Research has shown that the temperature of where you sleep can greatly effect the way that you sleep. If it’s too cold (both in the room and in the bed), then your body will shiver and you’ll wake up feeling tired and groggy. If it’s too hot, on the other hand, then you’re prone to sweat and be restless. Ideally, your bedroom should be kept slightly cool… various research has found that temperatures around 62 F (16 C) are very good for restful sleep. A sleep environment that gets too warm, such as above 71 F (24 C), tends to cause restlessness and loss of sleep. Additionally, a child’s room should be kept on a reasonably even level at around 65 F (18 C).
Of course, the humidity of the room also plays a part in how well you sleep. If the humidity is low, your throat and lungs will tend to feel dry and you may be up all night coughing and hacking. If it’s high, on the other hand, you’ll tend to sweat more and it won’t evaporate as quickly. Look into getting a small humidifier if you live in an area with relatively low humidity, even if you only run it at night; if you live with high humidity, use bed linens made of natural fibers that are soft and absorbent and sleep in light cotton pajamas to keep sweat off of you but still let the body breathe.
You Made Your Bed, Now Lay In It
Obviously, the type of bed that you have can make a huge difference in the quality of sleep that you get. If you find that you have aches and pains in the mornings that fade away within a matter of hours, then you need to get yourself a new mattress. Changing an uncomfortable mattress to a comfortable one has been found to have many positive sleep benefits, including sleep of a higher quality and a reduction of restlessness at night.
Of course, there are a variety of beds out there, and going mattress shopping can sometimes be almost as worrisome as shopping for a car. Should you buy a memory foam mattress, or one of those orthopedic beds you saw on tv, or maybe even a water bed? Lay down on the mattress in the store, to get a feel for the firmness and support of the mattress. Do you feel relaxed or slightly tired upon laying on it? If so, you might want to consider coming back to it after you’ve checked out some of the other mattresses. The goal of a mattress is to support you in comfort; if you find one that does it well, you’ll be amazed at the difference that it makes.