Your bed is more than just a mattress, pillows, and blankets—it’s a sanctuary that influences your well-being. Avoid these common mistakes for a more comfortable and healthier sleep environment.
1. Buying a Bed Sheet That’s Too Small
Beds come in various sizes, and so should your sheets. A too-small sheet can be a nuisance to tuck in and may ride up during the night. Ensure you purchase the correct size for a snug and smooth fit.
2. Neglecting to Make Your Bed Each Morning
A made bed promotes airflow and removes moisture and sweat from the night before. It also sets a relaxing tone for your bedroom, inviting you to sink into a neat and comfortable space at the end of each day.
3. Skipping Ironing Your Bed Sheet
While it may seem unnecessary, ironing your bed sheet can make a world of difference. For linen and cotton sheets, a quick once-over with an iron can smooth out wrinkles and give your bed a crisp, hotel-like appeal. It also helps keep bugs and mites at bay.
4. Struggling to Put on a Duvet Cover
Don’t let the chore of changing your duvet cover deter you from fresh bedding. Here’s a trick: turn the cover inside out and match the duvet corners to the cover’s corners. Secure the edges, then flip the cover right side out, smoothly encasing the duvet.
5. Eating in Bed
Eating in bed is a recipe for attracting pests like ants, flies, and cockroaches. These critters can cause allergies and transmit diseases. Eating before bed can also lead to tooth decay. Keep meals away from your sleeping area, and remember to change your sheets weekly.
6. Watching TV in Bed
Staring at the TV screen while lying down can strain your eye muscles, leading to pain, swelling, conjunctival congestion, and tearing. Prolonged exposure may even cause glaucoma, blurred vision, reduced visual acuity, and strabismus.
7. Using Your Phone in Bed
Sleep experts from the University of Southern California caution against using electronic devices like phones in bed. The blue light emitted by these devices interferes with your body’s melatonin production, disrupting your natural sleep cycle.
8. Working in Bed
Working in bed, especially with a laptop, is a recipe for discomfort and potential health issues like neck pain and backache. Like phones and TVs, laptops also emit blue light and radiation, which can further disrupt your sleep.
9. Sleeping with Pets
Sharing your bed with pets can disrupt your sleep quality. Their movements and noises can wake you up, and their dander and fur can trigger skin and respiratory issues. Keep your sleeping area clean and pet-free for optimal rest.
An Nhien – Vietnamnet
Frequently asked questions
There are several bedtime mistakes that people often make that can impact their health and overall well-being. These include staying up late and not getting enough sleep, consuming caffeine or alcohol before bed, sleeping in an uncomfortable environment, using electronic devices right before bed, eating a heavy meal late at night, going to bed angry or stressed, not establishing a bedtime routine, sleeping with pets, and ignoring sleep disorders or disturbances.
Establishing a bedtime routine is crucial for improving sleep quality. This can include setting a consistent bedtime and wake-up time, creating a relaxing bedtime ritual such as reading or listening to soothing music, avoiding stimulating activities and screens before bed, ensuring your bedroom is cool, dark, and comfortable, and practicing relaxation techniques such as deep breathing or meditation.
Caffeine and alcohol can disrupt your sleep patterns and reduce sleep quality. Caffeine is a stimulant that can keep you awake and disrupt your sleep schedule, while alcohol may help you fall asleep initially but can cause disrupted sleep later in the night, including wakefulness and reduced REM sleep.
Sleeping in an uncomfortable environment, such as a room that is too hot, cold, noisy, or bright, can impact your sleep quality. Ensuring your bedroom is maintained at a comfortable temperature, minimizing noise, and blocking out light can help create a more conducive environment for restful sleep.
The use of electronic devices before bed can disrupt your sleep. The blue light emitted by screens can suppress melatonin production, a hormone that regulates sleep. Additionally, engaging in stimulating activities or consuming stressful or disturbing content before bed can make it harder to fall asleep and impact your overall sleep quality.
Introducing the 7:3:3 formula for effortless weight loss. Forget strict dieting or grueling workouts, this simple plan is your key to a slimmer, healthier you.
“Many people overlook the proper use of their washing machines, which can lead to not only ineffective cleaning but also a shorter lifespan for the appliance.”
Mai Phương Thúy is renowned for her naturally flawless complexion, a rarity among beauty pageant titleholders. She attributes her radiant skin not to expensive cosmetics or aesthetic procedures, but to a closely guarded secret.