Consistent, quality sleep is key to living a healthy lifestyle and keeping everyone in your home happy. Although your family may have trouble sleeping because of stress from work and school, you can make changes in habits and lifestyle to help everyone enjoy better quality sleep. Monitor your home’s indoor air quality, be mindful of caffeine consumption, and limit everyone’s screen time before bed.
Your home’s indoor air quality has a larger effect on your sleep than you may realize. Dust, pet dander, and common home allergens lurk in our sheets and curtains, and we can stir up these irritants before we lie down. Clean regularly, remove artificially scented products from the home, and change your HVAC system’s air filter every one to three months. You should also speak to an HVAC services company about routine maintenance for your HVAC system. Poor indoor air quality is associated with problems such as restlessness and sleep apnea.
In addition to your home’s HVAC system, pay attention to your family’s caffeine and screen habits. A cup of coffee is wonderful in the morning, but consuming too much caffeine, especially within six hours of bedtime, could lead to anxiety and insomnia. Televisions, laptops, phones, and tablets could also be responsible for keeping you awake. Looking at screens before bedtime can make you more alert, so keep electronics out of the bedroom as much as possible and prohibit any screen time 30 minutes before bed. Explore more smart sleep solutions presented in the infographic below.
