Small Step # 28 Prioritize Sleep in the Dark
It may sound silly, but creating a truly dark room was a game changer for my sleep success! For years, the coverings on my bedroom windows were sheer blinds that were pointless for blocking light. I found I often had trouble falling asleep because of the distractions of the street lights coming in the window, or I’d wake during the night alerted by a neighbor’s headlights as they passed by. Sometimes I tried sleeping with an eye mask, but I found it annoying to have something on my face and it usually never stayed put.
Once I added black out curtains to block the outside light, the outdoor distractions went away and I was able to fall—and stay– asleep more soundly. Then I spent some time inside my room adjusting and blocking various lights. I put covers over the light from the thermostat, the security alarm, and even the tiny on/off light on the television to block their glow in the darkness. My solution was a tiny piece of black duct tape over the tiny light bulbs.Yes, my husband thinks I’m slightly eccentric, but I found these little lights were affecting my sleep when their tiny light beacons would wake me in the middle of the night. Now that they’re blocked, I’m no longer distracted and sleep a lot more soundly.
