How The Environment And Exercise Can Affect Your Sleep

There are many factors that can be involved in your ability to get (or not get) a good nights sleep. Here are the ways that environment and exercise can affect it.

Environment:

A comfortable bed in a dark, quiet room is the best setting for a good nights sleep. Some people seem to adjust easily to changes in sleep environment, but others (such as insomniacs and the elderly) can be easily affected by subtle changes in their sleep surroundings. If light is a problem, use blackout curtains. If noise keeps you awake, use background sound, like a fan, or earplugs.

Even something like a bedroom clock can keep you from sleeping. The more aware you are of what time it is and how much time you may have already lost, or how much time you still have to sleep until the morning, the worse you will sleep. Many people find it is better to set an alarm clock and hide it in a dresser drawer across the room. Sleeping with out "time pressure" is much easier on you.

Exercise:

Regular exercise helps people to sleep better. But it also matters what time of the day you exercise and your overall fitness level. If you are fit, you should avoid exercising within six hours of your bedtime. Exercise in the morning is not going to affect your sleep at night, but it can disrupt your sleep if done too close to going to bed.

On the other hand, too little exercise or limited overall activity can also lead to an inability to sleep well at night. Being bored during the day can be as detrimental to sound sleep as excessive stress is. If you are prone to insomnia, exercise may help you to sleep better.