Tip for Better Sleep

6 Ways to Stop Artificial Lights from Disturbing your Sleep?

Exposure to artificial light at night can trigger many challenges, affecting your health, mood, and productivity, and later as you age, you will have much higher risk of developing eye conditions and compromised vision.

Especially the blue light that makes the screens of smartphones and other devises bright is known to cause problems. Not only can blue light damage the eye’s sensitive tissues, but exposure to this bright light at night has the ability to confuse your biological clock to think it’s daytime, keeping you awake when you actually really need sleep.

Exposure to artificial light at night also triggers sleep disturbances, such as fragmented sleep. To get deep quality sleep your eyes need to properly calm down, which takes time. So, if you expose your eyes to artificial light, especially before bedtime (or while in bed) it will take longer for your brain to reach deep and restful sleep. Instead, you will experience multiple micro wake-ups, and possibly longer periods of not being able to fall back into sleep. As a result, the poorer your sleep quality, the higher your risk of developing various chronic health conditions. These include diabetes, heart issues, certain types of cancer, and dementia.

What to do?

To minimize the negative effects of artificial light exposure at night:

  1.  Limit screen time before bed: Aim to reduce screen time at least one to two hours before bedtime to allow your body to wind down naturally and prepare for sleep.
  2. Use "Night Mode" setting: If you really need to see something or do some late-night working, use "Night Mode" or "Blue Light Filter" settings.
  3. Dim the lights: Use dim, warm-colored lighting in the evening to mimic the natural light of sunset. Avoid bright, fluorescent lights, especially close to bedtime.
  4. Use blackout curtains: Invest in blackout curtains or blinds to block out external sources of light that may interfere with your sleep.
  5. Establish a solid day schedule and sleep routine: Stick to consistent times for eating your meals, and set up a sleep schedule, (even on weekends), to get your body’s biological clock working well.
  6. Learn to calm your nervous system: Especially learn ways to calm down your visual system. This is one of core topics in the Moving into Sleep Method, which includes lessons for both relaxing the eye muscles and the optic nerve function.

Put the above tips into practice and you will certainly start feeling the benefits — and you get them for free!  

Too high or low support will twist your neck muscles, which can affect your whole body.

If you prefer to lie on your back, make the support thinner than when you lie on your side.
Fold the towel so that your neck feels well supported and you can roll your head easily from side to side.
Note that the alignment of your neck often reflects first the way it is when you stand or sit.
Therefore, after some time, it might be necessary to adjust the hight

If you lie on your side, create a support so that your neck is in line with your spine.
Experiment with different heights, until you feel your neck is as relaxed as possible and free to move.
If necessary combine a folded towel with a flat pillow
Be aware that some pillows get compressed during the night and won't give you consistent support.
A folded towel, on the other hand, maintains its shape very well.
Once you have created the right support for your head, move it a little backward, so that nothing or as little as possible touches your cheek.
A gentle touch on the cheek triggers a rooting reflex, which activates the neck muscles to turn your head.
Ideally, the core support is under the side of the skull, behind the ear, where you can find the center of balance of your head.
Note also that your neck doesn't need any support. Therefore, avoid squeezing a soft pillow under your neck as it will bother you by limiting body circulation and free movement.

The support you get is firm, yet comfortable and the flat surface promotes comfort and ease in movement.
Some weeks ago, my mother-in-law told she had a stiff neck every morning. When I asked her how she supported her head, she told having a basic, soft, and quite a thick pillow. I then told her how I support my head with a folded bath-towel, sometimes combined with a thin pillow. This allows me to adjust the support so that my head is well balanced and free to move. It is a great solution, functional and cheap.

Thanks for reading!

As always — thanks for reading.

Questions and comments are welcome!