Sleep is important, and now that we have made that startling statement let’s make sure you know why. On average, we need about eight hours of sleep every day to function effectively. Note, I said effectively. You have probably read reports or heard from people who can work on a lot less than this. But if you’re not getting at least eight hours, you won’t be functioning at your maximum potential.

This is an issue for both kids and parents. If parents aren’t getting enough sleep each night, then they won’t have the energy they need through the day to deal with problems they encounter as a parent and as an employee or perhaps a boss. We all have roles to complete through the day whether we are a stay at home parent or a business professional.

As for kids, sleep will ensure that they perform well in school and do their best every day. If your kids are struggling in school or their grades are dropping, you might find it’s an issue with sleep or rather, a lack of it.

So, to tackle this issue, we first need to look at the bedroom. It’s important to understand that most sleep issues have a physical cause usually present in the bedroom. We’re about to get into some of the issues that can affect your sleep, and it’s worth pointing out this advice can be applied to your room and your kids. So let’s jump on in.

A Bedroom Made For Sweet Dreams

No Light Pollution

You might be unlucky and live in a home or sleep in a room with a lamplight from the street right outside. If that’s the case, you must make sure you have quality curtains or blinds over the window. Ideally, you want to make sure that they completely cover the window and don’t let light seep through. There are two ways to ensure this is the case. First, the curtains or blinds need to be measured carefully and ensure that you have the set for your window. Second, you should look at the thickness of the materials that you are using. It’s not rocket science to say that a thicker material will lead to less light shining through.

If you’re not sure whether light pollution is an issue in your kid’s room, stand in there with the lights off and the door shut at night. Give your eyes a few seconds to readjust. If you can still see your hand in front of your face clearly, there’s probably a little too much light in the room.

Remove the old curtains and replace them with a new set or some blinds. You might even want both.

Extra Light…?

Of course, you might find that the issue isn’t too much light but rather a lack of it. If this is the case, you should consider getting a nightlight, particularly for kids. The best advice is to make sure you get one with a dimmer switch. That way, you can alter the level of light to match the requirements of the person sleeping in there. If you want to kill two birds with one stone, you could get a Himalayan salt lamp. The Himalayan salt lamp emits minerals that have been shown through research studies to destress the body. As well as this, when the light is on, it creates a beautiful, atmospheric pink glow which looks fantastic. So, as well as being a great way to help you sleep, it may also be a fantastic new accessory for your bedroom. Just make sure you get one from a reputable buyer as some of these popular lamps are shoddily put together.

Bed Bother

Of course, you might find that the reason why you or your child can’t sleep is due to the mattress. A child may not realise why they can’t sleep, so it’s best to check it out for yourself. Feel for any lumps and have a lie down to see whether it’s comfortable. Remember, not everyone is the same. Some people like a mattress that gives a little more back support and others prefer one that allows them to sink into it.

That’s why you shouldn’t buy a mattress online because you need to get a feel for it before you buy. Some stores offer to take your old mattress away for it to be recycled and avoid the need for you to get rid of what is essentially rubbish. However, rather than doing this, you might want to use a service like Same-Day Rubbish Removal. There’s no guarantee that a shop will collect your old mattress straight away and you don’t want this type of rubbish lying around. After all, beds are large and take up a lot of space. When they’re not being used, they just become trash lying around your home. It’s far better to get them collected as quickly as possible. Once you have a new mattress that suits your needs, you may feel more comfortable, but there are other possibilities to consider.

Electrical Interference

Perhaps an electrical issue is what’s keeping you up at night. Before you answer this question, we need to explain how electronic devices can interfere with your sleep. Research has shown that electronic devices release electromagnetic energy. The energy we’re talking about here can interfere with sleeping patterns and stop you from reaching the most profound sleep level. So, while it’s not dangerous, it can certainly alter how well you rest through the night. If you don’t reach the deepest sleep level, the slightest sound or interference could theoretically, wake you up.

Since all electronic devices have been shown to emit this type of energy, you need to be careful. Anything with an output wireless signal can be particularly problematic such as a phone, a laptop, or a games console. You may have noticed we’ve named some of the devices that can typically be found in a kid’s room or even a room of an adult. As such, before you try and go to sleep, it’s worth taking a look around your space for this type of tech. Make sure it’s switched off and in the case of your phone, don’t keep it under your pillow. This will definitely make it more difficult for you to sleep through the night. While not everyone seems to be affected by this type of energy, there will be at least a few who are, so it is worth trying to see if it does improve your level of sleep through the night.

You might even want to think about restructuring your kid’s room. You can remove the TV and games console, instead of setting it up downstairs. Remember, it’s not just about the possible energy emitting from the TV. If the systems are in their bedroom, there’s not much stopping them from getting up in the middle of the night and trying to beat the last level of COD or perhaps talking to their boyfriend on skype. Parents often think their kids are having trouble sleeping when really, they’re just not going to bed.

Other Issues In Sleep

Of course, it’s not just about what’s in the bedroom. It’s possible that a problem with sleep is being caused by either a psychological or physical issue. Let’s look at physical issues first as they are easier to solve.

You might find, for instance, that while you’re going to sleep at the right time and ticking off all the right boxes, with limited electronic devices in the room, there’s an issue with how restful you are. You may be tossing and turning all night every night, and if that’s the case, it doesn’t matter what time your head hits the pillow. If you feel exhausted after a long sleep when you wake up in the morning, this is probably the issue. There is, however, a fix.

You need to add more potassium to your diet, and you can get this from bananas. Rich in potassium, bananas regulate the body and the muscles, preventing you from spasming in bed all night. With a few more bananas in your diet, you might definitely notice a difference in how alive you feel through the day.

The other cause of a lack of sleep is certainly going to be stress. Stress can keep us up all through the day and the night. This is a psychological issue, haunting our minds and keeping our brains switched on when we want them to turn off. The easiest way to handle this is to write down whatever makes you feel stressed before you try and go to sleep. By writing it down, you are sending a message you are dealing with it, and you should then be able to switch off.

We hope you find this advice helpful. Whether it’s you or your kid having trouble sleeping, there are solutions to issues like this and easy ways to ensure that you do get the night of sleep you need.