I thought I had already posted extensively about insomnia and sleep, but apparently that was only in my mind. I spent a good period of time a few years ago battling chronic insomnia, which led me to try everything I could. The greatest thing I can advise anyone who is suffering from insomnia to do is: BLOCK ALL FORMS OF LIGHT!
Light is the enemy of sleep. Especially in this day and age where there are so many tiny sources of light in our homes. From what I read long ago, and I can’t remember the source, it is said that even a small bit of light on the back of the knee can affect sleep. Thus, we need to be vigilant if we want good, continuous sleep. So, let me tell you all the ways I’ve light-proofed my bedroom.
First, and perhaps easiest, is room-darkening curtains. These are fairly easy to find at any store that sells drapes and are not extravagantly expensive. I went 3-fold on my windows: blinds, sheers, and room-darkening drapes. Ensure at night that they are pulled tight without any gaps. That takes care of the natural light that can enter the room.
Next, things can get a bit tedious.
Easy enough, sleep with your door completely shut and ensure there are no lights on in the house outside your door that will shine through the cracks. Then, you need to seek out every single source of artificial light in your room. This includes tiny lights on computer charging cords, on your cellphone, from your cable box, power strips, etc. These lights seem insidious, because as you cover one, you will suddenly find another… or your husband will bring an additional electronic into the room overnight that will drive you mad.
Once I located all these sources, I purchased fabric and sewed small covers for each one. As I said, tedious. Even more tedious sometimes is figuring out how to cover each light. For some reason, some genius decided that humidifiers should have night lights. WHY?!?! Dear gods, why?! Just so I have to literally tape a fabric cover over the area that shines into my dark haven. Thankfully, now we’ve installed a whole house humidifier, so I don’t have to have one in my room anymore but come on!
Really, it seems every single electronic in the bedroom has some sort of light on it. On my air purifier, I just drape the fabric cover over the notification panel. Cell phones and tablets get turned over (which doesn’t help when husbands forget to turn them over and his cell phone has a blinking light). The cable box has a cover taped on and power strips are the same plus they are hidden behind dressers.
The only item that I have not covered is the smoke detector. I’m concerned about covering the damned blinking red light on it for fear of not knowing if it malfunctions. So often I am startled in the dark by a sharp flash of red. No fun but better than missing out on maintenance of this important piece of equipment.
Also, consider this your friendly reminder: check your smoke detectors and change your batteries. First of the year is a great time to remember to change them and ensure they are all in working order!
So, that is about it as pertains to light. Of course, you also want to avoid alcohol (despite its lugubrious effects, it negatively impacts sleep), caffeine, and sugar too close to bedtime. Also, vigorous exercise should be completed several hours before you intend to go to sleep, as it releases endorphins that will interfere with sleep.