Welcome back to our Expert Tips for Healthier Homes series!
We've talked about keeping an overall healthier home, as well as how to keep your kitchen in ship-shape. Now, let's take it to the bedroom!
Did you know that a third of all the air you breathe in your life will come from one room? Yep, that room is your bedroom. It's one thing to lead a healthy lifestyle when you're awake - watching what you eat and reminding yourself to exercise is a lot easier to do while conscious, after all. But have you given much thought to the room where you spend 33.33% of your life?
The biggest way to help improve your health in the bedroom is consistently getting a good night's sleep. And you can make your bed as comfy as your heart desires, but there are quite a few environmental factors that impact how well you sleep.
Tip #1: Train Your Brain
Your brain can be a bit like a puppy at times, perking up at the smallest sights and sounds. That's why it's so important to make your bedroom a total relaxation zone. This means turning off or completely removing things that stimulate the brain, like a TV or your cell phone. In addition to putting the electronics away, don't do work in the bedroom. Your brain needs to see your bedroom as a space for relaxing and sleeping.
Pro-tip: Skylights can help train your brain to sleep sounder! With their unique positioning on the roof, skylights bring in daylight in the morning, which can help balance your circadian rhythm.
Tip #2: Black Out and Blue Out
Light is the main component to signal to our brains that it's time to be awake. So, to get a better night's sleep, it's important to limit the amount of light in your bedroom as well as certain types of light. Specifically, blue light does not belong in the bedroom. This type of light stimulates your brain, sometimes as long as two hours after you've turned it off. The source of blue light? Electronics. Remove those from your bedroom or install software that automatically adjusts the screen color.
Of course, you can't get rid of all the light in one room. You still need to see, after all. So swap out your light bulbs for tunable bulbs you can dim or bulbs that produce a more sleep-inducing warm light. Then, once you're asleep, stay asleep with a sleep mask or room-darkening shades.
Pro-tip: If you've got skylights in your bedroom or would like to install one there, VELUX has you covered! We've got pre-installed blackout blinds that block even the brightest sunlight so you can snooze on.
Tip #3: Treat Yourself by Treating the Air
Again, a third of all the air you breathe in your life is coming from your bedroom. That is a substantial amount. So, it's important to make sure that air is healthy. Air purifiers are great for capturing airborne dust, especially if you live close to a busy road or in an area with poor outdoor air pollution. Speaking of outdoor air quality, keep your windows closed when pollen or smog presence is high. And when it's cold and dry out, a humidifier set at a higher moister level is good for your skin and respiratory system; it also helps decrease airborne influenza survival time.
Pro-tip: VELUX ACTIVE with NETATMO monitors the air in your entire house and will open or close your skylights accordingly to ensure healthier indoor air quality.
Tip #4: Keep it Cool
It's been found that keeping your bedroom cool at night is one fo the best determinants of sleep quality. Temps between 65-70°F are ideal for staying comfortable throughout the night. Adjust bedding and blankets by season for maximum comfort. And during warm nights, stay cool by using a fan or cracking open a window (when it's safe).
Pro-tip: Skylights can help freshen and cool down the air in your home just like windows. But since skylights are positioned on your roof, you won't have to sacrifice privacy or safety when opening them.
Tip #5: And Keep it Quiet
Noise is one of the biggest sleep disrupters. But falling asleep with an object (fan, air purifier) or an app that creates white noise or other soothing sounds can help you tune out intermittent or unexpected noises (the type to wake you up) while you sleep. And every night once you're ready to go to sleep, be sure to put your phone and other devices on silent to prevent noise interruptions.
Pro-tip: VELUX's Clean, Quiet & Safe Glass reduces unwanted outside noise by up to 25% compared to standard double pane glass and up to 50% compared to plastic skylights.
