Written by Claus Pummer, Samina Organic Sleep System
We spend one third of our life in bed, and yet we can forget the importance of creating a healthier space for sleeping.
A bed is much more than a piece of furniture and a bedroom is much more than a place where you sleep.
Your bedroom should be a place of restoration and regeneration. It is only when you sleep that you heal, grow muscle, renew your immune system, and so much more.
Here are seven steps to take back your sleep by creating the perfect environment to return to every night:
7 Steps To Create a Healthier Sleep Space
1. First and foremost, clean up your bedroom. When consulting with clients, I find that their bedrooms serve many purposes. They become social rooms, offices, multi-media centers, storage rooms, even extensions of their kids’ playrooms and pets’ hangouts. Not only does this disturb sleep, but also fills each morning with psychological stress. Sleep should be sacred and your bedroom should be a sleep sanctuary. Remove anything that is not necessary for sleep or bedtime routines. If space is limited, invest in good storage pieces that will help clear the visual clutter.
2. Clear your bedrooms of all electronic devices. We recently measured the EMF’s and RF’s in our client’s bedroom to help find things hurting his sleep quality. As I guessed, it was his office desk full of electronics that was the culprit of his concerns. An office desk and router should be left out of the bedroom if at all possible, and the router should be turned off at night while you sleep, no matter where it is located. The same goes for cell phones. I often find that cordless phones are placed on the night stand near people’s heads as they fall asleep. This device sends out invisible, silent pulses all night long. More on that next:
3. Turn your cell phone off. A cell phone is 3G or 4G Hz and that “G” stands for BILLION so that is 3 or 4 billion Hz while your heart beats on a simple 6.7 Hz. Think of the impact that can have on your brain and body if you sleep with a phone nearby all night. Same with other electronic devices. Charge them anywhere except your bedroom and turn them all off at night. I know some people have jobs requiring them to be on call, and you know what I tell them– get a land line!
4. Dim the lights at night. Our Circadian rhythm is triggered by light. The sun goes down and light diminishes. Darkness stimulates production of melatonin, the hormone that tells your body to wind down and get sleepy. Modern lifestyles have created artificial daylight, allowing us to be productive later in the day. This artificial light stops our body from producing melatonin, and instead, our bodies produce adrenaline to keep us awake. This can be especially true for children, who may still be bouncing off the walls at bedtime because the bright lights are telling their bodies it’s still daytime. Dim lights when possible. Candles and lamps with dimmers are what we use, along with night lights or dim light in bathrooms.
5. Say goodbye to your springform mattress. Metal spring mattresses are a huge problem for many sleepers and they don’t even realize it. Metal spring mattresses were created over 150 years ago before we had electricity running through our walls and ceilings and WIFI and radio frequencies literally surrounding us. Metal behaves like little antennae attracting these waves. Since you are already a conductive body, you attract a lot of milli-voltage to your body. Although this happens while we are awake as well, it is all the more important while we sleep because electromagnetic radiation (EMR) disrupts our natural Circadian rhythms. But spring mattresses are not the only ones to look out for:
6. Be wary of memory foam mattresses. Most beds are made 100% from petrochemicals, polyesters, formaldehydes, VOC’s. These materials don’t breathe. They trap heat and moisture, making ideal growth environments for dust mites, bacteria, mold, and mildew. Memory foam, in my opinion, is even more dangerous. I can’t count the number of people who have complained about the off-gassing of this foam. What’s more, I can’t find out with certainty what is even in this foam. Manufacturers create proprietary names and then hide behind “trade secrets” to fully disclose what materials are used. Sounds fishy to me.
7. Create a bedtime sleep routine. Sleep professionals all agree that bedtime rituals are extremely beneficial. While we establish them for our children especially when they are young, we often neglect them as adults. The end of my work day is often 7pm or 8 pm. Once home, I shower then enjoy my infrared sauna for at least 20 minutes before showering again. The process is relaxing and rejuvenating. The quiet time is meditative. The shower helps me rinse off the funk of the day psychologically and physically to help keep our bed and bedding clean. Create a routine that works for you and prepares you for a restorative sleep every night.
I hope these tips help you rediscover the power of good quality sleep!
Learn more about Claus Pummer and the Samina Organic Sleep System here.
