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A good night’s sleep can make all the difference to your day, and experts recommend that we all aim for seven to eight hours of peaceful sleep each night in order to lead happy and healthy lives, free of mental stresses and physical fatigue that can result from an imbalanced sleeping schedule.
Unfortunately, a lot of people struggle with sleep disorders like insomnia, while many others simply find it difficult to manage their time effectively and get enough rest each night. This might be due to too much stress in their daily lives or some kind of physical condition. There have even been cases where people develop sleep disorders after motorcycle accidents.
Well, if you want to improve your sleep quality, there are various ways to do so. You can start off by setting a strict bedtime for yourself and trying to stick to it, as well as cutting out screens and devices before bed in order to calm yourself down and prepare your body and mind for the rest ahead.
Another good way to build up your chances of a good night’s sleep is to take a closer look at your bed, as the mattress, sheets, and pillows could all be having quite a big influence on how easy or hard you find it to drift off each evening. Here are some interesting ways your bed might be affecting your sleep quality.
Overheating Sheets
Some people find themselves waking up time and time again each night, feeling hot and sticky, and struggling to cool down. If you find yourself in a similar situation, it might be because the sheets on your mattress are of poor quality or haven’t been designed with breathable, cooling materials.
If you live in a hot area or simply tend to overheat in the night, it’s vital to switch to some breathable sheets that offer efficient temperature wicking, effectively allowing them to soak up heat from your body to help you stay cool and fresh, all through the night.
You might also opt for a mattress that has a layer of cooling gel built into its design. This can have a huge impact on your sleep quality, reducing the risk of you waking up covered in sweat in the early hours of a summer morning.
Overly Soft Pillows
When choosing pillows, many people look for the softest option possible, enjoying the thought of their head and neck sinking down into that soft, fluffy material, and it’s certainly true that soft pillows can be oh so comfortable in certain situations.
However, it is possible for pillows to be too soft, and when this happens, they might be putting your body at risk and affecting your quality of sleep in the process. Just as a mattress needs to be sufficiently firm to support your spine, a pillow should also be sufficiently firm to support your head and neck.
If the pillow is too soft, you can sink too far into it, leading to excess pressure building up around the neck and back of the head, depending on how you sleep. This might lead to you waking up with an aching neck, unsure of what caused it.
The Wrong Firmness Level
Mattresses can come in a wide range of firmness levels, from soft and plushy memory foam mattresses that seem to shape to your body like clouds, right up to extra firm, orthopedic mattresses that aim to offer maximum pressure relief along the spine and other key areas.
It’s absolutely essential to choose the right firmness level to meet your needs, but a lot of people end up making the wrong choice. This is why it’s worth testing out a few different firmness levels and seeing which one feels best for your body.
Often, those with back or neck pain should opt for a firmer mattress, while those who enjoy a soft, foamy feel will prefer a softer one. Your usual sleeping position can also have a huge impact on what level of firmness you choose. Side sleepers may prefer a softer mattress they can really sink into for proper hip support, while front or back sleepers might need something a little firmer.
Conclusion
It’s clear to see that, as well as outside factors like stress and fatigue, physical factors like the pillows, sheets, and mattress you use each night can have a major impact on your sleeping standards. So if you find yourself waking up again and again or struggling with insomnia, the solution could be as simple as making a few little changes to your bedding.
