When you have a small space, it can’t be avoided that you will have to use your rooms for varied purposes.
While it would be awesome to have the bedroom for the sole purpose of sleeping only – that is not possible when you have limited space.
For your children – it could be their study room and playroom at the same time. Similar to adults, their bedroom can be the venue of their other activities aside from sleeping.
The thing with a multi-purpose room, because it’s used in several ways – it could now be a room that isn’t sleep-friendly. So what can you do with this predicament? What should you do when you can’t have separate rooms for different activities?
There are ways to make your room more conducive for sleep even when you don’t have much space. Here are a few ideas that you can do:
3 Ways to Create a Sleep-Friendly Room
1. Take away the clutter.
Sometimes, you may be faced with the dreaded situation wherein your room is so full of junk you just can’t store it all away in the cupboards and shelves. If this does happen, then it may be worth looking into a service that can provide a dumpster rental in your area as you’ll be able to get all of the redundant stuff gone for good.
Clutter is distracting. Imagine you are about to sleep but you see a project of yours lying around. When you leave them visible, you will be tempted to work on them even if it’s bedtime already.
That goes for your other stuff scattered around the room as well. Your tables and chairs, even your bed could be piled up with your stuff. How can you rest well when your room is in a disarray?
If you do a lot of your projects and hobbies inside your room, don’t leave them scattered around after you finish with them for the day. Put them away in boxes or container bins.
Clear your tables, chair, and bed. Put used clothes in the hamper, clean and folded laundry inside the closet. Clear away things you aren’t using anymore. Lessen your distraction!
2. Get rid of the old mattress.
Your mattress may be more worn than the usual if you have a multi-purpose room. A mattress is meant to be replaced every few years, that’s about between 7 to 10 years – depending on your usage.
An old mattress is most likely deformed and saggy already – that won’t contribute really to a good night’s rest. One of the reasons why people hold on to their mattress as much as they can is because it’s burdensome to get a new one.
A bulky purchase like a mattress is quite a hassle but you can always buy it online. You can even purchase a mattress in a box if the size worries you. Look for more information on warranties though if you are doing the buying online.
Just replace your old mattress as it isn’t made to last forever. You will surely have better sleep if you get a new one.
3. Dim the lights.
It’s a given that you should have dimmer lights or no lights at all when it’s bedtime already. The dimmer the lights the more it signals the body that it’s time for sleep.
However, the days are longer during the summer. You can actually have a remedy to that. Get blackout curtains or blinds to simulate nighttime. This type of curtains or blinds not just effectively block off the light, they also deflect some of the heat coming inside the room. You could even use velvet curtains.
With that, you’ll have a darker and cooler room – conditions that will make your room more sleep-friendly.
Don’t worry if you have limited space. Don’t worry if you use your bedroom in more ways than one. There are ways to convert your room to better sleeping space at night. Put away your clutter, replace your old mattress, and dim your lights when it’s nearly time for bed already. A small space shouldn’t prevent you from having a sleep-friendly room.
It’s natural to miss a day or two of sleep especially when your environment is not conducive for sleeping. But, if you’re losing sleep for extended periods, you may want to seek medical advice from a sleep expert.
Lack of good-quality sleep is oftentimes caused by sleep disorders. Sleep specialists can help identify the cause of your condition and at the same time recommend treatments to ease the problem. For example, in conditions like sleep apnea, the use of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine is prescribed. Treatment of other disorders may also include oral medication, a change of lifestyle, and exercise.
Lack of sleep has serious negative effects on your health. It is best to consult your doctor as soon as you notice signs of sleep problems. Have a good shuteye and enjoy the benefits of having a good night’s sleep.
