Sleep Specifics: Comfort, Technology, and Routines

We spend a third of our lives asleep, so it is crucial, but it can be hard to know the specifics of sleep. To get optimal sleep, you need to pay attention to sleep positions, lighting before bed, clothing, and more. If you want to track your sleep, there are many options for sleep trackers. In this article, I will discuss all the specifics of sleep to help you stay healthy. If you are interested in learning more about its benefits, check out the sleep category.

Positions

Sleep positions are one of the most essential sleep factors, as you stay like that all night. Some are side sleepers, some sleep on their stomach and others sleep on their back.

Sleep positions matter much less for young and healthy teenagers, but there are still some things to consider. If you sleep on your side or stomach, your face will be in contact with your pillows and sheets much more, possibly leading to acne and other skin issues. To learn more about acne, check out my article Acne: Types, Treatments, and Causes. Regardless of the bedding you choose, you should be sure to wash your sheets and pillowcases regularly (about once a week)to combat hygiene problems.

If you weigh more, you should try to avoid sleeping on your back, as it makes it more difficult to breathe. If you are a teenager, the best sleeping position is whatever is most comfortable for you.

Summary:

Choose a sleep position that is most comfortable for you.

Pillows and Blankets

Lots of different types of pillows are advertised to help you sleep better. Regardless of the pillows you get, if you are a side sleeper, try to keep your neck straight to prevent your neck from being sore the next day. No matter your sleeping position, try to keep your shoulders aligned with your hips. If you wake up with neck pain or headaches, try adjusting your pillows. Heated blankets and weighted blankets may also help some people sleep better.

Lighting

Lighting is vital for optimal sleep quality and length. Blue light is the worst kind of light for sleep. It suppresses the production of an important hormone called melatonin. Melatonin helps you fall asleep and stay asleep all night, so when you are exposed to more blue light you will get worse sleep.

The most common source of blue light is electronic devices. Lowering your usage of electronics before bed can drastically affect your sleep.

If you have smart lights, you can schedule them to dim (e.g. 40% at 8 P.M.), helping signal to your body that it is time for bed. Blackout curtains can also be helpful for your sleep, especially if you live in an area with lots of light at night.

Summary:

Lighting is vital for good sleep. Try to avoid blue light exposure at night to improve your sleep.

Smart Home Automation

Many home automations and routines are available to increase your sleep quality. Of course, you need a home assistant for them to work. As I mentioned in the previous section, you can schedule your lights to dim, but there are many other routines to try.

As an example, I will detail my automation for optimal sleep. At 8 P.M., my light automatically dims to 40% brightness. When I go to sleep, I can say good night to my Alexa, and it will arm the security cameras, turn my light and fan off, set my air purifier to its quietest setting, wish me good night, and tell me when my alarm will go off. All these things happen in just a few seconds, but improve my sleep by reducing background noise and light. When I dismiss my alarm in the morning, my light turns on to wake me up faster, and Alexa tells me the date, time, and weather.

Summary:

If you have the technology, smart home automations are a great way to improve your sleep.

Trackers and Technology

Many beneficial technologies and sleep trackers are available to help you track and improve your sleep.

Best Value Sleep Trackers

Many sleep trackers are available, but the best value sleep tracker I can find is the Fitbit Inspire 2 (Affiliate link).

Most Accurate Sleep Trackers

There are many expensive, but high-quality devices with sleep-tracking abilities, including:

• Apple Watch SE (Affiliate Link)
• Apple Watch Series 8 (Affiliate Link)
• Oura Ring

AirPods Pro Noise Cancelation

If you have AirPods Pro, you can use the noise cancellation feature to remove background noise and improve sleep. If you do not have AirPods Pro, earplugs work well too.

Summary:

From sleep trackers to AirPods, many technologies can help you sleep better.

Clothing

Clothing is key for sleep. Some choose to wear pyjamas, and others choose to wear nothing at night. It is all personal preference. The only thing to consider is to ensure you do not wear tight-fitted clothes. Tight clothes increase your core body temperature and make it more difficult to sleep.

Conclusion

In conclusion, there are many specifics of sleep that many do not discuss. I hope the information I provided in this article has helped you improve your sleep and overall quality of life. If you are interested in learning more about sleep, check out the sleep category on my website.