile
- Lavender
Of course, essential oils and diffusers aren’t for everyone. Fortunately, that’s not the only choice to create beautiful fragrance in your bedroom while promoting sleep. Another option is to bring live plants into the bedroom. Not only are they excellent choices for filtering air and keeping things fresh inside your bedroom, they also have the added benefit, when you choose the right plants, of helping you to relax, so you can get a better night’s sleep. Some of the best plants for this are:
- Lavender
- Vanilla
- Valerian
- Gardenia
- Jasmine
Additionally, a Kansas State University study concluded that hospital patients who had ornamental indoor plants were able to recover from surgery faster and experience improved vital signs, along with less stress, anxiety, and fatigue during the healing process.
- Taste – Drink Something Soothing
Consider setting up a drink station in your bedroom, and keeping a supply of soothing caffeine-free teas on hand to help promote sleep at night. The great thing about tea is that it can pull double duty, offering a hint of aromatherapy while providing something that tastes amazing to drink right before calling it a night.
The flavors you choose can also have a significant impact on the quality of sleep you receive. Consider teas containing one of the following ingredients for the best possible sleep results:
- Chamomile
- Lavender
- Valerian
- Passionflower
Each of these teas offers other health benefits to consider. Choose one that offers the best combination of health benefits and flavor as your tea of choice, or mix things up to see which one helps you fall asleep faster, and stay asleep longer.
- Touch – Switch to a Mattress that Offers Perfect Combination of Comfort and Support
When it comes to truly transforming your bedroom into a sleep oasis, your mattress tops the list. Too much softness and comfort, and you could find you’re lacking essential support. If the mattress is too rigid, you may have adequate support and insufficient comfort. The Latex for Less latex mattress features the finest quality of 100% natural latex, organic cotton, and pure natural wool to create an amazingly comfortable sleep experience without sacrificing critical support.
The key is to incorporate all five senses into the process of creating an amazing sleep oasis that promotes restful sleep night after night.
