Transform Your Bright and Noisy Bedroom Into a Sleep Paradise
Good sleep matters , but even if you have what it takes to get a good night’s sleep , you still have to fight the world around you. You can’t control the sun or noise outside, but there are a few things you can do to keep your bedroom dark and quiet when you need it so they don’t get in between you and a restful night’s sleep.
The sun rises right in my face every morning at 7:00, although I don’t have to get up that early. On top of that, the leaf blower and music in my area are born around the same time. If you’re like me and would like to benefit from multiple ways to cope with distractions, here are some tips and tricks to help make the world a better place without too much sacrifice.
Darken your windows
The blinds only provide that much protection from the sun. If you have a lot of natural light in your bedroom like I do, you’ve probably thought of expensive blackout shades, but you might not be willing to pay for it. Plus, if you really like the light in your room at other times of the day, darkening shadows will only give you two options: really dark or very bright. Each problem has a good solution, and you can even combine them if you like.
First, you can darken the windows with cut-to-size removable stickers. I bought this Gila Privacy Film , which costs about $ 17 per window (a bit for the bedroom), but just about any removable blackout film should work. You just cut it to size, wash the window and roll it up. You will need time to press it for it to stay, and if you have multiple window panes, you will need to cut it into several pieces. I had 24 separate panels on one window, and it took me about an hour to cut, so I watched a few podcasts. However, it will probably be easier for you than for me, so I won’t worry too much about commitment. Speaking of commitments, you can just shoot a movie anytime you want. I taped mine in some places where it didn’t stick, but it should stay on the window if you leave it alone.
Secondly, you can create your own darkened shades. I only prefer decals because I want light to come through. When less penetrates, I wake up closer to 8:00 – the desired time – so I usually don’t need to use any other techniques. If you want to create your own shades, you really don’t need a lot of know-how. You just need heavy fabric , which you can find for as little as $ 5 a yard, a curtain rod, a staple gun, and a rope. From there, you simply cut the fabric to fit your window, attach the top to the curtain rod, attach the curtain rod above the window, and tie the fabric into a roll with string until you need to lower the blackout curtains. … Of course, it won’t look pretty in any way. It will look as if you have attached a piece of fabric to a rod. However, if you have a sewing machine, you can sew them to the stem and seal the corners with little effort.
You can use any technique that suits you, or both. You can also just buy an eye mask if you don’t mind. Either way, you’ll reduce the amount of light in your bedroom cheaply and worry less about getting up early from the sun.
Cover your ears
You can block out the sun, but it will be more difficult to darken the noise. You cannot silence your noisy neighborhood, but you can silence your ears.
You’ve probably thought about it. Earplugs are the obvious solution, but you want the right fit. Small styrofoam inserts work best. You wouldn’t want them loud by damaging the gig (you want it for that), you don’t need to block out crazy amounts of sound or maintain any level of quality. You just need to block enough sound to sleep without much discomfort. You can order wholesale foam earplugs inexpensively. The simple barrel type is best for sleeping because it protrudes very little and you can get 50 for $ 11 . Slightly longer ones cost a little less – $ 22 for 200 . Either way, just stick them in your ears at night and you’ll sleep a little better. The vibrating alarm will replace your noisy clock when you need a wake-up call.
While earplugs can solve the noise problem, they can cause others if used for an extended period of time (for example, you need to clean your ears safely to avoid wax sealing problems). Also, if you are tossing and turning a lot at night, it is best not to use earplugs because the rapid change in pressure due to the movement of the plug can damage the eardrum. If you think it is risky for you, check with your doctor or sleep professional before using them. Custom earplugs usually solve the problems of people who have problems (and generally perform better), but you will obviously have to pay a little more. If you really do not want to stop up your ears, you can always try a little sound insulation , made their hands , but we found that it almost does not help with the outside noise.
Control your other senses
Light and noise are not all sleep problems, but they are the most common. However, temperature affects many people in the summer. If you need to cope with the heat, check out our guide to keeping you cool while you sleep .
This post was originally published in 2013 and has been updated in 2020 to include additional context and to align with Lifehacker’s style guidelines.